Please help, need advice zinc group contact

Scaredyrat

Hi there, Im new to the site but really need some help, this is my situation:
I recieved an email about a month ago from the zinc group with my old address on the top (which i have not lived at for over 2 years)
It claimed they where contacting me on behalf of Results fitness and that i owed £600, racking my brains i realised that i did once belong to a gym of that name and i had cancelled the direct debit when i could no longer afford it,
Now i realise that is my own mistake but i was poor and didn't think much of it at the time. I also did not recieve any contact from the gym after i had done this
Anyhoo, I ignored the email as its an email address I don't use often and i didnt think there was any way i could owe £600 as the contract was only for a year and I attended and paid for at least 6 months of it.
I have scince recieved one phone call (which I genuinely missed) and one text from them telling me my case would be escalated,
I'm starting to seriously panic now, I don't have £600 and im scared at what will happen
Is it best to ignore it as they don't seem to have my address?? what will happen??:(
I'm quite a nervous person and this is doing my head in worrying
any advice??:(
Many thanks in advance

happy_bunny_2

Hi there,

You could ignore it, but you would run the risk that if they do decide to take you to court at some point, you won't get the papers and may well end up with a CCJ by default.

How long ago is it since you paid the membership?

Hows your credit rating?

Does this appear on your credit file at all? You can check for free with Noddle.

The other option, as you think it is your debt, would be to contact them, ask for proof of the debt including a breakdown of charges. At this point, you could give them your new address to keep an eye on what's sent. you could then arrange to pay what you can afford and complain if they have added crazy charges.

Always deal in writing, never give them your phone number of call them.

HB

Scaredyrat

Thankyou so much for replying!
I am not entirely sure when I stopped paying but I know it was roughly October 2011as i have moved address twice scince then,
My credit rating should be ok, I have a credit card but im paying it as I go (with not much on it)
I have checked my noddle report and its seems fine there is no mention on there.

Should I be contacting the gym or the zinc group?
Thankyou!:o

happy_bunny_2

You usually contact the last people to contact you.

Some times debt collectors collect on behalf of a company, sometimes they buy the debt.

Send them this, then see what comes back:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247

HB

HeadLikeAHole

I've had contact from the Zinc Group as well, an unexpected text message from them saying "We've been trying to contact you" then, when I didn't reply another text saying "contact us or your account will be escalated."

So I replied: "I don't know how you've got this number but if you continue sending messages I will contact the police."

Oddly enough they've gone all quiet now. A quick Google search brought up enough information to determine that they were probably just taking a chance, but I'm still curious as to how they got my number...

That was the only contact I had from them, and I thought it was a bit suspicious to be discussing debts over text. Immediately made me think it wasn't legit.

harveybobbles

Ignore them until they WRITE to you at your CURRENT address.

Stay off the phone and dont emil them.

Squeekyclean

Seems Zinc Group have stepped up there efforts to get money from even non-existant debts again.

They start with the usual line "Am I talking to (your name), this is only to veryify that they have the right person, don't tell them who they are talking to unless they tell you what it is about.

I asked them why they were calling me an they said they were calling for a client but wouldn't tell me who it was.
Surely if this a legit company saying who they were phoning for was not giving away any personal info so no reason not to tell me unless they are not calling on behalf of anyone except themselves.

They said as I wouldn't confirm that I was the guy they were looking for then they would send a letter to the address they have.
I'm looking forward to receiving the letter as it might narrow down where they got my details from and when I do find out I will be talking the guilty party to court.

happy_bunny_2

Squeekyclean wrote: »

Seems Zinc Group have stepped up there efforts to get money from even non-existant debts again.

They start with the usual line "Am I talking to (your name), this is only to veryify that they have the right person, don't tell them who they are talking to unless they tell you what it is about.

I asked them why they were calling me an they said they were calling for a client but wouldn't tell me who it was.
Surely if this a legit company saying who they were phoning for was not giving away any personal info so no reason not to tell me unless they are not calling on behalf of anyone except themselves.

They said as I wouldn't confirm that I was the guy they were looking for then they would send a letter to the address they have.
I'm looking forward to receiving the letter as it might narrow down where they got my details from and when I do find out I will be talking the guilty party to court.

They can get your details by running a credit file trace.

Not sure if this gives them phone numbers.

Maybe they use address to get from directory enquiries unless ex directory?