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

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

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

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."

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........

GiraffePencils · 15 Feb 2019 at 13:26

My Partner didn't give them my name.

If I was to send a letter, I wasn't going to give my name, only refer to myself as 'the occupant'
I'll give CAB a ring, see what they would advise

GiraffePencils · 15 Feb 2019 at 15:22

Was referred onto a Debt advice agency who gave me a standard letter to send, added the bit that I'd contacted Scottish Power who don't show Arrears and told them to prove there's a debt.
There was some heavy handed quotations on the letter haha, but the guy said that if the debt was over 5 years old before the debt collectors contacted me it's no longer able to be collected.

GiraffePencils · 18 Feb 2019 at 10:15

Diddums said:
Was the 2nd of October last year "we all forgot English" day or something?

I blame dyslexia, always putting 'e' where it doesn't belong.

As a general update, I have been contacting Scottish power,

Latest nonsense is there is apparently 2 accounts associated with my address, and one IS in the previous letting agents name.
Now I've lived in the property since 2014, so who knows why this nonsense has popped up now, but there seems to be some problem with their online portal and not properly registering my meter readings...........
No idea what's going on here, but ofgem's site say they can't bill me for usage over 12 months old, so if there's been some problem surely all I can get is the last 12 month's difference.

They can't claim it's been off for 5 years and throw that at me can they?