Address needed and advice please

[hightail]

I have been hounded by phone for the past three weeks by a company called Credit Solutions Ltd. They claim I owe £42 unpaid on a mobile phone contract. I did have a contract but it was properly ended with 30 days notice and paid up in full over a year ago. The phone company did overcalculate the final payment (tried to charge me another month's line rental) but this was corrected and everything sorted.

 

I tell Credit Solutions Ltd to put it in writing and include details of the amount they claim I owe but they just continue to phone. I need to write to them but there are many companies with Credit Solutions in their title. The phone number for this one is 02087634562. Does anyone have their address please or could tell me how to find it.

[seftonview]

Google is your friend.

 

If they continue phoning, be rude and impertinent to them, they don't like that. Questions like "how big are your...." are particularly effective.

[bobbyh99]

This looks like them:

 

Credit Solutions

 

It gives an address in the Contact Us page and some 0870 numbers.

However, the number you quoted was a London number...why don't you ring them and ask for their address?

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

Google was my first port of call but I can't find a company called Credit Solutions with this phone number and I do need to make sure I write to the company that's bothering me. They definitely refer to themselves as CSL on the phone but if I Google CSL I get something completely different.

 

As of today they are threatening to send someone round to collect the money and I have no idea why they think I owe it. The phone contract was ended correctly and I owed nothing.

[hightail]

Thanks bobbyh. They do look the most likely. I have asked for their address when they phone and they tell me it would be easier to just give them credit card details over the phone etc etc until I give, tell them to put it in writing and put the phone down - until the next time.

[bobbyh99]

They also go under the name of Crucible Debt Purchase Company Limited and are at the same address.

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

Just phoned that number to ask for the address. They insist I give the reference number which will just get me into another protracted discussion about paying money I don't owe.

 

They are a lovely bunch of people for sure.

 

I have all the paperwork from the phone contract and bank statements etc. to show I have paid all the bills. Is there any way of getting them to believe me?

[bobbyh99]

Hightail

 

I have just phoned the number you provided and said I needed there address for a DPA request and the address they gave me was the same address as the Credit Solutions website I posted above.

 

I am no expert but write to them with all the details and tell them to stop harrassing you. Also because they think you owe them money you might want to see what is on your credit file in relation to this phone contract!!

 

BobbyH

[PGH7447]

send em this

Dear Sirs

Harassment by telephone

 

Account Number: XXXXXXX

I am writing in relation to the quantity and frequency of telephone calls that I have received from your company, which I deem to be personally harassing.

I have verbally requested that these stop, but I am still receiving calls. (Delete if necessary)

I now require all further correspondence from your company to be made in writing only.

I am of the view that your continued harassment of me by telephone puts you in breach of Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

If you continue to harass me by telephone, you will also be in breach of the Communications Act (2003) s.127 and I will report you to OFCOM, Trading Standards and The Office of Fair Trading, meaning that you will be liable to a substantial fine.

Be advised that any further telephone calls from your company will be recorded. (**Even if you don‘t yet have recording equipment!!**)

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

[NAME HERE]

[hightail]

Thank you so much. They've managed to get me so worked up about this. I guess I'm going to have to get some professional advice to get it sorted out. I told them that they should take me to court if they really believe I owe the money as I have the evidence that I don't owe a penny. Their response was that they don't do that - they send people to my house to collect it.

 

Luckily I won't be immediately affected by this being on my credit file as I don't have any plans to apply for credit for the forseeable future so I have time to get it sorted. I can't even see where the amount has come from - it's not a month's line rental or any of the amounts on the monthly bills.

[PGH7447]

Send a S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) to the phone company and demand all records relating to this alledge phone agreement, and write and tell the DCA that this is indispute until the phone company can provide proof that this alledged debt exists

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/letter-templates/150664-r-subject-access-request.html

 

just amend this to suit and state that you require all signed agreements and correspondence relating to this aledged phone contract.

 

send it recorded, do not sign it just print your name, they have 40 days to comply, CC the DCA and tell them that until this is complied with the account is in dispute and that any further attempts to colect on said alledged debt wil be treated as harassment and reported to TS and OFT

 

it costs a £10

[bobbyh99]

who needs professional help (which costs) when you can get all the help you need on this forum!!

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

BobbyH - I'm certainly getting plenty of help and I'm very grateful.

PGH7447 - I'm not disputing I had a phone contract. I did and I paid it every month up to and including the final settlement. I have no idea where this supposed debt has arisen or why it has suddenly done so over a year after the contract was ended. I'm only assuming it refers to the contract I had as I've received nothing in writing. It probably seems stupid to fight this over £42. Maybe it would be easier and cheaper in the long run to just pay it but I don't owe it. I get the feeling this CSL company rely on people paying them money by credit card over the phone just to get them to go away. I wondered if it was some sort of [problem] at first but they are obviously legit.

[PGH7447]

I did not say you disputed it, but they are chasing a debt that you say does not exist so by going to the phone company and getting all records you are forcing them to either admit they made a mistake or not, it also while you wait for the answer puts the debt into dispute.

 

If you want to pay £42 quid to a guy who phones up out of the blue and says hi pay me cause you owe this then go ahead, I am only offering advice whether you act on it or not is entirely down to you.

 

it is this very reason that people pay up without a fight that these scummy companies exist

[bobbyh99]

Hightail - If you don't owe it, don't pay it!

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend. It was the term 'alleged contract' that confused me. I was trying to explain that I don't dispute the contract but I do dispute owing any money on it. I'm stubborn enough to fight it through but this company is so unpleasant that I will believe people pay up without checking.

 

I've just had two phone calls in 10 mins where they don't identify themselves and immediately claim their system has frozen and they'll have to call me back. Best I get those letters off pdq

[hightail]

OK I've got the letters done. One last question please. Is a cheque for the £10 fee acceptable included with the letter or is there some specific way I have to pay it?

 

Apologies if I seem ignorant - I am where this sort of thing is concerned. I've never had to deal with anything like this before. I do feel much better now I'm fighting back properly. Thank you so much for all your advice.

[bobbyh99]

A cheque contains your signature and we don't want these companies to have copies of your signature!!!

 

A postal order would be better!!

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

Many, many thanks. I'm glad I asked now.

[bobbyh99]

No problem - good luck.

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

I can't resist asking, the question has been eating away at me - why shouldn't I send them anything with my signature?

 

I didn't BTW and I got a postal order as advised.

 

It did start me thinking as I took this contract out in a shop and the first payment for 1 month's line rental was up front by cheque. Checking the records they then took a double payment in the first month by DD 'so that the line rental was always paid in advance'. So what had I paid by cheque? At the end of the contract they charged me for another month's rental but I noticed this one and it was amended.

 

The amount they are claiming is suspiciously similar to an amount I now think I've been overcharged. I'd never have realised but for all this hassle.

[barns66]

Credit Solutions

Capella Court, Brighton Road, Purley, Surrey, CR8 2PG

 

Thats the address thats on the contact us page.

 

barns66

[PGH7447]

so send them a bill for £42 then works both ways

[bobbyh99]

I can't resist asking, the question has been eating away at me - why shouldn't I send them anything with my signature?

 

It has been known for some companies that do not have regulated Credit Agreements to "make one up" using signatures that you provide by writing letters, signing cheques etc.

 

These companies buy huge amounts of bad debt from Banks etc, but they do not get all the information they legally need like Credit Agreements etc.

 

BobbyH

[hightail]

Thank you for the answer.

 

One thing that has become very clear to me is that these companies are very good at intimidation. I'm not easily intimidated but was tempted to pay up just to get rid of them because it is a relatively small amount. I'm not going to of course - unless they can come up with some convincing evidence that I truly do owe this money. I can still access this account's history online and it shows a complete record of payments (as do my bank statements) and proper cancellation of the contract.