Odd telephone call from First Credit Limited

kazzalew

richt71 wrote: »

Hi,
I have recently got a letter from 1st credit ltd. Not sure if this is the same company (as this is a debt recovery company). There letterhead has the following address on it: po box 278, Reigate, RH2 7WB.

Company reg. no: 3752940

Phone: 0870 164 2042
Email: [EMAIL="enq@1stcreditltd.com"]enq@1stcreditltd.com[/EMAIL]

Not sure if this helps??

i got a letter from this company, it had the same address (po box 278, Reigate, RH2 7WB.) but the company tel. no. is different ( 0843 320 0040) the company reg. no. is the same though. these people even know my previous address

lancashirelady

A letter from 1st credit dropped through our letterbox yesterday. We have lived at this address for over 6 years, have had some severe financial probs, but have been dealing with them, and sought advice from all correct sources. However this letter quotes my husband's name, says it is trying to find out whether he lives at this address and quotes our old address. It says if no one replies, they will assume husband lives at new address and will write to us. I have been reading all the posts and am getting very frightened. What should we do? Do I tell them he doesnt live here? Do I ignore it? We didnt leave any debt behind, and have never ran away from debt, always kept people informed, husband lost business last year, and also had car accident which has caused problems. Would appreciate advice.

fatbelly

lancashirelady wrote: »

A letter from 1st credit dropped through our letterbox yesterday. We have lived at this address for over 6 years, have had some severe financial probs, but have been dealing with them, and sought advice from all correct sources. However this letter quotes my husband's name, says it is trying to find out whether he lives at this address and quotes our old address. It says if no one replies, they will assume husband lives at new address and will write to us. I have been reading all the posts and am getting very frightened. What should we do? Do I tell them he doesnt live here? Do I ignore it? We didnt leave any debt behind, and have never ran away from debt, always kept people informed, husband lost business last year, and also had car accident which has caused problems. Would appreciate advice.

We're very familiar with this bunch on the debt-free wannabee forum, which is where you should post.

Don't get frightened. They are probably fishing. It may not be your husband's debt but someone's who has a name similar to his. You need to wait for a letter that gives more details. It may never arrive.

If you respond at this stage you give them the green light to harass you.

If it turns out to be a valid debt, but one that has not been acknowledged by payment for over six years, then it is 'statute barred', i.e. it cannot be enforced by court action. We can give you more info if that is the case.

cassandra123

Hi,
I've just realised that I've stupidly paid a company called 1st Credit £700 for a debt that wasnt mine. Firstly, you may ask, "Why did I pay it then ?", well can I say, I did owe another company a similar amount for a car I had 10 years ago when I split with my ex partner. I've recently lost my father after a long illness and have been run ragged with working, hospital, my children etc etc. Anyway, I received a letter off first credit last October and I (thinking it was for the car) thought, I'll finally pay this balance off which I did (or so I thought).

Anyway, Today, after getting a letter off the car company saying I haven't paid them lately.....it had dawned on me that, I've paid the wrong company, which, you've guessed it, I have...and its a company called 1st credit, for a debt I've never had, originating from a Bank I've never been in, in fact I didn't live at the supposed address when the debt was occured. Basically what the hell can I do about it ? Im 700 pounds out of pocket (I still have the receipt they sent me for the money I paid them).

Thanks Cassandra123

magpiecottage

I suggest you write to them, explaining it was not your debt and you thought it was relating to something else and so you need your money back.

You will almost certainly be ignored, so write again in a couple of weeks.

That will probably be ignored to, so write a couple of weeks later telling them you are making a formal complaint and they are required to investigate it in accordance with the provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 2006 and if they don't you will take them to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

They will probably ignore you so you will then have to do just that but they have eight weeks from receipt of the third letter.

It is likely to be a long slog but I think you have a good chance.

Do not lose the receipt!

fatbelly

cassandra123 wrote: »

it had dawned on me that, I've paid ...1st credit, for a debt I've never had, originating from a Bank I've never been in, in fact I didn't live at the supposed address when the debt was occured. Basically what the hell can I do about it ? Im 700 pounds out of pocket (I still have the receipt they sent me for the money I paid them).

Thanks Cassandra123

Hi Cassandra123

Follow magpiecottage's advice.

This is unfortunately not an isolated case.

I hope you get your money back but in any case thanks for posting and illustrating the warning we have been giving about this group.

Roudy

About half a year ago, I received a letter from this company reqesting to give them a call back regarding a financial issue (no specific details of this issue), but then I realise that the name and the previous address quotoed on the letter are similar but incorrect..so I simply ignored the letter and since my contract at that place terminated so I moved on, about half an year later...I received a letter from them again at my new address (still quoting the wrong name, so i didn't even open up)!!God knows how they get my address??

I'm certain that if this is related to debt issue, IT IS NOT mine as I have kept my finance very clean.and I do not wish to be harassed by them, how can I stop them from posting to me again?

borgmanjayce

fatbelly wrote: »

We're very familiar with this bunch on the debt-free wannabee forum, which is where you should post.

Don't get frightened. They are probably fishing. It may not be your husband's debt but someone's who has a name similar to his. You need to wait for a letter that gives more details. It may never arrive.

If you respond at this stage you give them the green light to harass you.

If it turns out to be a valid debt, but one that has not been acknowledged by payment for over six years, then it is 'statute barred', i.e. it cannot be enforced by court action. We can give you more info if that is the case.

Can you help me as well as I'm in a similar situation to lancashirelady in that I apparantley owe money to boxclever via 1stcredit even though I haven't lived in my old home for over 4 years and I haven't been with boxclever for over 6 years as far as I know. In fact, I'd like to know how these cretinuous idiots even got my new address in the first place!:mad:

borgmanjayce

CaptainRendall wrote: »

Thought I would share my lovely reply to 1st Credit's letter to me:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your letter regarding a 'personal matter'. It was most amusing.

I am delighted to inform you that all of my finances are being dealt with by another company. I have checked with them recently and everything is in order. I will not be requiring your services.
Should I receive any correspondence regarding my finances, the parties in question provide, at the very least, SOME information with which I am familiar. For instance, the name of the company from whom you bought the 'debt' would be a good start, as are figures and dates. A reference number on its own simply doesn't cut it. I have no idea what it is referencing! This is not only important with regard to clear communication i.e who, what, when, where, how, but reassuring from a security point of view. I would not give out any personal information to a company that cannot or will not provide any information other than 'personal matter'. I believe I am being sensible and cautious, and, quite simply, not as stupid as you think.
I have already contacted The Office of Fair Trading and BBC Watchdog, both of whom are very familiar with and have received many complaints about your business, and have asked me to update them about this. I would suggest that you either provide me with solid, infallible proof of my 'debt' or write it off immediately.

I have researched your company on many respected financial websites, and the general opinion is very shoddy. Phrases such as 'stong-arm tactics', 'dubious methods', 'downright lying', 'abusive', 'scare tactics' and 'illegal practice' are just a small selection of the wonderfully reassuring descriptions of your operation. Your scheme of sending vague letters is very well known. The fact that you sent correspondence to an address I have not lived at for over two years is suspicious.

Failure to provide even the most basic of details regarding my 'personal matter' leads me to feel less than obliged to comply with your request for me to telephone one of your nightclub bouncers. So I hope you can forgive me for not doing so.

All the best.
XXXXXXX

This is a great letter! May I request permission to use it just in case I need to write to these cretinuous idiots?

fatbelly

borgmanjayce wrote: »

Can you help me as well as I'm in a similar situation to lancashirelady in that I apparantley owe money to boxclever via 1stcredit even though I haven't lived in my old home for over 4 years and I haven't been with boxclever for over 6 years as far as I know. In fact, I'd like to know how these cretinuous idiots even got my new address in the first place!:mad:

pick an appropriate letter from this thread. Probably a 'prove-it' in the first instance. If the last payment shows as having been made over six years ago then use the statute barred letter.