CapQuest Tactics

inkishush

Last Thursday (17 Feb 2011), my elderly mother's neighbour received a telephone from someone claiming to be from the "DVLA" who asked for personal details about my mother, wanting her phone number, etc. The neighbour declined to give out my mother's telephone number, and instead gave her the address and said the "DVLA" should write (my mum doesn't own a car).

When mum told me this, I got worried that this might be some fraudster, and so we have traced the number via BT to an agent of this debt recovery organisation called "Capquest".

Today, my mother also received a letter from CapQuest claiming that they were acting for Egg and that she owes £6000 for a debt that she has never had. Either Capquest are fishing for money off random vulnerable people, or she was a victim of identity theft and Capquest are pursuing this money taken by someone else.

I googled "Capquest", and it turns out there have been quite a lot of complaints about them. I am worried for my mum, and don't want her receiving more letters from these crooks. I'd really appreciate some advice on how to deal with what are clearly unscrupulous and deceptive people. Thanks.

handyman123_2

inkishush wrote: »

Last Thursday (17 Feb 2011), my elderly mother's neighbour received a telephone from someone claiming to be from the "DVLA" who asked for personal details about my mother, wanting her phone number, etc. The neighbour declined to give out my mother's telephone number, and instead gave her the address and said the "DVLA" should write (my mum doesn't own a car).

When mum told me this, I got worried that this might be some fraudster, and so we have traced the number via BT to an agent of this debt recovery organisation called "Capquest".

Today, my mother also received a letter from CapQuest claiming that they were acting for Egg and that she owes £6000 for a debt that she has never had. Either Capquest are fishing for money off random vulnerable people, or she was a victim of identity theft and Capquest are pursuing this money taken by someone else.

I googled "Capquest", and it turns out there have been quite a lot of complaints about them. I am worried for my mum, and don't want her receiving more letters from these crooks. I'd really appreciate some advice on how to deal with what are clearly unscrupulous and deceptive people. Thanks.

You have got it in one, CrapQuest as they are often referred to on here
will be on a fishing exercise, they often contact several people with a similar name in the hope they will get a response, they are not bothered if they get the right person as long as they can extort some money.
They use a SA based operation called Telogram to make their phone calls. Usual excuses are they have a package to deliver, they are the Customs and Revenue and you have a Tax rebate or as in your case the DVLA. This is Illegal this is why they use an offshore subsidury.

You can ignore it and see what happens, (I would). Then if you get a letter from their tame rent a threat solicitors, send for the CCA relating to this debt. There are a whole host of template letters on here. After I had tied them up in red tape for a while, I would then shop them (yet again to all the relevant Authorities FOS, FSA, OFFCOM Data Protection.

Now I'm not biased, these folks tell us we are in the wrong. All we do is adhere to the letter of the law to protect ourselves. We are not trying to duck payments and we can't bend the rules to suit ourselves, but organisations such as these relying on peoples ignorance of the law think themselves above it and can say or do anything they want.

Keep us posted, someone else will be along soon that may have a different angle on this to myself, many heads are better than one.
Regards to you and your Mum, Handy.

fermi

Letter if needed: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11570893&postcount=2

inkishush

handyman123 wrote: »

You have got it in one, CrapQuest as they are often referred to on here
will be on a fishing exercise, they often contact several people with a similar name in the hope they will get a response, they are not bothered if they get the right person as long as they can extort some money.
They use a SA based operation called Telogram to make their phone calls. Usual excuses are they have a package to deliver, they are the Customs and Revenue and you have a Tax rebate or as in your case the DVLA. This is Illegal this is why they use an offshore subsidury.

You can ignore it and see what happens, (I would). Then if you get a letter from their tame rent a threat solicitors, send for the CCA relating to this debt. There are a whole host of template letters on here. After I had tied them up in red tape for a while, I would then shop them (yet again to all the relevant Authorities FOS, FSA, OFFCOM Data Protection.

Now I'm not biased, these folks tell us we are in the wrong. All we do is adhere to the letter of the law to protect ourselves. We are not trying to duck payments and we can't bend the rules to suit ourselves, but organisations such as these relying on peoples ignorance of the law think themselves above it and can say or do anything they want.

Keep us posted, someone else will be along soon that may have a different angle on this to myself, many heads are better than one.
Regards to you and your Mum, Handy.

Very many thanks for this excellent advice. Really appreciated

inkishush

Thanks. Most kind.

handyman123_2

Keep us posted as to how you get on, I take it you have had a look at some of the other threads on here.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=5364597&postcount=1
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=3960948&postcount=1

Regards, Handy.

Wannahelp

Capquest have masqueraded under several names, they're latest wheeze being official-looking letters from 'DVSL' - my view is ignore anything unless it you can trace it to a legitimate government body

RuthnJasper

Can't tell you how relieved I was to find this thread! I had a message on my home answerphone from possibly the most miserable man on the planet saying that he was from DVSL and could I call him back (quoting some random reference number he specified).

I'll admit to slightly cr*pping myself (I'm in an IVA but am not aware of ANY former debts which may have been "sold on") until I found this thread and realised that they were scammers!

Thanks to all for helping me breathe again!

Ron_Weasley

I've just found this thread having been called repeatedly by these parasites over the past few days. I'd never heard of them before.

I find it unbelievable that these people should be allowed to carry on like this. I have no outstanding debts whatsoever with any party - and have never had any - so it is unfathomable as to why they would even be calling me.

In my view it's not Trading Standards who should be going after these criminals, it should be the police charging them with fraud and misrepresentation.