Overpaid by old company

lilmisslost

I resigned from my job last october after being signed off with work related stress - I was a complete mess to say the least.

I was then sent a letter stating that my company... big bucks corporation household name... had overpaid me my final months wages and apparently for 2weeks work I had earnt £80 and I owed them £800! Obviously, I did nt had this money and due to the nature in which I left this employer, I did not have a pay slip to figure out my salary! So the money was gone

They sent me a letter, whilst I was still off work due to the stress, just after my resignation threatening me with court action over the money owed.

I wrote them a letter stating that their letter was overly harsh and had upsetted me further - and that I was not accepting that I owed them as much as they claimed.

They gave me what they called a breakdown, but in my opinion it told me nothing. So I did not respond to them. I sought legal advice, but even citizens advice beaureau and a trainee solicitor was as confused over the situation as I was... 6months later I havent heard from them

But now a new employer needs a reference from them and I am worrying them contacting HR will remind them of my existence and the money I am owed and set the wheels in motion of them asking for the money back again. I have no money to give them and I am so disgusted at the way they treated me I begrudge giving them anything as they totally destroyed my confidence and personality through harrassment from a member of their staff.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation??
Where you forced to pay it back - the one thing the solicitor said is he cant imagine a multi million pound company suing me for £800?!]
Do they have a time frame in which they can make the claim to get money back or it is it at any time

Thank you a very stressed out 20year old! xxx

(too young for these sort of problems) xx

Penny-Pincher!!

If you have received the money, know it isnt yours and dont pay them back, then this is theft! Why shouldnt you pay it back?

You could offer to set up a monthly payment if you cant afford it in one go

PP
xx

NekoZombie

I was overpaid by a company that I left - and I had to give it back. I had no rights to that money at all.

headoutthesand

I was overpaid by my veryfirst proper job for 4 weeks (i was young, stupid and kept it to spend on clubing, new outfits etc).

I was told that since i had left them, i no longer had to pay them it back - it was up to me if i wanted too.

However if i had still been employed by the company i would have had to pay it back.

If you want to pay it back give them a breakdown of household outgoings and suggest that the most you can afford is £10 per month. Explain to them that this would be the information that you would provide the court with so they could accept that without the expense of court.

I understand where you are coming from with regards to the reference. Is there one person in particualr you could give as a reference? i.e an old boss, a collegue you got on well with? I always put my boss down rather than head office. that way you get the reference but head office are none the wiser.

Floss

I bet if you read your contract, it may well state that any overpayment has to be paid back....think you may be on a loser here. As Pennypincher said, maybe if you offered to pay it back monthly, and asked them for a payslip (and if you have finished there, a P45 also), they may look at a reference in a different light....

lilmisslost

Unfortunatly I cannot ask anyone in store for a reference as the only superior to me in my store was the one who was bullying me.

It was just a whole sorry incident that I want to put behind me entirely but if I have to keep paying them money every month (and £10 is about all I could afford) then I would be paying them off for so long that I would be constantly reminded of it.
Also I did ask for a payslip - which they did not send me and I asked for my P45 which said in my employment with them I earnt
£0.00
and paid no tax!!
Just so they could be a little bit more helpful!!


I just want to put the whole thing behind me however them causing me to be out of work for so long has put me in so much debt its never going to be possible to pay them back. I should counter sue them for damages, but I just cant afford them...

I hate money!! It just causes no end of problems!

NekoZombie

If you want to put it behind you, I'd suggest you get a reference elsewhere!