Italian parking fine being chased 4yrs later by UK debt collector

t3dward

When in Italy 4 yrs ago we unfortunately got a speeding ticket in a hire car there. On return to the UK the hire car sent us a letter all in Italian asking us to pay some money. We did and assumed it was the parking fine and that was then done and dusted. However, we now know that it looks likes this may have just been a fee for the hire company sending our details onto the Italian officials.
Shortly after returning to the UK we moved house and it turns out the Italian officials had apparently sent documents to our old address that they got from the hire car company regarding taking the actual payment 3 months after we moved. Obviously we had no knowledge of this.
Now 4yrs later we have a UK debt collector who managed to find our new address asking for £600+.
Where do we stand here? We have contacted them and explained the situation and awaiting to hear back. If we knew there was an outstanding balance we would have paid it. It was 200 EUR then.

Redx

which UK debt collector ? (you left the most important part out)

pogofish

You made a mistake contacting the debt collector.

Otherwise, if it is any of the ones I'm aware of who chase overseas ticket debts, Post Four of the Newbies Sticky covers them completely as in the absence of anything to the contrary, I'd guess that there isn't any court issue to worry about

Umkomaas

Simply ignore them. Put their name into the MSE website search engine - they will have undoubtedly featured here previously, and the advice to ignore them would have been given - with no adverse outcomes. Google will do the same job. 

t3dward

It's CLI International Debt Collectors

Coupon-mad

Same as all the other threads the same!  Read them by searching this parking board for 'Italy'.

pogofish

Yup - CLI are known here - Post four applies fully!