help with aggressive debt collectors for debt I don't owe

TripleH

Did you setup / know about the other account?

More importantly, do you have the same customer ID for both accounts?

Debt collectors cannot cause damage to properties without consent as that would be illegal, any UK debt collectors would know that.

With regards to the aggressive tone of the letters, they are as harmful as me threatening you online "because you looked at me funny" ie far less painful than a flick on the arm.

Maybe they'll give up chasing the debt after a couple of months or maybe they'll take you to court, who knows. They will send all paperwork to your parent's address and that is sufficient to win in court.

You need to look into what happened when both accounts were setup and why because that will probably determine how you deal with this action.

DevCoder

RackSpace have never let me terminate via phone , they always directed me to their T&C's

From their contract

11. TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE.

You may terminate the Agreement for convenience at any time provided that any recurring or minimum fees for the month in which you terminate remain due and payable for such month. You must follow Rackspace’s non-renewal process accessible via the online control panel in order to give an effective notice of termination.

And from their FAQ

The account owner can close cloud accounts at any time, but Rackspace cannot perform this action. Instead, the account owner must initiate the closure through the Rackspace Customer Portal by using the following steps:

1. Review all services to ensure that you back up your data outside of the Rackspace environment.
2. Ensure that all Cloud products are stopped and deleted (such as Cloud Servers, Images, Cloud Files, Cloud Block Storage, and so on).
3. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Account > Account Settings.
4. At the bottom of the Account Settings page, click Cancel My Account.
5. Choose a reason from the provided list, check the box at the bottom of the page, and enter cancel in the text box.
6. Click Cancel Account.

You cannot initiate cancellations over the phone. Dedicated customers can initiate account cancellation by opening a ticket in the Rackspace Customer Portal. The cancellation submission is your authorized approval for Rackspace to delete your account and cancel your services in their entirety. If you do not have a copy of your data outside of our cloud infrastructure, Rackspace is not liable for data loss.

km1500

Don't worry

In the end, they will.either write off the debt or take you to the small claims procedure.

If the latter, you will have your chance to put your side of the story. The judge will then make a decision. The judge may well decide that you cancelled. If it goes against you, you will be given a chance to pay.

Meanwhile, ignore the debt collectors - don't engage with them - they have no powers until and unless you lose at court.

Jumblebumble

bobbidyboo said:

Hi,

I need some legal advice regarding a debt collection dispute, as I'm unable to afford professional legal assistance. Here's a summary of my situation:

1. “ABC Omega debt collection” claims I owe Rackspace (UK) Cloud over $800 USD plus interest.
2. I have evidence of closing my Rackspace account in June 2022 with all outstanding charges paid.
3. I have a phone call recording of Rackspace admitted to neglecting to close a second account in my name, which they didn't inform me about when I requested account closure. This explains the charges.
4. I reasonably expected all accounts in my name to be closed when I requested "close my account" and stated "I no longer need your service."
5. The accrued debt is for web hosting services that I haven't used since I requested account closure.
6. Rackspace billing staff have been uncooperative, limiting my access to proof by cancelling my access to their messaging system, and not providing the necessary screenshots.
7. Account closure was only allowed over the phone, but I insisted on confirmation via their website messaging system, which they've now revoked my access to. Fortunately, I have some (albeit limited) proof in the form of 1 screenshot & 1 copied & pasted text file.
8. Despite providing documentation and proof, the both the debt collection agency & rackspace remain uncooperative.
9. I’ve informed the debt collectors that I do not live at the address they’re sending letters to (it’s my elderly parents address), but they refuse to remove it from their system.
10. I'm concerned that aggressive collectors might visit my elderly parents' home one day. My parents aren’t well, vulnerable, forget everything they’re told & wouldn’t know how to deal with it. My mother had a breakdown just talking about not letting debt collectors through their front door. It would finish them off.

I'm unsure of what to do next, as I can't afford to hire a legal professional. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. However, I suspect I might have to get a loan and just pay the $800 to avoid them finishing off my parents. Thank you for your insight, particularly if you've been through anything similar.

I suggest that

You tell the debt collectors that the debt is in dispute, to hand it back to their principle and that if they dont you will complain to the FOS
You tell Rackspace that if they don't want to cooperate then that's fine by you
You perform a Subject Access Request to both Rackspace and the Debt collectors

macman

How can debt collectors damage the property? They have no powers of entry, and they're not going to force their way in. Nor can they damage your credit history (not credit score): only a court can do that by way of a CCJ.

Jenni_D

Jumblebumble said:

bobbidyboo said:

Hi,

I need some legal advice regarding a debt collection dispute, as I'm unable to afford professional legal assistance. Here's a summary of my situation:

1. “ABC Omega debt collection” claims I owe Rackspace (UK) Cloud over $800 USD plus interest.
2. I have evidence of closing my Rackspace account in June 2022 with all outstanding charges paid.
3. I have a phone call recording of Rackspace admitted to neglecting to close a second account in my name, which they didn't inform me about when I requested account closure. This explains the charges.
4. I reasonably expected all accounts in my name to be closed when I requested "close my account" and stated "I no longer need your service."
5. The accrued debt is for web hosting services that I haven't used since I requested account closure.
6. Rackspace billing staff have been uncooperative, limiting my access to proof by cancelling my access to their messaging system, and not providing the necessary screenshots.
7. Account closure was only allowed over the phone, but I insisted on confirmation via their website messaging system, which they've now revoked my access to. Fortunately, I have some (albeit limited) proof in the form of 1 screenshot & 1 copied & pasted text file.
8. Despite providing documentation and proof, the both the debt collection agency & rackspace remain uncooperative.
9. I’ve informed the debt collectors that I do not live at the address they’re sending letters to (it’s my elderly parents address), but they refuse to remove it from their system.
10. I'm concerned that aggressive collectors might visit my elderly parents' home one day. My parents aren’t well, vulnerable, forget everything they’re told & wouldn’t know how to deal with it. My mother had a breakdown just talking about not letting debt collectors through their front door. It would finish them off.

I'm unsure of what to do next, as I can't afford to hire a legal professional. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. However, I suspect I might have to get a loan and just pay the $800 to avoid them finishing off my parents. Thank you for your insight, particularly if you've been through anything similar.

I suggest that

You tell the debt collectors that the debt is in dispute, to hand it back to their principle and that if they dont you will complain to the FOS [1]
You tell Rackspace that if they don't want to cooperate then that's fine by you
You perform a Subject Access Request to both Rackspace and the Debt collectors [2]

As of now the communications have come solely from US-based companies (as far as I can gather from the OP). As such neither [1] nor [2] are relevant.

born_again

Jumblebumble said:

bobbidyboo said:

Hi,

I need some legal advice regarding a debt collection dispute, as I'm unable to afford professional legal assistance. Here's a summary of my situation:

1. “ABC Omega debt collection” claims I owe Rackspace (UK) Cloud over $800 USD plus interest.
2. I have evidence of closing my Rackspace account in June 2022 with all outstanding charges paid.
3. I have a phone call recording of Rackspace admitted to neglecting to close a second account in my name, which they didn't inform me about when I requested account closure. This explains the charges.
4. I reasonably expected all accounts in my name to be closed when I requested "close my account" and stated "I no longer need your service."
5. The accrued debt is for web hosting services that I haven't used since I requested account closure.
6. Rackspace billing staff have been uncooperative, limiting my access to proof by cancelling my access to their messaging system, and not providing the necessary screenshots.
7. Account closure was only allowed over the phone, but I insisted on confirmation via their website messaging system, which they've now revoked my access to. Fortunately, I have some (albeit limited) proof in the form of 1 screenshot & 1 copied & pasted text file.
8. Despite providing documentation and proof, the both the debt collection agency & rackspace remain uncooperative.
9. I’ve informed the debt collectors that I do not live at the address they’re sending letters to (it’s my elderly parents address), but they refuse to remove it from their system.
10. I'm concerned that aggressive collectors might visit my elderly parents' home one day. My parents aren’t well, vulnerable, forget everything they’re told & wouldn’t know how to deal with it. My mother had a breakdown just talking about not letting debt collectors through their front door. It would finish them off.

I'm unsure of what to do next, as I can't afford to hire a legal professional. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. However, I suspect I might have to get a loan and just pay the $800 to avoid them finishing off my parents. Thank you for your insight, particularly if you've been through anything similar.

I suggest that

You tell the debt collectors that the debt is in dispute, to hand it back to their principle and that if they dont you will complain to the FOS
You tell Rackspace that if they don't want to cooperate then that's fine by you
You perform a Subject Access Request to both Rackspace and the Debt collectors

The company the Op mentions are not a Uk company. As such are not listed on FCA site. So complaining to FOS will not do anything.
Only hope would be if they are using a UK debt company to deal in the UK (Op not mentioned this) who are FCA registered.

As non UK companies a SAR could well be something they do not have to provide. You would have to check US legislations.

Jumblebumble

Jenni_D said:

Jumblebumble said:

bobbidyboo said:

Hi,

I need some legal advice regarding a debt collection dispute, as I'm unable to afford professional legal assistance. Here's a summary of my situation:

1. “” claims I owe Rackspace (UK) Cloud over $800 USD plus interest.
2. I have evidence of closing my Rackspace account in June 2022 with all outstanding charges paid.
3. I have a phone call recording of Rackspace admitted to neglecting to close a second account in my name, which they didn't inform me about when I requested account closure. This explains the charges.
4. I reasonably expected all accounts in my name to be closed when I requested "close my account" and stated "I no longer need your service."
5. The accrued debt is for web hosting services that I haven't used since I requested account closure.
6. Rackspace billing staff have been uncooperative, limiting my access to proof by cancelling my access to their messaging system, and not providing the necessary screenshots.
7. Account closure was only allowed over the phone, but I insisted on confirmation via their website messaging system, which they've now revoked my access to. Fortunately, I have some (albeit limited) proof in the form of 1 screenshot & 1 copied & pasted text file.
8. Despite providing documentation and proof, the both the debt collection agency & rackspace remain uncooperative.
9. I’ve informed the debt collectors that I do not live at the address they’re sending letters to (it’s my elderly parents address), but they refuse to remove it from their system.
10. I'm concerned that aggressive collectors might visit my elderly parents' home one day. My parents aren’t well, vulnerable, forget everything they’re told & wouldn’t know how to deal with it. My mother had a breakdown just talking about not letting debt collectors through their front door. It would finish them off.

I'm unsure of what to do next, as I can't afford to hire a legal professional. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. However, I suspect I might have to get a loan and just pay the $800 to avoid them finishing off my parents. Thank you for your insight, particularly if you've been through anything similar.

I suggest that

You tell the debt collectors that the debt is in dispute, to hand it back to their principle and that if they dont you will complain to the FOS [1]
You tell Rackspace that if they don't want to cooperate then that's fine by you
You perform a Subject Access Request to both Rackspace and the Debt collectors [2]

As of now the communications have come solely from US-based companies (as far as I can gather from the OP). As such neither [1] nor [2] are relevant.

Let me help you to understand
Rackspace UK which the OP cited are a UK  limited company  03897010

I have no idea why Rackspace  would hand this over to a USA company if that is true
I personally would not take much notice of an unregulated (in the UK)  USA  based debt collection company.
Do you think it is likely  that if ABC Omega were actually going to do anything beyond huffing and puffing they would use a UK based debt recovery company to do so?

born_again

Jumblebumble said:

Jenni_D said:

Jumblebumble said:

bobbidyboo said:

Hi,

I need some legal advice regarding a debt collection dispute, as I'm unable to afford professional legal assistance. Here's a summary of my situation:

1. “” claims I owe Rackspace (UK) Cloud over $800 USD plus interest.
2. I have evidence of closing my Rackspace account in June 2022 with all outstanding charges paid.
3. I have a phone call recording of Rackspace admitted to neglecting to close a second account in my name, which they didn't inform me about when I requested account closure. This explains the charges.
4. I reasonably expected all accounts in my name to be closed when I requested "close my account" and stated "I no longer need your service."
5. The accrued debt is for web hosting services that I haven't used since I requested account closure.
6. Rackspace billing staff have been uncooperative, limiting my access to proof by cancelling my access to their messaging system, and not providing the necessary screenshots.
7. Account closure was only allowed over the phone, but I insisted on confirmation via their website messaging system, which they've now revoked my access to. Fortunately, I have some (albeit limited) proof in the form of 1 screenshot & 1 copied & pasted text file.
8. Despite providing documentation and proof, the both the debt collection agency & rackspace remain uncooperative.
9. I’ve informed the debt collectors that I do not live at the address they’re sending letters to (it’s my elderly parents address), but they refuse to remove it from their system.
10. I'm concerned that aggressive collectors might visit my elderly parents' home one day. My parents aren’t well, vulnerable, forget everything they’re told & wouldn’t know how to deal with it. My mother had a breakdown just talking about not letting debt collectors through their front door. It would finish them off.

I'm unsure of what to do next, as I can't afford to hire a legal professional. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. However, I suspect I might have to get a loan and just pay the $800 to avoid them finishing off my parents. Thank you for your insight, particularly if you've been through anything similar.

I suggest that

You tell the debt collectors that the debt is in dispute, to hand it back to their principle and that if they dont you will complain to the FOS [1]
You tell Rackspace that if they don't want to cooperate then that's fine by you
You perform a Subject Access Request to both Rackspace and the Debt collectors [2]

As of now the communications have come solely from US-based companies (as far as I can gather from the OP). As such neither [1] nor [2] are relevant.

Let me help you to understand
Rackspace UK which the OP cited are a UK  limited company  03897010

I have no idea why Rackspace  would hand this over to a USA company if that is true
I personally would not take much notice of an unregulated (in the UK)  USA  based debt collection company.
Do you think it is likely  that if ABC Omega were actually going to do anything beyond huffing and puffing they would use a UK based debt recovery company to do so?

Could it be that all debt management is handled by Rackspace (UK) parent co. Which is US based. Or they have a contract with this co to handle debts, no matter where in the world they are based?

bobbidyboo

Update on this: debt collection company refuses to update my address. I've asked repeatedly. They reply repeating that I owe them money, but ignore my demand to update my address. They seem to be using my parents health against me, knowing it'll make them unwell to hassle them. Meanwhile, rackspace are no longer responding. The debt collection company just replies with "you owe us money" type emails without listening to a word I'm saying. I don't want my parents to be made ill by this and also don't want to lose my credit rating over a debt I don't physically owe. What are my rights & how can I prevent all this? What would you do- any idea of next steps?