I've received a letter from a debt collecter?

I’m had a serious run in with Edinburgh council over unpaid parking tickets. Don’t want to go over it all again :D but the debt was massive and Sheriff Officers visted many times and nothing came of it.
 
After 17 years I still get occasional letters from debt collectors for a tenant of the previous owner. Thankfully they are getting less and less but worst case was they managed initiate a switch from SP to nPower once which took a while to sort out. I think they were after the cash back or something. Even worse to apologise nPower sent a check for compensation for the false switch and it was in the previous tenants name .. muppets!

If you have an online credit checking service you can usually look for searches, debts, CCJs etc. against your name for peace of mind.
 
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."
Click to expand...

Did your partner give them your name? If not I wouldn't bother with sending any letters or giving them your details, I would do as others said to validate your credit record is clean, but it sounds like its a genuine debt against a past occupant. It can be a tactic of debt agencies to send to occupier to grab attention.

If you have given them your name then you definitely should send a formal letter in case they have now put the debt in your name (which they shouldn't have done)
 
Contacting the Citizen's Advice Bureau sounds like a good next step.
I hope you will continue to post updates as things develop - for the benefit of others.

Incidentally, you probably already know that "Scottish Power" is now actually a Spanish power company - mental!
 
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.
 
I'd refer to myself as the "current occupant" rather than "occupant" to make sure I was distinguishing between myself and the people the debt collectors are chasing.
 
Call Scottish Power and talk to somebody? They'll probably tell you to bin it and thank you for informing them, they may even ask for a copy so they can investigate themselves.
 
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."
Click to expand...

This is where you start billing them for your time.

£30 a letter is a good place to start, and I'd be looking to charge more like £100 for a face to face consultancy
 
What is the craziness in this thread, you haven't done anything wrong, tell them to **** off, it won't affect your credit file, lenders look against your name not address.

Their information is incorrect, there is nithnot they can do

Literally tell them to **** off.
 
BUDFORCE said:
What is the craziness in this thread, you haven't done anything wrong, tell them to **** off, it won't affect your credit file, lenders look against your name not address.

Their information is incorrect, there is nithnot they can do

Literally tell them to **** off.
Click to expand...

This.

Do not dilly dally or play nice with them, right up just tell them to **** off and if they keep harassing you that you'll be billing them at £60 an hour (with every correspondence billed a minimum of 1 hour) + supplies and costs for the time you spend dealing with it. Send a copy of this letter informing them youre going to bill them for the wasted time recorded delivery, and if they carry on, start billing away.
 
Be careful ringing them, debt collectors will chase anyone they can and don't often care who owes it.

Ringing them = admitting the debt is yours in their eyes. So best write to them and keep your own details to a minimum and ask them for an explanation of the debt. Time period, how much, account details.
 
billysielu said:
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.
Click to expand...

I moved into a newish rented Taylor Wimpey flat once that was on Scotish Power and I assume it had been since it was built if that are who they use. Phoned up to put the electric and gas in my name and they wanted me to pay £100 deposit for each fuel and weren't going to budge. The heck with that I thought and so I went and switched the suppliers. Scottish Power eventually billed me for the couple of weeks usage I was with them for.

I too swore never to deal with Scottish Power ever again. Moved out after 6 months.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom