Hi, Thank you for accepting me to the forum...I've been a reader but not a member but I now got to a stage where I felt I best register to gain other views... I've lived with my boyfriend in the same town since 2004 lived in our most recent place for the past six years prior to this 2 other places. Few weeks ago he has received a letter from CCS collect saying we need to contact you about a personal matter please contact us. I've looked them up straight away knew they were a DCA and as we have built up a good credit rating and nothing on the file chose to ignore it. Got the same letter few weeks later decided to return to sender this time. 2 weeks after now with a stronger letter advising that he owes Cabot (another DCA over £12k!) Needless to say we know nothing about any debt never been contacted before so this came as somewhat of a shock. Oh and the best demanding a payment within 7 days! Sating without contact they will get their local agent to contact us. (As far as I know no one turned up we both work... ) Done my reading again...Number of forums, websites still chose to ignore them as the debt can't possibly be his and even if it is it would relate to 2001-2002 from when he lived with his previous girlfriend so therefore from learning from my reading must be statue barred?!? Since living together from 2004 we both had loans credit cars all settled and good credit score. No searches on the experian either.Now another letter. Not going to type in the whole thing this written along the lines of " Despite numerous attempts bla bla failure to contact by x date (happen to be like a day) leaves us no alternative but to recommend further recovery action to our clients. This could potentially result in legal proceedings for the full amount + cost and interest. Then about 4 times please contact us etc... then at the end NO further warnings will be sent (yay) So my question is do I ignore is this just an empty threat trying to catch him out or do the letter from the Debt helpline as in the one where you dispute it's you? Any experience anyone? Can they do anything? Back in 2009 we have had a letter from a different DCA trying to collect on behalf of Cabot over £3k we rang them back then and once confirming the Date of Birth and address they went sorry wrong person... so this has niggle in the back of my mind what if they got it wrong too? From what I read about Cabot here they are not the most trustworthy either? So back to my question ignore or go into the fight of who/what/when etc? Thanks in advance...

I am need of some urgent help. Today I received a letter from Rossendales Collect regarding a debt of £1,682.69. This is regarding my legal aid certificate that was revoked by legal aid. Approx 6 months ago I was paying legal aid £20 a month as I was self employed and not earning enough....I paid approx 5 payments and then had to go to Germany to see my sick Aunt who has since passed away. I notified the legal aid that I had to go abroad and would contact them when I returned but they have since passed my debt on to Rossendales.....and I really don't know what to do. I am a homeowner and cannot afford having any charge on my property so would appreciate any help or advice from anyone. Do I ask Rossendales to prove the debt? as I was not happy with my solicitor who was representing me in my divorce case...that is why I got part legal aid and had to pay part....but me and my wife have reconciled now and no more divorce proceedings. Should I offer to pay the £20 again as I was paying earlier as I do not want to get in to any trouble and they have given me 7 days to contact them?

Hi all, I'm hoping for some advice. I've recently got letters from these bailifs who are trying to collect CSA arrears. I don't want to go into why the arrears are there but suffice to say most of it is my fault. I had two liabilty orders granted against me in January and offered the CSA £400 per month both verbally and in writing. I then heard nothing until the letters arrived this week. On contacting the CSA they informed me that they had accepted my offer of payment in Jan and had sent out standing order forms for me to make payments, I never recieved these. What can Rossendales do? They have told me that they have to collect the debt in two years (the total is £30,000 due to various mis calculations still being disputed). I'm married but live in rented accom where most of the possessions where my wife's when we moved in together (I'm down as an authorised tenant on the lease). On speaking to the CSA again this week they told me I should be dealing with the bailiff, obviously I'll make the offer on the doorstep as he won't be getting in but surely the CSA can take the case back and accept the payments that they agreed to?

Hi All, I had a Next Directory card which I had been paying with no problems until we faced very hard times and the account went into arrears (this was early 09). The debt was sold to CapQuest and I received two letters from CCS Collect chasing on behalf of CapQuest. I can't really afford to make payments to anyone at the mo as we barely get by as it is. What should I do, please help me? They are threatening to take legal action and I really don't want a CCJ as in two years time, most debts will be statute barred and we would have paid off our mortgage arrears as well, hopefully. Any help will be most gratefully received.

My 69 year old Father just received a letter from Rossendales Collect on behalf of Arrow Global, looking to collect debts of over £2,000. Demanding that if payment is not made within 7 days they will commence action. My father spoke to them to RC to understand what this related to and they said it was in relation to a catalogue debt from 2007 about which my father knows nothing. RC said that my father has to prove this debt does not relate to him by going to the police station and getting a crime reference number. He did this and the Police wanted nothing to do with it as all my father had was a demand letter from RC. After another call to RC they insist that they need the police reference otherwise they will commence proceedings. When pushed, it looks as though my father has the same name as the person who incurred the debt (and they say the same surname which I doubt) and that my father's address was given as a forwarding address by the person who incurred the debt (who apparently lived in London). We went onto Experian and my father has a score of 999 and there is no reference to the debt but in the linked addresses section there are links from my father's previous address to some random addresses in London. Any advice as at the moment we cannot seem to get RC to back off without the police reference even if their "evidence" looks shaky at best? At 69 he does not want to be in a position whereby he is faced with any sort of pressure in relation to something that clearly has nothing to do with him

hi everyone, firstly keep up the amazing work you do, it means a lot to know there is people to help and support you when in trouble. Ok, had letter from ccs for 2304.25 overpayment to dept for work and pensions. This around 10 years ago and we did start paying them a small amount each month but that stopped around 5 years ago. Get a letter every couple of years and I think 3 years ago I told them to 'prove it' and asked for a copy of my file which they suly sent several months later (reams of paperwork!). should i respond to ccs? Thanks all

I keep getting letters from the above debt company about a store card which i had when i was about 18-20yrs old, i am now 31. I sent them a letter saying the debt was statute barred, as i dont recall paying anything for a very long time. I received a reply which stated " Further to your recent communication regarding the above account. As per our previous correspondence we have now passed the account onto our field agents for doorstep collection and they will contact you shortly. All future enquiries must be directed to them." I received a letter from the doorsetep colection company so i sent them the statute barred letter. Today CCS have come back to me stating the last payment i paid towards the account was 3 december 2008 and therefore the account is not statute barred. What should my next step be? Requesting a statement of the account? Asking for a credit agreement? And could you please point me in the direction of the template letter for these. Thanks in advance.

Hi, I'm hoping someone can give me some advice, today I received a letter from Rossendales Collect about money I apparently owe to the local council. I thought the issue had been settled months ago, I was under the impression that the money I owed had been rolled into my council tax bill. The letter arrived today (dated from the 25th of this month), and it says it is the final demand for the money owed, that if it is not paid immediately they will take legal action through the local court, including: *Judgement/decree being entered against me *An order being made to secure the debt against any property I own *My personal effects being sold to recover the debt My problems are, I have NEVER received a letter, or any other notice from them previously, so this "final notice" is alarming, there's no other date on the letter saying when it needs to be paid by and I was not aware that the council had enlisted their services. This is literally the first I've heard about the money I apparently owe, what should I do? I've read online that they don't have the power to really do anything except harass me, any advice will be appreciated on the matter.

I can't scan the letter which they have sent so I will attempt a good copy. Not sure if it is entirely within the OFT guidelines. Anyhow, not overly worried about them. This is NOT the bailiff side of the company just the debt collection side. I have sent (twice) the "you are not to visit letter) but they have chosen to ignore it. Fair enough. Just wondering what people think? Client xxxxx Reference xxxxx Our ref xxxxx Date 19th October 2012 Outstanding amount £xxx.xx WARNING - YOUR CREDIT RATING COULD BE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED You WILL be VISITED by a DEBT COLLECTOR PHONE IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID ACTION - WE ARE HERE TO HELP 0844 XXX XXXX Then it has a barcode for payments and at the very bottom the address of who sent it.

I have been researching debt issues on this forum for a while now and feel that a request for help would be less time consuming, so here is a little background and then our problem. My Wife and I are Directors of a limited company and have been trading in the kitchen business for many years. All of our business is retail and we have managed to keep trading profitably through the recession because we do a good job, offer value for money and are honest people that treat others as we would expect to be treated. We design and install kitchens including project managing the complete process from start to finish, most of our projects are in the mid to high end of the market ranging from £15K to the most recent project of £75K although we have also completed this year a couple of £5k kitchens bgecause as they say..every little helps. Back in 2004 we took on a £120K complete house renovation for an english client that lived in the US but purchased a home in the UK to "do up" so when she moved back to the UK she would have the perfect home. The work commenced with a timetable and agreed staged payments throughout the 9 month renovation. Towards the end of the project her sister (who lived locally to the home) and her decided to spare no expense so accepted that the project could run up to £180k as the house was a bargain to buy and they would get their money back. They were sent prices by email and full photographic email updates during the project and were very happy with the service and quality of work. The last statement supplied showed that there was the agreed £25K invoice due immediately and another Invoice due early in 2005 for the additional £25K of extras due to be paid in the spring of 2005. A cheque was received for £25K in December '04 by courier and email receipt sent. The work was completed as promised and money chased a couple of times verbally and on good friendly terms. Mid 2005 the house was burgled whilst unoccupied so we were called out to put things right, they were politely reminded that there was still a large sum outstanding but in view of the emergency we would carry out the work for £975 which they agreed. Later that year they had some curtains made and fitted so now the total debt is around £31K. They have acknowledged the debt is still outstanding by email so we do not believe this debt to be statute barred although they claim it is. We started to agressively chase the debt once we found out that they had sold their US business and could now affort to pay all the debt off. They are now claiming that they did send us a cheque in 2005 for £25K but we have not received anything from them and have supplied a bank statement showing this amount leaving their account but of course this could have been made to anyone and does not prove that it was paid to us. I contacted their bank who said that as the cheque was over six years old they could not provide a copy but if there was any form of fraud that they could supply a copy of the cheque. This information was passed on our client but they emailed back that they wanted to go through their solicitors. We could instruct solicitors and run up thousands of pounds of costs or possibly use a debt collector, there must be someone here that has been in a similar situation that could advise us? We look forward to any help you can offer. Thanks in advance. Steve

these twits have crawled out of the wood work and written to me today well i think its me at least they have my middle name and my previous surname... (i've since married) asking me to pay £564.16 for a debt i know nothing about. Now i'm all for sending a 'prove it' letter from the library of great cag but surely this could be unenforceable because my details are incorrect and because i know absolutely nothing about this debt.. . am not dull enough to phone them as they are all muppets. ..but this is edfinately not my debt.. i have dealt with all mine thank to cag.. and a few friends too... amazing site after all my waffle and praise is it just a standard prove it letter or something different because my details are wrong?

Hi guys, So I made a personal loan to a friend for £2,500 on March 8, 2012. There was a contract for repayment in full after 2 weeks with no interest and was witnessed by a third party. This friend was moving cities and opening a new business, so he needed funds for housing/expenses etc. Repayment time comes and apparently his business has failed terribly. He's moved home and nowhere to be found. Won't answer my calls. Will respond via text sporadically saying he will pay in 3 days, then not respond for two weeks. What do I do? In another thread it was suggested that I start with a tracing agent? Then what? My concerns are: 1) I don't have his address or know where he is 2) I know he is dodging his ex-wife for child support, so will most likely not have many assets in his name 3) I've heard he has setup a new company, using his father's name as a Director and paying himself out through the company what do i do?!?!?

Firstly thansk for having me at the forums and secondly I apologise if this scenario is written up elsewhere and that it is felt I should look it up. In theory that's ace, in reality I think it scares people more if just one tiny bit of their scenariuon differs from others. With that in mind I thank you for understanding and taking this on it's own merit. Also...they are coming back at 6pm today and I appear to have lost the ability to browse forums. I live in Liverpool. I had a letter from Collect Services on 30th March 2012 regarding a PCN in EALING in July 2011. They left nothing other than a sheet of paper "UNPAID PENALTY CHARGE". They then say it is a "requirement of the baliff to enter your premises" Charge £397.34 So I rang "Peter" and told him that we have no idea what this was about and that we really needed to see a full breakdown we asked for (by registered letter dated 4th April 2012) Screenshot/proof of offence time and date of any/all bailiff actions that have incurred a fee reasons for fee name of bailiff that attended each time fee was charged name of courts the bailiffs were certified at date of cert We asked that the information be given within 14 days. WE HEARD NOTHING Then on 14th May 2012 we recieved a PRIVATE REMOVAL CONTRACTOR APPOINTMENT telling us that a removal contractor would attend "in the next few days" with a "senior baliff". This APPOINTMENT had been booked between Monday and Saturday between 7am and 9pm. They would aslo "contnue to call at different times until the PCN is paid in full" Charge still £395.34 STILL NO REPLY TO OUR LETTER We then sent another letter on 6th June 2012 which we state understood they may not have received or mislaid our previous letter and again, we asked for the above info. We gave 14 days for a reply or we would consider the matter closed. STILL NO REPLY Today.... A pink "notice of seizure of goods' with details of our car. asking the sum of £475.34 This with a yellow form UNPAID PENALTY CHARGE. telling us that the 28 day day objection period is now out of time. The pink form says he has "seized the goods" and the walking possession at the foot of the sheet is signed and dated by the bailiff. It says I AGREE THAT amongst other things....HE can remove the goods anytime AFTER 6pm IF THE sum due, fees, charges and expenses are not paid. I haven't agreed that nor have I signed. So can anybody help ? Is this whole thing really such a blatant one way arrangement. They tell me I owe them money. They don't need to tell me what for. They give me timescales and deadlines each time. Am I not allowed to give a fair time of response and then treat them the way I am treated. I mean I have twice given 14 days to reply and been completely ignored. Surely there must be a thread of decency that allows Joe Public to at least see what he's being asked to pay for ? Thanks in advance for any info and help