Wrong amount & Misspelt name

JaneDoeJohnDoe

Okay, I had a sainsbury's credit card & incurred debt of just over 8k. Couldn't afford to pay min amount & debt got transferred to Blair Oliver Scott. I agreed a small amount monthly. Out of the blue the debt is sold onto Arrow Global & then Westcot. I get letter from Sainsbury informing me that Arrow have taken on the amount. However, the amount was wrong. Not by a lot, but still it's more than I owed.
I carried on paying my small amount monthly to Sainsb via internet banking - transaction made monthly by myself NOT automated D.D.
I totally ignored Westcot introductory letter (saying they represented <or similar> Arrow ) & wrote to SAINSB re the incorrect amount.
Had a reply from Westcot basically saying the amount is correct but asking me to send in proof to them that it's wrong. (ie payment proof)
I sent proof direct to SAINSB without acknowledging Westcot. (copy of bank statement showing monthly payment to SAINSB).
Today I get a letter from Westcot saying that I owe £8,035. (That is the correct amount today by my calculations). Westcot state that "the dispute has now been resolved & the full balance or an agreed monthly instalment is required by return".
However, in the Dear Sir/Madam letter they spelt my surname wrong in the address section.
So, my questions are
1. Can I just carry on paying my small amount monthly to Sainsb via internet banking totally ignoring Westcot? I have never replied to Westcot directly in any way.
2. As my name was spelt wrongly on the letter can I legally just ignore it as technically speaking even though the address is right the letter was not addressed to me?
3. If I do ignore the letter & still pay my little bit direct to SAINSB via intenet banking what could happen next?
I already have a Notice of assignment from Arrow & a letter from Sainsb stating that the debt was sold on.

Any comments/suggestions please . Many thanks for your time

19lottie82

How old is the debt?

Tixy

I would change your repayments to Arrow/Westcot and stop paying Sainsburys. They have provided a notice of assignment and Sainsbury's have also informed you the debt has been assigned.
I would write to them and explain your circumstances haven't changed and you can still only afford the £x per month that you have been paying to Sainsburys.

What is the issue with dealing with them?

I don't believe a spelling error in your name makes any difference to the position in this situation.

JaneDoeJohnDoe

Got into Sainsb credit card probs about 2 yr ago. Did a "deal" with Sainsb but they then passed onto their BlairOS dept without telling me (same company).
Did same "deal" with BOS yet Sainsb kept sending me Statements. Last one in March this yr.
That's why I knew amounts were wrong when Sains/BlairOS flogged off the debt to Arrow/Westcot again without any notice that they were doing it, until it was done.
Over the last few months I've just carried on paying Sainsb (via internet banking - not DD) the exactly same amount I agreed with the "deal" with BOS, whilst Westcot kept sending me letters asking for the wrong amount, & I responded by sending my replies to Sainsb as they were the "company" that sold the incorrect amount of my (alleged) debt.

JaneDoeJohnDoe

All together I owe around 24k in total to 4 companies - would I be better off saying sod the lot & going bankrupt?

John1993_2

JaneDoeJohnDoe wrote: »

Got into Sainsb credit card probs about 2 yr ago. Did a "deal" with Sainsb but they then passed onto their BlairOS dept without telling me (same company).

Did you keep to your side of the second deal to the letter, i.e. never a day late, never short by as much as a penny, respond to all correspondence in a timely way, etc?

If you've deviated by even a millimeter from your amended agreement (the one they offered after you failed to keep to the first one), then this would explain why it was assigned or sold on.

ellesbellesxxx

A lot of people on here have paid off a lot more than 24k - it depends on your earning potential I guess to a certain extent.
Don't forget that going bankrupt has huge implications - certain things will be hard, even down to which bank account you can have.
Is it worth talking to a debt charity in the first instance? Stepchange for example? They will be able to give you some options.

fatbelly

JaneDoeJohnDoe wrote: »

All together I owe around 24k in total to 4 companies - would I be better off saying sod the lot & going bankrupt?

Tixy's advice is good.

Don't bother trying to work out why the debt was sold. It was a commercial decision by them which they could have done at any time.

What the best strategy is for you is impossible to say as we don't have the relevant information about you. You could run your situation past someone like National Debtline. Or you could post a full statement of affairs.

JaneDoeJohnDoe

Always paid min amount or even a little bit more in good time. Will do the SOA shortly.

JaneDoeJohnDoe

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 0
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 0
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 894.2
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 894.2
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 412.68
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 67.6
Electricity............................. 17
Gas..................................... 35
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 37.42
Telephone (land line)................... 35
Mobile phone............................ 0
TV Licence.............................. 14
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 135
Clothing................................ 20
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 50
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 8
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 10
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 18.87
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 9.09
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 20
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 8
Emergency fund.......................... 4
Total monthly expenses.................. 901.66

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
credit card....................2350......1.........0
credit card....................4952......1.05......0
credit card....................10777.....2.25......0
Arrow/westcot/sainsb ..........8046......2.9.......0
All cards have interest stopped & all have "deals" to pay small amounts which I've done for about a yr/15 mths

fatbelly

That does look pretty bad TBH. Some will say that you could cut down on groceries but around £30 per week for two of you is already lower that the guideline figures.

£67 for council tax seems high - is that the full council tax with 25% single adult discount - have you put the council tax support in with 'benefits'? I presume you've done the same with housing benefit/rent.

Are you getting child benefit, child tax credits and Income Support/JSA?

On the face of it bankruptcy seems a good option. The £525 fee may be a hurdle (remission of the court fee should be OK).

Minor point - see who's offering cashback via Quidco/Topcashback next time you renew your contents insurance and don't go for someone with a ridiculous minimum cover value. I've had a couple of years where my contents ins was effectively free. And what's the other insurance?