Harassed over a debt thats not mine

starlight_xx

I rec'd a letter weeks ago from a debt collection agency for a £139 bill to British Gas. I contacted them and told them I dont have gas in my flat and they replied and said it was for a previous address.

Ive NEVER had gas in any place Ive lived and told them this. They then replied and said I was to provide them with my date of birth, last address and the date I moved. Im not comfortable giving personal info to some random company and told them so.

In the meantime I rec'd a final demand threatening court action. I have now rec'd the following email


Further to your recent email, I can confirm your comment has been noted. However, as returned mail was received from the original address on the account and your current address was provided by a tracing agency, we require confirmation that the trace carried out is correct and that you resided at the original address before we are able to disclose any further details. This is purely for security purposes. Moreover, we are unable o query this account on your behalf with the client without confirming the necessary security details.

Can anyone advise me the best way to handle this....

fermi

So they are not sure enough that you are the actual person for them to be able to query it?

Muppets! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

If they don't have the necessary information to confirm that you are the person they are chasing, then they shouldn't be sending out letters demanding payment in the first place.

They can't have it both ways.

I would just reply stating that you do not and have never owed this debt, and that any further contact from them will result in complaints to the OFT and trading standards.

fermi

Oh, and have a look at this link to see how many OFT guidelines they have breached.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2992820

More than one, as well as the obvious one that:

"requiring an individual to supply information to prove they are not the debtor in question, for example, driving licences, passports, full name, date of birth, signatures "

is a deceptive and unfair practice.

starlight_xx

THANK YOU!!!

Now to try and compose a clear sounding email

starlight_xx

This is my favourite

a. sending demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question,

fermi

starlight_xx wrote: »

This is my favourite

a. sending demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question,

Yep. A pretty fundamental one that.

starlight_xx

Wonder if I can be really really cheeky but Im struggling with composing my email to them. I want it to sound confident and professional and Im failing miserably

I know its a big ask but Ive seen some of the very professional letters on here and wondered if someone could help me draft something :o:o

Just_Plain_Jane

Hi, I don't know if it's any good to you but I wrote to a debt collection agency recently about something similar. The letter can be found here (post #3):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3091070

Maybe you could adapt it a bit?

NeverAgain_2

I wouldn't go too far down the breach of guidelines route.

Fermi - as ever - is spot on, but I always think the less you say to these people the better.

They want you to respond, get involved, enter into discussion.

So I would deny owning the debt in one sentence, and ask them to check their compliance with the guidelines in another sentence:

"I have never been responsible for a gas supply at any of my addresses, so I can not owe this money.

"Please note I will not assist you any further in this fishing expedition, which itself is contrary to Office of Fair Trading guidelines on debt collection."

fermi

Just_Plain_Jane wrote: »

Hi, I don't know if it's any good to you but I wrote to a debt collection agency recently about something similar. The letter can be found here (post #3):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3091070

Maybe you could adapt it a bit?

Yep. I would say with some minor adaptation that would do it.

Perhaps by adding in the "I have never been responsible for a gas supply at any of my addresses, so I can not owe this money."?

I would certainly forward that fishing email to the OFT with a complaint though. enquiries@oft.gsi.gov.uk referencing the breach of OFT guidelines.

Culex

starlight_xx wrote: »

THANK YOU!!!

Now to try and compose a clear sounding email

That should be simple enough:

Dear Sirs,
I have never used any gas wherever I have lived.

Unless you can prove otherwise, GET BENT.

That should be clear enough.