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Military wife needs advice!! Please help!
MrsDYC
Posts: 5 Forumite
Hi everyone, I always head to this forum to browse for advice when needed but with this issue I feel I need more specific input, I hope you guys can help.
I am married to a member of the military, and as such we live in married quarters on camp. We moved in at Christmas and since then we have received various letters addressed to my husband from a variety of debt collection companies about a debt owed to 3 (the mobile communications company). Hubby left for Afghanistan in January and all the while he was away I continued to receive these letters, but did not communicate with the companies as I knew they would not talk to me. Hubby didn't know what the debt was for and assumed a mix up or some sort of scam, and silly old us just ignored the letters.
However, the last letter we received at the end of March stated that they were looking to take apply for a CCJ against my husband. As you can imagine, I absolutely panicked - the MOD will not be happy if my husband has a CCJ applied to him while we live in married quarters. I called the company and advised them that Hubby was not back until the middle of April. Since then, they have called my house pretty much twice a day (they never had the number before I called...).
Moving forward, Hubby got back last week and has called this company, Hamptons Legal, to try and sort this out.
We have discovered that this debt is for a broadband dongle taken out in 2009 at the address he used to live at which was a house share, all before he joined the military. They are sending us some invoices to look at, but don't appear to have a copy of the original agreement? Hubby has no clue what this is for at all!
As you can imagine, this is totally stressful. Neither of us has a sparkling credit rating but we are paying our debts and working hard to get back on a clean slate, this is a total bolt out of the blue and they are asking for over £300 which we just do not have. This could ruin what we have worked hard for the past few years and it is a nightmare!
Who are these people? Are they genuine?
What do we need to ask for and what can we do to try and sort this out?
We have checked his credit rating and this debt is on there but my Hubby, in his naivety, thought it was for an old mobile phone account which he had to argue to get closed. He never thought to follow it up and I have only found this out tonight.
Having said all this, he still doesn't recognise this dongle account and he doesn't think it is correct. What can we do and what do we need to ask for?
I am married to a member of the military, and as such we live in married quarters on camp. We moved in at Christmas and since then we have received various letters addressed to my husband from a variety of debt collection companies about a debt owed to 3 (the mobile communications company). Hubby left for Afghanistan in January and all the while he was away I continued to receive these letters, but did not communicate with the companies as I knew they would not talk to me. Hubby didn't know what the debt was for and assumed a mix up or some sort of scam, and silly old us just ignored the letters.
However, the last letter we received at the end of March stated that they were looking to take apply for a CCJ against my husband. As you can imagine, I absolutely panicked - the MOD will not be happy if my husband has a CCJ applied to him while we live in married quarters. I called the company and advised them that Hubby was not back until the middle of April. Since then, they have called my house pretty much twice a day (they never had the number before I called...).
Moving forward, Hubby got back last week and has called this company, Hamptons Legal, to try and sort this out.
We have discovered that this debt is for a broadband dongle taken out in 2009 at the address he used to live at which was a house share, all before he joined the military. They are sending us some invoices to look at, but don't appear to have a copy of the original agreement? Hubby has no clue what this is for at all!
As you can imagine, this is totally stressful. Neither of us has a sparkling credit rating but we are paying our debts and working hard to get back on a clean slate, this is a total bolt out of the blue and they are asking for over £300 which we just do not have. This could ruin what we have worked hard for the past few years and it is a nightmare!
Who are these people? Are they genuine?
What do we need to ask for and what can we do to try and sort this out?
We have checked his credit rating and this debt is on there but my Hubby, in his naivety, thought it was for an old mobile phone account which he had to argue to get closed. He never thought to follow it up and I have only found this out tonight.
Having said all this, he still doesn't recognise this dongle account and he doesn't think it is correct. What can we do and what do we need to ask for?
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Comments
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Send them the prove it letter in Fermi's post that I will link. Also make sure you specify that this account is in dispute as you are totally unaware of this account ever being opened.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247
Remember, the onus is on them to prove that the debt is your husbands. Also being an ex-serving member myself, the only thing a CCJ will affect you with in the Military is possible security clerance. They do not give a hoot otherwise and rightly so as it is none of their business. Gone are the days of station commanders getting involved in soldiers debt matters.0 -
Thanks a lot for the quick reply - am going grey over this, I swear!
Aren't companies required to keep a copy of the initial agreement, electronic, verbal or otherwise???
They don't appear to have anything but since hubby had a mobile account with them which was closed and paid in full, my worry is that they might use his info from that account to make this stick? If that makes sense?0 -
Thanks a lot for the quick reply - am going grey over this, I swear!
Aren't companies required to keep a copy of the initial agreement, electronic, verbal or otherwise???
They don't appear to have anything but since hubby had a mobile account with them which was closed and paid in full, my worry is that they might use his info from that account to make this stick? If that makes sense?
If he didn't open the dongle internet account then they cannot prove that he did can they? so don't worry. Just send them the letter and see what they respond with.0 -
True - thank you
will see what info they send and then Hubby can send this letter as a response. 0 -
True - thank you will see what info they send and then Hubby can send this letter as a response.
Don't wait for them to send you anything, send Fermi's letter first thing in the morning to whoever is writing to you for the debt.
Also make sure you get proof of post at least or to be signed for if you can afford it.0 -
michael1983l wrote: »Don't wait for them to send you anything, send Fermi's letter first thing in the morning to whoever is writing to you for the debt.
Also make sure you get proof of post at least or to be signed for if you can afford it.
Silly question but --- why not? If they have invoices and stuff we might be able to see where the mix up is...0 -
Silly question but --- why not? If they have invoices and stuff we might be able to see where the mix up is...
Because you need to get this account into dispute NOW, so that no further action goes ahead. Once it is in dispute, then get your particulars in order. You need to make perfectly clear to them that you have no knowledge of this debt as soon as possible.0 -
michael1983l wrote: »Because you need to get this account into dispute NOW, so that no further action goes ahead. Once it is in dispute, then get your particulars in order. You need to make perfectly clear to them that you have no knowledge of this debt as soon as possible.
Whoops!! Thanks lol I would have waited. Surely this phone call Hubby has made tonight has some sort of impact because he said 3 or 4 times 'I don't know what this is'... Does it have to be this letter?0 -
Whoops!! Thanks lol I would have waited. Surely this phone call Hubby has made tonight has some sort of impact because he said 3 or 4 times 'I don't know what this is'... Does it have to be this letter?
Always deal in writing and always keep a record. Phone calls are easily forgotten by DCAs. Courts widely accept written post as evidence.0 -
As suggested, send the letter to them.
How much is it for?
If they go ahead with applying for a CCJ then just defend it on the basis it's not his debt and see what evidence they have. Nothing on his credit report at this point.
Even if they do have something,it could be paid within 30 days and not be on his credit report.
They try and scare you, never ring them, chances are they have the wrong person.
Army won't even know even if he got a CCJ until his clearance is renewed:beer:0
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