Global Debt Recovery, my mum getting letters\hassled over another persons debt

donny909

Now here is something I hope some can help with as it's worrying my mum quite a bit.

Firstly She has recently received 2 letters from a company called Tower Invertigations asking a person of the same surname as my mum (but someone else of the first name) to contact them about an investigation. My mum contacted me to ask about it as she is always unsure about such things. I done some research and said ignore as it's almost certainly a scam of sorts and they are probably blanket sending to a lot of people in the area with the same surname to locate a certain person.

But today she gets a letter from a company called Global Debt Recovery Ltd which are saying there is a debt traced to the same person (as in the previous 2 letters) there. It just gives an account number and something along the lines of to contact them or futher action will be taken and something about baillifts or something being sent round.

Research says again it's kind of the same company chasing up expired\about to expire old debts and possably using public\credit referance check details etc to find addresses with the same surname and sending out intimidating letters in the hope of finding the person they are looking for.

Now the name on the letter is 100% not living there for as long as my mum has had the place. She even phoned the council and they confirm the person they are looking for is not regested as living there. But my mum is concerned that this latest letter may end up getting her and or the address blacklisted and her not able to get credit etc when she has spent years repairing and building up a fairly decent rating.

My original thought was to tell her to ignore it. But are my mums concerns about the address getting blacklisted valid I wander?.

Can a company chasing an apparent debt of a person get a court judgement against my mum and or the address?. Can they send debt collectors round and harrass her?.

Or as I think can they do nothing as there is no way they can ever get or prove a person that they are looking for lives there as they never have while my mum has been there?.

Anyone got any advice for her?.

wornoutmumoftwo

I wouldn't open it. Anything with this persons name on it post back as return to sender.

donny909

wornoutmumoftwo wrote: »

I wouldn't open it. Anything with this persons name on it post back as return to sender.

My mum being the person she is tends to open everything with the correct surname lol.

moonlite22

This company are animals they r rude when i got a letter i rang them after sending out an income form and they said it was not enough i went through cccs which is the goverment guide line now they are putting me through litigation i really dont know wot to do.

wornoutmumoftwo

moonlite - if you start your own thread (in debt free wanabee) explaining your circumstances you should get some good advice on here.

Take a look at this thread. Ask a CCCS a question

donny909

A little update on this now which is almost 99% connected. Upon my advice I told my mum not to bother phoning them as there is no reason for her to get into a 1 on 1 with them as I know and read about how such firms opperate to gain information of details that can be used against people for whatever reason.

But my mum has just got off the phone with me somewhat upset. As it seems that about the time of this last letter she has also had about 3 or 4 calls (today being the forth I think) asking for the same person in the letter and when being told there is no such person there then asking for another person. They then again ask my mum for the original person as in the letter claiming they must be there as it's there (the asked for person) phone number. It's been the same call each time my mum informs me. But the number is witheld each time

But here is the thing, there is no way from what we can tell(assuming it's connected) they could have got my mums phone number as it's modile on payg.

However there is a possability it could be something to do with a person she knows (family member) that has never lived there and has never known her phone number. Only they did ask about using her address as a secondry contact address I think. If that bit is true then I feel 80% certain we know how she is coming to be getting the calls. But it's possably unfair to say on an open forum because if we are correct then the company responsable (not the 1 sending letters or calling my mum) will have certainly broken the Data Protection Act on at least 3 seperate lots of details. To confirm this, would it be possable for my mum to contact a suspected company who may have illigally passed on her details via a SAR and would such a request show if they have passed on her details to another company?. As much to rule out the possability of the only thing we can think of as anything?

Either way is there anything my mum can do to both stop the letters and calls?. My advice would be to tell her to send back, unopened any futher letters and simply change the sim card seeing as they are often free anyways?.

king100

donny909 wrote: »

A little update on this now which is almost 99% connected. Upon my advice I told my mum not to bother phoning them as there is no reason for her to get into a 1 on 1 with them as I know and read about how such firms opperate to gain information of details that can be used against people for whatever reason.

But my mum has just got off the phone with me somewhat upset. As it seems that about the time of this last letter she has also had about 3 or 4 calls (today being the forth I think) asking for the same person in the letter and when being told there is no such person there then asking for another person. They then again ask my mum for the original person as in the letter claiming they must be there as it's there (the asked for person) phone number. It's been the same call each time my mum informs me. But the number is witheld each time

But here is the thing, there is no way from what we can tell(assuming it's connected) they could have got my mums phone number as it's modile on payg.

However there is a possability it could be something to do with a person she knows (family member) that has never lived there and has never known her phone number. Only they did ask about using her address as a secondry contact address I think. If that bit is true then I feel 80% certain we know how she is coming to be getting the calls. But it's possably unfair to say on an open forum because if we are correct then the company responsable (not the 1 sending letters or calling my mum) will have certainly broken the Data Protection Act on at least 3 seperate lots of details. To confirm this, would it be possable for my mum to contact a suspected company who may have illigally passed on her details via a SAR and would such a request show if they have passed on her details to another company?. As much to rule out the possability of the only thing we can think of as anything?

Either way is there anything my mum can do to both stop the letters and calls?. My advice would be to tell her to send back, unopened any futher letters and simply change the sim card seeing as they are often free anyways?.

Ok basically they cannot discuss anything concerning account unless you pass data protection.

Tell her to decline all questions and alternatively if she answers the phone to leave it by the radio and walk away.

She will need to send a letter, its about harrasment on the phone and they must stop. Have a look on CAG for the harassment letter.

SHE MUST NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SHE MUST TSTATE THAT SHE WIL ONLY RESPOND TO LETTERS AND IGNORE THE LETTERS.

king100

For bailiffs to be sent round they will need to go to court, if and when this happens they would taken the person named on the court application (whos debt it was) to court, person named (PN) would then need to be found guilty for the debt and a CCJ would be registered. If the repayments were not kept then bailiffs would be called.

If they state that they are going to turn up at the door there is a another letter you can send.....something along the lines of under such and such ruling you need to make an appointment to visit my proprty and I do not wish to make an appointment with you, they legalkly cannot turn up.

If they do ask them to leave, if they dont call the police and rport a trespasser on your property.

They have no legal rights to be there.

Have a look on CAG about dealing with these fools all the letters can be found on there.

There are no blacklists for properties so dont worry about that.

Sounds like a big phisssssssssssing trip to me.

donny909

Thanks for the replies and advice.

But can the letters still be thought of as harrasment if she never opens them and either posts them back or bins them unopened?. The letters she more feels and thinks of them as nothing more than junk mail like all the lottery like winning ones (which she never enters lol).

It's more the calls that are bothering her and getting to her as she knows there is no way they can have got her number or know how or why they have tried to connect it to this person yet they have.

But it's the bailiffs turning up on her door thats really bothering her I think. Not that I've told her yet but as it's come to my mind after the above post, if she did ignore all future letters from this firm and ignore all calls relating to this person does she not run the risk of either a default court case or a default hearing or a bailiffs letter or any combination of letters etc?.

What I'm trying to say\ask is if she ignores eveything in this persons name can they then get a default against her belongings (based on the person in the letter) or run the risk of bailiffs getting a legal order to enter premisis to take goods away?.

Or is it a case of they would have to 100% prove that the person they are seemingly after lives there before any order to gain belongings fron her place would be granted?.

As the way I'm reading the sisuation is thats just the risk she runs if she ignores everything even though it has nothing to do with here or anyone who lives there. And I know bailiffs can be clever at these things and will happily wait to catch people off guard to enter peoples homes.

king100

donny909 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies and advice.

But can the letters still be thought of as harrasment if she never opens them and either posts them back or bins them unopened?. The letters she more feels and thinks of them as nothing more than junk mail like all the lottery like winning ones (which she never enters lol).

It's more the calls that are bothering her and getting to her as she knows there is no way they can have got her number or know how or why they have tried to connect it to this person yet they have.

But it's the bailiffs turning up on her door thats really bothering her I think. Not that I've told her yet but as it's come to my mind after the above post, if she did ignore all future letters from this firm and ignore all calls relating to this person does she not run the risk of either a default court case or a default hearing or a bailiffs letter or any combination of letters etc?.

What I'm trying to say\ask is if she ignores eveything in this persons name can they then get a default against her belongings (based on the person in the letter) or run the risk of bailiffs getting a legal order to enter premisis to take goods away?.

Or is it a case of they would have to 100% prove that the person they are seemingly after lives there before any order to gain belongings fron her place would be granted?.

As the way I'm reading the sisuation is thats just the risk she runs if she ignores everything even though it has nothing to do with here or anyone who lives there. And I know bailiffs can be clever at these things and will happily wait to catch people off guard to enter peoples homes.

Letter one - Harassment on telephone - will stop the calls.

For bailiffs to be involved, they would send a court date to her address, which will have defendants name on it.

As she is not the defendant then she can inform the court that noone of that name lives there or has lived there. Get council tax bill or electoral list to prove this. They would be stupid to go to court over this and very unlikely.

She needs to write to the DCA and state that she does not acknowledge the debt and does not acknowledge the person stated on the letters.

They are her goods and not the person mentioned so they have no legal right to take her goods.

Please head over to CAG google them and post in dect collection forum, they will crucify these people.

Tell her not to worry its not her debt and they are phissing big time. These scum have been known to call neighbours and friends to get details before and will continue to do so.


She wont get a default court case against here, she wont be named on papers served, bailiffs as explained would only turn up if they took her to court not other person, they won and the judge said pay £25 per week, she didnt THEN bailiffs would be called in.

Bailiffs cannot just turn up and force entry in your home, they must enter peacefully, it wont come to that all.

libra10

For a while we were receiving letters and phone calls from debt collection agencies for someone unknown to us, at our address.

I returned all correspondence stating 'Not known at this address, remove from database. Stop harrassement.' And returned to sender, without a stamp.

So far, so good .....................