debt collection agencies - advice needed

[chickenchargrill]

I had a credit card a while back, struggled with payments, account was closed. I kept making payments and received the lovely 0 pounds due last year. No other communication from them since. Thought that was done with.

Then an hour ago the collection agency who work for the card company rang up asking for 45.24, WTF? OH says he's willing to go to court over it. I refused to pay and their off talking to the credit card company. Any suggestions what to do?

[boboff]

Keep calm, dig out the statement saying £0 owed, and offer to fax it or copy and send it.
Don't get upset or worry about it, it can be stressfull.
It is no doubt an annual charge or something they have put on the account, phone and speak to them, and just make sure that the card has been properly closed, don't worry, it will be ok.
Don't even think about going to court, it is just not worth it. If you don't owe it anyway, you won't have to.

[chickenchargrill]

Thanks, Boboff. Calming down a bit now. I've not heard back from them, but have done a bit of digging around and I can't find any charges it might be. There's no annual fee and if it was interest, which I doubt, I should have had a bill for it. So I can only think it's actually an admin error somewhere. Off to call the card company.

[chickenchargrill]

Panic well and truly over thanks to tracking down an 0800 number to ring instead of the 0871 on their site. The chap was very helpful, confirmed I had indeed paid my account off in full and it is officially closed and will be complaining to CARS for phoning me to make sure they don't do it again.

No idea where, but OH managed to find quite a few people on Google who'd had similar issues.

Off to try and begin my day again without flapping and panic.

[boboff]

Good news, have a good day.

[Green Aura]

I think the problem is that these credit card companies sell off their debts to collection agencies. One of these have probably had your debt on file and only now got round to doing anything.

But you'd already done the right thing - cancelled the card, paid off the debt and kept the paperwork.

We had a bit of a panic a few years ago, when our daughter turned 18. Within a week of her birthday she got a letter from one of these companies demanding a sizeable sum (I can't remember how much but do remember it was a bit of a shock!) or face immediate County Court action. They finally managed to find out that there was someone with the same name, in the same town and admitted DD couldn't have drawn up these debts in a week

Quite how we would have proved they'd got the wrong person, had she been older, I've no idea. It would appear you're guilty until you can prove your own innocence these days.

Glad you got it sorted.

[boboff]

GA, the reason for there heavy handed approach is the millions of people who take the mick.

However when you realise that they lend stupid amounts of money to people on benefits, who in some circumstances have mental health issues, then really I can only see this as being of there own making.

[grahamhobbs]

I think the problem is that these credit card companies sell off their debts to collection agencies. One of these have probably had your debt on file and only now got round to doing anything. ......

About 6 years ago I refused to pay an alleged debt and challenged them to take me to court. Since then I must have had about 10 different debt collection companies, solicitors, etc chasing the money. Each lasts for a few months sending ever more threatening letters, then suddenly it is a new company starting all over again. It went quiet for a couple of years, but just the other month it started all over again. The debt was for only about £200 in the first place, I think of the money that must have been expended in sending all these letters and I wonder how much the debt is now sold for each time.

[chickenchargrill]

We still get debt letters for the previous tenants, she's still using this address for stuff, like her child's school. We return everything to sender, have rang a couple of them up to tell them she doesn't live here. We've just had the one bailiff asking for her. Does make me wonder just how long you can ignore debt for before they actually do anything about it. I don't intend on conducting an experiment though.

[battybird]

CCG, I beleive you can ask Royal Mail to intercept letters addressed to her at the sorting office. Might be worth a try. Had the same problem with past occupant of our house..and my son who was a postie arranged this for us.
I agree with Boboff (keep doing that!) the credit card companies have a lot to answer for, my eldest kept getting offers of cards& loans a few years ago and he was NOT good with money and had little anyway. The youngest, who is very organised and saved etc was unable to get a card when he did want one as "he had no credit score", having never run up any debts at all!! Hopefully things are reversing a bit after all the crashes, but there are many debtors out there still. Suppose it keeps all the debt companies in business!

[cideristhefuture]

Is this a good or bad time to tell you that I was a manager for a debt collection company for 20 years?

First tell the collection agency the amount is in dispute. They have an oblidation to stop any action whilst a dispute is being resolved. Ask the card company for the transaction details of the amount outstanding, could it have been an automatic subscription for something you have forgotten about? I do agree when you say you had a zero balance, but it is being billed for something.

Credit ratings can be adjusted if they are incorrect.

If you have any problems with the card company or debt collection agency then I can talk you through they way the ombudsman works.

Dont panic, yes debt collection agencies are a worry, but dont forget they work for the card company and you are still their customer.

Contact me if you have any problems.... p.s it wont go to court, the debt it too small and the debt collection agency cannot add any amount onto the debt.

[chickenchargrill]

Hi! Not sure if you saw the updated posts. Collection agency was the one in the wrong. No further charges had been added to the card, credit card account had been closed last year. My credit rating is actually better than I expected. 2 more years until the red stuff disappears.

[southeast-isher]

I recommend you phone the national debtline for advice. good luck

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/

[Ellendra]

Get one of those gadgets that records your phone conversations. A lot of debt collection agents use tactics that are illegal. In addition, there are con artists who sometimes immitate debt collectors, and some of them are very good at it too! My dad still thinks I got in trouble for not paying my college tuition because one of those scammers got hold of my info through the school, and kept calling pretending I was behind on my tuition payments when I wasn't.

Recently there was a news article about a debt collector that used such abusive and illegal tactics that one of the victims won a huge lawsuit against them. Now they're the ones refusing to pay their debt to her!

[the.fee.fairy]

Apparently there are a couple of scams going round where they phone you pretending to be a credit collection agency just to get your bank details.

So be careful what info you give over the phone.