09/11/10….Are you being chased for someone else’s debt? Advice from Thame CAB

SOMETIMES when people move house, they find themselves receiving letters pursuing debt from the house?s previous occupants. The first thing to remember is that it is not your debt and you are not responsible for it.

What you can do:
? Ignore them, they can’t do anything.
? Contact the company pursuing the debts in
writing and explain that the person they are
chasing for payment no longer lives at this
address and has no connection with you.
? Point out in the letter that harassment is a
criminal offence and that you will take
further action if it does not stop.
? If the debt is in the previous occupant’s name
and they have left a forwarding address you
could pass this information on, (it’s their
debt not yours!) but you’re not under any duty
to do so.
? Use a call-barring service or change your
phone number and go ex-directory.
? Keep a record of any harassment, including
dates, times and content of any telephone
calls, and keep copies of all correspondence.
Report the matter to the police if debt
collectors threaten or intimidate you
? Write a formal letter of complaint to the debt
collector and original creditor, if you know
who it is
? If this still doesn?t work, take your
complaint further to the trade body they
belong to (the Finance and Leasing
Association; Credit Services Association or
the Consumer Credit Trade Association all have
Codes of Practice for their members).
? Speak to trading standards – they may have
other complaints about same company – and
inform the Office of Fair Trading, which
regulates debt collection
? Don’t suffer in silence. Contact your nearest
Citizens Advice Bureau – for contact details go to www.adviceguide.org.uk An adviser can intervene on your behalf with the company and help you to complain.