Admin fee on debt collection

Chrislynas14

Hi all,

Just received a letter from a debt collection agency (Advatis) at my parents address.

It is for a Severn Trent account in a rented property that was closed in June 2015. They say there was no forwarding address as it was closed by the estate agent and not myself.

They did however have my email address and current telephone number and made no attempt to contact me about a final bill of £27. Instead they went straight to a debt collection agency who have slapped £39 on top.

Money isn't an issue here really but I'm just bloody furious that they didn't use either phone or email.

Am I wrong?

Ta

macman

It's your job to close the utility accounts, not the EA or LL's. When they do, they invariably screw up. Why did the EA not then supply your forwarding address?
The process is not manually done. Bills are sent, then red bills, warning letters, and then eventually the debt is sold on, almost all done by an automated process. No utility co. will chase by email.
Money may well not be an issue, but if a default has already been recorded, then your credit record is trashed for the next 6 years, so I suggest you check that as a matter of urgency.

GingerBob_3

macman wrote: »

It's your job to close the utility accounts, not the EA or LL's. When they do, they invariably screw up. Why did the EA not then supply your forwarding address?
The process is not manually done. Bills are sent, then red bills, warning letters, and then eventually the debt is sold on, almost all done by an automated process. No utility co. will chase by email.
Money may well not be an issue, but if a default has already been recorded, then your credit record is trashed for the next 6 years, so I suggest you check that as a matter of urgency.

Yes, another example of the not-fit-for-purpose credit reporting regime currently operating in the UK. A trivial mistake can "trash your credit record for the next six years". This is why you should never provide water companies with anything other than the bare minimum personal data. Let them know you as "The Occupier"