MIL Collections / Shell Energy

WaterBourne

A family member has just received a letter from MIL inviting them to pay nearly £200. 

Although it is not denied that SOME money is owed to Shell Energy, having asked SE for the exact amount with a breakdown has been fruitless. For instance they were chasing for a router to be returned, a router that was never sent in the first place and the customers are 87 and 82 and don't have much need for a router or the interweb. 

How do I respond to MIL that we know something is owed but it is not the amount they are after. 

TIA

sourcrates

Is this the outfit that works from an office in Truro ?

In terms of how you should respond, sending the "provit letter" is the normal response to a request for payment from a debt collector.

I`m guessing MIL are just acting as collectors in this instance, and that the debt is still retained by shell energy, if that`s the case, then there is noting this outfit can do, except ask you to pay.

If they have bought the debt they should have notified you in writing, are they referring to shell energy as "their clients" ?

They will have no interest whatsoever in your dispute, so you are best making an official complaint to shell energy and working through their complaints procedure, as you won`t get anywhere with the debt collector.

WaterBourne

Hi,
Thanks for responding. 
They haven't used the exact words "their clients" but the letter does intimate that they are working on behalf of - the letter starts "We have received instructions from the above named client....."
Yes they are out of Truro, if I had known that I could have called in on my way through yesterday.  
Prove it letter on its way, thanks again

WaterBourne

So MIL have responded, ignoring our letter from 20 Feb.

On 28 Feb they wrote "You have chosen to ignore our previous attempts to contact you to arrange repayments to settle this seriously overdue account", nothing more, nothing less. 

I can see how the older generation can get upset and pay these directly. My family member said we should pay it so I asked for £500 from them. "What for"? they asked. "Exactly" was my response and they finally saw what was happening. 

fatbelly

Waste of time and effort both in communicating with them, and complaining about them.

Just proceed on the basis that they don't exist.

Your dispute is with Shell Energy.

Their next move is likely to be to sell the account to someone like Lowell, who will buy it for around 10% of the balance figure and chase you for the entire amount.

sourcrates

WaterBourne said:

So MIL have responded, ignoring our letter from 20 Feb.

On 28 Feb they wrote "You have chosen to ignore our previous attempts to contact you to arrange repayments to settle this seriously overdue account", nothing more, nothing less. 

I can see how the older generation can get upset and pay these directly. My family member said we should pay it so I asked for £500 from them. "What for"? they asked. "Exactly" was my response and they finally saw what was happening. 

Standard templet letters they send out to annoy and confuse you, mostly with a contentious opening paragraph, sent in the vain hope you will pick up the phone and pay them off, without causing a fuss.

Debt collection is a cynical web of implied threats and subterfuge, woven together in such a way to make you initiate contact with them, they want you on the phone, because they can basically say what they like in order to obtain payment from you.

"Just proceed on the basis that they don't exist" - this advice from fatbelly is the way to go.