Roxburghe - Are any parts of their business legitimate?

McDude

Hello - I've just joined the forum and had a good old search for anything to do with Roxburghe. Turns out I didn't have to search hard because there is tons of stuff on here about them.

My question is a little different from the usual - are any parts of their business legitimate? Or are they just a bunch of scammers? Is it all phoney private car park stuff or do they have any genuine clients?

I have received calls and texts on my mobile from them, they ask for my postcode to verify I'm me, I refuse and they then say they can't talk to me about whatever it is they want me for.
They claim to have written to me several times but I've not received anything suggesting that they don't have my real postcode or any postcode at all for me.

Curiosity (which is known to kill cats) means I want to find out what they think they have on me. Reading up on them suggests I should keep them at the distance I currently have.

I don't know of any bills I've not paid but you never know if someone thinks differently.

At the moment it is a stalemate - do I just tell them to poke it? Block their calls? Report them to the OFT (I know they are beign investigated)? Or am I just being a bit awkward?

Thanks in advance Money people.

bargepole

McDude wrote: »

...My question is a little different from the usual - are any parts of their business legitimate? Or are they just a bunch of scammers? Is it all phoney private car park stuff or do they have any genuine clients?.

They are "legitimate" in so far as they act as debt collectors, although maybe not for much longer if the OFT get their teeth into them.

As well as non-debts from PPCs, they buy up old debts from banks and credit card companies at hugely discounted rates, and harrass consumers for those, often when the alleged debt falls outside the 6 year statute of limitations window.

If they won't talk to you without confirmation of your postcode, I would terminate the call by saying "Oh well, bad luck then" and hang up. I wouldn't engage with them in any way, you have nothing to gain from that.

BASFORDLAD

Just ignore them. They have no power.

taffy056

They do debt collecting apart from parking tickets, like all debt collectors though they barrel scraping vermin, they probably have the wrong person otherwise they would be writing to you. Just ignore them utterly, certainly don't communicate with them. If they do catch you on the phone you have two options speak to them or not, if you decide to speak to them simply ask what this is relation to, if its nothing to do with you tell them to remove your number.

On the question of is any of their operation legitimate, well the franking machine is probably the one thing that is legitimate.

fatbelly

bargepole wrote: »

As well as non-debts from PPCs, they buy up old debts from banks and credit card companies at hugely discounted rates, and harrass consumers for those, often when the alleged debt falls outside the 6 year statute of limitations window.

Or they find someone (maybe more than one - the scattergun approach) whose details resemble the debtor, and try their luck, which may explain their interest in the OP.

Was voted Credit Today Consumer DCA of the Year 2009. :eek:

bazster

Just for a laugh you could give them a fake postcode and see if they swallow it (make sure it really doesn't exist, though, you don't want someone else getting hassled! )

Dublindel

I reported both Roxburghe and Graham White to the OFT. Had a reply last week that they were looking into my concerns.

I-LOV-MONEY

Please keep us informed of their reply.

McDude

bazster wrote: »

Just for a laugh you could give them a fake postcode and see if they swallow it (make sure it really doesn't exist, though, you don't want someone else getting hassled! )

I was all lined up to do this, I even got the postcode of the MacDonald's nearest their offices, but it turns out Roxburghe are not the villians in this piece.

I actually received a letter from Roxburghe proving they weren't just trying it on and as far as they are concerned the debt they are chasing is genuine - the mistake is on behalf of EDF who for some reason decided I should pay the electricity bill for a flat that is in the same block as one I do own. EDF even took £951 out of my account last November without warning. After a lot of grief I got the money back from EDF and they admitted fault but they didn't close the account properly. Money was still owed and they passed it to their debt department who in turn passed it on to Roxburghe. At no time since November has EDF contacted me.

Furious with EDF and going to complain - not sure what good it will do.

bazster

None of that surprises me. The only time I've had contact with debt collectors is when a sewer rat called me out of the blue to tell me that I owed E-on hundreds of pounds and I was required to pay immediately, please to give him my credit card details.

I told him that I wasn't in the habit of handing out credit card details to strangers 'phoning me, and in any case my E-on bills were paid by direct debit. He told me that the direct debits hadn't been collected (hardly my fault!) and the debt must be paid now!

I told him to go forth and multiply, then went online and checked my E-on account. Turned out the dorks really hadn't been collecting the DD, so I paid the outstanding amount (through E-on's website, not the debt collector!), immediately initiated a transfer to another power company, and wrote a stinking letter to E-on telling them why. They never replied.

esmerobbo

McDude wrote: »

I was all lined up to do this, I even got the postcode of the MacDonald's nearest their offices, but it turns out Roxburghe are not the villians in this piece.

I actually received a letter from Roxburghe proving they weren't just trying it on and as far as they are concerned the debt they are chasing is genuine - the mistake is on behalf of EDF who for some reason decided I should pay the electricity bill for a flat that is in the same block as one I do own. EDF even took £951 out of my account last November without warning. After a lot of grief I got the money back from EDF and they admitted fault but they didn't close the account properly. Money was still owed and they passed it to their debt department who in turn passed it on to Roxburghe. At no time since November has EDF contacted me.

Furious with EDF and going to complain - not sure what good it will do.

Keep the pressure on I have received nice sums in compensation from United Utilities and NPower for cockups they have made and they pestered me for!