Reply after sending 'prove it' letter

TheMonkeysUncle

Hi everyone. I recently had a demand for a debt from Wescott that I had no idea about, It just said Royal Bank of Scotland. I have never banked with them but I have banked with banks within their group but not in the last 5 or 6 years. So I took advise from this forum and sent the prove it letter.
I had a response this week stating they would be breaking data protection if they sent me the information I had requested and I should respond with my date of birth and a list of my previous addresses.
I feel this is not right as they should know this if they are chasing me for a debt.
Could someone please advise how I should reply to them. Should I just give them the details or is there another way?
Thanks.

woohoo_postingid

It sounds to me like they are fishing. Ignore them.

martinthebandit

As a general matter of principle never ever give debt agencies and the like personal info, not over the phone, not in a letter, not in an email.

Just remember you are NOT dealing with an honest, trustworthy company or individual.

sourcrates

As said above, don't do it, just ignore, they probably have a name and that is it, if a more specific letter arrives detailing the debt then they still have to prove you owe it, they send these letters to a number of people with the same name and see who contacts them, don't bite !!!

TheMonkeysUncle

Thanks guys.
If I ignore them are they likely to continue chasing me by sending more letters and possible court action? Or are they not allowed to after I sent the prove it letter that mentions harassment?

matttye

TheMonkeysUncle wrote: »

Thanks guys.
If I ignore them are they likely to continue chasing me by sending more letters and possible court action? Or are they not allowed to after I sent the prove it letter that mentions harassment?

Given they hold so little information about you, it's clear that they're not sure whether you're the debtor they're looking for and they're just fishing for information.

It's unlikely they'll waste any more time chasing you.

If they continue to pursue you without providing proof of debt, they would be in breach of the OFT guidance on debt collection.

matttye

Thinking about it, their logic doesn't even make sense.

They write to you at your address demanding payment for a debt they say you owe.

You respond.

They say they can't talk about the debt for fear of breaching data protection. If that is the case, why did they write to you there in the first place? If they can't be sure as to your identity and fear they may be in breach of data protection, they shouldn't have written to you there in the first place.

They're talking complete tripe.