Help please Debt from 1998 i'm confused.

manzy

Hi, Please can someone offer me some advice on this situation.
I received a letter today from a debt collection agency for £304.30. I rang the agency because as far as I am aware I don't have any outstanding debts. The lady confirmed it was a debt owing to littlewoods from 1998 at a previous address. The thing is I don't remember even having a catalogue at the address. I told the agency this and they said they would get in touch with littlewoods for more info. I did live at the address in 1998 but as I said I cant remember having a catalogue.
I know it was 10 years ago but surely I would remember, and if I did have this debt why leave it 10 years to get hold of me?
I am confused and don't know what to do about it can they order me to pay the debt because I lived at the address?
TIA Mandy.

rayday2

Well two things you can do here, you can either request a signed credit agreement which I doubt they will have or you can send a letter because it has gone past the 6 years. Either way you do not have to pay it!

robpw2

Send them a statute barred letter you wanna tell them that they can fish all they want but your not going to take the bite

manzy

Thanks for replying, sorry to be dumb but what is statute barred?

fermi

manzy wrote: »

Thanks for replying, sorry to be dumb but what is statute barred?

The "Limitation Act" prevents any debt that you have not acknowledged in WRITING or by making a PAYMENT for a period of six years being enforced through the courts. It becomes "Statute Barred"

There is a factsheet to read and letter to send in the link below.

Factsheet | Liability for Debts and the Limitation Act

fermi

Also have a read through the thread linked to below, since the situation is almost the same as yours.

Link: Kays debt DCC - not mine - help!

RAS

They are legally entiteld to ask you to pay, but once you have told them that you do not want to, they cannot enforce the debt, even if it actually is yours.

manzy

fermi wrote: »

Also have a read through the thread linked to below, since the situation is almost the same as yours.

Link: Kays debt DCC - not mine - help!

Thanks for the link I hadn't read it, but I have now printed the letter off and will send it to them. Just one more question should I hand write the letter or is a printed copy ok? Mandy

Lizalu

A printed copy will be fine, make sure you don't sign it - just write your name. You can never be too careful!

fermi

manzy wrote: »

Thanks for the link I hadn't read it, but I have now printed the letter off and will send it to them. Just one more question should I hand write the letter or is a printed copy ok? Mandy

Either is fine.

But what you must do is send it by recorded/signed for delivery.

If you don't, debt collection agencies will normally deny that they ever received it.:rolleyes:

In_Search_Of_Me

Let us know how you get on!