Link Financial - what now?

natscat84

Back in October I was contacted by Link Financial regarding a loan which wasn't mine. I suspected at the time that it might have been related to some ID fraud that occurred with my details (and took close to 2 years to sort out), but it appears not to be.

Despite the fact that:
1. I have never lived at the address that it was taken out from
2. I was living and working abroad when it was taken out in the UK
3. I didn't have a UK bank account at the time someone was making payments on it
4. It has never shown up on my credit report at all, and still doesn't (hence the 1st I knew about it was when they contacted me)
5. They have been unable to provide any proof of documentation as to who actually took it out

they decided to harass me on the phone for several months until I finally changed my phone number, at which point they started calling my parents! My dad told them that I didn't live at their address, which is true, and I'm not on the electoral roll there either, so heavens knows how they got that address. The last time they tried to contact me was November.

My mum brought up some mail the other day when she came to stay with me - lo and behold, they've written to that address again.

I have just marked it as 'return to sender - addressee not at this address' and popped it back in the post, unopened, and my parents will do the same if they get any more mail from them.

The amount outstanding on it is £5k - obviously I am not going to pay them anything since it's not my loan. Heaven knows where and how they've managed to get my details since it seems they've plucked me out of the phone book or something, it's that shambolic.

I was told by the 'agent' at Link that last payment was made October 2006 on the loan - is it just worth me getting mum and dad to return to sender anything that comes from them? My suspicion is that they're trying to do a 'last ditch' attempt to bully me into paying something towards them? I'm not hugely worried since it's not appeared on my credit report at any time, so it's not affected my credit report. However, would they be able to issue a CCJ for it, if they don't have an address for me and I'm not on the electoral roll? My mum has suggested talking to a lawyer about it, but right now I can't afford one, and would prefer not to have to go that way if I can help it, since if I pay for a lawyer, I may as well pay these scumbags for what it'll cost me!

BugsyBrowne

Link financial purchase debts from lenders, have you ever defaulted on a debt in the past ever?

poppasmurf_bewdley

If you are sure the debt is not yours, then keep on as you are. They will soon get fed up with spending money chasing you and go and look for someone else to chase instead.

natscat84

Nope - have only ever had 2 loans in my life - one which was paid off completely, and one which I have got now and is completely up-to-date, and 2 credit cards, which are both in perfect order, and my (regularly-checked) credit report is completely 'green' for payments. (FWIW, I'm only 27, and if this loan were mine, it would have been taken out when I was 19, a student with no income and living in my 0% overdraft. I know banks were irresponsible lenders back then, but £7.5k to that - most unlikely!)

There is absolutely nothing on my credit file about this particular loan, and what Link have told me about the loan, it can't have been mine (not being in the country, not having a bank account, not being at the address they said etc) - and when I said to this fact they got incredibly aggressive with me and refused to give me any more details.
If the burden of proof falls on them, I have more than enough information/documentation to prove it wasn't me, but they don't seem interested.

Given their business model is 'buy cheap, harass and collect' I think they're clutching at straws, trying to get anything back at all

natscat84

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

If you are sure the debt is not yours, then keep on as you are. They will soon get fed up with spending money chasing you and go and look for someone else to chase instead.

Absolutely sure not mine.
If what they've told me is true, then it goes into unenforcable territory in November of this year, hence my plan of 'wait it out' and presumably why they're so insistent that they want the money now, if not sooner, and they'll get it from any means necessary, even if it's from the wrong person!

ALIBOBSY

They can apply to court for a CCJ , but debt collectors rarely go to court unless they believe its an easy claim. The fact you have queried it suggests they will now believe you won't just roll over. They are one of the debt collectors that buy up lists of alledged debts from other debt collectors, many close to be Statute barred for pennies. Then they lie, threaten and push to collect from anyone they can. many of these type of collectors will write to anyone with the same or simular name in the area a debtor was last in. never phone them just in writing, but better to return to sender and ignore as you have done. Ali x