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What do I do re fictional debt and baliffs?

2 replies

GiddyOnZackHunt · 02/04/2015 20:31

I used to have a contract with a mobile phone company. The contract finished and I left, porting my number. It took about 7 phone calls to get them to issue a PAC and because they'd been so crap I took the precaution of letting my dd run for 1 calendar month after the end of the contract when all charges were paid in full and then cancelling it. All sorted I thought.

Except they have failed to close the account and it is still racking up the monthly fee. I got sent the 'red' bill back at Christmas and wrote to them explaining their error. I had a call from their chief executive's office apologising and they confirmed in writing that they had closed the account and cancelled the debt and that the whole thing was their mistake.
Then there was a baliff's letter. So I rang up the bloke again and he promised he would sort it out and then called back to say he had. The balance on the account was reset to £0. The baliffs wrote to me saying that the request had been closed by the originator.
But he hasn't. The debt is accruing again and now I've had another contact from the baliffs.
I have spent hours on this trying to speak to people, sending letters, worrying etc. I'm concerned about my credit rating - previously spotless and about baliffs turning up etc. And I'm angry at them wasting my time.
Any suggestions other than the Ombudsman?

OP posts:
LotusLight · 03/04/2015 11:56

I would send a letter by special delivery with copies of everything providing your position copied to the CEO too.
I would tell them you are contacting the Sunday Times and the Telegraph money columns (who often take up cases for readers) unless they ensure your credit record is clear and you are not bothered again and require that they give you free access for a year to a credit reference agency so you can keep checking your record.

Say if you do not have the confirmation in writing in the next 7 days you will be issuing legal proceedings against them and/or reporting them to the relevant regulator/ombudsman.

My son just got a credit card for the first time to get a credit rating (he has no debt just savings). The bank did not take the direct debt and he was charged £8 for not paying the first bill ! He paid within a day of being notified but pretty awful that you get a card you don't need to get a credit rating and the bank makes such a mess of their direct debit it ends up giving you presumably a worse credit rating than had you never take out the card you never needed anyway.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 03/04/2015 13:25

Thanks Lotus. How annoying for your DS!
I sort of wrote that letter last time which prompted the Chief Exec's office to get in touch. I'm fed up spending my time and money to resolve this.
I have emailed one of the big newspapers now as I have had enough. I will check legal cover on our house insurance in case the papers aren't interested.

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