Haunted by old store card

DarrenM_2

I'm wondering if anyone can help at all. I had a Debenhams store card years ago at an old address. When I sold the house and moved in with my partner, I filled in the change of address details on a statement and posted it in the Customer Services box in store. I thought nothing more of it as there was a zero balance at the time.

The card then wasn't used for months, possibly years. Debenhams then had some sort of cardholder event in which you got an extra discount if you put it on your store card. I therefore used the card with the intention of clearing it as soon as I received the statement and thought no more of it whatsoever.

Some years later, I started getting letters from GE Capital Bank saying there was a debt owed of about £75 in relation to a Debenhams store card. Believing the card to have a zero balance, I got in touch with Debenhams direct.

It turned out that there was a balance of about £30 and the remaining charges were non-payment charges. As an apology for not receiving the change of address details I’d completed, they waived the late payment charges and I settled the remaining balance on the phone (I even have a payment reference number for this) and asked for the account to be closed. I believe I then destroyed the card.

I heard nothing more for about 3 years. Recently however, I have started receiving letters from Aktiv Kapital that I ignored. The latest is now from Meritforce Doorstep Collection Agency. The letter states:

***************

Reference: XXXXXXXXX
Client Reference: XXXXXXXXX
Pursuers: Aktiv Kapital
Original Creditor: GE Capital (Ex Creation Finance Ltd)
Principal Sum: £XXX.XX

AUTHORISED COLLECTOR VISIT

Due to non-payment of the above we have been instructed by Mackenzie hall Limited to collect on their behalf.

An authorized collector will make a visit to your property within the next 10 days.

Should our collector inform us that no positive commitment towards clearing the debt has taken place, your account will be returned to this office and formal proceedings may be considered.

If you do not want our collector to call and would rather arrange settlement you must contact our Clients Mackenzie Hall Limited on 0844 411 5679* asking for Robert Taylor before the

13th September 2010

Should you fail to make a payment and action is taken, additional costs may be added to your debt.

We look forward to hearing from you. No more reminders will be sent.

***************

As far as I am concerned there is no debt. I am trying to confirm this with Debenhams directly but that is proving quite painful as they are refusing to discuss the account because I can’t tell them the credit limit on the old account or the password on account. I would be happy to answer other questions (e.g. mother’s maiden name etc.) but apparently they will not do.

That aside, I’m concerned that people are now going to be knocking at our door. I am out at work all day and my partner is at home. She is currently unwell with severe anxiety and I am concerned this is going to make things worse.

Where do I stand with this? I don’t want people knocking at my door for money, especially money that’s not owed. Can they just turn up at my door like this? And is this going to affect my credit rating - I'm hoping to apply for a mortgage soon.

Any advice, very gratefully received. Really don’t know what to do with this, I thought it was all sorted but it wont go away.

Thanks

D.

Tixy

Quick letter to stop anyone turning up at home - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=23635529&postcount=60

Usually the first response to anyone chasing you for moneyshould be to send the prove it letter to get them to prove you owe this money-http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11570893&postcount=2

Probably makes sense for you to combine the 2 letters.
That said they may well not turn up anyway, they are often just sent to scare people into paying up.

Hannah_10

I was also gonna say the prove it letter and the do not doorstep me letter. Good thinking Tixy to combine the two.

Always do everything in writing, never on the phone, they like you to call because they know they can lie thier backsides off on the phone and you can't prove a thing. They still lie in writing, but not as seriously, after all in writing you might show it to the regulator or something, they would be in trouble then!

So if they call you refuse to answer the security questions and tell the from now on you will only communicate in writing. Then always send everything signed for too (which is only 74p more than 1st/2nd), keep copies, and trace the letters online a couple of days later. The reference number and website address to track it with are on the receipt the Post Office give you.