Being Chased For A Uk Debt That I Never Had!

[scorecard]

I agree that most of these 'follow up' companies:

- Are run by the shit of the earth, people who have no morals, no ethics, and people who think it's really clever to have some sort of 'power' over other people.

- Are very clever to attract naive people as their employees. People who quickly and naively get sucked into a role in these scams whereby they 'feel important'.

There is another point to keep in mind; If you write to these people, be careful that they cannot claim that they have never received your communications.

In other words, ensure that you send all communications to them by registered post and follow through to keep a record of what has been proven to be delivered (i.e., you have an original signature indicating receipt of the envelope. etc) and what has not.

Or if your communication is by e.mail, use an e.mail service which provides automatic proof of:

- 'Delivery' (which is not proof that the e.mail has been opened)

- 'Proof of opening' of the e.mail. If you need to be very serious about this, then ensure that the e.mail you are sending to is a 'person, rather than something like '[email protected].

[Maestro]

...They told me I must get a police report from the Royal Thai Police to certify that fact and fax it to them or else I must pay nearly $3000 in the next 2 days. I've also been a little bit stressed about it, because the police haven't been very helpful when trying to get the report.

You do not have to do anything to prove your innocence. They would have to prove that you owe the money and they obviously won’t be able to do so because no such debt exists.

--

Maestro

[EndofDays]

RBS is in some serious financial trouble, not helped by scams like this. Gonna presume ya innocent and this is pure harassment.

Get with your boss and go over it very carefully - it might be ya ex who ran up the debt - that might be construed as fraud, aand ya dont wanna get fired. If RBS has sold the debt to some unscrupulous collectors, there's not much ya can do except get a bigger bat and go at them.

Ya might very well have a case against RBS though, for all kinds of damages.

But, honesty at work is tops. Get the agency to forward all docs to ya - all originals - not copies - work them hard - they will prolly quit.

It is more than likely simply a cute English scam.

BR>Jack

Yeah, get their information, their number and look them up on the internet by company name and number. See if they are legit. If they won't give you the infor then it is a scam and just change your mobile and report them to u.k. authorities.

[Chaimai]

Your objective is simple:-

To stop further contact from this collection agency.

In this respect sassienie's advice is spot on.

(although the 6 year limitation period is not necessarily true)

[banchang]

These debt collection agencies are very persistant and do very little to check that they have the right person.

The best thing you can do is demand all copies of this debt you are supposed to have to be mailed to you. (They are not allowed, by law, to send out copies unless they have confirmed proof that you are the real debtor).

You can also demand and confirm in writing that they stop harrassing you and your place of employment for a debt that has not been incurred by you. Should they persist, you are fully prepared to take this matter to the courts and sue them for Defamation. Make sure when you send them this mail that it is sent by Recorded Delivery so that you can confirm that they have recieved it.

Unfortunately, if you just ignore them you could find that your credit record is in the toilet.

This is good advice, I had the same problem. If they hold data on you then under the data protection act you can ask to see all the information they have. You have to ask for this in writing. If they don't comply then you can report them .

Hope this helps.

[mogoso]

Ignore them and tell your boss if they call to speak thai only to them, they will soon get fed up with wasting money on long distance calls if they are ignored,,and bear in mind its not RBS chasing you but some lowfife that bought the debt off them for a pittance,.that they have asked for a short settlement is not uncommon, they have probably paid 2p in the pound for the debt,and will take anything over that, but as this is not your debt, tell em to do one !

These are the lowest form of a collection agency. Generally they buy a debt for a few pennies on the dollar (pound) They then try to find the debtor, so they mail letters to anyone with that name or close to it.

In the US do not ignore their letters. You should respond forthwith with a letter of denial of this debt, or proof sent to you, that it is your debt. There is a short time limit to respond or the debt despite the fact it wasn't yours, becomes yours and can become actionable against you in a court of law.

Send a registered letter or fedex with response stating the debt is not yours, and tell them not to contact you or you employer or family again unless they can provide proof absolute the debt is yours. Keep the proof the letter was sent and recieved along with a copy of the letter you sent.

Try clarkhoward.com for advice on how to handle this but it'll be as stated above

I'm not sure how the banking laws are in the UK, but considering how the banks do operate under similiar ways to the US, I'm sure the laws are similiar, and I'm sure the gov't has taken the banks cash (political contributions) to have the same sleazy setup.

Don't do nothing, don't ignore, be proactive and rapidly reply. If they can't provide proof they'll go away, and if they don't and proof isn't provided you'll be able to take action against them. Keep your letter sent to them and proof they recieved it for years.

[ignis]

Keep your letter sent to them and proof they recieved it for years.

In the UK often the debt is passed to a Collection Agency, if after a time [many months] it has not been collected it is passed to a different Company this can go on for years..

The 6 years with no contact the debt is canceled is both true and false, true after 6 years from the original Company/Bank, but if the debt was sold on, and maybe sold on 2 or 3 times it can go on for years.

My advise would be to contact the citizens advice bureau in the UK.. Google CAB UK find the one that was closest to you when you lived in the UK that has online service... you will get a contact person and number then if you get more contact from a collection Agency you simply advise them that Mr/Mrs/Miss XYZ is dealing with this case and the numbers 123...

[Bagwan]

I returned to the UK from South Africa in 1978 and my wife and I flew with SAA. I paid for the tickets by Visa. Just before leaving we collected the monies due to us after the sale of our house and I paid off Barclaycard (VISA) in cash and received a receipt. Two years later I was telephoned by a representative of SAA and asked to repay the cost of the air tickets. I told him my story but he refused to believe me. The second time that somebody telephoned I said that I had no debt, if there was a debt then it was to Barclays Bank DCO and not SAA, would not be paying one sou and in any event, debts incurred in RSA could not be collected in the UK. I was told that according to South African banking law, when somebody defaults on credit card payments then the credit company does not pay the supplier of the goods and/or services obtained. Thus since SAA had not been reimbursed I was in their debt and since SAA was incorporated in the UK they could, in law, collect. I told them to sue me - which they did. So much for the old naval saying, 'the first turn of the screw pays all debts'.

At the hearing in the Small Claims section of Westminster County Court, SAA made their case and the adjudicator then asked to see the relevant documentation. On perusing it he pointed out that what he was looking at were photocopies and therefore non-admissable as evidence. Since SAA could not supply the originals the case collapsed. I sat there all the time with a smile on my face, clutching the receipt I had received from Barclays. The only words that I spoke during the entire proceedings were in thanking the adjudicator.

Due to the lapse in time the law may be different now. I would suggest to the OP that he contacts both of the two large credit reference agencies in the UK, Experian is one of them, and ask for a complete record of all his financial dealings. They make a small charge for this, it used to be 1 GBP. If there are any errors in the report, and proof of the correctness of their records lies with them, then the agency must by law alter them. Judgements against debtors made in County Courts are, I understand, only deleted from the credit reference agency's records when they receive notification from the plainiff that the matter has been settled.

Two things puzzle me. Why didn't the bank sue and how does one borrow from a bank without security? I don't know if one can make a complaint to any UK police force from abroad about harrassment. It surely would mean either making a trip to the UK or making a sworn statement before a Commissioner for Oaths or some other such person. I fear it would be hissing into the wind in the latter case.

[pinya]

In the past week I have been contacted (on my Thai mobile phone) by a firm of UK debt collectors who claim that in 2004 I ran up a 6,000 GBP overdraft with Royal Bank of Scotland.

Since I left the UK in 2002 and have no UK bank account, assets or credit-cards etc, I am at a loss to understand why this company has contacted me. I have advised them of these details and have denied any liability or debt to RBS.

The company has clearly done some investigative work because they contacted my Thai ex-wife at her Phuket hotel to find out my mobile number and have located the name and address of my Thai employer. (although this information is easily to find if you Google my name etc).

Now the company has started calling my employer and claims that although the debt cannot be legally transferred to Thailand, they can ask their partner firm in Bangkok to 'chase me for payment'.

Let me reiterate. I have no knowledge of the reason for this debt and have lived continuously in Thailand since 2002.

Since I have recently started new employment, (after 5 years of 'hel_l' with my mad ex-wife), I am not at all happy about their actions.

Is there anything that I can do to stop their persistant contact? Of course I can get a new SIM for my mobile, but they can still hassle me at my employer's office.

They state that the whole matter can be settled if I offer some repayment, but I'm not about to offer to pay for a debt for which I deny liability.

I understand that defamation law is very strong in Thailand. But these guys are outside of Thailand...

Naturally, this is worrying me a great deal, just at the moment when I am moving on from my failed marriage.

Any suggestions or advice?

Simon

Call a UK police or a UK embassy in Thailand and tell them your story.. It could be someone trying to scam your money.

Do not give your information away to the debt collectors OR ANYONE

Call RBS helpline +0044 (0)8702414425 mon-fri 9am-5pm then you know whats going on. ...

[Kitsch22]

Hi

As an ex NatWest/RBS Manager, I would suggest you follow the actions described by sassienie.

Dave

Really? While I agree that it might be appropriate to make reference to the Protection From Harassment Act 1997, I would have thought that the most effective remedy is likely to be a letter (to be sent by recorded delivery) addressed to one's bank manager along the following lines:

Dear Sir,

I enclose from your information a copy of a debt collecting letter received from an agency purportedly instructed by the bank.

As you will know if you check my account the allegation of debt that has been raised is false.

Please confirm by return that any error in the bank's records has been corrected and that the debt collecting agency has been informed and that any inaccurate report of default that has been made to experience or any similar organisation in connection with me, my name or my address has been corrected.

Please confirm within 15 working days that these steps have been taken. If you are not willing to take those steps, then please treat this letter as a formal complaint and respond by way of a deadlock letter so that I may refer the matter as an official complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman.

Yours faithfully, "

I prefer that course because it seems to me that it tackles all of the relevant issues and has the advantage that the bank manager will know that if the correspondence does proceed to an Ombudsman complaint then the bank will have to pay the Ombudsman's case fee irrespective of the outcome.

[gpdjohn]

Ignore them and tell your boss if they call to speak thai only to them, they will soon get fed up with wasting money on long distance calls if they are ignored,,and bear in mind its not RBS chasing you but some lowfife that bought the debt off them for a pittance,.that they have asked for a short settlement is not uncommon, they have probably paid 2p in the pound for the debt,and will take anything over that, but as this is not your debt, tell em to do one !

I would make sure that they are placed on hold...for about 50 minutes each time.

" The person you'd like to speak to is with another customer and will be with you shortly. Your continued business is important to us."

Over and over and over and over.....

[scorecard]

Ignore them and tell your boss if they call to speak thai only to them, they will soon get fed up with wasting money on long distance calls if they are ignored,,and bear in mind its not RBS chasing you but some lowfife that bought the debt off them for a pittance,.that they have asked for a short settlement is not uncommon, they have probably paid 2p in the pound for the debt,and will take anything over that, but as this is not your debt, tell em to do one !

I would make sure that they are placed on hold...for about 50 minutes each time.

" The person you'd like to speak to is with another customer and will be with you shortly. Your continued business is important to us."

Over and over and over and over.....

But, be careful that they are not using a telephone service whereby they pay for the first 30 seconds (or whatever), then the charges automatically reverse and you are paying for the rest of the time of the call.

This can be done.

[ukrules]

You could offer them 50p a week until it is paid off, that will shut them up.

Never pay them a penny, if you paid even 50 pence it is an 'acknowledgment' of the debt which will open the door to further legal action.

There is a 6 year time limit on debts after which they can't be enforced although you would still technically owe the money. It sounds like someone accessed your bank account after you left the country.

[Rinrada]

Just out of interest ...have you EVER had any dealings with RBS...a/c-card.loan,OVERDRAFT..etc ...?

My young brother is one of their sen Managers/Auditors and could maybe ask him to looksee...however....