Miss-traced by Debt Collectors/Their agents

datsun770

Hi


I have been traced and in turn contacted by SMS and letter by Robinson Way and their tracing agents reference to 3 accounts totalling over £2000 for debts I do not owe.


They have my address and name, however when confirming my date of birth the agent placed the call on hold and returned 5 minutes later asking me if I have ever been associated to a number of addresses. At this point I am still none the wiser who the alleged debt is owed to.


From what I can gather, someone of the same name, who has lived in a street I have previously lived in 18 years ago, is in a bit of debt. She asked about number 8 when I did live in 45 18 years previous, and also asked about other addresses in other towns and villages in the county.


As they have my address and number I advised that they have miss traced me and have the wrong person, which they agreed.


The thing is, having worked in this industry 10 years ago, a soft trace would have to match name, date of birth and address, and as it transpires, whoever traced me has linked a name, an address I have never lived at and linked it to me, a completely innocent party. My understanding of the FCA guidelines is that any activity targeted to incorrect persons, carries the possibility of significant fines and penalties for the offending company.


The wouldn't tell me much due to DATA PROTECTION but I gathered enough from the calls to know they are aware they have messed up. The worry being that these debts are sent for trace in such batches that this is one example of possible 1000s of poor traces that are winging their way to stress out unsuspecting people.


I feel I am due some sort of compensation due to the stress this has caused and for the invasion of privacy and the time ive spent trying to resolve it.


Anyone else have any feedback on how best to deal with these people in the current climate?


My knowledge may be a bit dated now.


PS checked my credit file with cal credit, Experian and Equifax, and confirmed it is not fraud. There have been no searches on my credit file by these companies, and it really does seem that they have put 2+2 together and gotten =5.


Cheers


Datsun

[Deleted User]

If you've advised that it's not your debt and they have agreed, then no more action is needed.

No compensation will be due.

Grezz24

So there is nothing on your credit file, so this wont cause you any issues and they had admitted it isnt your debt so they wont chase you for it..dont see why you would want or merit compensation - seems its all resolved now.

tenchy

"The thing is, having worked in this industry 10 years ago, a soft trace would have to match name, date of birth and address ....".


Quite right. These are the key fields for identifying a person in just about all financial systems (other than unique primary key number, which often isn't known to the subject). However, credit reference agencies and debt collectors try it on. They'll go for partial matches in an attempt to find someone, even when it means hassling potentially large numbers of other people, which they don't care in the least about. Please report this to the ICO, FCA or any other relevant regulator.


Hopefully you didn't divulge your DoB to them?


As for the alleged debt, ignore the debt collectors for now. If they persist, issue them with a Prove It letter, possibly a WOIRA and take it from there.

D_M_E

You made 2 mistakes:

1. Phoning them up, and

2. Giving them all your correct details, including your date of birth.

You should only respond when you get an actual written letter on paper which is delivered through your letterbox.

Too late now, they have everything they need to chase you for anything they can remotely tie to your details.

Did you ask them to confirm by letter that you are in fact not the person they are seeking?

[Deleted User]

Admin error.

No compo due.

Move on

PixelPound

If they wouldn't tell you much then it seems not all your data matched, maybe a different DOB. It is highly probable its someone with the same name. Normally these companies do a search using CRA data amongst others. If they have said its a mistrace then you should hear no more.

I can't see what you would get compensation for, but sending reports to any regulator won't get anywhere, though maybe they haven't been thorough enough in their trace methodology. Send a complaint in and demand an apology and confirmation that it was a mistrace, they should reply to that and at least know that you won't get any correspondance.

If you could demand compensation for stress from letters sent, then there are alot of mass marketing spammers that telling me about PPI, reclaiming pensions, or pre-approved high APR loans that I should claim against for the stress of having letters and calls from.

datsun770

I acknowledge phoning them manage been hasty but I can be sacked for having any form of delinquent debt, and having worked in the industry a number of years ago, I know what issues can occur when they get their tallons in.

As the FCA has fines for such breaches and they have not carried out due diligence before making contact with a mobile number and telling me I have 3 delinquent card accounts is slightly different from getting ppi calls as these companies leginitmetly buy data from companies that have harvested it via Facebook and other applications Inhave made. In this instance then have made a desperate stabbing the dark.

Fair enough people don't think compensation is due, but that's not what I asked. I feel aggrieved by the companies handling of data and the fact I have been contacted. The fact they have dishonestly obtained my number and wasted my time.

It's not over till I have it in writing and as such will be a concern till it is.

Thanks for the constructive feedback.

System

datsun770 wrote: »

Fair enough people don't think compensation is due, but that's not what I asked. I feel aggrieved by the companies handling of data and the fact I have been contacted. The fact they have dishonestly obtained my number and wasted my time.

Do you expect compensation from everyone who mistakenly calls your phone then?

PixelPound

datsun770 wrote: »

I acknowledge phoning them manage been hasty but I can be sacked for having any form of delinquent debt, and having worked in the industry a number of years ago, I know what issues can occur when they get their tallons in.

As the FCA has fines for such breaches and they have not carried out due diligence before making contact with a mobile number and telling me I have 3 delinquent card accounts is slightly different from getting ppi calls as these companies leginitmetly buy data from companies that have harvested it via Facebook and other applications Inhave made. In this instance then have made a desperate stabbing the dark.

Fair enough people don't think compensation is due, but that's not what I asked. I feel aggrieved by the companies handling of data and the fact I have been contacted. The fact they have dishonestly obtained my number and wasted my time.

It's not over till I have it in writing and as such will be a concern till it is.

Thanks for the constructive feedback.

Your knowledge of the debt industry is old, the FCA have tightened up a lot of the old routines. I don't see what your point is and what they have done wrong. They have debt owed by a namesake and written to you, because its deemed to be a mistrace they have treated you as an unauthorised party and so not breached DPA by divulging contents. If they carry on contacting you, that's an issue but if they stop and go and find to try the right debtor, what's the issue?
Debt collectors buy debts and will use various methods to find debtors the original creditors lost contact with.

sourcrates

I hate debt collectors.

Phoning them is never a good idea, you are in fact filling in the blanks for them, these companies have suddenly all become very polite in their dealings nowadays, entirely down to FCA pressure, but under the surface lurks the same olde bloodhound that used to ring you 20 times a day, and threaten everything under the sun if you didnt pay up.

I suspect a lot of posters on this thread have never been chased in the past by these vultures, if they had, the tone of there posts would reflect this.

I sympathise OP, I really do, if they continue collection activitiy, then you may have a case, but as things stand, unfortunately nothing has occurred that would warrant compensation just yet.