HELP!! Problems with Orange and CapQuest

KellyL85

I need some advice on a 5 year old debt with Orange, I had a phone contract with them at University and i sent them a letter to cancel said contract. 3 years later I received a letter from them saying I owed £494. When I contacted them asking for copies of the bills and explaining I had cancelled the contract so didn't know where the debt was from they said they would clear it (verbally) changed my contact details and didnt hear from them. Recieved a letter today from a Advantis saying they were working on behalf of CapQuest who were trying to contact me at my old university address I'd not lived in since 2007. When I called them they said it was a debt with Orange and they got a bit shirty with me when I explained Orange told me I had no debt with them and then was told it didnt matter if Orange said the debt was a mistake it was with CapQuest and that I still had to pay the debt.
I spoke to Orange and didnt get any help there as they said there was no outstanding balance with them but there might have been an admin fee for the debt collection that I would need to pay. When I began to ask why that would be my problem when it was their mistake in the first place they hung up on me!! So I am no further to why I have recieved a letter after not hearing from Orange for 2 years and they are still using my old address from 5 years before.
Please can someone help in what I need to do!! As there is no way I can afford to pay the £494 as I am due to start Maternity leave in 2 weeks!!!

obay

5 years ago? it'll become baried off within the next year... 6 years i thought they become stat bared.

fatbelly

Don't phone them - do everything in writing.

Your choice is either to (1) ignore them completely or (2) send a prove-it.

If they haven't got your current address, I'd go for (1). How did you get the letter if they haven't got your current address.

After six years (five years in Scotland) of you not acknowledging the 'debt' by payment or in writing, it becomes statute barred. So it sounds like (if you're in England) they have less than a year to try to harass you into making a payment, or taking court action, which is very unlikely.

KellyL85

Well they sent a letter to my last previous address, however I live down the road so postman has put it through to new house, however Orange have been given my last 2 previous addresses but not passed it on to the debt collectors. I did call them and say I was unsure what the debt was and I had sorted it with Orange and the woman I spoke to was a bit brash and said so you're refusing to pay? I said until I know what it is for yes I am. And then she hung up! So I rang Orange and they said they have no outstanding balance on their system, however it would have been wiped if it had gone to debt collectors - But surely they would have a note on their system to say there was a debt passed over? I am very tempted to send their CEO a letter of complaint about their 'customer service' and lack of administration.
I think this is possibly what has been giving me a poor credit history. If it is how do I clear it without paying??

shedhead55

Orange obviously sold the debt along time ago and it may have changed hands more than once in the intervening period. The debt will fall off your credit file 6 years after being marked as a default which by the sound of it should be within a year.
If you are absolutely sure the debt is due to an error on the part of Orange and can produce evidence to show that then you could complain to Orange giving them 8 weeks to resolve it and then ask the FOS to investigate it.

KellyL85

Thank you for your help guys. I had written a letter to Orange cancelling the contract and they continued to charge me, I then wrote them a letter asking to produce itemised bills to prove why it was still being billed which they have partially done but not given any reason why it was being billed. Is that enough proof? I'm glad I didnt throw it all out in an old sort out the other week. I am guessing the debt is from that far back as that is the address they are referring to that I lived in 5 years ago, but I'm not sure as the bills were 2010 so it's completely here, there and everywhere with addresses, different debt collection agencies (CapQuest I don't have any correspondence for, a number of others I do for the same debt all at different prices!) and then dates as well so I'm extremely confused as to what the debt is for and when against which address!!