Out of nowhere... Link Financial?

Jamie_Ford

Hi

I was greeted today by a letter in the letterbox from Link Financial...

Link Reference: (6 digit number)
Account Number: (13 digit number)
Originator: Barclaycard plc
Balance: (under two thousand)

Dear (name)

We have not written to you for some time as we have had to locate your address.

We would like you to contact us on 03330 145 145 to confirm your intentions regarding the outstanding balance on your account.

Yours sincerely,
(signature)
For and on behalf of
Link Financial Outsourcing Ltd.

Now, I've went on to CreditExpert where I have a current and active subscription to their services and there is no mention of any account with that balance, nor are there any entries under the report section titled "Do you still have unpaid debts at your previous addresses?".

I really can't remember anything about having an outstanding Barclaycard balance, and I am in fact with Barclaycard right now (credit card, totally different balance amount), so I don't know what to do here. Could this be from so long ago that I don't remember it and Barclaycard have forgotten about it enough to have some third party company chase for this? I don't want to call up or reply only to find out that this was from over 14 years ago (previous marriage, wife was bad with financials) and that by doing so I'm now liable to pay it, because I'm pretty sure that it has to be as far back as that as I've been living with my (new and improved and much better ) wife at this address for that length of time.

Any advice would be appreciated here.

Thanks
Jamie

fermi

Sounds as if it ever was yours, then it would be statute barred.

Two possible responses, assuming that you are going to bite instead of just ignore it as phishing.

--> Letter when you know nothing about about the debt - AKA "Prove it" letter

or that combined with some wording on statute barred debts

--> http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=34906257&postcount=5

Either way, the onus on them would be to provide evince that the debts is (a) yours and (b) enforceable.

solerom

Hi Jamie Ford, I got the exact same letter as you and decided to do a prove it letter to them. Few days later received, "Statement of Account" letter.
Here's what it says:

Dear (name)
Account Number: xxxxxxxx
Our Reference: xxxxxx
Statement period: 29/03/2011 to 16/03/2017

Date Assigned: 30/05/2007
Assigned To: Link Financial Limited
Current. Balance: £xxxxxx

Date Transaction Description Debit Credit Balance
29/03/2011 Balance Brought Forward £xxxxxx
16/03/2017 Balance Carried Forward £xxxxxx

This is all what is written. This might be a debt I had late 2000 but cant remeber who with as they have not specified who the debt is with.

Shall ignore them from now on?
Thanks in advance

sourcrates

solerom wrote: »

Hi Jamie Ford, I got the exact same letter as you and decided to do a prove it letter to them. Few days later received, "Statement of Account" letter.
Here's what it says:

Dear (name)
Account Number: xxxxxxxx
Our Reference: xxxxxx
Statement period: 29/03/2011 to 16/03/2017

Date Assigned: 30/05/2007
Assigned To: Link Financial Limited
Current. Balance: £xxxxxx

Date Transaction Description Debit Credit Balance
29/03/2011 Balance Brought Forward £xxxxxx
16/03/2017 Balance Carried Forward £xxxxxx

This is all what is written. This might be a debt I had late 2000 but cant remeber who with as they have not specified who the debt is with.

Shall ignore them from now on?
Thanks in advance

Assuming you have not paid the account since before the statement date, it will now be statute barred.

The worst thing you can do is ignore it, they will, most likely, take you to court, if you ignore court papers, you get a judgement by default, and will end up having to fork out £255.00 to get it set-aside.

You should send the statute barred letter in the bottom link of Fermi`s post above, that way all bases are covered.

rapper57

Background - lived in London for many years but moved to Australia in late 2015. Kept some UK bank accounts open as made some things easier and changed those accounts addresses to a friends. Looking to return shortly for another stint.

Just received info from said friend that a letter has arrived from Link Financial.

'We have previously written and attempted to call you regarding your account' - No they didn't and what account?

'Please call so we can discuss your intentions and affordable payment plan etc'.

Advice! Ignore? Get friend to reply stating no longer at this address, moved to Australia with no forwarding address? Prove it template? or contact?

Cheers

steve_adams

i have been getting quite a few messages
and texts from link financial, even though i have been
making the original payments, i set up with barclaycard which we both agreed
i could afford,
and i have never missed a payment,
my circumstances have not changed,
however link financial keep saying they have not received the payments
i have just sent off my third letter of complaint to
the financial ombudsman,
with payment slips for the past 6 months
i have also reported them to the financial conduct authority, and the credit services association
i suggest everyone else does this
if they are getting harassment from this company