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Original poster

i keep getting letters and phonecalls for my nextdoor neighbour...........

14 replies

blushingm · 31/07/2008 12:17

from a company called direct legal and collections. I don't know how they got my phone number. The addresses are similar but a quick check at the electoral roll they would know they had it wrong. I've returned letters and said on phone the guy lives next door etc but i had another letter today asking for £496.68 to orange......i'm getting worried that I might get bailiffs or something and that it may affect our credit etc ..... any advice is greatky received

OP posts:
Hecate · 31/07/2008 12:25

Nothing can happen to you.

However - unscrupulous companies may harass you! They are NOT ALLOWED to do this.

Write a letter, send it recorded delivery (or whatever it is called that they have to sign for) CC it to Trading Standards - or some regulatory body that covers debt collection companies - (you don't have to send TS/reg body a copy - just put cc trading Standards/reg body and the address on their letter!!). In the letter state that you are NOT the person they are looking for, give them the correct address and say that if they make any further attempt to contact you regarding this, you will instruct a solicitor to take action against them.

Continue to send letters back marked "Not Known At This Address". Any phone calls, say "This person does not and has never lived at this address." and put the phone down.

Original poster
blushingm · 31/07/2008 12:28

thanks hecate - i'm really surprised that the neighbour has taken out a mobile phone (and a few other things) and put my address down and not his own - surely they must check before agreeing the phone and stuff

OP posts:
Hecate · 31/07/2008 12:33

Have you spoken to your neighbour about this?

Don't you think it would be a good idea to go to him and say "I'm really sorry, but X company is harassing me about such-and-such. They've obviously made a mistake because they have registered the debt to my address instead of yours. I'm just letting you know so you can sort it out. I'm so fed up of them that I am ready to go to the police if they don't leave me alone!"

Hecate · 31/07/2008 12:34

Mention going to the police because if HE is using your address and it's not the company's error, he will shit himself!

gillybean2 · 31/07/2008 12:38

Well I would guess there's a reason he's putting your name down for these things. Either he's hoping to buy some time and can't afford teh bills and has a bad credit rating at his own address, or he's got terrible handwriting or the person inputting the details has typed in the incorrect address.

Some of these modern systems bring up a list of street numbers when you type in a postcode and then you click on the house numebr you want. My ds's school messed up our address with someone else in our road, we get their mail and they get ours even though I've asked them to correct it. On teh auto adress things their address comes up as 1-3 (two cottages where knocked into one), and ours is 13... so you can see where the confusion arises!

If it's not something as simple as that then you need to mention to your neighbour that you are getting his post for him and debt agencies calling you and that you have given them the correct address and please can he call the companies and deal with it...

Original poster
blushingm · 31/07/2008 12:38

he's a long distance lorry driver - i found out by accident that his girlfriend was registered at the address and is not now.

we did have a couple of bills from orange and i passed them on to him and asked him to contact them. each time he says he has but still they come to my address. I also found out their mortgage is for £50k more than the house is worth too so i'm not sure if they are stuck for cash or are just the sort of people who take stuff out and then never pay for things

i didn't really want to let on that i've opened the letters - i've even sent a few back in a different envelope with a letter saying that he lives next door etc

OP posts:
Original poster
blushingm · 31/07/2008 12:40

they have the same address but they have house number and then letter A. I don't get stuff for the people at house B - they are very respectable - he's a manager somewhere

OP posts:
Hecate · 31/07/2008 12:41

You don't need to let on that you have opened letters (that's illegal anyway) - you said you have had phone calls - you can tell him about those. AND tell him that you get a lot of mail which you return to sender, giving correct address.

And mainly mention that you are going to the police over this harassment!!!!

gillybean2 · 31/07/2008 12:41

Don't open the post. If it's addressed to someone else then you are not legally allowed to open it and should return it to the sender.

Make sure you do that in future but write 'return to sender not known at this address' on it or the postman might just pop it in their postbox for you and the company won't know that the address is wrong that way.

Original poster
blushingm · 31/07/2008 13:38

i only opened it as i was getting to the end of my tether - i've pasdsed some on but other's i've returned - not at this address but they don't take any notice

OP posts:
Hecate · 31/07/2008 13:53

Are you going to write the letter to the company?

gillybean2 · 31/07/2008 13:56

Just keep sending them back. They do eventually stop. I do this with any/all junk mail I get and it usually stops fairly quickly. Probably they keep sending them as it's a debt and lots of people use that 'excuse' to return mail when in fact they do live at the address.

Should the baliffs come out you just point them at next door.

Follow Hecate's advice re the letter and trading standards and your neighbour etc. Most companies back off pretty quick when you show you actually know your rights. Like the company I called this morning when they started sending me txt messages without seeking my permission to do so and then started making excuses for it till I told them I knew the legal position and then they immediately said they would remove my number from their system!

Be proactive. Deal with it and let people know you won't take any bs (people being teh companies concerned and your neighbour!)

Original poster
blushingm · 01/08/2008 20:13

i will write them a letter - if they bothered to check the electoral roll it would be obvious though

thanks for all your help xx

OP posts:
ihatebikerides · 02/08/2008 12:11

Sorry if this has been said and I missed it, but have you not popped the post through their letterbox instead? Then they must know these demands are being made. Doesn't deal with the root issue though, but worth trying as well, isn't it?

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