Calls from a Debt Collection Agency!!

JonF_2

Hi All,

I've recently been receiving phone calls from a debt collection agency (several each week). Turns out, it is for the chap who is currently renting our old property.:mad:
I've spoken to the landlord who bought the property from us and he said he'd "have a word". I dont have a great deal of confidence...

I wanted to see if anyone knows if this can affect us at all. They (the debt collection people) dont have our address, just our number. Which I'm presuming he's gotten from an old letter which we've missed re-directing.
Is there anything I can do legally? I've searched the phone book for his number and cant find it. I'm contemplating giving the agency the landlords number seeing as it may affect him.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance. J

adamtango

Are they ringing your house or mobile number ?

Either way both can be changed for very low cost

maninthestreet

Next time they call, try giving them address of this person they are trying to contact.

hollydays

How could they have got your number and not your address from a letter?

georgina_fenwick

Hi, is the company called Westcott, i have been getting calls from them looking for people in my street, if it is, i have a name and number for a guy at the company who can stop the calls, he will have your info removed from the database.

JonF_2

adamtango wrote: »

Are they ringing your house or mobile number ?

Either way both can be changed for very low cost

Just the house phone, not our mobiles. I'd rather not change if I didnt have too. I was just worried that our credit rating could be affected!!

JonF_2

maninthestreet wrote: »

Next time they call, try giving them address of this person they are trying to contact.

I've done that but each time they keep ringing back, despite me telling them that it is our previous address that we moved from 12 months ago. I've tried to look on the phone book online for this other guys phone number but cant find anything!!

JonF_2

hollydays wrote: »

How could they have got your number and not your address from a letter?

Well I'm thinking it must be from a letter which has been sent to our old address which we have missed when changing addresses. Cant think how else he would get it.

JonF_2

georgina_fenwick wrote: »

Hi, is the company called Westcott, i have been getting calls from them looking for people in my street, if it is, i have a name and number for a guy at the company who can stop the calls, he will have your info removed from the database.

I cant remember the name of the Company, my Wife has taken the calls as I've not been in each time. She says that Wescott doesnt ring a bell though. Thanks anyway!

hippyadam

Next time they call, tell them politely but firmly that the gentleman they want is no longer at this number and you would appreciate that they update their records accordingly.

Also advise them that should they continue to make calls to this number that you will write to complain to the Office of Fair Trading (who they'll be licensed by to operate) and Ofcom.

Then see what happens

bankinsider

All debt collection companies registered with the Office of Fair Trading. The OFT publish a code of practice (see link below), which sets out what they regard as being unfair practices. If you read this, you will see that the agency are in breach of a number of the guidelines.
a) they are not taking reasonable steps to ensure that your are they debtor
b) they are contacting you with a frequency that could be considered harassment
c) they have disclosed details of a debt that is not yours (a breach of privacy of the actual debtor).

I suggest that the next time they call, you ask for the a) the name of the agent, b) the name of the debt collection company, c) the amount of the debt, d) who is/was owed the money originally (e.g Barclays bank, Vodaphone).

Once you have that I suggest you inform them that they have breached a number of the OFT guideline sin their Code of Practice and that you intend to report them. The Code of Practice also requires the original creditor (e.g Barclays, Vodafone), to take care over who they use for debt collection, and the method they employ. You might consider contacting the original creditor to complain about their agencies tactics as they remain liable for the collection companies actions (even if they have SOLD the debt).

Consistant breach of the Code of Practice can lead to a review and potential wwithdrawal of the original creditors Consumer Credit License. This is quite a big deal for a bank!!

Good luck.





http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf