Soldato
Sounds like a scam to me.
Just been told of a 20 year old “debt”
- Thread starter Scania
- Start date
Soldato
This will be a bought debt situation. They buy bundles of debt from banks or utilities companies for pennies against the pound, then pretty much any collection made against that debt is profit. The information the debt companies are given by the banks is usually sparse and potentially incorrect, they've been chasing this debt internally or through agents for 20 odd years, there's a reason they've sold it on. It's worth noting that this overdraft could have been with any current or historical lloyds bank subsidiaries as the seller might not have told the agency which member of lloyds group the debt was originally held with so in the current line up that's, Bank of Scotland, Scottish Widows, and potentially Halifax but I don't know what their relationships within the group is.
If it's genuinely not you just tell them, if it is you, hell, they've waited 20 years, tell them to do one, ask them to prove the debt, they won't be able to and at that point you should insist they write it off, if the refuse to threaten them with the FCA, these guys are terrified of the FCA.
A note on statute barring, this prohibits them from taking legal action against the debt, chances are it applies in your case, however it won't stop them sending letters and phone calls, regardless of the ethics of the matter.
I worked for a company like this for 6 months after Uni, I wouldn't touch bought debt even though those guys were rockstars in terms of their status with management as they had the hardest job and the best margins. I managed 6 months before I realised the money wasn't worth the job and jacked it in. Funny story, 9 months later my former employer chased me for a debt I'd already paid to a telephone company, suffice to say I refused to pay it.
Best of luck with it.
If it's genuinely not you just tell them, if it is you, hell, they've waited 20 years, tell them to do one, ask them to prove the debt, they won't be able to and at that point you should insist they write it off, if the refuse to threaten them with the FCA, these guys are terrified of the FCA.
A note on statute barring, this prohibits them from taking legal action against the debt, chances are it applies in your case, however it won't stop them sending letters and phone calls, regardless of the ethics of the matter.
I worked for a company like this for 6 months after Uni, I wouldn't touch bought debt even though those guys were rockstars in terms of their status with management as they had the hardest job and the best margins. I managed 6 months before I realised the money wasn't worth the job and jacked it in. Funny story, 9 months later my former employer chased me for a debt I'd already paid to a telephone company, suffice to say I refused to pay it.
Best of luck with it.
All good advice, but all I'd say is that the bit in bold isn't quite right.
They're allowed to issue a claim, but where it applies, the Limitation Act acts as a complete defense, as long as your defense includes it.
The only reason I say that is that they can continue their bluff right up to a court hearing, but as long as you've raised limitation as a defence the claim will be dismissed.
Soldato
- Joined
- 21 Apr 2007
- Posts
- 6,590
20 year old debt?
Statute barred by this point. Google it and tell them to blow one.
Statute barred by this point. Google it and tell them to blow one.
Soldato
This
I came home from work tonight expecting said documentation to be waiting for me, it wasn’t, I’m half expecting to never hear from them again (given I stayed I’ve never had such an account) we shall see.
My “prove” it letter is printed out and awaiting a stamp, I’ll let you guys know as and when/if there’s any developments.
Thanks for the advice, greatly appreciated, I’ve gone from worrying about this to wondering how much fun I can have with it!
Once again, a case in point as to what a helpful community this forum can be.
My “prove” it letter is printed out and awaiting a stamp, I’ll let you guys know as and when/if there’s any developments.
Thanks for the advice, greatly appreciated, I’ve gone from worrying about this to wondering how much fun I can have with it!
Once again, a case in point as to what a helpful community this forum can be.
Soldato
It sounds like the debt is most definitely statute barred if you have not acknowledged the debt in 20 years. Therefore if it was really your debt I would certainly not be paying it now.
Anyway, if some two-bit company called "Reunite Me" contacted me fishing for information I would certainly would not be entertaining them with a reply at all. The only time I would take action is if CCJ papers arrived which I highly doubt as A - they don't know if you are the correct person and B - it's 20 years old.
It sounds like they are just hitting people with the same name waiting for someone to bite and pay up regardless.
Anyway, if some two-bit company called "Reunite Me" contacted me fishing for information I would certainly would not be entertaining them with a reply at all. The only time I would take action is if CCJ papers arrived which I highly doubt as A - they don't know if you are the correct person and B - it's 20 years old.
It sounds like they are just hitting people with the same name waiting for someone to bite and pay up regardless.
Yes, I bit, but, there’s a certain person in my life I’d very much like to reconnect with and wondered if this was such an enquire - a tactic they clearly know well and play on - ultimately, yes I replied but didn’t declare I was the debtor as I am not, so they can try whatever the next tactic is by all means, I’m ready for the next round, if it appears which I’m doubting tbh as I clearly told them that I’d never had such an account.
They can chase me all they want, I’m more than up to wasting someone’s time especially if it’s some scumbag chancer as it appears these clowns are, I contacted Lloyd’s today to make sure I wasn’t suffering amnesia and indeed I haven’t ever had an account in their name - bring it on!
I feel more for the undoubtably countless people who receive such correspondences and pay up without question....
Soldato
this..its happened to my wife as well, a woman with the same name but at a different address in a different part of the country
we rang ( it was not this outfit you are dealing with)and told them we had never lived there and cleared it up with proof of residence at our current address..never heard from them again
they must just send the letters to everybody worth the same name...its a really lazy way of chasing debt
Soldato
Thanks for the advice all.
Cheers.
I’m Very careful about this and have said I didn’t have any Lloyd’s account then or subsequently.
I’m assuming it’s this site - http://www.globaldebtrecovery.com/contact.php - the contact number is the one I called, they’ve got some great reviews (not!)
I did have a redirect set up at that address for a few months from what I vaguely remember - I struggle with last month never mind two decades back
Probably chancers, I doubt it’s somebody with a similar/same surname, mine is relatively unusual.
Thanks for that, I’ll await their documentation and see if I need this, how on Earth they are going to have documentation from 20 years ago remains to be seen, I’m not holding my breath on that one.
http://debtwizard.com/dw-forum/2/566
Worth a read for you squire
@Scania It is entirely possible that the debt collection agency has linked someone else's debt to you due to same name, and dob. The methods they use depending on how far down the track they are with trying to link the debt can get very limited and this kind of thing happens.
Just stand firm that you never had a Lloyds account and that the debt cannot be yours.
Just stand firm that you never had a Lloyds account and that the debt cannot be yours.
Soldato
Any more word from the debt collector yet or did you just pay it off?
Soldato
Why would he pay off a debt that isn't his? He's probably still waiting for them to provide evidence.
Yes, got another letter yesterday (I’ll try to remember to scan & upload it later)
I’ll wait a week and send a template “get lost” letter and take it from there.
Soldato
- Joined
- 14 Aug 2018
- Posts
- 3,393
Yes, that's the right course of action!
Funnily enough, I saw this in the news today - and Lloyds' name was mentioned in the article:
So if you get any documents from Lloyds which claim to have your signature on, I would inspect them very closely. It seems that they might like to think that they are above the law.
Government-owned bank 'forging signatures' in repossession cases - BBC News
So if you get any documents from Lloyds which claim to have your signature on, I would inspect them very closely. It seems that they might like to think that they are above the law.
Soldato
Because some folk think it's too much hassle over a few quid and just pay up. I've seen it before on here.
Yep "Prove It" letter is the way to go.