Help! need some advice on old mobile bill

guest09

Hi, i have been contacted (letter) by some dept company asking for an unpaid mobile phone bill which is from 5yrs ago and cant remember the actual phone contract terms, but what i remember is talking to the phone company.. (3) and disputing the balance at a time for i never thought i owed them anything. that was the last contact i had with them regarding that particular contract and haven't heard anything about that since until now..

are they still entitled to chase me up for this and what can i do?
they say i have to contact the dept company.... should I? thing is I still don't think i owe them anything.

Many Thanks

Tixy

They are legally entitled to chase you yes.
Have they provided you with a breakdown of the balance they say you owe? do you have the paperwork from when you were previously disputed this debt?
You could send the prove it letter asking for proof of the debt. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11570893&postcount=2 That might help establish how the debt occured and whether you do owe it.

Legally a creditor (or debt collector) can chase you for a debt. However if there is a period of more than 6years where you haven't paid a debt or acknowledged in writing that you owed the money and if the creditor hasn't obtained a CCJ against you then the debt would become statute barred. That doesn't mean you don't owe the money but they cannot take you to court to make you pay it, and if you tell them you don't intend to pay a statute barred debt then they have to stop chasing you at that point.
(the law is different in Scotland but the above applies to other parts of the UK).