TSC Credit Management letter - VIRGIN MEDIA T&C

nanamoan

It all seems quite strange. Were you at the address at the time of the disputed amount being invoiced? I am hoping that mine is now resolved but these things normally arrive in the post on a Saturday. I have requested that they send me confirmation that the matter is now closed. Its ridiculous. I did have NTL accounts but they were all paid by DD and cancelled about 6-10 months before I moved out of that address.. I am thinking it is all a bit strange

djkemp1

yes thats the address i had ntl at but like yourself i also paid by direct debit but as far as i was aware all payments had been sorted and my account was cleared.

its really angering me that a large company feels the need to wait 4 years and then start harrasing people with final notices!:mad:

nanamoan

Well its been over a week since I sent the letters to virgin media and tsc and nothing from them. Surely they need to adhere to the 7 days notice that we are given, to respond? It really annoys me that these companies can behave in this way and just be allowed to kind of forget it after all the stress that they cause us trying to get on with our lives that aint that easy!!
:mad: :mad:

djkemp1

me either, not heard anything since my last phone call with them last week. i think its discusting that a company can get away with something like this

Becky0101

I have had the same problem original letter Final Notice for £79.00. Sent in a letter of dispute to Virgin but then received another letter from TSC stating doorstep collection or legal action. I have had a very angry phonecall with Virgin this morning who told me that TSC manage and bought out all old accounts ie NTL. TSC tell me rubbish they act on Virgin instruction. I threatened to cut off all services with Virgin unless they put my account on hold until I received so called evidence. Debt goes back to 2004 in my old address. I do not believe I owe this money and think it is an error on NTL part as there billing service at the time (13 years) was dreadful, but have to say we had problems with Virgin billing for the first year in our new house as they kept charging us for an extra V+ plus box that we did not have. Unfortunately I do not have paperwork dating back to 2004 but remember clearly paying final bill before I left my old property Oct 2005. I will check out links people have recommended but if anyone can offer legal advice I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Rebecca

BritBrat

I think if you want legal advice you need a solicitor.

Although some members here may have a legal background most comments have to be taken at face value, i.e. they are the individuals views/comments and form no legal advice or otherwise.

Spiderpig

Recieved a letter from TSC today saying they will be sending a debt collector round.

This is after sending a letter to Virgin on 26th Feb and hearing nothing.

Anyway, managed to get through to TSC (on first ring!) and they simply said to fax the copies of the letters I have. It will be interesting to see what happens next, if anything.

BritBrat

Spiderpig wrote: »

Recieved a letter from TSC today saying they will be sending a debt collector round.

Read up on what a debt collector is and is not, you will find it on this site.

A bailiff is a legal court reprentative a debt collector is not and do not have the same rights.

This is what another member of MSE posted:

gilfachboy wrote:

what can bailiffs do >>>>There are different types of bailiffs. In England and Wales they've previously been known as bailiffs and sheriffs, and in Scotland as sheriffs and messengers-at-arms.

The one that visits you depends on what type of debt you have.However, all these officers have new names now, in a transparent attempt to distance themselves from their bad reputations.

Scottish officers are all now called Judicial Officers and the officers in England and Wales are called Enforcement Officers. And so they'll remain until people catch on. Then they'll probably be known as EATHTPWTOs (pronounced Eeth-ter-pwat-toes): Ethical Assistants That Help The Public With Their Obligations.But let's just call them bailiffs.

So what can they do to you? I'll answer that with help from debt expert SON1C, from our Dealing with Debt discussion board.If your creditor sends a representative to your doorIt's important to distinguish between a bailiff, who has authority from the court, and a creditor's representative or debt collector, who doesn't. (A 'creditor' is a person, company or council that you owe money to.)If you have a visitor, ask to see their ID and their warrant from the court.

Only a bailiff will have a warrant. If it's merely a company representative or debt collector, SON1C's sound guidance is:'Keep your cool and don't panic, you do not have to discuss the matter with them and they do not have a right of entry to your home.

Tell them you have made your position clear and that you do not wish to discuss it any further. If they won't take no for an answer, tell them that you have asked them to leave and if they remain then they are trespassing and you will call the police.

If they remain, do so.'This time it is a bailiff at the door. What can they do?If your creditor gets a court order, the judge can authorise bailiffs to visit and attempt to collect the debt. (In Scotland, a judge doesn't need to authorise bailiff visits for council debts.) You will know if you can expect bailiffs, because you should have received notice in writing.Further advice from SON1C is:'Contrary to popular belief, most bailiffs are reasonable, they just want to get the job done and they don't bear you any personal malice. If they call and you are not in, they will generally leave you a letter to say they have been and will leave you a number to call them on. You would be best advised to call them and try to make an arrangement to pay the debt, they will always generally listen to any proposal that you make, but don't mess them about.'

What can they take?Bailiffs can take non-essential items, but they can't take essentials such as your oven, fridge, clothes, most furniture and tools of trade. They can take possessions outside your home, such as your car, garden furniture and shed contents.Can they force their way in?The basic rule is:'Unless the debt that you owe is a Crown debt (a fine or council tax), a bailiff does not have a right to force entry.'However, there are exceptions. If you're behind with your rent or mortgage payments, your landlord or mortgage lender may get a court order to evict you.

In this situation, the bailiffs are allowed to break into your home.SON1C also points out:'You do not have to let them in and whatever you do, do not fall for the "well OK, if you just sign this to say I can't come in, I'll go" trick.'What they will be asking you to sign is a walking possession order. Warning: If you sign this, then they can return at a later time and they can force entry then. The best way to deal with enforcement officers is to be polite but firm.

My advice in this situation is: Make an offer of payment if you can afford to (it doesn't matter if this is only a couple of pounds per month) Do not let them in and Do not sign anything'More dirty tricksExperiences reported by our board users include bailiffs:
Peering through windows to log your possessions
Entering through open windows and unlocked doors, and scaling walls
Taking vehicles
Attempting to 'befriend' you, or asking to borrow your phone
If you get a court summons, always attend to get your case across.

If you've made a reasonable offer within your means and kept written evidence of this, the judge may even reduce what you have offered to penalise the creditor for wasting the court's time.

These are all tricks to gain entry. Once inside, they can force their way into the home next time they visit.

What you should do
Contact your creditors before bailiffs get involved, if possible. Offer them something, but not more than you can afford, regardless of how little that is. Always follow-up phone calls with your offer in writing.

Don't answer the door to bailiffs. Ask them to leave their card and say you will make an offer in writing.

Keep your curtains and windows shut, and your car parked away from your property.

If you get a court summons, always attend to get your case across. If you've made a reasonable offer within your means and kept written evidence of this, the judge may even reduce what you have offered to penalise the creditor for wasting the court's time.
hope this helps

SOURCE

djkemp1

i contacted TSC a couple of weeks back now and explained to them that i was waiting on some form of proof to actually say i owe this money (which i don't). they said they would put a note on my account and to leave it now until TSC contact me.

i did tell them that i won't be paying anything unless i get proof.

still haven't heard anything back. i heard from someone on one of the forums that they had been to CAB who told them that unless they can provide proof that money is owed then you don't need to pay anything.

i really hope thats the case

nanamoan

Spiderpig ... did you send the letters to Virgin Media and TSC when you spoke to them previously? TSC said to me that if i informed them the details of the person I spoke to at Virgin Media and what they said that they would CANCEL the debt. I did this in writing and also sent Virgin Media a copy of the letter from TSC as they requested - strangely not recieved anything back from either of them yet. I did request that they confirm in writing that they had cancelled the debt and removed it from any of my credit files or send a proof that I owed the amount.

It is a very small amount that they are chasing and why they think I wouldnt be paying up this amount IF I did owe it, I have no idea!! I have never used Virgin Media and as per previous postings NTL was stopped about 6-10 months before I moved out of the house which I left 4 and half years ago. All post forwarded for a year etc etc

Odd