Problems with aktiv kapital and now CSS collect??

GaLee90

Basically, in my first year as a student, I had my identity stolen and a store card at Harvey Nichols was opened in my name. This was back in 2009 and obviously it defaulted. However, I didn't find about this debt until august 2010 when aktiv kapital registered a default against my credit file. I spoke to them on the phone and they said I was probably like any student and opened it and forgotten about it (I think I would of noticed if I had suddenly owned anything pricey as Harvey Nicks is well outside my budget range!) but he did tell me to write a letter asking for the original documentation and statements.

I have since received a copy of the terms and conditions with my name printed at the bottom but never the original application form with my signature on it which the citizens advice bureau told me they needed to confirm this debt as mine. They also told me to report it to the police which I did as at the time of the account being opened, I had a bank card stolen from me and fraudulent transactions being made on my main bank account as well as missing mail due to our shared mailbox being broken which the landlord refused to fix.

It's been over a year now and I have been passed over to several people at aktiv kapital asking me the same questions over and over in writing. It has got to a point where I felt I was going nowhere and began ignoring the calls as I had yet to receive a response to the last letter I sent to them giving them the police call log details.

Today I have received a letter from csscollections.co.uk who are saying they are collecting the debt on aktiv kapital's behalf. When I look at the website under the 'I have received a letter from you, what do I do now?' it says that I must pay the debt or they will send a doorstep collection agency to my house. What is the next step to take? I don't want to go through the whole hassle of explaining the whole situation again and after aktiv kapital refused to answer my letters, I just assumed I'd let the default run until it drops off my credit report in 6 years....

Auuuggghhh! Any advice would be most welcome!!

Tixy

I would write back to CSS and state that the debt is in dispute with aktiv kap as a case of identity theft. Send it singed for and don't correspond with them further.
Then they'll pass it back to AK and you can try to sort it out with them. I would continue trying to prove this was ID theft and not just leave it sat on your credit file.