Debt Collector (Wescot Credit) Help!

spudgun

Appears from googling this company are a nightmare.

My wife received a demand for £144.38 apparently for a vodafone account in 2001. She has never had a vodafone contract. I think the company does blanket mail drops to all people with the same name as the original debtor.

We sent council tax book info showing our previous address. Now they want marriage certificate and more proof of address from 2001.

Is there a quick and easy way to tell this company to !!!! off and leave us alone?

I have been trying to get electoral roll info but you need to pay for the info(192.com). Why can't they just search themselves and score us off the list?

I could understand it if we had an old debt but we are nothing to do with this debt. It seems almost criminal that they can hassle totally innocent people.
I am tempted to get legal advice but don't want to pay to sort this out.

Help appreciated. :mad:

dmg24

spudgun,

Although I can't offer any help, I just wanted to say that I am going through the same thing with Wescot!

My situation is that I ordered a washing machine from Kays Catalogue, but cancelled the order as they could not get the delivery address correct. A year later I am being chased for £150!

Have you spoken to Vodafone about this? I spoke to Kays, and although they were incredibly rude, I have now persuaded them to look into it for me.

Good luck and let us know how you get on x

chuckles1066

spudgun wrote:

Appears from googling this company are a nightmare.

My wife received a demand for £144.38 apparently for a vodafone account in 2001. She has never had a vodafone contract. I think the company does blanket mail drops to all people with the same name as the original debtor.

We sent council tax book info showing our previous address. Now they want marriage certificate and more proof of address from 2001.

Is there a quick and easy way to tell this company to !!!! off and leave us alone?

I have been trying to get electoral roll info but you need to pay for the info(192.com). Why can't they just search themselves and score us off the list?

I could understand it if we had an old debt but we are nothing to do with this debt. It seems almost criminal that they can hassle totally innocent people.
I am tempted to get legal advice but don't want to pay to sort this out.

Help appreciated. :mad:

Ignore them? If it's truly nothing to do with your wife then you've nothing to fear.

spudgun

chuckles1066 wrote:

Ignore them? If it's truly nothing to do with your wife then you've nothing to fear.

I am concerned if I ignore this because

1. Our credit rating may be affected.

2. While I am at work my pregnant wife with two small children will get hassled by phone or on the doorstep by some debt collecting thugs.

I can't see phoning Vodafone will be helpful as we never had a contract with them in 2001. They have sold this debt to Wescot. Wescot appear to threaten numerous innocent people in an attempt to reclaim one debt.

Sarahsaver

Had letters from them for ex husband's debt. He went in 2002 and I have phoned them and told them where he is, his phone number and so on. Form their point of view they are just trying to do their job and they probably think I am lying.
It does worry me occasionally because its not fair that a scheming slithering shyster can slope off debts unpaid and leave us innocent ones to fear for our credit rating, and worry that baliffs will turn up.:(

chuckles1066

Sarahsaver wrote:

Had letters from them for ex husband's debt. He went in 2002 and I have phoned them and told them where he is, his phone number and so on. Form their point of view they are just trying to do their job and they probably think I am lying.
It does worry me occasionally because its not fair that a scheming slithering shyster can slope off debts unpaid and leave us innocent ones to fear for our credit rating, and worry that baliffs will turn up.:(

Which is why you should do everything by Recorded Delivery.

In your case, you've given them all the necessary information they need to pursue the debt.

They have no grounds to ever contact you again; if they do, they're guilty of a breach of S40 of the Administration of Justice Act.

Stop worrying

spudgun

I have just drafted this letter to them. Should I add anything else or change it?

"28/01/07



Dear Sir/Madam,

Wescot Reference Number: *****

Client Reference Number: *******

Under S78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 I demand a true copy of this alleged debt agreement as well as a certified copy of the original default notice.

I refuse to send your company any further private information about my wife.

From a quick internet search I see it would be very easy for your company to confirm from electoral roll information that my wife resided at

*****************************************************
Her maiden name was ******* and we were married on 5/04/02.

This information is available for a fee from 192.com and other companies. I see no reason why we should pay anything.

If you continue to pursue this case with us I will contact the police since harassment is a criminal offence. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 makes it a criminal offence for any person to pursue a course of action "which they know, or ought to know, amounts to harassment of another person."

I will also be contacting the Office of Fair Trading and local Trading Standards office regarding this.

I will also contact a solicitor to sue for the illegal practises of your agents if this harassment doesn’t stop.

I enclose a print out of the free search information from 192.com. Maybe your company could use this sort of facility before sending out demand notices to the wrong people!

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

*********** "

chuckles1066

spudgun wrote:

I have just drafted this letter to them. Should I add anything else or change it?

Write the letter as if it's coming from your wife otherwise they'll hide behind the Data Protection Act and say they can only discuss the matter with the debtor.

skylight

And mark it without prejudice and the first line should read something about I Do not acknowledge any debt.

(And it must read that it comes from your wife - as mentioned!!)

spudgun

Good point regarding putting it in my wifes name, cheers.

gyzmo

You could also add in the administration of Justice Act (1970) which makes it a criminal offence to harrass and threaten etc. for a debt claimed.

\for the record, Wescot must be eligible for the company that employs the most morons. They get tons of complaints due to their acts. just type wescot into google and see what comes up.