Wescot - Mother in Law issue

OGR

Hope someone on here can point us in the right direction as my wife was yesterday surprised to receive a letter from Wescot.

In 2005 my wife was street teamed into ordering a littlewoods catalogue with no intention of ever using it, she wasn't living with her mum at the time but used that address. Her mum ordered £339.70 worth of goods on 12th July 2005, my wife got a letter regarding this to her mum's address in 2005 and told Littlewoods it should be her mother who pays it as she has used her name and Littlewoods agreed to change the debt to her.

Yesterday we receive a letter from Wescot dated 22/05/2012 in my wife's maiden name demanding £155.05 in 7 days. She calls them to find out what it is regarding and they say it is from a debt in 2005 with Littlewoods. They agree to put it on hold while she investigates.

My wife spoke to her mother and she doesn't recall this and thought she had all of her debts consolidated but agrees to give us the money. This is all well and good but her mum is unrealiable and we are not expecting this to happen.

I was doing some research last night and found out about debt statute barring so sent a letter via email to Wescot last night. My wife called them this morning to tell them and they then said that a £20 payment had been made in November 2007! At first we thought perhaps her mum had opened a letter from littlewoods and made a payment but then realised that she moved from that address early in 2006. Wescot and Littlewoods both confirmed that the address on the debt was her mothers previous address so how did someone pay £20 over a year later when they couldn't have recieved a letter? The letter from Wescot has come to our home address so they have obviously found her on the electoral register. My wife was just pregnant with our first child in November 2007 and we would definitely remember the stress this would have caused had we had a letter at that time. Are Wescot lying about the payment? We have asked them to send proof and they say they are getting back in touch with Littlewoods and can't email anything, we have to wait for the post.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated as this is really stressing my wife out. We have never had any debt, we don't even have credit cards so this is a very new situation to be in.

I myself am the IT manager of a solicitors firm and will ask our litigation partner for advice but I know a lot of people here are good on this sort of thing so thought I would ask here first.

Thanks

nottoolate

OGR wrote: »

Are Wescot lying about the payment?

most likely. debt collectors frequently do. then back down when people challenge them.

[Deleted User]

I'd definitely start by sending a (unsigned) letter, disputing the debt.

That should stop the process, at least temporarily.

I've only had one, minor, experience with Wescot, and that was a letter to a previous tenant.

I sent a letter, stating the addressee is not the tenant, nor a resident, of this address.

Haven't heard anything since.

chanz4

Flip the unsigned letters, if he works for a solicitors just get them to write. Op needs to get his wife to report the fraud to the police

OGR

Thanks for the replies.

I will speak to the senior partner tomorrow about asking one of the Litigation solicitors to send a letter on headed paper asking for proof of this payment in 2007 that means that it is no longer statute barred. I have worked for them for more than 11 years and never asked for a favour so I am sure they will be more than accommodating.

I just can't understand where this £20 came from seeing as we would remember a debt demand in 2007 (we both get stressed about this sort of thing) and especially as her mum had moved.

The wife already confronted her mum about this in 2005 and she guaranteed that it would be paid off. Although she doesn't always get on with her mum I don't think she would want to go the fraud route unless she really has to. She has said she will pay it if she has to but we have been made promises before!

Thanks again.

taffy056

They got to prove there was a payment in November 2007 from you, these bottom of the barrel scraping debt collectors are well renown for lying, if there is proof forthcoming there is no debt legally enforceable as its statute barred.

chanz4

Did her mum pay it...

OGR

chanz4 wrote: »

Did her mum pay it...

Her mum popped round last night and gave us the cash so I am in 2 minds, do I go put it in the bank at lunch time and pay them or should I wait to see if they are lying about the payment in 2007?

My wife is now paranoid that this is going to affect her chances of getting credit in the future.

paulmapp8306

Check her credit file and see whats there. If this debt is registered it will effect her rating - if it isnt then its statute barred anyway. any payment in 2007 would have been registered.

OGR

Spoke to one of the partners here and he said for £155 if we had been given the money it probably wasn't worth the hassle so I have paid it off.

Wescot told me that my wifes credit file would be updated within 30 days to reflect that this had been paid off so we will do a 30 day free trial with someone at the end of June and see how things stand for her.

Thanks again for the replies everyone.

VitaK

You could also negotiate a small procentage F&F offer to clear the debt. Then give her mum the remaining back.
Yes it may be barred, and you may not want to pay it, but you still owe the money.