I've received a letter from a debt collecter?

GiraffePencils · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:50

Hmm,

So today I received a letter from a 'face2face contact'
Who claim they've been instructed by Scottish Power to collect 'outstanding arrears'
Now I do have a Scottish Power account, had it for ~6 years as they're my supplier, nothing on their site.

The letter is addressed to my letting agent /the occupier....

Not sure what to do here, is this just a fishing letter? Should I send a standard 'prove it' letter back? Would I put my name or just sign it 'the occupier' as I'm loathe to give them info they don't have

VincentHanna · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:54

Are you in arrears?

Check with Scottish Power and if not, bin and ignore.

Raymond Lin · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:54

Ask them to proof it.

GiraffePencils · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:08

VincentHanna said:
Are you in arrears?

Check with Scottish Power and if not, bin and ignore.

My account on the website doesn't say I am.

Raymond Lin said:
Ask them to proof it.

Would it be fine to send them a letter without a name? Just so they don't then have a name to start hassling me with

paradigm · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:10

Does the letter not state when the debt is from? Perhaps a previous tennant?

Raymond Lin · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:10

Just be clear, who’s the letter addressed to?

Wizzkidy · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:14

If your online account doesn't state your in arrears then the next step is to call them and confirm and tell them you have received said letter and you are worried because online it shows you are not in debt.

Something smells fishy about your story if you don't want to give them your name, you have an account wothvthem, they already know who you are?

adidan · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:21

Wizzkidy said:
Something smells fishy about your story if you don't want to give them your name, you have an account wothvthem, they already know who you are?

I think it's more an issue giving their name to a random debt collector rather than their supplier.

OP: I wouldn't give them any info. I'd pass the letter on to the letting agent.

GiraffePencils · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:31

paradigm said:
Does the letter not state when the debt is from? Perhaps a previous tennant?

No date of the debt is given, possibly previous tenant, but it's almost 6 years I've been here

Raymond Lin said:
Just be clear, who’s the letter addressed to?

Addressed to my letting agent/'the occupier'

Wizzkidy said:
If your online account doesn't state your in arrears then the next step is to call them and confirm and tell them you have received said letter and you are worried because online it shows you are not in debt.

Something smells fishy about your story if you don't want to give them your name, you have an account wothvthem, they already know who you are?

Scottish Power know who I am, debt agency don't have a name to their debt

adidan said:
I think it's more an issue giving their name to a random debt collector rather than their supplier.

OP: I wouldn't give them any info. I'd pass the letter on to the letting agent.

I suppose I could, just as utilities are in my name I thought it would be best to deal with it if I could

adidan · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:35

GiraffePencils said:
I suppose I could, just as utilities are in my name I thought it would be best to deal with it if I could

Well the debt collector didn't address anything to you directly but as you're with the same company you could contact them.

We didn't have debt letters but after moving back into our house having rented it out we kept getting bills from BT, even though we had our own account too.

We phoned BT and it eventually got sorted, after unsuccessfully trying to get the management agency we'd used to sort it out.

Yeah, either live chat or phone Scottish Power I reckon.

=XDC=FluphyBunny · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:45

Contact supplier ask why they have supposedly instructed a debt collection agency to chase non-existent arrears.

adidan · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:47

=XDC=FluphyBunny said:
Contact supplier ask why they have supposedly instructed a debt collection agency to chase non-existent arrears.

This is what I meant to say but I chose to write it more ambiguously and waffley.

MagicBoy · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:50

Previous tenant? My last rented flat the previous occupant left the country without paying any bills. Steady stream of threatening mail and debt collectors knocking on the door for the two years I was living there.

Randomface74 · 2 Oct 2018 at 20:55

When I moved into my new house I was automatically set up a Scottish Power account by Taylor Wimpey. Got knows how they can make an account in my name, but they did.

Scottish Power send me a bill for the wrong amount. Something like £100 instead of £50. So I called them and they said they would send me a corrected bill.

They sent me a bill for £200. So I called them and they said they would send me a corrected bill.

They sent me a bill for £400. So I tried to switch provider.

They sent the debt collectors.

I spoke to the debt collector on the phone and explained the situation, the debt collector was fine with it. I switched provider, paid my final bill, which they did eventually get right, and swore to never deal with them again.

The moral of the story, the sooner you leave Scottish Power the better off you'll be.

skyripper · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:13

Scottish Power are an absolute shower of *****. Two and half years of headaches, ending up with them writing off over £1000 of electricity bills (their code of conduct says they cannot demand payment for usage unbilled for 12 months - and we'd been chasing them to provide bills), compensation for not responding to complaints, and in pride of place on my desk, a refund cheque for £8.

BUDFORCE · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:22

Just bin it.

Isn't addressed to you, your not in arrears with Scottish Power.

Done.

GiraffePencils · 15 Feb 2019 at 11:36

So Evolution of this problem.
Debt collector came to my house last night.

I wasn't in, but they spoke to my partner.

They have the name of the previous Letting agent, who they thought still managed the property, and no name against the person they claim they have a debt for, only my address.

I've asked Scottish Power about it and they were quiet aloof telling me to tell the debt collector I'm 'billed against actual usage to date'

So I think Ignoring the letter didn't work...... Going to go with recorded delivery letter basically saying:

"To whom in may concern, I have an account with Scottish power registered to this address, according to them there is no debt against my account, Please stop contacting me and harassing my partner at our home."

VincentHanna · 15 Feb 2019 at 11:41

Did you ever deal with that lettings agent?

Rannoch · 15 Feb 2019 at 11:44

GiraffePencils said:
So Evolution of this problem.
Debt collector came to my house last night.

I wasn't in, but they spoke to my partner.

They have the name of the previous Letting agent, who they thought still managed the property, and no name against the person they claim they have a debt for, only my address.

I've asked Scottish Power about it and they were quiet aloof telling me to tell the debt collector I'm 'billed against actual usage to date'

So I think Ignoring the letter didn't work...... Going to go with recorded delivery letter basically saying:

"To whom in may concern, I have an account with Scottish power registered to this address, according to them there is no debt against my account, Please stop contacting me and harassing my partner at our home."

Tell him to sod off.

GiraffePencils · 15 Feb 2019 at 11:51

VincentHanna said:
Did you ever deal with that lettings agent?

They were the letting agent when we moved in, then it was dissolved and it's properties transferred (It was a husband & wife company who retired)
This was many years ago now.

Vargas said:
Tell him to sod off.

One approach, there's an address on the letter so I assume there'll be a letterbox involved........