help needed re debt that i have never had ???

newy16

Hi
i have received a letter from a company called " Robinson Way "
says it due to HFUKH2L ( ex JD Williams ) ref 324314880 which the ammount is £472.36

firstly they state that they have been told that i have moved either by third party or via returned mail but they have reviewed credit report data which confirms that i am at said address ??? this is an address that i have been at for approx 4 yrs so have not moved anywhere recently

my concern regarding the above is a few items that i will bullet point so save me waffling too much !!

1 - it is addressed in my married name which i have not gone under for approx 3 years

2 - i have never had a catalouge in my life and im now 48 yrs old !!

3 - how can i owe something that i have never had so how do i prove this ??? or do they have to prove that i have had this ?

4 - Due to the fact that i know this is NOT myself do i call the police before contacting this organisation - must admit i do seem to find the paper work a little suspect ie are these a real company or is this a scam ??

can only assume that someone has used all my details and committed fraud ??

I am so stressed over this and not sure what to do and at this moment i have not called them as wanted to take advice first

thanks in advance for any help given :A

boo_star

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_Brown_Group

Have you ever used any of the companies listed under the "Brands" subsection?

sourcrates

Robinson way a major player in the debt collection market.

So unlikely to be a scam.
More likely to be a mis-trace, maybe someone with similar details.

Send provit letter to them, available from the stickies, they must prove you owe the debt.

molerat

Robinson Way are a real debt collection company. Many of these debt collection letters are sent to anyone with the same name that fits the profile of the debtor. Have you checked your credit report with all 3 agencies to see if the debt is marked on any of them ?

newy16

Thanks for replies and information.
Regarding brands never had ordered or used any of them so still none the wiser.

Where can I find the prove it letter you said in the stickies - sorry not sure where to look

Once I’m in communication with this company and if this isn’t a recent debt/ order etc isn’t there something about things being years old ?
Just trying to end this quickly and not involving the police in a fraud
These letters are scary when they just turn up on your door mat !!! Would like to think I’m pretty good at destroying my personal info as well ,,

[Deleted User]

Here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247

sourcrates

newy16 wrote: »

Once I’m in communication with this company and if this isn’t a recent debt/ order etc isn’t there something about things being years old ?
Just trying to end this quickly and not involving the police in a fraud
These letters are scary when they just turn up on your door mat !!!

Lets get some perspective here, this is how debt collectors operate. They deal with 1000`s of accounts, bought in bulk, sometimes with very little information, a partial name, partial address, amount owing, sometimes no more than that.

So they then swing into gear, sending out 100`s of standard template letters, to everyone with similar details within a specific area, hoping someone will bite, the process is possibly (and hopefully) a little less hit and mis in reality, but you get the gist of it yes.

So your`s won`t be the only address where these letters have fallen on the doormat, you have to deal with these things in stages, first off, you send the letter Gary has kindly linked to above, this should get you a basic idea of what they are chasing, once you get a responce, come back to us.

IanMurray5

Robinson Way are a real company, but are very bad at their job and want nothing more from you than money, from my dealings with them they do not care if you owe the money or not, who your name is, or where you live, their single interest is only getting money from you.

1. Write/email to JD Williams quoting the reference number that Robinson Way have given you and asking for details of the account, it's probably for someone else with your name but a different address, Robinson Way are good at fishing/phishing and may well have written to everyone in the country they can find with your first-name & surname.

2. Write/email to Robinson Way asking for proof that you owe this debt and proof that they have purchased the debt from JD Williams. They won't get back to you, but until they do you can ignore them or point out to them that you are waiting for them. Incidentally it seems that Robinson Way can never be bothered enough to take anyone to court either - it's easier to make money by chasing other people than providing the proof needed for court.

3. Keep a record of all letters, phone calls, email, text etc. from them and sent by you so that in a few years time if they are still chasing you, you have evidence to complain online to the financial services ombudsman.

Remember:
* if you don't believe you owe any debt it is up to the debt collection company to prove that you do.
* If you do owe a debt to JD Williams or another company and a debt collection company like Robinson Way wants this money, it is up to that debt collection company to prove to you that they are entitled to collect this debt by sending you a copy of the contract from JD Williams that states their company and that references your name, account & amount.
* Finally, remember that these companies are making a shed load of money from people like us who do or do not owe anything and that eventually the law will catch up with them.

robatwork

IanMurray5 wrote: »

* Finally, remember that these companies are making a shed load of money from people like us who do or do not owe anything and that eventually the law will catch up with them.

I think this is mainly very sound advice.

Do you have any evidence for this allegation in your last paragraph that lots of "innocent" people are just paying up?

sourcrates

robatwork wrote: »

Do you have any evidence for this allegation in your last paragraph that lots of "innocent" people are just paying up?

We often have posts from people who have received debt collection letters and have just blindly paid them, as they assumed, rightly or wrongly, that they owed the money.

The letters are specifically worded so that they instill doubt, and have a certain sense of urgency about them, sentences such as "you must pay this today" or "the balance is due immediatly" all serve to heighten the tension.

Of course the reality is very different, the debt is never due straight away, credit debts are always, what are termed "non priorty debts" and you should always ask for proof of liability before paying anything of this nature.

newy16

thank you all who have replied and given me great advice and some hope !!

i have got a letter printed and ready to send recorded on Monday,will let you know what happens,

sorry for the delay in my replying to you all but have been ill and not been able to get out of bed until today

thanks again all