Debt Collection Agency trying their hand?

GingerBob_3

Daughter lives in a student house owned by a student accommodation company. The company pay all utility bills. Today the house received a letter addressed to "Just Students" from some debt collection scum based in Glasgow and working on behalf on EDF. They are inviting "Just Students" to pay about £1500 for gas bill arrears.


I assume EDF and the scum have drawn a blank with the property owners (it's quite a large operation), so they are now seeing if any of the occupants are willing/daft enough to cough up, perhaps being intimidated by the debt collection letter, which threatens all manner of things if they don't get their money.


I'm wondering about the legality of this, and what action I might take. Any advice? Thanks.

CashStrapped

Well, if it is all inclusive, it is not their [your daughter and house mates] responsibility to deal with it.

Just hand it to their accomodation manager.

It could even be a scam letter. But do not waste your time looking into it.

As a backup, I would dig out the accomadation agreement your daughter probably received to ensure it states they are not liable for bills. Make a scan of it so you have a backup copy.

Also make a copy of this letter, then give it to the accomodation manager, it is their problem to sort.

You may even want to scan it and email it to the accomodation manager. That way you have proof you forwarded it to them.

P.S

Also, give you daugter a tip for the future. It will come in handy. When they move into accomdation that is not "all inclusive" and they are responsible for bills themselves. Ensure she takes a meter reading [takes a photo of the meter] the day she moves in, and then she (or whoever pays the bill) sets up an account with that new meter reading. Ensure she does the same when she moves out. Trust me, it will save her a whole load of hassle.

GingerBob_3

CashStrapped wrote: »

Well, if it is all inclusive, it is not their [your daughter and house mates] responsibility to deal with it.

Just hand it to their accomodation manager.

It could even be a scam letter. But do not waste your time looking into it.

As a backup, I would dig out the accomadation agreement your daughter probably received to ensure it states they are not liable for bills. Make a scan of it so you have a backup copy.

Also make a copy of this letter, then give it to the accomodation manager, it is their problem to sort.

You may even want to scan it and email it to the accomodation manager. That way you have proof you forwarded it to them.

P.S

Also, give you daugter a tip for the future. It will come in handy. When they move into accomdation that is not "all inclusive" and they are responsible for bills themselves. Ensure she takes a meter reading [takes a photo of the meter] the day she moves in, and then she (or whoever pays the bill) sets up an account with that new meter reading. Ensure she does the same when she moves out. Trust me, it will save her a whole load of hassle.

Thanks. Good Advice. The debt collectors are AIC from Glasgow and I'm pretty sure the letter is not a scam. We've dropped it through the letterbox of the accommodation owner's offices (forgot to take a copy). As you suggest, just to be on the safe side we'll check the tenancy agreement.

Marktheshark

The management agency will probably just tell the debt collectors their real names now.

The best advice to ignore it is now looking less likely.

The best advice would have been to mark "No such persons" and return it to sender.
No names = No contracts.

GingerBob_3

Marktheshark wrote: »

The management agency will probably just tell the debt collectors their real names now.

The best advice to ignore it is now looking less likely.

The best advice would have been to mark "No such persons" and return it to sender.
No names = No contracts.

Hopefully not. It's not a management agency, rather a company that owns the properties and manages them directly. It is to them that we've forwarded the letter. If they passed on the tenants' names to a third party I would be very annoyed and I would be paying them a visit!

Marktheshark

If they feel a debt may be owed, they will pass on names and pass on the liability.
It should have gone straight in the bin or back in the post box.
The advice to do anything else was misjudged.
Lets hope they dont get some actual names to chase.
In a contract Name is contract.

CashStrapped

Ignoring somthing is the worst thing to do.

The management cannot/should not give names of their clients out due to data protection.

If it is in the contract that bills for current tenants are inclusive, they have nothing to worry about.

If the debt is for previous tenants who were not inclusive, they may give out a forwarding address.

Marktheshark

CashStrapped wrote: »

Ignoring somthing is the worst thing to do.

.

I disagree strongly, when it is not your name on the letter, it is damned good advice until it is your name on the letter and it is also a very good way of making sure they dont get your name.

Cardew

Totally agree with your description of Debt Collection Agencies(DCA).


Whilst there is a code of practice for these firms, it is widely ignored and the DCA have no interest in the merits of the case; their sole aim is to get as much money as possible by any means - threats, intimidation etc.


As a student, my daughter fell foul of a DCA and it took a huge amount of effort on my part to stop a minor debt(of which my daughter was unaware) from having career damaging implications.

macman

I can't imagine that a company which offers accommodation to students with all utilities inclusive in the rent will be in business for too long. They're not exactly renowned for energy saving even when they are paying the bills themselves.

CashStrapped

It is quite common macman. There are pros and cons however.

Pros: In large shared houses it cuts out the responsibility of one student trying to get money off the other students to pay their share of the bill. This can save a lot of time stress and hassel for the student, which is why they think it may be worth the extra cost.

Cons: Each student pays extra on their rent to cover even the worst energy use. If each student pays £10+ extra (usually more) per week on their rent and there are five/six in the house then that is £200/£240+ per month extra for the landlord to pay the bills.

For a large house with a mix of unorganised students, it can be worth it.