Advice needed please being chased by creditors 4 years later

[inthepink]

Left UK 4 years ago, took out a loan here to pay off all our UK debts (nearly 19,000 gbp) out of the blue today we have been contacted by a debt recovery agency in the UK saying we owe 2,000 gbp to a credit card. We have proof from the that we have paid all the outstanding money to them and that all files have been closed. This was the end of 2003 and also the bank transfer from our bank here to their bank account in the UK.

What can we do? Dh has told them that we are not going to pay the debt that as far as we are concerned was paid 4 years ago, What can they do? I am concerned because they are phoning inlaws home in the UK chasing us!! aaarrgh (incidently we have never lived at inlaws address so don't know how they found us there)

Appreciate any advice, tia

This happened to me about 14 yrs ago, I was living in France and my bank took me to court in my absence for unauthorised overdraft (which I had paid off before I left the country)!
I had to involve a solicitor to help me clear my name as I had no records of paying the money off; needless to say I ended up returning to the uk at my own expense to sort it out.
Try to amass all the documentation that you can - copies of statements etc where you paid the original debt off together with your last statement of account from the credit card company, hopefully you will be able to satisfy the company without needing to involve the solicitors. If in doubt contact the CAB for further advice.
Good luck, I hope yours proves easier than mine to sort out.

thanks Wisteria, we are hoping that with all the paper work that we kept (thank god I didn't bin it all!!) that we have the proof needed and that we don't have to come back to the UK, we are still paying the loan off here and to be honest until that is paid we don't have the money for a solicitor. They are supposed to call us bank in 1 hour so we will see what they have to say. Thanks again for your advice

It is probably a clerical error, as mine was - luckily you are not 18/20 and allergic to filing as I was! I have no doubt that once you explain that you have the proof they will leave you alone. Make sure you request a letter of satisfaction from them though, just in case they try it on again.
I make it a rule now to keep my final statements from anything (just in case).

Thanks for the advice about the letter of satisifaction, will tell dh to ask for one as he is the one dealing as the card was in his name, hopefully it is a clerical error.

Do not speak to the collection agency. Do not admit liability atm. Do everything in writing. And, according to DH, 'tell them to s*d off!'

If they insist on taking you to court, let them, produce evidence at court and ask for recompense for stress and expenses.

Which agency aare harassing you?

Also, check your cresit reference file (experian etc) to see if anything untoward has been added.

Good Luck

try www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk

very helpful on the harrassment of inlaws. Letters on here to stop them

Thanks Manxmum, will check our credit rating and the other website for info and letters, we thought we had cleared everything and there was a light at the end of the tunnel, our loan here is almost paid off so in effect we should be debt free, getting really stressed out with this now,

Thanks again for the advice.