'opening balance' what does it mean?

LauraLeah91104

i returned home tonight to find a letter from Wescot services (a debt collection agency) for a statement of account.
The letter itself is brief and as follows:

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT:

The Consumer Credit Act requires us to issue an annual statement to the last known address we ave for an account, even if we have preiously been informed that the account holder no longer lives there. If you have details of a new contact address for the account holer then please contact us on the below number to update our records.

Date Description Amount Balance
01/10/2009 Opening Balance £148.75
30/09/2010 Closing Balance £148.75



Does this letter above mean the loan was taken out on this opening date? Just im worried that it has and we have lived here for the last 6 years and that someone has obtained credit for themselves but at our address and that fraud has been committed.
We have had a letter addressed to this lady before and i rang the company and informed them that they didnt live here and i couldnt be sure she actually ever did as she wasnt who we bought the house from.
There are no payments showing, and obivously with the account been placed in the hands of a debt collection agency, she obviously hasnt been maintaining her regular re-payments.

Does any one have any ideas on how i could find out more information, as i realise that either company will not tell me any info due to data protection/ confidentiality blah blah blah, but dont know how to find out whether a crime has been committed or not

Xbigman

Was it addressed to you?

If not, completely ignore it. In future post all corrspondance not addressed to you back to the sender unopened and write 'not at this address' on it.
If it was and you've no idea what this is about, still ignore it. They are fishing for a response, so don't respond. If they keep writing then eventually you should respond. But not yet.


X

Enfieldian

Does this letter above mean the loan was taken out on this opening date?

No, not at all.

As they said in the letter, this is the DCA's "Annual Statement" and it shows that no payments have been received for that year.

It would appear that they have lost contact with the person they are after and are sending random letters on the off chance of finding him/her and scaring them into making contact.

Hax

Opening balance - is the balance of the account at the start of the statement period.
Closing balance - is the balance of the account at the end of the statement period.

As Enfieldian says, that letter just shows that no payments have been made.

As the letter was not addressed to yourself, you shouldn't have opened it. In future, just stick them back in the post box with "not known at this address" written on them

LauraLeah91104

Hax wrote: »

As the letter was not addressed to yourself, you shouldn't have opened it. In future, just stick them back in the post box with "not known at this address" written on them

well it wwasnt on purpose, the name wasnt visable through the display window on the envelope, and also, ive lived here 6 years and dont get post for other people so it didnt occur to me that the letter i was about to open wasnt actually for me.

but i have ignored it and shredded the letter.
thanks

TrickyDicky101

When we moved house 5 years ago the previous owners had moved to France and left many of their debts unpaid. We continually got mail for these (including some fairly large ones) and we always opened this mail to see what else they were trying to evade.

mcs1977

TrickyDicky101 wrote: »

When we moved house 5 years ago the previous owners had moved to France and left many of their debts unpaid. We continually got mail for these (including some fairly large ones) and we always opened this mail to see what else they were trying to evade.

I also have done this. Tho I did regret it one day when I found out the previous resident owed a subscription to an adult TV channel:eek:
Martyn