Westcot & Wrong Name

nimagraven

Hello,

Not sure if I'm in the right place!

My Mum and Dad are receiving letters off Westcot for someone who has never lived in their property. They've been there for over forty years now so not sure how this has happened except for an administrative error of some description.

The first name is completely different from anyone that has ever lived there but the last name is similar, the main difference being an additional letter.

They're pensioners and in a bit of a vulnerable spot at the moment so this understandably worries them. I've sent the first letter back as "not at this address" and taken a picture of it but they've just received another one today. They would ideally like them to stop and I've reassured them that it's best to keep sending the letters back but that it's unlikely that they'll stop otherwise so it's best not to worry about them, in other words it'll just be a nuisance! I guess I'm just worried that somehow they'll end up with bailiffs knocking at their door eventually and they really, really don't need that hassle.

How could they get this so wrong? And is there anything else I could do? I'm not particularly comfortable providing them my Mum & Dad's details in case they do something shady. I know that sounds odd but I just don't trust debt collection agencies as far as I can throw them!

Thanks in advance.

sourcrates

Yea, you're in the right place.

If they are 100% sure the debt is not theirs, then I expect Wescott will have done a trace, and your parents address has been flagged for some reason.

This is normally rereferred too as a mis-trace.

Please don`t overthink things, bailiffs can only be engaged after the legal process has been completed, and there are plenty of stages to go through prior to that.

Basically, if the debt is not theirs, as the letter is not in their names, then it`s nothing to do with them, debt is associated with the person, not any particular address, so you don`t really need to do anything except keep returning the letters.

Engaging with them will only cause more issues, as they will not be able to pass security, because the details will not match, so they won`t be able to discuss the matter with them, if you want some piece of mind, write to Wescott and tell them the debtor they are trying to contact at your parent's address is not known to them, doesn't live there, and has never lived there, ask them to please update their systems to reflect this.

The ball is then in Wescott's court, so to speak, and if they persist in collection activity, then lodge a formal complaint with them.

nimagraven

Thank you very much. I will keep returning them and try and reassure them that it's going to be a bit of a nuisance!

sourcrates

nimagraven said:

Thank you very much. I will keep returning them and try and reassure them that it's going to be a bit of a nuisance!

If you do choose to write to Wescott, remember to highlight the fact that your parent are elderly and considered to be vulnerable, and that should help fastrack the removal of their details from Wescott`s systems, and put an end to the letters.

nimagraven

Thank you sourcrates, I wish I was coming back with some good news but I fear something very strange is going on.

My Mum & Dad received a letter in the post for a completely different name not even close to their own... This time for a J D Williams account. I would like to put this down to a coincidence but the name looks a little peculiar. I can't shake the feeling that someone is using their address. What do I do next? Or is it a case of just sending back everything they receive with an additional letter attached now?

sourcrates

nimagraven said:

Thank you sourcrates, I wish I was coming back with some good news but I fear something very strange is going on.

My Mum & Dad received a letter in the post for a completely different name not even close to their own... This time for a J D Williams account. I would like to put this down to a coincidence but the name looks a little peculiar. I can't shake the feeling that someone is using their address. What do I do next? Or is it a case of just sending back everything they receive with an additional letter attached now?

Again, not in their name, then not their debt.

Debts are liked to people, not addresses.

Rinse and re-peat.