Strange email

spikescot2005

I have just received an email from a company called Arvato Limited, collections team saying that they have been trying to contact me to discuss a matter of mutual importance.

It gives a number to call them on and a reference number asking me to phone or reply with a contact number.

Having looked at there website it seems they are a debt collection agency and have looked at their clients but i do not owe anyone any money as far as i am aware.

Could this be a dodgy email? Anyone able to shed any light or had dealings with them before.

How should i proceed with this i certainly don't want to give them my number and then get plagued with calls from them.

Thanks in advance.

Gordon_Hose

Unless they tell you specifically what the debt is about, just ignore them.

FireWyrm

It's a fishing expedition. Ignore them until they contact you in writing. If they somehow manage to get your phone number and call you, standard advice is to refuse to answer their questions and to require them to continue the correspondance in writing.

RobertoMoir

Agree with Gordon. Ignore.

Aside from anything else, its not exactly difficult to set up a website claiming to be a debt collector then send out generic email spam claiming people owe you money.

SusieT

Just ignore them, they will write to you when they want contact. Its a good thing they don't have your number as they cannot drive you nuts with calls plus by having everything in writing they cannot deny whats been said.

david39

It will be chancers hoping you will reply to the email in which case they will try to sell you debt relief, some form of ppi reclaiming scam or injury compensation claim.

It's the equivalent of the scam telephone calls from claims companies that say "We've heard someone on this phone number had an accident - we can help you....." on the off chance that someone in your family has had an accident recently.

If they have an email address for you, how come they haven't got a postal address that they can write to you officially?

Don't respond to the email otherwise your address will be passed around to all sorts of scammers as a person who responds to that type of approach.

spikescot2005

Having done a bit of research on google it looks like its to do with 1and1. Now i did have a few domains with them that expired and were canceled although 1and1 disputed that i hadn't canceled them even though i did have an email to confirm the cancelation to which this was forwarded to them and then heard nothing. I assumed that this was the matter closed.

Should i still just ignore it? The last thing i want is this affecting my credit reports.

elsiepac

Hi there

I've had dealings with Arvato because of 1 & 1... knew I recognised the name from somewhere!

Basically I took out a 1 & 1 account on an introductory rate for a year for a domain name. Ended up barely using it but since it had cost about £7 I didn't care too much. By the time the year was up I'd pretty much forgotton about it. Next thing I knew I had a letter from Arvato stating I was in arrears to the tune of about £60 odd! Panicked, as this was just before my DMP and just after my LBM, I did contact them and eventually paid after we'd had a dispute about small print (that it would be automatically renewed after a year and subject to a regular charge - can't remember if monthly or 3 monthly). In theory my account with 1 & 1 was ceased and I was paid up. Then it all happened again but this time they took money from my account! - I disputed with 1 & 1 - all over email, as my account should have been ceased, and to be fair they did reimburse me that 2nd charge quite quickly and properly cease my account. I've kept all the emails even though it was a couple of years ago, just in case.

From my vague recollection I think Arvato were ok to deal with once we'd clarified things, it was the account cessation with 1 & 1 that caused the issue - the automatic renewal, my own fault really!

Possibly you have one that automatically renewed? 1&1 are a bit naughty with their offers, I think! Best thing to do is check your old 1 & 1 log ins - I forget what they call the portal, but it will show on there if there is something outstanding.

Good luck!

LC