Wescot DCA

d0nkeyk0ng

So out of the blue, mum receives a letter from Wescot asking her to get in touch to "update details". There's no reference to what it's about.

I googled the number and it turns out to be a debt collection agency. Mum tells me she doesn't owe anything other than a bank loan that she's paying off through direct debit and appears to be okay.

Does she get in touch to see what it's about? Or is it the same as causing needless hassle. Comments about Wescot here have been negative but stem from Westcot "fishing" for details. But in those cases, the letter has been addressed to occupier whereas here it has my mum's full name and address.

What should we do?

fatbelly

It doesn't say what it's about?

And presumably she is paying the bank loan by direct payments to the bank.

If the bank were to hand the admin of the account to wescot, they should have written to say so, and wescot should have been clear what 'the details' relate to.

I'd ignore it for now, until they communicate properly.

Sanctioned_Parts_List

You mum didn't take her name off the edited electoral register then. If you bite, some DCAs allegedly then send final demands for debts that aren't yours.

sourcrates

Agree with Fatbelly, if they are writing to her about a specific debt, they should say so in the letter.

I would not engage with them at the present time, if, at some point, you do get something with specific details in it, then you should respond.

At the moment it looks like a tracing attempt to see if they have the person they are seeking, in other words, a fishing trip.

d0nkeyk0ng

So I've spoken to Mum. The last credit card was with Debenhams. She went into store to pay off the balance, which was completed. I've looked through the paperwork and suggested she ring Debenhams.

It looks like they charged her a late payment fee *after* clearing the balance, and then it's been stacking up. We haven't received any statements since and she had assumed it was cleared. In the progress of trying to work what's gone wrong.

sourcrates

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

So I've spoken to Mum. The last credit card was with Debenhams. She went into store to pay off the balance, which was completed. I've looked through the paperwork and suggested she ring Debenhams.

It looks like they charged her a late payment fee *after* clearing the balance, and then it's been stacking up. We haven't received any statements since and she had assumed it was cleared. In the progress of trying to work what's gone wrong.

In that case a written complaint to Debenhams is the way to go.


Explain you were unaware of any outstanding balance, had you been so, you would of paid it.


As the balance is made up of late payment charges, etc, ask that as a "gesture of goodwill" they cancel the charges, and call off there tame DCA.


Be nice, but insistent.


You can always take it to the ombudsman if they wont play ball.

d0nkeyk0ng

Mum ended up clearing the balance and putting in a complaint. She rang Westcot who confirmed details and then just transferred her back to Debenhams collections centre, which is where she went to the first time round. She plans to cancel the card but I wonder whether it's affected her credit scoring and whether there's any comeback?

fatbelly

I agree with Sourcrates.

Deal direct with Debenhams and see how they respond.

If Wescot's next letter says it's the Debenhams card, then you can say 'this is in dispute and we are corresponding with your client'.

Generally it's not a good idea to phone a DCA as it gives them the opportunity to make threats and untruths that they would not be prepared to put in writing.

She should check her credit file (a £2 statutory report will do) to see if anything has been recorded that also needs to be complained about

Sanctioned_Parts_List

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

Mum ended up clearing the balance and putting in a complaint. She rang Westcot who confirmed details and then just transferred her back to Debenhams collections centre, which is where she went to the first time round. She plans to cancel the card but I wonder whether it's affected her credit scoring and whether there's any comeback?

It probably won't affect her score nor attract any repercussions, but does it matter? It sounds like she's quite sparing with credit anyway.

peteuk

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

She plans to cancel the card but I wonder whether it's affected her credit scoring and whether there's any comeback?

I agree it probably won't affect her credit score, but will probably show up in her debenhams account as a missed payment. If its been sent to a DCA then it implies to me that it has not been one or two months but longer.

Speak to Debenhams and ask them to correct the file.