Scottish bureau of investigation?

[ODC]

And of course SBI sounds like FBI on the phone.

 

Wonder if their boss is called Elliott MESS

[PriorityOne]

And of course SBI sounds like FBI on the phone.

 

Wonder if their boss is called Elliott MESS

 

Yep... ... well spotted. Missed that one.... lol.

 

Would be a fantastic wind-up on the 'phone for those who could be assed to do it....

[Curlyben]

File under IGNORE as this is a phishing trip.

The use or "The Occupier" is a serious breach of OFT collection guidelines.

As and when they write actually identifying what they want, then respond.

[ODC]

And of course SBI sounds like FBI on the phone.

 

Wonder if their boss is called Elliott MESS

 

Yep... ... well spotted. Missed that one.... lol.

 

Would be a fantastic wind-up on the 'phone for those who could be assed to do it....

They certainly behave as if the are UNTOUCHABLE:lol:

[mr.ton]

I used a similar tactic to ODC's suggestion when Lloyd's were bombarding me with letters trying to trace the previous occupant of a flat I lived in.

I wrote and pointed out that I did not work for them, but that if they sent me a contract of employment and details of what salary they were offering, I'd be pleased to consider it. I never heard from them again.

 

We know how cheeky DCA's are anyway...but to expect someone to do work for them without any payment in return is totally wrong & surely illegal? ;-)

[ODC]

We know how cheeky DCA's are anyway...but to expect someone to do work for them without any payment in return is totally wrong & surely illegal? ;-)

Yes of course it is. We are at least entitled to the minimum wage for helping them:lol:

[mr.ton]

Im sure there's a special number people can ring if they feel they are being underpaid - ive heard adverts about it on the radio

[babybear39]

Yes of course it is. We are at least entitled to the minimum wage for helping them:lol:

 

Of course We should have been billing them all along for services rendered

 

Congrats on your 5,000th post ODC

[ODC]

Congrats on your 5,000th post ODC

Thanks very much I hadnt noticed. It would have been up soooner but I have been away in the sun spending the money that Lowells want from me but because I refuse to pat a Stat Barred debt several Spanish pubs and Tapas Bars got the benefit.

[babybear39]

Good for you ODC

 

Hope you had a great time and Easter

[wardrobe man]

I have today received a letter from UK DEFAULT RECOVERY, I assume this is connected to SBI?

It states I have a debt of £1341.72 but does not say anything of its origins.

Should I really ignore this, what happens next?

There is an email address, should I ask what this is about?

Thanks.

[Curlyben]

You have a couple of choices here.

1/ File under ignore as they still haven't identified what the debt is concerning.

2/ fire off a "prove It" letter.

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

You have contacted me/us regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself/ourselves.

 

I/we would point out that I/we have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to (insert company name).

 

I am/we are familiar with the Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidance which states that it unfair to send demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question.

 

I/we would also point out that the OFT say under the Guidance that it is unfair to pursue third parties for payment when they are not liable. In not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive/and or unfair methods.

 

Furthermore ignoring and/or disregarding claims that debts have been settled or are disputed and continuing to make unjustified demands for payment amounts to physical/psychological harassment.

 

I/we would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above account unless you can provide evidence as to my/our liability for the debt in question.

 

I/we await your written confirmation that this matter is now closed. Otherwise I will have no option but to make a complaint to the trading standards department and consider informing the OFT of your actions.

 

I/we look forward to your reply.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Now if it was me I'd ignore it until they come up with something more concrete.

[kev100]

I have today received a letter from UK DEFAULT RECOVERY, I assume this is connected to SBI?

It states I have a debt of £1341.72 but does not say anything of its origins.

Should I really ignore this, what happens next?

There is an email address, should I ask what this is about?

Thanks.

 

Do what I am doing at the moment and ignore them .. unless something more serious turns up,

 

As you know most debts these people are chasing wont stand up in court even if it gets that far if you follow the correct and legal procedure .. unlike these idiots with a sense of over importance and misguided legal power they think they have.

 

Remember only a court can legally get any money from you.

[sillygirl1]

Report it to the OFT - that is a name that again is ambiguous and could lead to people thinking they have powers they don't. UK Default Recovery is possibly another name used by people such as Robinson Way and Moorcroft, they used to have the trading style 'Register of Debtors in England and Wales' at one time, to really try to scare people.

[linz2011]

Hi

 

If you look a the very bottom of the letter in very small print it actually tells you where the letter is from - this is generally the case on most DCA letters. Don't worry about it too much

[jaam]

i got a letter from scottish bureau of investigation also known as the lewis group.

 

My jaw dropped:o as there was no name on it and it had been hand delivered , with an old previous address on it- in fact my old address from over 3 and 1/2 years ago. :confused:. where i had quite a lot of debt from bank overdrafts from an old student account but the account is about 4 or 5 years old and i have never made any attempt to pay the money back. i cant afford to start now as im a stay at home mum and im pregnant and all our money goes straight to house bills and rent. im now really worried that they will harrasse me and put me under major stress. i have no idea how they have found me at my new home, as i made a point of not having anything under my name and its all under my partners

[ODC]

It could be a phishing trick. It is against OFT guidelines to send a letter addressed to the occupier or not clearly identifying who the letter is addressed to and to what the debt relates to. Sit tight for the moment and see what they come up with. You would be better starting your own new thread on this so as you can be sure of getting the proper advice.

[gibbs10]

as the previous adviser has said, if they had your name, and were acting within the law yu wouldn't have received someting not addressed to you. They are bullies. Why should we upstanding people who have simply got into a bit of unmanageable debt be harrassed and bullied. I have just taken a thief to court( a former employee) and whilst they were found guilty because of her dire financial circumstances she has been ordered to repay me £1 per week for ever!!! I will be dead before I am repaid, and furthermore if she defaults, it will cost me more money to bring her back to court!! All I'm saying is that its us decent people who worry, while **** go about their merry lives owing thousands to honest folk. Ignore their letters or return to them!

i got a letter from scottish bureau of investigation also known as the lewis group.

 

My jaw dropped:o as there was no name on it and it had been hand delivered , with an old previous address on it- in fact my old address from over 3 and 1/2 years ago. :confused:. where i had quite a lot of debt from bank overdrafts from an old student account but the account is about 4 or 5 years old and i have never made any attempt to pay the money back. i cant afford to start now as im a stay at home mum and im pregnant and all our money goes straight to house bills and rent. im now really worried that they will harrasse me and put me under major stress. i have no idea how they have found me at my new home, as i made a point of not having anything under my name and its all under my partners

[SuziVee]

I also received a letter from SBI today and almost had a heart attack. I've been married twice and have been in the UK for 8 yrs ... not from here originally. They actually used my maiden name, which I used for a few weeks when I originally came to the UK ....

 

Following all the advise given on the subject ... thank you!

[naughtykitten]

I got a letter from the 'SBI' today too! Addressed to the occupier (that's me!) but regarding previous owner with her name & a reference number...

 

These letters are a 'skip trace' measure from the Lewis Group intended to get you to contact them out of pure curiosity or fright!

 

My letter was just addressed to the occupier & said name & ref number & said they were trying to contact her regarding an urgent personal matter. Such skip trace wording! The cheeky monkeys! As if I'm going to call them so they can have my number on her file!

 

I can't stand the multiple departments within companies pretending to be different companies all together. They think they are sooo clever...I wonder if it ever works?

[naughtykitten]

i got a letter from scottish bureau of investigation also known as the lewis group.

 

My jaw dropped:o as there was no name on it and it had been hand delivered , with an old previous address on it- in fact my old address from over 3 and 1/2 years ago. :confused:. where i had quite a lot of debt from bank overdrafts from an old student account but the account is about 4 or 5 years old and i have never made any attempt to pay the money back. i cant afford to start now as im a stay at home mum and im pregnant and all our money goes straight to house bills and rent. im now really worried that they will harrasse me and put me under major stress. i have no idea how they have found me at my new home, as i made a point of not having anything under my name and its all under my partners

 

 

The credit files get linked with a partner sometimes so when searching for one person you get details of partners too...including addresses so they may have got it that way. It will also get updated on the electoral register each year which is publicly viewable, although now you can tick the option of not having your details on the edited public version, but any credit checks will give access to the full register.

 

Another way they get information is by buying it from other companies...not sure the exact details but they can get phone numbers & addresses of friends, relatives etc this way.

[mr.ton]

I can't stand the multiple departments within companies pretending to be different companies all together. They think they are sooo clever...I wonder if it ever works?

 

These "mulitple departments" are nothing more than desks on different sides of a room

[naughtykitten]

These "mulitple departments" are nothing more than desks on different sides of a room

 

So very true!

[babybear39]

Report them to Trading Standards and th OFT for breaching OFT guidlines by addressing phishing letters to 'the occupier'.

[hillards]

I know only too well what the multiple trading names are about - and Lewis Group use far too many!

 

They have an associated office in Belfast, plus one in Glasgow, so Scottish bureau of investigation probably originates there

 

Trace their family tree and you find Cattles at the top, the parent company based in Batley, West Yorkshire. Cattles own Welcome Financial Services and The Lewis Group.

 

Within the Lewis group is Lewis Investigation Services, or LIS on the paperwork. Not only do they use the 'SBI' name but they are members of the Members of the Association of British Investigators (ABI). Wonder how many other letters of the alphabet they can put before 'BI' ?

 

Wolverhmapton Council gave a wonderful press statement, which Lewis Group publish on their site - The Wolves at the Door

I like the line that says "...The first thing we look for is that they have to be a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA)..." - which is akin to a child playing cowboys making his own "Sheriff! badge!

 

I also chuckle to think that the company which provides thousands of loans via Welcome is equipped to jump on their debtors so quickly!

 

To mis-quote Mike Harding - It's hard being a cowboy in Cleckheaton...