WESCOT. help please

S___F_2

Hi, I recently recieved 2 text messages from Wescot asking me to call them urgently. I called today but I would not verify my address and have not recieved any post from them. Because I would not verify my address then for security reasons they cannot tell me what the call is about and how much they are demanding. A few months ago my HSBC account was closed due to inactivity with £980 outstanding overdraft balance. I paid Hsbc directly the sum of £180 so my debt should now be at £800, but was informed of them passing on my debt as I could not pay in full at the time. I am unsure how to proceed as I do not want to provide wescot with my address and am worried they will have added charges on top. Should I contact HSBC and pay them? Do Wescot have a right to take money from me?

Lensman_2

Have you received anything in writing form either to say Westcott is responsible for the account?

Ignore the messages and the phone either way. Do not talk to them.

sourcrates

Wait until you receive something concrete in the post, then deal with the matter in writing.
If HSBC have assigned the debt to wescot, they should of informed you, but its not unheard of for that letter to arrive from the DCA.
Just wait for now.

Tixy

Do HSBC have you current address?

If they do and if westcott are chasing that debt then they'll also have you address.

If they don't have your address then it may not be anything to do with that debt.

That said if you owe the money and are in a position to pay then it may be a good idea to get in touch with HSBC. Depending on how many months ago there may still be a chance to act before a default is entered on your credit file (although it may have already been registered).

harveybobbles

Stay off the phone and wait until WetCloth write to you with more info.

S___F_2

I believe that a default has already been put on my account by HSBC. HSBC have an address for me which I told them was just a postal address as I was sofa surfing at the time. I have not yet recieved anything in the post from Wescot. If a default has already been oput on my HSBC account is there no way I can pay HSBC directly now? I would much rather deal with them than Wescot but I'm worried that the longer I leave this the more charges Wescot will lump on top. Do they have a legal right to do so??

S___F_2

Ok, so I visited HSBC today and was informed that my debt has been passed on to debt recovery so I can longer deal with HSBC directly. However they told me that they pass their debts on to Metropolitan not Wescot. Is it possible that Metropolitan would have passed it on to Wescot? I have also found out that HSBC have an old address for me, which would explain why I have not been recieving post, I did not give my current address and nor will I. This would mean that debt recovery would also have old address. I was given a number by Hsbc to call Metropolitan, should I do so if it has already been passed on? My other bank account have got my current address, is there any way that a debt collector could get it from them? Sorry lots of questions but I'm unsure how to proceed. If they can send no letters to me and I can't verify security questions they can't inform me of the amount owed, but I'm worried to leave it incase of interest being added. Should I just leave it? Is it likely they will write it off if they cannot contact me?

Lensman_2

There are three likely outcomes with your current "stay hiding" strategy.

1. Your current bank account links your present address to your previous one on your credit file. Westcott find you and demand payment in writing.
2. Westcott fail to find you and get fed up. The debt will be passed on to the next DCA and so on ad infinitum.
3. One of the DCAs that get this debt go for a CCJ at your old address. They win by default (which they will) and a new search finds you to enable enforcement.

Note that none of the above options has "debt is written off".

S___F_2

I thought it very unlikely. I just wondered if Wescott could legally find me by linking my other bank account which they don't of. So do you think I should try to contact metropolitan? As I couldn't verify my address to Wescot over the phone, how will wescott proceed if they cannot contact me at that address?

Lensman_2

I think they will continue to bombard you with calls until they get bored. And then (probably) sell the debt on. A CCJ at your old address is possible but less likely.

Please do not talk to them on the phone. They will cheat to put undue pressure on you to pay.

Metropolitan will probably have sold this on rather than employed Westcott to represent them. I don't think they will be any help.

S___F_2

The only problem with that is that they have no address to contact me by post, should I give them my address so that they can correspond with me by post? Or is that a terrible idea?