Debt collectors are chasing someone elses debt at my address
Discussion
Thought I'd ask PH before picking up the phone in case anyone else has experienced this -
A few weeks ago I received a letter to my address, but under someone else's name, stating that they owed money, it said to get in touch with them but ignored it as it looked like a scam.
Yesterday I get home to find an envelope with a hand written name and address on the front, and a card inside saying they visited at X time on X date and to contact their head office.
To be clear - I haven't ever owed anyone any money, I do not have any debt. This is not my debt and I have no idea who the named person is on the letter.
I was planning to call them but has anyone else had to deal with this and is there a correct way to go about it?
A few weeks ago I received a letter to my address, but under someone else's name, stating that they owed money, it said to get in touch with them but ignored it as it looked like a scam.
Yesterday I get home to find an envelope with a hand written name and address on the front, and a card inside saying they visited at X time on X date and to contact their head office.
To be clear - I haven't ever owed anyone any money, I do not have any debt. This is not my debt and I have no idea who the named person is on the letter.
I was planning to call them but has anyone else had to deal with this and is there a correct way to go about it?
I had this happen to me in the early 1990s shortly after moving into a house. Previous owner owed money and I explained the situation to the debt collectors, never heard anything more.
I wouldn't ignore it, if you have lived there a while, it may be somebody using your address and needs sorting out, otherwise there may be credit repercussions on your address.
I wouldn't ignore it, if you have lived there a while, it may be somebody using your address and needs sorting out, otherwise there may be credit repercussions on your address.
Had exactly this. My mother's carer lived in for a while and used the postal address. Mother passes away, carer departs followed later by endless letters and eventually the arrival of a debt collector on the doorstep. Very early morning visit, official looking uniformed guy banging at the door. Unfortunately my partner and the carer share the same first name (SAM) and her Range Rover has a personalised plate. The guy thought he'd got a result and took some convincing initially. (Looking back at the CCTV we saw him photographing her car before knocking). I told him the person had moved on, whereabouts unknown, and he eventually went away saying he'd update their records. No further visits since. It's a non-issue for you, unless they have CCJs registered at your address, this can affect your credit rating. Phone the number and explain they've moved, should be the end of the matter.
ianrb said:
When I had this, i.e. not my debt, but my address, I wrote "Not known at this address, return to sender" on the envelope and stuck it in the post box.
Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
But the OP has had a visit. So unless your plan would be to write "not known at this address" on the visitor's forehead when they next visit it may not be very helpful advice!Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
Just give them a call and tell them the person they're looking for doesn't live at your address. I had similar with unpaid council tax years after I moved in for the previous tenants. Called whoever was chasing, told them they no longer lived here for x number of years and that was the last I heard.
If you don't contact them they'll keep chasing so best to be proactive. Just keep a record of when you called and who you spoke to just in case.
If you don't contact them they'll keep chasing so best to be proactive. Just keep a record of when you called and who you spoke to just in case.
BertBert said:
ianrb said:
When I had this, i.e. not my debt, but my address, I wrote "Not known at this address, return to sender" on the envelope and stuck it in the post box.
Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
But the OP has had a visit. So unless your plan would be to write "not known at this address" on the visitor's forehead when they next visit it may not be very helpful advice!Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
ianrb said:
BertBert said:
ianrb said:
When I had this, i.e. not my debt, but my address, I wrote "Not known at this address, return to sender" on the envelope and stuck it in the post box.
Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
But the OP has had a visit. So unless your plan would be to write "not known at this address" on the visitor's forehead when they next visit it may not be very helpful advice!Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
OddCat said:
ianrb said:
BertBert said:
ianrb said:
When I had this, i.e. not my debt, but my address, I wrote "Not known at this address, return to sender" on the envelope and stuck it in the post box.
Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
But the OP has had a visit. So unless your plan would be to write "not known at this address" on the visitor's forehead when they next visit it may not be very helpful advice!Hey presto, the problem disapeared!
Less of the "old" though
C5_Steve said:
Just give them a call and tell them the person they're looking for doesn't live at your address. I had similar with unpaid council tax years after I moved in for the previous tenants. Called whoever was chasing, told them they no longer lived here for x number of years and that was the last I heard.
If you don't contact them they'll keep chasing so best to be proactive. Just keep a record of when you called and who you spoke to just in case.
Amazing how simple it is really.If you don't contact them they'll keep chasing so best to be proactive. Just keep a record of when you called and who you spoke to just in case.
Cold said:
And how tediously ineffective it is these days too. Does anyone think that a simple phonecall or writing "not known at this address" on an envelope will mean no more will be heard from the debt collector by the OP?
This will drag on for some time yet with the OP having to repeat themselves over and again. It always does.
My concern was that it wouldn't be so easy otherwise anyone with an actual debt could simply avoid it by doing the same thing. This will drag on for some time yet with the OP having to repeat themselves over and again. It always does.
Anyway an update - I rang the company who said they would take me off their record and to send the initial letter back to them, they also made a point of telling me that opening mail addressed to other people is illegal, but at the time I didn't notice the name, only that the letter said URGENT or similar on the envelope and I rushed to open it thinking what on earth is this? Only to realise that it was the wrong name.
s91 said:
My concern was that it wouldn't be so easy otherwise anyone with an actual debt could simply avoid it by doing the same thing.
Anyway an update - I rang the company who said they would take me off their record and to send the initial letter back to them, they also made a point of telling me that opening mail addressed to other people is illegal, but at the time I didn't notice the name, only that the letter said URGENT or similar on the envelope and I rushed to open it thinking what on earth is this? Only to realise that it was the wrong name.
Debatable in this scenario since it could be argued that you had reasonable excuse to open the letter and your action was not intended to be to the detriment of the intended recipient. (Postal Services Act 2000 section 84 subsection 3 )Anyway an update - I rang the company who said they would take me off their record and to send the initial letter back to them, they also made a point of telling me that opening mail addressed to other people is illegal, but at the time I didn't notice the name, only that the letter said URGENT or similar on the envelope and I rushed to open it thinking what on earth is this? Only to realise that it was the wrong name.
In the case of the second item, if that was personally delivered and not posted via Royal Mail then I don't believe the Postal Services Act applies at all.
48k said:
s91 said:
My concern was that it wouldn't be so easy otherwise anyone with an actual debt could simply avoid it by doing the same thing.
Anyway an update - I rang the company who said they would take me off their record and to send the initial letter back to them, they also made a point of telling me that opening mail addressed to other people is illegal, but at the time I didn't notice the name, only that the letter said URGENT or similar on the envelope and I rushed to open it thinking what on earth is this? Only to realise that it was the wrong name.
Debatable in this scenario since it could be argued that you had reasonable excuse to open the letter and your action was not intended to be to the detriment of the intended recipient. (Postal Services Act 2000 section 84 subsection 3 )Anyway an update - I rang the company who said they would take me off their record and to send the initial letter back to them, they also made a point of telling me that opening mail addressed to other people is illegal, but at the time I didn't notice the name, only that the letter said URGENT or similar on the envelope and I rushed to open it thinking what on earth is this? Only to realise that it was the wrong name.
In the case of the second item, if that was personally delivered and not posted via Royal Mail then I don't believe the Postal Services Act applies at all.
Ussrcossack said:
Simpo Two said:
How petty of them. You helped them by not throwing it away, and by taking the time to contact them about their mistake.
Very much so.Typical of the industry.
Buying depts for pennies and hoping to live in the fortune
Writing “not known at this address” on postal letters though unfortunately doesn’t stop action as it’s what a debtor would likely do.
I had this situation too. We’re tenants so I contacted the landlord to get a forwarding address for previous tenants. Happy days!
Rang the debt collector to inform them that the person that they were chasing wasn’t at this address, but I could give them their new address - Sorry, due to GDPR we can’t take that address from you. Bonkers.
Rang the debt collector to inform them that the person that they were chasing wasn’t at this address, but I could give them their new address - Sorry, due to GDPR we can’t take that address from you. Bonkers.
I have had it here to at our house. Been here two years . Letters and debt collectors at the door . It takes time to sort and can make you feel a bit uncomfortable.
The debt collectors, twice, different firms all started off fairly unpleasant but once we had got past the fact I was a different person they became more civil.
When you prove you are not who they are after and explain you don't know who the person is or where they live they get fairly deflated.
The debt collectors, twice, different firms all started off fairly unpleasant but once we had got past the fact I was a different person they became more civil.
When you prove you are not who they are after and explain you don't know who the person is or where they live they get fairly deflated.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff