debt recovery company problem

Luna69

Hi

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with a similar situation as we are currently and if anyone has any advice please.

Basically a few months ago my partner got a debt recovery company involved in chasing up a non paying customer, it got as far as sending a letter out to the customer which was refused, so the next step was court, to which this company were wanting to charge silly money so my partner told them he didn't want to do that and to cancel it.
This company were one of those no win no fee places... yeah right!

Anyway, it ended up the customers solicitor sent us a letter saying this guy wanted all copyright on artwork etc etc, which wasn't his, so we had so see a solicitor and in then end the money he owed was reduced and all copyright was left with us other than what had already been used. All done... until a few days ago.
My partner had a phone call from this debt recovery company asking if he had recieved the money from the customer. We were extremely busy and without thinking he said he didn't get the amount of money they were trying to get but a lower amount, they just said ok thank you and hung up. Next thing we know we get an invoice for a few hundred pounds for them getting our money!!!!!
I don't think so.

My partner sent them an email basically asking what that was for, they never won anything for him, he got it himself and it was for a different issue to the initial one they were working on.
They rang him today saying they still had to set up a file, send a letter etc etc so they needed to recover their costs... which we weren't happy about.
After another phone call they are basically saying we have to pay them £`100 as a compromise within 24 hours or they will start legal proceedings!! What is it with us and this stuff?
We are a really small but busy business, just my partner and myself (part time) and people are just always trying to get money from us one way or another but not paying us.

ANy suggestions on what to do about that company? My partner isn't much of a fighter and he'd rather pay up to get rid of them, but I htink the principle should come into it, the fact htat they will get money for nothing. If he'd told them he hadnt' got anything, they wouldnt' have charged...no win, no fee, she basicaly said that when he asked waht would have happened if he hadn't got any money.
THe fact that they had to ring and ask him if he had got any money proves they didn't win it.
Think my partner is ready to explode at the moment and I'm a bit worried he's gonig to end up in hospital with the stress.

Any help appreciated.
Thanks
Yvonne

richt71

I'd go and see CAB for advice as it'll be down to the small print (of the contract I presume you signed) if you owe the debt collection company anything. Alternatively you could speak to a solicitor.