Odd telephone call from First Credit Limited

welshdemon

I had a call from this niumber today. Lucky i dont answer to wierd numbers like that, or "withheld" and "unknown" numbers. Anyway I searched for the number on google, but only had 1 result (when I typed in "08701642049" - the number without gaps) so just wanted to add this to the thread for the sake of others.

0870 164 2049
0870 1642049

so people who search for those search strings land on this page too

The more people who know, the better!

Bleurgh

I HAD to sign up and give my input because I've had a similar experience to a few people on here.

I got a letter from a debt collection agency in November 2006 for a credit card debt owed to Barclaycard which I knew nothing about. The address they gave was one I lived at over 5 years ago but the purchases had been made in 2005.

I had a Barclaycard when I lived at that address but I cancelled it a long time ago.

I immediately phoned the Police to log an incident and I also phoned Barclaycard. They told me the following facts...

1. I did have a card with them which I PAID OFF in June 2001 down to a zero balance. (I moved out of that house in July 2001)
2. The card was re-issued to that address at a later date (probably for chip and pin).
3. The new card was used in 2005 to pay for goods and draw cash.
4. Barclaycard sold the debt to First Credit Limited.

I told barclaycard that I had cancelled the card in 2001 but they said they had not received a letter. The person I spoke to at Barcalycard was sympathetic - she could tell I was being honest and that it was a case of fraud.

There is no possible way that I could have used the card. As I said, I moved out a month after DESTROYING the original credit card, paying it off and cancelling the account. I believe It was an admin error at Barcalycard that kept the account open and at an address I no longer lived. So at some point a few years later, they re-issued the card to the address on file. I know for a fact that the woman who bought the house was using it to rent out and its pretty obvious that the tenants at the time must have used the card - or the postman.

So I phoned First Credit....

Nothing but abuse from the start. Everything I explained to them wasnt good enough. They said the police incident number was useless - they said that they were not prepared to co-operate with the police and that I had to prove my innocence to them. They said they were going to take me to court. I tried to explain my position but they simply just shouted me down. In the end I got so frustrated that I was very abusive to them on the telphone. I swore my head off!!

Anyway. I put together proof that I sold the house in 2001 by getting the land registry documents. They clearly show that the new owner and the date.

I sent a full letter by registered post both to First Credit Limited and to the debt collectors they had used. It included the above proof that I wasnt living there when the new card was re-issued or used and my police incident number. I also provided the CID details and the officer who is handling the fraud investigation. I indicated to them that I would not take their telephone calls due to their argumentative behaviour and they should write to me.

I asked them to write back to me. They did not.

I then received a letter from another debt collection agency. First Credit had ignored my letter and passed on the handling of the case to another debt collectors. I phoned them and they were very polite!

I explained my situation - they listened. I faxed them all my documets - I'd saved everything. They immediately sent the "account" back to first credit Limited telling me that they should never have been sent it at all and that this is clearly a case of fraud. They explained that the dedbt would be written off.

I was quite relieved.

This week I received a further letter from a litigators, acting on behalf of First Credit Limited. Explaining that they were going to take me to court over the outstanding debt. I was shocked.

I phoned them and explained my situation as I did with the previous company. They were polite, they listened. The litigaor told me that she was amazed that First Credit Limited were still pursuing this. We both agreed that if it went to court, I couldnt possibly lose. She said that she would phone First Credit back the same day and get the debt written off as fraud (de ja vue).

I faxed them all the details and phoned back the next day. I was told that they had sent the "account" back to First Credit Limited with the recommendation that the debt be written off as fraud. They clearly were not prepared to take on a case they couldnt possibly win.

That was yesterday.

As much as I hope this is the end of it, I have a feeling that the harrassment is going to continue.

I'll let you know!

Clive_Woody

Bleurgh wrote: »

I HAD to sign up and give my input because I've had a similar experience to a few people on here.

I got a letter from a debt collection agency in November 2006 for a credit card debt owed to Barclaycard which I knew nothing about. The address they gave was one I lived at over 5 years ago but the purchases had been made in 2005.

I had a Barclaycard when I lived at that address but I cancelled it a long time ago.

I immediately phoned the Police to log an incident and I also phoned Barclaycard. They told me the following facts...

1. I did have a card with them which I PAID OFF in June 2001 down to a zero balance. (I moved out of that house in July 2001)
2. The card was re-issued to that address at a later date (probably for chip and pin).
3. The new card was used in 2005 to pay for goods and draw cash.
4. Barclaycard sold the debt to First Credit Limited.

I told barclaycard that I had cancelled the card in 2001 but they said they had not received a letter. The person I spoke to at Barcalycard was sympathetic - she could tell I was being honest and that it was a case of fraud.

There is no possible way that I could have used the card. As I said, I moved out a month after DESTROYING the original credit card, paying it off and cancelling the account. I believe It was an admin error at Barcalycard that kept the account open and at an address I no longer lived. So at some point a few years later, they re-issued the card to the address on file. I know for a fact that the woman who bought the house was using it to rent out and its pretty obvious that the tenants at the time must have used the card - or the postman.

So I phoned First Credit....

Nothing but abuse from the start. Everything I explained to them wasnt good enough. They said the police incident number was useless - they said that they were not prepared to co-operate with the police and that I had to prove my innocence to them. They said they were going to take me to court. I tried to explain my position but they simply just shouted me down. In the end I got so frustrated that I was very abusive to them on the telphone. I swore my head off!!

Anyway. I put together proof that I sold the house in 2001 by getting the land registry documents. They clearly show that the new owner and the date.

I sent a full letter by registered post both to First Credit Limited and to the debt collectors they had used. It included the above proof that I wasnt living there when the new card was re-issued or used and my police incident number. I also provided the CID details and the officer who is handling the fraud investigation. I indicated to them that I would not take their telephone calls due to their argumentative behaviour and they should write to me.

I asked them to write back to me. They did not.

I then received a letter from another debt collection agency. First Credit had ignored my letter and passed on the handling of the case to another debt collectors. I phoned them and they were very polite!

I explained my situation - they listened. I faxed them all my documets - I'd saved everything. They immediately sent the "account" back to first credit Limited telling me that they should never have been sent it at all and that this is clearly a case of fraud. They explained that the dedbt would be written off.

I was quite relieved.

This week I received a further letter from a litigators, acting on behalf of First Credit Limited. Explaining that they were going to take me to court over the outstanding debt. I was shocked.

I phoned them and explained my situation as I did with the previous company. They were polite, they listened. The litigaor told me that she was amazed that First Credit Limited were still pursuing this. We both agreed that if it went to court, I couldnt possibly lose. She said that she would phone First Credit back the same day and get the debt written off as fraud (de ja vue).

I faxed them all the details and phoned back the next day. I was told that they had sent the "account" back to First Credit Limited with the recommendation that the debt be written off as fraud. They clearly were not prepared to take on a case they couldnt possibly win.

That was yesterday.

As much as I hope this is the end of it, I have a feeling that the harrassment is going to continue.

I'll let you know!

Sad to say, but the simplest thing might be to let this go to court, take along all the info you detailed here and let the judge tell 1st Credit to go jump.

yellowtr

:mad:

I am staggered by this I have gone through exactly the same thing as Bleurgh. The utter rudeness of the staff at 1st Credit.

Basically someone has got a credit card in my name from Barclaycard (I applied for one in 99 never used it) and it was reactivated to an address I have never lived in and they have racked up a HUGE debt which now the knucklescrapper of 1st Credit are pursing with there finest customer service skills :rolleyes:

I am seeing a lawyer on Monday about this. 1st Credit claim to have spent nearly 2yrs trying to find me-yet Barclaycard had my original (and only) address. Unreal.

hulltrucker

Clive_Woody wrote: »

Sad to say, but the simplest thing might be to let this go to court, take along all the info you detailed here and let the judge tell 1st Credit to go jump.

I agree - keep all the documentation, dont answer the phone to them, certainly dont ring them on thier 0870 number )as this is just making them more money) and let them take you to court - If you really dont have the debt they will just look daft in front of the courts. If this happens enough times I am sure the courts will start to question this companies "credability"

Bleurgh

hulltrucker wrote: »

I agree - keep all the documentation, dont answer the phone to them, certainly dont ring them on thier 0870 number )as this is just making them more money) and let them take you to court - If you really dont have the debt they will just look daft in front of the courts. If this happens enough times I am sure the courts will start to question this companies "credability"

I've thought of that but to be honest with you - the stress of going to court would be hard for me and I'd rather avoid it if possible - not to mention the costs involved. I dont cope well with unfamiliar situations and its alot of hassle having to take time off work to do something like that when it should never have gone that far in the first place. Although saying that, if I do end up in court I'm going to make damn sure I get compensated for the stress this whole situation has put me under and for the large amount of time I've been forced to spend on it.

In my last letter to the most recent debt collectors, I told them that this situation was beginning to impact on my life and it is taking me away from my work. I'm a company director and my time is very valuable to my business. I explained that from this point forward any time I spent on dealing with them would be invoiced to them accordingly. The reason being that I have already explained my situation to First Credit Limited in full. All I seem to be doing now is forwarding that same info on to whoever they put onto me next.

Considering the litigators they put onto me last week are not willing to touch me with a barge pole, it looks like First Credit Limited are out of options here.
My big problem now is that I dont know where I stand. Is my credit rating back to normal ? I'm damn sure First Credit wont be writing to me to let me know they are no longer pursuing me for the fraudulent debt.

I think the right thing to do is to contact a solicitor and get them to write a letter for me, forcing First Credit to either go to court or confirm in writing that they are going to drop their ridiculous allegations against me. I wonder if I could take this to court myself - force the situation from this end on the grounds that they are damaging my credit rating.

Bleurgh

Heres an update on my situation...

On the 26th April, the litigators sent me this email...

Thanks for your email. Sorry the phone lines have been down all morning. The alleged account has been written off and closed as a fraud.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself if you have any further queries.

I applied for credit yesterday and was refused because the "black mark" is stiLl against my name.

So I contacted the litiagtors again and they said....

I have contacted 1st credit this morning they have advised me that they have closed the account as fraud and passed it back to Barclaycard. The only reason I can think that it is still on your credit file is because Barclaycard are still investigating the fraud. My advice would be to contact them and ask the progress of this account.

I am sorry to hear you are still having problems with this account I was hoping the matter would be resolved for you.

So I phoned Barclaycard. They said that they have had no update since April and that they are waiting on 1st credit to get back to them.

I explained what the litigators said to me this morning - that the account had been passed to them. I was then put on hold...

Suddenly the line clears and I say hello? The voice on the other end says hello. I say "who am I talking to" - he says "this is first credit". I said "why have I been passed to you "? He says "I have no idea".

He then says - "can I take your name" - I give my name. "And the first line of your address". I give him my addrress. He then says in a really nasty way - "whats your previous address". I reply - I beg your pardon - he says - "whats your previous address". I said -" hang on why are you asking me these questions I just need to know whats happening". He says abruptly "just answer the question". I said "whats your name please". He says "fIrst credit". "No whats YOUR name" I say...

He hangs up.

So at this time they are purposely damaging my credit rating. I've contacted a solicitor.

Edit...

I phoned Barclaycard back and they say that because they SOLD the debt to 1st Credit - its not their responsibility and they have basically nothing to do with it.

So.... WHY did 1st Credit tell their own litigators that they had closed the account and passed it back to Barclaycard ? And WHY has the default not been removed from my credit record ?

At this point I'm in the process of getting a solicitor to write them a letter basically saying - confirm in writing that this is over and the default has been removed - or else!

Considering the amount of wasted time and stress this has cost me, I must be able to claim something from them surely? I'm now perfectly happy to go to court over this - I just want it ended!

I'm a totally innocent person who has been treated like a criminal and harrassed for over 6 months for something I have proved to them (in writing by registered post) could not possibly have been my spending - yet they have continued to ignore the information I have given them and essentially now are purposely damaging my reputation by not withdrawing the default against my name.

Not only that, they are costing me money every day because I am wanting to get rid of my credit cards and consolidate with a loan as the interest rates are so high on the cards - but I cant do that until they remove this default. I'm really at the end of my wits.

123ABC_2

Well they certainly are persistant. They have been writing to my parents address for some time now, they keep getting the letters returned with "no longer at this address" written on, they called my parents address and basically called my Dad a liar when he told them that he didn't know where I was staying now and they call my mobile at least once a day - yes, even on a Saturday! I never answer their calls and they always leave this automated voice message. I have even had them texting me.

caddy_3

Thanks to everybody for their messages. Very useful to read. I've had several 'silent' phone calls from 08701 642 049. Googled it this afternoon and the search led me here. Absolutely astounding. I have no idea what they want but I certainly shan't be answering the phone to them. :mad:

123ABC_2

They have given up on me and passed it on to some other company. Lol, won't be paying them either.