Demand of Debt I know nothing about

Barcode

This has got to be a con, right?

I come from holiday today, to see this on my doormat:

Dear *****
Original Creditor: Capital One
Balance Outstanding: £414.17

We have been instructed by our client Lowell Portolio I LTD to write to you in connection with your outstanding balance as described above.

You can prevent further action happening by taking the following steps:

1. By sending us payment in full.
2. By contacting us immediately to agree a method of payment over an agreed term.

On contacting us you will be given the opportunity to discuss your outstanding balance. However, until you contact us we will be unable to offer you our assistance in putting an end to this matter without the possible need for legal enforcement.

THREE more letters follow, each sounding threatening, the last saying an 'agent' is going to be calling.

Now, I have not even had a Capital One card. I cannot think where this comes from, I've had an Egg card for the past few years, more recently an M & S card.

As far as I'm concerned, these letters constitute harassment. I can't help but suspect it's a scare tactic to get people to pay debts they may not even owe.

I can't phone them as I'm deaf, but I've e-mailed demanding they supply written evidence of this alleged debt, and stating emphatically that I do not acknowledge it, and any further action taken will be defended.

I'm not sure what else to do? It all sounds quite intimidating, but I don't owe Capital One anything (credit card fraud? I have absobloodylutely no idea).

skylight

Send them the same letter as per the email, but by recorded post so you can prove they have recieved it.

Other than that, there is not a lot else at this stage. Keep the correspondence though as proof should you ned to take things further at a later date.

In the meantime, check out your credit report, just incase your identity was pinched and the possibiltity there may be others - but I suspect this is just a DCA fishing, and you have the same name as someone else who does owe the money.

Barcode

What worries me is the possibility of somebody turning up at my house, like, bailiffs. I honestly don't know what this is about. Apparently, my debt was sold to the Lowell group on 9th of Sept. All of a sudden, three nasty letters arrive, all within the space of a few weeks.

Oh, the letters also say Capital One have made repeated demands for payment. No they have not. I can't ever recal receiving anything from them except for junk mail.

Can these companies send bailiffs or whatever round? I am not going to answer the door from now on unless I know who it is. It's also odd how no evidence is supplied with the letters, just demands that I owe money, as if I should accept their demands without further question. Insane.

skylight

A baliff is not sent at this stage. A court sends one of those. Anyone who does appear at your doorstep will be a debt collector (different!) and their powers equate to squidy ice-cream - as in they dont have any powers!

Do not let them into your home. Tell them to get lost (your language may be more colourful if you chose!) and ignore them.

And you are right about the proof. These letters are just sent on the hope that they scare someone enough into just paying. You could always play them at their own game and send threatening letters that they owe you money, childish but satisfying!

The letters are all computer generated, so never get past a human being anyway. Therefore the information will be rubbish and not relevant to your case!

hypno06

If the bailiffs DO turn up, use the deafness to your complete advantage. Start signing, point at your hearing aid and develop poor lip reading skills. Hopefully they will not have BSL skills and will go away.

(family member completely deaf so have picked up tips from them as to how to deal with those you don't want to!)