Screen Select becomes Love Film - now DCA

bwuk

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place, but I'm not sure where else to put it.

I joined Screen Select around 6 months ago on there £15 per month for as many DVD rentals as you want. For around the last 3-4 months, I've not sent any DVD's back (there's no time limit as to how long you keep them), and not requested anymore and as far as was aware, the monthly charge was still being taken from my debit card.

Yesterday, I received a letter from 'Creditlink Account Recovery Solutions' stating they've been instructed to retrieve £60 from me on behalf of LoveFilm. I did a search on the internet and discovered LoveFilm had taken over Screen Select - I wasn't aware of this. I have NEVER received any emails, phone calls or letters from LoveFilm with regards to this - absolutely nothing, and now I receive a letter from a DCA demanding payment. I'm going to find out from my bank if the payments were made or not, but more importantly, I'm due to sign on the dotted line for a mortgage on Jan 6th and I'm worried that this may have affected my credit rating.

Can someone please help? Is what they've done even legal? I'm really not sure where to go from here.

Many thanks for your help from a long time lurker to a first time poster

climbgirl

Well, first off you need to check if the payments have been going out smoothly. I've had an email from them explaining the change in ownership and that nothing was required in terms of changing direct debits or anything from the customers side. So in theory, everything should have been smooth.

If the payments have stopped from your end for whatever reason and you haven't cancelled the contract with them, then yes, they are legally allowed to chase the money.

It's hard to advise what to do until you know if the payments were made or not.

climbgirl

They are legally entitled to merge companies as they've done and change ownership. Unless you wrote in and cancelled your membership to either Screen Select or Lovefilm, then the contract still stands with the new company.

Epiphone

Your best bet is to call LoveFilm and have a chat. It might just be an error taking the direct debit.

bwuk

climbgirl wrote:

If the payments have stopped from your end for whatever reason and you haven't cancelled the contract with them, then yes, they are legally allowed to chase the money.

Hi,

I've absolutely no problem in paying if I owe the money. What I meant was, as I wasn't even told about the change of ownership, or even contacted by them by any means (email, phone, letter), can they pass the debt onto a DCA straight away? Surely they have to contact me beforehand? This may have affected my credit rating when I knew nothing about it. When I received the letter from the DCA, I didn't even know who LoveFime were

climbgirl

They definitely did send emails and print letters about hte change of ownership, I had one myself. So you must have dropped off the list somehow, have you changed your email address recently?

First off, I'd check with my bank that there was no problem with the payments from your end and that they have been going through.

Then I'd contact Lovefilm (they don't do phone contact, only emails I'm afraid but they should respond pretty quickly) and ask them what's going on. Tell them you've had no contact from them about the changeover or the supposed debt, that your payments have been going through (if it turns out they have) and go from there.

fairenoughclough

Lovefilm contact details, thanks to codger.

LOVEFILM CUSTOMER SERVICES PHONE -- 0808 200 0193

LOVEFILM HQ phone - 0208 896 8000

climbgirl

fairenoughclough wrote:

Lovefilm contact details, thanks to codger.

LOVEFILM CUSTOMER SERVICES PHONE -- 0808 200 0193

LOVEFILM HQ phone - 0208 896 8000

thanks for that! They do their best to hide their number and force you to deal with their incompetent email staff....