Buchanan Clark & Wells - yet again!

annoyed_of_dorset

Hi! This is my first post on this forum, and I'm looking for advice about letters received today from the above company.

To provide a bit of background, my husband and I retired in March after selling our retail business, and we have no debts. Today the chap who bought our business forwarded (a few weeks late) three letters from the above debt collection company dated 23 May 2013, 18 June 2013, and 27 June 2013. The first thing to note is that although they have our names correctly the name of the business is one that was there years before we took over the shop premises in September 2006.

The first dated 23 May was a Final Notice for £372 owed to NPower, which seems to be their standard opening letter. The one dated 18 June is from GPB Solicitors llp, warning us that legal proceedings may be started if we don't pay up. The last one dated 27 June is from BCW again offering us a discount if we pay by 7 July. I'm presuming there has been nothing since then or they would have been forwarded along with these.

Right, first of all, we know about this debt but we do not owe the money. We have never dealt with NPower, only Eon for electricity, and there is no gas on the shop premises, which is where the problem lies. Apparently there used to be gas but the gas supply was capped before we took over the business from the previous owners (not the business named on the letters), only it seems that it wasn't done properly, and the account was never closed, continuing to accrue standing charges each month. We didn't receive any bills or statements from NPower until last year when we had possibly 2/3 letters which were addressed to the landlord at the shop address, and we forwarded them to him. The long and short of it is that he arranged for the account to be closed and settled the debt, so, as far as we're aware, it is no longer outstanding.

I've seen the 'prove it' letters on the forum and was going to send one to BCW, but realise if I do I will have to use our home address, and I really don't want them to know where we live! Any advice would be welcome - do we wait and see what happens next as it's over two months since the last letter, or do we send a letter denying all knowledge and explaining the above scenario? Or could we send an email without revealing our address?

Thanks!

sourcrates

Hi,
If the debt dates from 2006 and its not been paid or acknowledged in that time, it is now statute barred, this means a judgement cant be made against the debtor in court, they probably know this hence the offer of a discount, if its not youe debt just ignore it, they cant do anything now anyway its all just a fishing trip.

harveybobbles

I'd personally ignore them. Nothing but fleecers with keyboard warriers.

annoyed_of_dorset

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I've just noticed that the dates BCW show for the supply period are 18 Sept 2006 - 12 July 2011, when the gas supply was capped/meter removed. We took over the business on 25 Sept 2006, but knew nothing about the gas supply (the meter was outside the back entrance which was never used), and didn't receive any bills addressed to us, only to the landlord, which we didn't open, just forwarded on. We will ask the landlord to confirm that it has been settled, and up to what supply date, but other than that our thoughts were that we should leave it for now, and see if we hear any more from them.

harveybobbles

Send the Proove It letter then ignore them.