Help needed with debt situation!

ciaron454

Hey everyone, I'm kind of in need of some urgent help as I'm freaking out a bit and don't know what to do so I'm hoping someone could steer me in the right direction.

Basically a letter arrived at my mothers house that I use for my postal address from a debt collection agency that has named me saying the following.

"We are attempting to contact the above named person and our recent investigations have resulted in your details being obtained from a credit reference agency. Your address has been provided by them due to a link with the data we hold, as a possible new address for the person we are wishing to contact.

To verify that you are the person we are wishing to contact, or if you believe you are not the subject, please contact us urgently on *phone number* so that our records can be updated appropriately.

If we do not receive a response to this letter within 7 days, we will assume the link is correct and further communication will be made. "

Now, to be honest, it could be about a couple of things however none of them to my knowledge are above £400, in fact most should be under £200 if at all. But I don't have the money, I've been on jobseekers for over 6 months now and I'm massively failing to get a job due to a series of unfortunate events throughout my life which don't look very good on a CV.

So does anyone know what I should do? Or what I can do? Should I owe up that they can get in contact with me at my mums or what? I really don't know what to do.

michael1983l

If you want the letters to stop to your mums you have 2 options.

Option 1

Give them YOUR current address.

Option 2

Have your mum send all letters addressed to you, unopened as return to sender, not known at this address.

ciaron454

I have no current address, I'm technically homeless at the moment. I do stay with my mum from time to time when I can though.

I'm willing to face up to the debt and everything, my problem is that I can't pay it or have any idea at all about what steps I should take, I don't want to screw up and then have them pushing their way into my mums house trying to take her stuff because they have reason to believe I live there or something.

Thanks for the reply, it's just I really have no idea what to do, like, if I say I'm not at this address, won't they just continue trying to find me elsewhere?

Plus they say they got that address from a credit reference agency, isn't it illegal to share my personal information like that with people?

michael1983l

ciaron454 wrote: »

I have no current address, I'm technically homeless at the moment. I do stay with my mum from time to time when I can though.

I'm willing to face up to the debt and everything, my problem is that I can't pay it or have any idea at all about what steps I should take, I don't want to screw up and then have them pushing their way into my mums house trying to take her stuff because they have reason to believe I live there or something.

Thanks for the reply, it's just I really have no idea what to do, like, if I say I'm not at this address, won't they just continue trying to find me elsewhere?

Plus they say they got that address from a credit reference agency, isn't it illegal to share my personal information like that with people?

When you enter a credit agreement, as you do with all bank accounts including Basic ones, you agree to have that information shared on your credit file I believe.

As you have no fixed abode then option 1 is out of the window.

Just send them all back RTS not known at this address, if you haven't given your creditors your mums address and you are not on the electoral role, utility bills or anything else specifically relating to your mums address, then there is little way they can prove you live there aside from taking pictures of you regularly entering and leaving the address.

They cannot send bailiffs around without confirming you live there and even if they did and took some of your mums stuff, she could get it given straight back once it is proven to be hers and not yours.

ciaron454

I have my driving license and bank account registered to my mums address, is that proof for them that I live there? IT's only for postal reasons but I don't know how that holds up against the law.

And are you sure ignoring the debt like that is the best idea?

michael1983l

ciaron454 wrote: »

I have my driving license and bank account registered to my mums address, is that proof for them that I live there? IT's only for postal reasons but I don't know how that holds up against the law.

And are you sure ignoring the debt like that is the best idea?

Drivers License details will not be shared according to their website. Having a bank account going to an address does not prove you reside there.

I never said ignore the debts, you can still communicate with them if you choose to, however that will be very difficult without giving them a correspondance address. If you want them to stop mailing your mum and threatening to go around there, then you will have to send the letters back unopened. However if you haven't been doing that from the off and opening the letters previously sent then they might not believe you now when you start sending them back.

Be honest, do you really live at your mums?

ciaron454

Occasionally I do, for a couple of weeks at a time sometimes. I generally move between hers and my mates houses depending on the situation, I don't really have a stable place to live though and I wouldn't say I live there, more just visit occasionally.

And yeah, I can understand what you mean by that, this is only the first letter though, but I have opened it. What would you do in this situation? And sorry for the late reply, I don't always have access to a computer.

fatbelly

Where does the £400 figure come from?

The text you quoted just sounded like a fishing expedition, and so would not give details.

Our usual advice is not to respond in any way until they make a direct assertion (You owe us £X on account YZ123 that we have got from Bloggs & Co).

Then send a prove-it

ciaron454

Alright, thanks Fatbelly, that's helpful! And I stupidly took out a pay day loan, lost my job and then couldn't pay it back and the company wouldn't cooperate into setting up a reasonable payment plan so I just gave up. So this is all pretty much my own fault and coming back to bite me in the !!! hah.

Sazzie23

ciaron454 wrote: »

Alright, thanks Fatbelly, that's helpful! And I stupidly took out a pay day loan, lost my job and then couldn't pay it back and the company wouldn't cooperate into setting up a reasonable payment plan so I just gave up. So this is all pretty much my own fault and coming back to bite me in the !!! hah.

Er no, you tried to set up a payment plan, I don't expect you planned to need a payday loan, nor to lose your job, dontbe so hard on yourself. Sounds like you are having a tough time anyway, and I expect you want to protect your mum, but at the moment sounds like they are just trying it on.

Maybe just wait until they send you the company x says you owe amount abc letter? Then contact SC or debtline to figure out how to pay. I'm guessing if you try to run an Experian or credit ref check it might make you more traceable.

dancingfairy

It does sound like a fishing trip to me as well. I would ignore it for now until they send another letter and see what it says.
In the meantime you have 2 options - either ignore the debts and hope they go away (which they probably won't). They have 6 years to chase you for a debt and get a CCJ which is a long time to hide for. Or you get hold of your credit files and get some proper advice from a debt charity such as NationalDebtline or StepChange or your local CAB or with help from people on here to deal with it.
On the face of it you have 2 main options in dealing with your debts. A debt relief order (DRO) which covers smallish debts up to 10,000 (or it may be 15,000) and where you have less than 50 a month (I think) left to live on (which you will being on jobseekers) or you make token payments of 1 pound per month until your situation improves.
if you post more info. people can help you further.
Best of Luck
df