OK so once Equifax remove the defaulted account (Sep 06 was default date according to them) then I can feel pretty safe that it is SB as I've never acknowledged the debt or paid anything to them. Sweet - thanks CAGgers

Out of curiosity I paid £2 for an Experian report (I did have an account for them previously but they wanted £14.99 a month if I signed up again!!). Anyway on the Experian report the Woolwich/Barclays account is not present at all, but my financial associations with my ex are...guess that means in Experian's eyes the 'debt' is already SB. Is it normal for credit agencies to have differences like this?

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Thanks to everyone for their advice - it's reassuring to know what I'm up against and what they can / can't do. Having read lots of other threads regarding doorsteps visits I'm almost looking forward to a Scotcall representative wasting their time knocking on my door...forewarned is forearmed as they say

No idea where she is now... I think she has financially disassociated herself from me judging by the credit report - we used to be linked when I looked a few years ago but there is no mention of her on my report now. Also, I am sure the original charges were close to £2000 and now it shows up as just over £900 on my report. Would they have split the charges equally between us as part of the disassociation process for a joint account??

OK I signed up to Equifax for a free credit report... Everything is green except the 'Credit Agreements' section which is shown in yellow. When I look at the details for that, the only thing not green is is the Woolwich/Barclays account (the one I'm being chased for) which shows there was a late payment in August 2006 (showing as yellow) and then a defaulted payment in September 2006 (shown as red).

From memory it was the bank (Woolwich) on the credit report. The last time I checked my credit report (last year) there were no defaults - everything was green with no missed payments. I never acknowledged the debt in writing or verbally...I spoke to them on the phone and in person at the branch back in 2006. I don't know how long Equidebt have had the account - I just started getting phone calls at work a few years ago which I ignored...then in the last 9 months or so they've written to me at home. I'll have to sign up with Equifax to get full details...

Yes 100% charges (£35 a time I think it was) from bounced direct debit payments. There was no overdraft on the account either.

Approximately six years ago my previous partner and I split up acrimoniously. We had purchased a house together and had a joint bank account - although she alone used it to get her wages paid into and various direct debit payments were made from it. When she moved out, she changed the address on the joint bank account to where she moved to - the bank never informed me and I must admit I didn't notice the statements not coming to the joint property any more. We then sold the property and during this time I found a place to buy on my own and got a mortgage agreement in principle. When the time came for me to go through with the new purchase the credit check came up with lots of defaults. It was lots of bounced direct debits - she had stopped using the joint account but not cancelled any of the direct debits. As soon as I found out I cancelled all of them. The charges added up to over £1000 which I refused to pay as I felt that because my ex had changed the address details for the account but the bank never checked with me I therefore never had the chance to cancel the direct debits as soon as charges starting being made. Anyway now Equidebit are chasing me threatening doorstep visits etc. I ignore their letters but today they caught me off guard on my work telephone - they asked for me by name and I said 'speaking' but refused to confirm the first line of my address and postcode. The guy then said he would send a doorstep agent round - I said I don't think so then hung up. Are they able to enforce this so called debt?