BW Legal for e-on - do I have to pay?

ReallyConfused2021

I hope that I am posting this in the right area! I received 3 letters in 1 envelope this morning claiming I had a debt with e-on for £388.42, and that this debt had been sold on and now BW Legal were collecting on behalf. Funnily enough the address the debt is linked to is one I have never lived at!! I have never been the sole name on the energy bills, we paid by direct debit and neither my husband or myself were ever notified we owed money so I have no idea why I am linked to the debt. We switched in 2019 to a different provider and this alleged debt is from 2017.

The BW Legal letter is also offering 60% off the bill if I paid by 30 December (taking the money owed down to £155.37. I have contacted E-on to be told they are unable to help as they have sold the debt on, and to call the number on the letter and they will "be happy to help me". I cannot get through to anyone as the number is either engaged or just disconnects straight awayso I have no way of speaking to anyone about what has happened. I am just so confused and don't know where to start with this one. 

There is the threat of taking it to court if I don't pay but I just want to speak to someone but can't.

mksysb

ReallyConfused2021 said:

I hope that I am posting this in the right area! I received 3 letters in 1 envelope this morning claiming I had a debt with e-on for £388.42, and that this debt had been sold on and now BW Legal were collecting on behalf. Funnily enough the address the debt is linked to is one I have never lived at!! I have never been the sole name on the energy bills, we paid by direct debit and neither my husband or myself were ever notified we owed money so I have no idea why I am linked to the debt. We switched in 2019 to a different provider and this alleged debt is from 2017.

The BW Legal letter is also offering 60% off the bill if I paid by 30 December (taking the money owed down to £155.37. I have contacted E-on to be told they are unable to help as they have sold the debt on, and to call the number on the letter and they will "be happy to help me". I cannot get through to anyone as the number is either engaged or just disconnects straight awayso I have no way of speaking to anyone about what has happened. I am just so confused and don't know where to start with this one. 

There is the threat of taking it to court if I don't pay but I just want to speak to someone but can't.

Don't speak to them, write or email to them and request a SAR
https://tapmydata.com/consumer-guide-how-to-make-a-subject-access-request/

HeinzVarieties

mksysb said:

ReallyConfused2021 said:

I hope that I am posting this in the right area! I received 3 letters in 1 envelope this morning claiming I had a debt with e-on for £388.42, and that this debt had been sold on and now BW Legal were collecting on behalf. Funnily enough the address the debt is linked to is one I have never lived at!! I have never been the sole name on the energy bills, we paid by direct debit and neither my husband or myself were ever notified we owed money so I have no idea why I am linked to the debt. We switched in 2019 to a different provider and this alleged debt is from 2017.

The BW Legal letter is also offering 60% off the bill if I paid by 30 December (taking the money owed down to £155.37. I have contacted E-on to be told they are unable to help as they have sold the debt on, and to call the number on the letter and they will "be happy to help me". I cannot get through to anyone as the number is either engaged or just disconnects straight awayso I have no way of speaking to anyone about what has happened. I am just so confused and don't know where to start with this one. 

There is the threat of taking it to court if I don't pay but I just want to speak to someone but can't.

Don't speak to them, write or email to them and request a SAR
https://tapmydata.com/consumer-guide-how-to-make-a-subject-access-request/

They'd be better off SAR'ing Eon.  DCAs usually get very little information about the debts they buy (which is why they typically need to refer back to the original creditor when someone sends a "Prove it" letter.)

Checkpoint_Charlie

I just saw this after posting this morning - the same thing has happened to me (although I did live in the said address but had moved out by the dates they are saying I owe for). I’d say it seemed suss but the letters and websites look legit. Very frustrating!

Please do let me know what you decide to do and I hope you are doing ok in the face of such a frustrating and unfair occurrence.

Jenni_D

The chances of BW Legal having "bought" the (alleged) debt are slim-to-none ... in fact the (alleged) debtor must be informed of the debt allocation assignment , by both the old debt-owner and new debt-owner. (Does one or more of the letters notify the allocation assignment of the debt?)

Do any of the letters refer to any Meter Point Numbers? (Both your Gas and Electric supplies will have defined MPNs - you should see these on your current bills). Do the MPNs on their letter(s) match your actual MPNs?

I suspect that this is a fishing expedition. Don't phone them - email them. (i.e. Keep a written audit trail). If necessary create a throwaway Gmail address to be used only for this situation so they can't harass you via your normal email address.

Edit: debts are assigned not allocated.  

EAST17

Hi, I think I can help! 

I received a similar set of 3 letters the other day, one being from e-on saying I owed over £90 for an address I lived at in 2018 & closed my account when I moved out - I also had to prove to my landlord that all final bills had been paid. The other 2 were from debt collection services, one being BW legal who had purchased the ‘debt’.

Even though it states to only contact BW legal, I called e-on this Monday stating that I am being persued by debt collectors for a bill I have paid. They still had my phone & account numbers on file.

As soon as I got through to a rep, she asked ‘Is this letter from BW Legal?’ Which surprised me, I answered yes & she told me to disregard all communications from them. She said a technical error had resulted in many wrongful bills & debtors letters being sent out. She also said affected customers will be contacted about this shortly. I’m so glad I didn’t pay as I knew it was incorrect. 

Try calling e-on customer services again & see what they advise; I am interested to know if anyone else has been affected by this incident, thanks.

walkinpeace

Had the same experience. Was told by E-On that they allow BW Legal to use a template letter from them but are otherwise not involved. Rang BW Legal and they told me the debt was allocated as a result of a soft search of data (but was in fact owed by "The Occupier" of a property I had lived in but not during those dates). They backed down. However, I am unhappy with how my data has been used by both BW Legal (and seemingly E.On if the letter I was sent was actually from them) so I have taken advice from the ICO (who were really helpful) and I have sent a letter to both companies asking them to explain how their use of my data was fair and legal (using a template from the ICO website). Although my situation is resolved I think that there will be other people without my resources who may feel they have to pay (because the letter did come across as quite threatening to me) so I think it is important to take whatever steps I can to stand up to these people. If E.ON are now saying it was all a mistake or technical error that raises even more questions for me about their duty of care to me as a (former) customer and to their use of my data.

user1977

Seems to be plenty of other wrong recipients of these demands:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/dec/12/law-firm-for-debt-company-pursues-customers-for-eon-bills-on-homes-they-werent-living-in

Checkpoint_Charlie

Thanks for drawing attention to this. I cannot believe their arrogant and lazy responses!

“If the customers did not reside at the property between the periods specified, they simply need to contact us and we will resolve this with them. The matter would be closed and that customer will no longer be contacted in relation to the debt.”

They do not answer the phone. I have tried, many times. And primarily it’s THEIR mistake - Why should I have to spend my time and energy resolving it? I contacted E.On and they say ‘we are now EON Next so can’t help’. Gold star in customer service there; you initiate debt collection services, for a debt I do not owe, and then wash your hands of it. Going back to the article…

E.ON says: “Following our own extensive attempts to collect the debt we were owed, we have passed on the debt owed to a third party, in this case BW Legal.

Not once have E.On contacted me about this in 5 years and I am STILL their customer, who took them with me when I moved out of the house for which I’m now being accused of owing debt. What an utter shambles.

It’s horrible that they don’t realise the stress and misery that’s caused by this kind of letter sent to entirely innocent people, who owe nothing. Shameful.

Jenni_D

As I mentioned in a previous reply, unless the debt has been formally assigned (and this requires both E.On and BWL notifying the alleged debtor) then all BWL are doing are acting as debt collectors on behalf of E.On. So if BWL threaten to take anyone to court in their own name then the defendant has a cast iron defence - the wrong claimant would be bringing the claim.

user1977

Jenni_D said:

So if BWL threaten to take anyone to court in their own name 

I don't think they are (and I've never heard of solicitors buying debts in their own name) - they are acting on behalf of PRAC Financial.

Do you have a cite for the assignment having to be intimated to the debtor by both parties?