Advantis - Vodafone debt not mine, advice please?

c0n0

Hi everyone, first-time poster, long-time lurker here. Got a letter from Advantis about a month ago claiming that I owe Vodafone £350, and they were asking on behalf of their client, CapQuest. I vaguely remember replying with a 'prove-it' letter in 2011 when they wrote to me at my old address, and they seemed to give up when I told them I'd never had any dealings with Vodafone, and the phone number they quoted was not one I'd ever used. They reckoned it was for a maintenance contract or something, so they couldn't give me a breakdown of calls or a contract with my signature on it. So I was very surprised when they wrote to me again in October this year asking again for £350! I sent off another 'prove it' letter, knowing the debt wasn't mine. Today I got a letter from Advantis saying 'we have noted from your correspondence that you dispute this debt as you have never had a Vodafone account and you do not recognize the number.....etc'. They go on to ask me to get a crime number, the coppers name and badge number etc, to report this account as fraudulent. Now I don't like dealing with the police anyway, but I have to ask you guys - is this really my job, or is it up to Advantis to chase it up? Any advice would be gratefully received. My question seems to have slipped down a few pages and I would dearly love some advice please? Thanks people.

Vodafone

Hi c0n0,

I can appreciate the concerns you've raised here.

If you'd like me to take a closer look at things could you email me with the relevant details via the link in our profile here?

All you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and it will take you to the Contact us form on our website.

To ensure that it reaches us could you also quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line and once our automated reply arrives update the thread with your email reference number and I'll get back to you as soon as possible?

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

dishydes

I have received a letter today from Vodafone advising that a debt of £2370.35 for me (supposedly) has been assigned to Lowell Portfolio Ltd!

I have NEVER had a Vodafone phone or anything and don't understand this at all! I have contacted Lowell about this and spoke to a representative and she asked me if I had lived at a certain address which I haven't as I had stayed at my current address for 30+ years! I explained I don't have anything associated with Vodafone and can't understand this letter or anything? She told me that an error has been made. Aye, some error!

What does this all mean? Where have Vodafone got my address from?

FireWyrm

dishydes wrote: »

I have received a letter today from Vodafone advising that a debt of £2370.35 for me (supposedly) has been assigned to Lowell Portfolio Ltd!

I have NEVER had a Vodafone phone or anything and don't understand this at all! I have contacted Lowell about this and spoke to a representative and she asked me if I had lived at a certain address which I haven't as I had stayed at my current address for 30+ years! I explained I don't have anything associated with Vodafone and can't understand this letter or anything? She told me that an error has been made. Aye, some error!

What does this all mean? Where have Vodafone got my address from?

It probably isnt Vodafone's error. It may well be fraud using your name and address. Either way, you need to get on top of this. Essentially, does it show up in your credit file, if so, then you need to deal with that as fraud immediately. If it doesnt, then it *might* be an error with vodafone who have incorrectly assigned your address to someone else. You need to WRITE to the immediately demanding that they sort it out and re-iterating that this is not your debt, you are not a customer of vodafone etc.... If the DCA comes looking, tell them to bog off, it isnt your debt, you have no knowledge etc.

dishydes

Thank you for your reply, I contacted Vodafone by telephone this afternoon after speaking to Lowell Porfolio Ltd. During my chat with the rep from that company the asked me about another address and one which I've never heard off or lived it as I said earlier...
Anyway the guy at Vodafone's Customer Service section was very helpful and he has referred matters on as he believes it is clearly a case of fraud and someone has obtained details about me from somewhere. The strange thing is in around December 2012 I noticed monies were being taken from my account via direct debits by companies I don't deal with or know off (I can't remember if Vodafone was one of them!), the bank advised me about this and these debits were stopped by the bank and I had to alter all my security details and email address etc accordingly. During this period I was also classed as 'Insolvent' which quiet frankly I wasn't and this action was sorted also!

When I spoke to Vodafone, I did re-iterate that this is not my debt and that I have never had anything from them! I have never been a customer of there's at all. The rep on the phone said it sounds like fraud and that someone has taken my details and as I said he has referred on to the relevant section, they will investigate and get back to me asap...

I am unaware of it being on my credit file...

FireWyrm

In reply to your PM, this issue is no longer any of your concern from what you have said. It seems as though there was some fraud, your bank dealt with it. That's all there is to it. It is down to the creditor (Vodafone) to prove that the debt can be attributed to you, and basically, they have acknowledged that it does not, that this is fraud etc. There is nothing else to do other than follow up your initial telephone conversation with a letter stating the same and that is only for your records. Within that letter, I might also be tempted to request their written response on the matter explicitly stating that they acknowledge this is nothing to do with you. When and if Lowells come knocking, tell them this isnt your debt and to bug off, it really is that simple.