Being chased for debt from 1999

ShaneUK

Towards the end of last year, I received a letter from a debt collection agency, for around £250.

On contacting them to find out what it was for, they advised me it was for Littlewoods catalogue. I asked them to look into it further, as I felt this had been paid in full.

They have just called me back today, and have advised that it is for something i bought in 1998/1999. Apparently, I part paid but didn't finish paying for it.

I am certain that this would have been paid for in full - however - as this was around 11-12 years ago, I have no idea by what means I would have paid it, or even when.

What are my rights? Apparently, according to the debt collection agency at least, I am still liable for it.

They advised the reason it has taken so long to contact me is as I moved house. (When I bought it, I was renting. I moved in 2001, and then moved again in 2007).

Any advice would be appreciated.

JCS1

As long as you have not acknowledged or paid anything towards the debt, it is statute barred as over 6 years old. Back in a min with a link

post number 3 in this link http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=963087

zppp

The debt is likely to be statute barred, however this does not prevent the collections company from chasing you, it just means that it cannot be enforced in a court of law.

toffe

fire off a letter stating you dispute that any debt exists and that in any case even if the debt did exist it would be statute bared by now anyway and for these reasons you will not be making payment nor will you enter into any communications with them regarding this matter in the future.

if they persist ignore them, they'll give up before long, .....job done.

squeaky

Hi,

The Debt Free Wannabe board has a good sticky dealing with debt harassment, plus links to relevant template letters, so I'll move your query across there.

Good luck

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fermi

toffe wrote: »

fire off a letter stating you dispute that any debt exists and that in any case even if the debt did exist it would be statute bared by now anyway and for these reasons you will not be making payment nor will you enter into any communications with them regarding this matter in the future.

Something like this....

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=34906257&postcount=5

fermi

zppp wrote: »

The debt is likely to be statute barred, however this does not prevent the collections company from chasing you, it just means that it cannot be enforced in a court of law.

Depends really......

Under some circumstance, once you have told the collector that you won't be paying as the debt is statute barred, then the OFT considers in an unfair business practice for the collector to continue to press for payment.

Even when it is fair, they shouldn't make threats about taking legal action, harming your credit reference files when they cannot, or any other action that they legally cannot take or would be harrasment.

Then there is that difference for Scottish residents. There when a debt becomes statute barred the debt is legally "extinguished" rather than simply having court action prevented. Trying to collect a debt that legally no longer exists would be completely unacceptable.