Urgent - Really Worried - 10 days to pay!

danizinha

Hi,

I would really appreciate any help or advice please.

My boyfriend had a contract with 02 a couple of years ago. He began getting lots of texts from strange numbers, containing, !!!!!!, ringtones, dating etc. He sent texts back saying STOP as someone advised him and still they kept coming. He got a massive phone bill from 02. He called them numerous times complaining about this and they basically said to him theres nothing they can do to stop them and he would have to pay the bill. My boyfriend got into a bit of an argument with them and told them he will not pay for something he didnt ask for and had had tried to stop.

He then stopped paying them and heard nothing else from this.

Anyway (a bit of background). My boyfriend at time time had overstayed his visa in the UK. He has subsequently gone back to his country and we applied through the correct channels and he is now back in the country legally on a fiance visa.

A week before he arrived back in the UK, he received a letter from 02 saying he owed £1,032. £532 in call charges and the rest was early termination of the contract. The letter was sent to my address (I have no idea how they tracked him to this address as he has never had correspondence sent here before). He has now received 3 more letters. Two from a debt collection company called RED and the third from a solicitors threatening court.

He went to see the citizens advice bureau but they cant help at the moment as he doesnt have any proof that he is from this borough as he currently cant work as you are not permitted to do so on the fiance visa and I rent the flat in my name.

We are just so lost as to what to do. The charges are completely unfair and unjust but we are very worried about what is coming next

Can anyone give us any help? thank you in advance.

DGJsaver

Thats what happens when you give your mobile number to competition type emails/flyers etc etc
Far as i can see , those charges built up on his account , end of , why should O2 pay it ?
Anyway , he should be writing to them (RED) asking them to prove they are authorised to chase alleged debt , if they are , arrange a payment plan , even if only £5 month

ALL BY LETTER , DONT PHONE

danizinha

Thank you for your response.

Just for the record, he asked for these to be blocked, he never signed up for this. The citizens advice bureau said they have heard of this scam with 02.

Can I ask why I contact RED and not the solicitors who sent the most recent letter?

Thanks again

DGJsaver

What did they do , guess his number ?
The solicitors are probably a dept within RED , safer to write to the most recent people to correspond to him

DGJsaver

Oh , and the CAB makes a habit of slandering o2 does it...?

mr.ton

Red are Lowells in-house threat monkeys (along with Hampton legal)
They have no power to any money off you so tell them to get lost and report them to the OFT if they dont.

KingElvis

I sympathise with your situation but this is what happens when you simply ignore something.

The debt was run up and now has to be payed, it's very unlikely that you will convince O2 that the calls, texts, ringtones and other junk which he bought was by accident.

I would get in touch with them, be firm, explain the situation and come to a payment plan.

Good luck from me

DGJsaver

mr.ton wrote: »

Red are Lowells in-house threat monkeys (along with Hampton legal)
They have no power to any money off you so tell them to get lost and report them to the OFT if they dont.

Report a DCA to the OFT for what ?

BAILEYS6904

Get a copy of the bill, find the shortcode numbers that have been billing the handset, and then you can contact the service providers for details of how he subscribed in.

IF (and thats a big if), he hasnt asked for the service, you can then contact the service providers for a refund. Hopefully once O2 see that this is not your OH's fault, they may be lenient with the contract cancellation fee. However, if he has asked for the service, he should just pay arrangement to pay, and wake up, for next time

mr.ton

DGJsaver wrote: »

Report a DCA to the OFT for what ?

Harrassment & demanding monies with menace for starters....

mr.ton

KingElvis wrote: »

I sympathise with your situation but this is what happens when you simply ignore something.

The debt was run up and now has to be payed, it's very unlikely that you will convince O2 that the calls, texts, ringtones and other junk which he bought was by accident.

I would get in touch with them, be firm, explain the situation and come to a payment plan.

Good luck from me

I agree with the principle of repaying a debt - but only the basis that the OP has the means to repay the debt in the 1st place, once all essential expenditure has been catered for.
No amounts of DCA threats is gonna change that if the OP doesnt have it to repay.
We get the same old tired argument of "well you ran up the debt" etc...well tough, things happen/life changes etc....the industry will not get blood out of a stone, no matter how many times it tries to play the moral card.