cabot

[fusilier50]

i've had run ins with so-called debt collectors threatening to send bailiffs around to my house. They were all concerning a credit card taken out in two separate cities i have never visited which were maxed out in a few days. However i have the perfect and documented alibi as i was away in the desert in a far away land chasing bad guys. I realised straight away that i was the victim of fraud and wasnt concerned about the bully boys tactics when they wrote and phoned me threatening all kinds of things. i have been contacted about 6-7 times since 2003 from Cabot and today from Ruthbridge. cabot asked me to send them a signed letter telling them i was away in another country in the army but i refused saying i wasnt willing to let them have my signature. i told them that if they wanted to pursue me in court over a debt i could prove wasnt mine that would be fine with me as they would definitely lose and pay the costs. I didnt receive anything more from them. However today i received a letter from Ruthbridge Ltd. They used my full name which raised my suspicions and the letter was very vague asking me to contact them on a "personal matter".It was written badly,was signed using standardised scrip and the letterhead could have been designed by my 5 year old daughter.I would ever have even bothered with it as i assumed it was an advertising ply and i wasnt going to waste my time. Curiosity led me to this excellent site and it confirmed my suspicions. i wont be responding to these thugs and if they do indeed ever darken my doorstep they will find i am no door mat. If they stick a foot in my door they will leave it behind them. I habitually never respond to unsolicited calls and letters. i normally just leave the line open to them and put the phone in the desk drawer. All mail gets shredded. Sorry but it amuses me that they will be on the other end of the line wasting their breath and cash by calling me. In my case i know the debt is not mine and im not easily bullied. ive only joined this site to applaud the site managers for helping people deal with these thugs. oh just to keep track of the names involved this was from someone using the name Julie Edwards

Edited March 7, 2011 by fusilier50

[cerberusalert]

Post moved & new thread created.

[fusilier50]

as i now have my own thread i'll add a few details.

Cabot wrote to me 2 years ago. As the letters were addressed using my name i obviously assumed they were for me. On opening i found they were informing me of debt collection proceedings involving bailiffs coming round to remove items to the value of the debts concerned.

I had a few issues with this as you can imagine. I have never had a credit card as the damn things scare me to be honest. i am terrible with money and am into my overdraft on a regular basis but never by very much and never more than i can afford to pay.

So to be suddenly informed i had not one but two outstanding credit card debts involving a HBOS and Barclaycard was a bit of a shock. I knew these debts werent mine and thought the matter could be dealt with fairly easily. I was wrong. Cabot informed me they would be taking "proceedings" against me and would be sending bailiffs around to my property within 10 days unless i paid the debts including interest in full immediately.

As you can imagine i was a little angry at this and didnt respond to their threats. I instead warned them if they were found in my property and taking my possessions i would have them prosecuted. I would also treat any thieves found on my property harshly before handing them over to the police.

I informed them again and again i had never had a credit card and eventually this seemed to get through to them. I asked them where the cards had been used and also where they had been applied for. I wasnt all too surprised to find they were both linked to addresses in cities i had never been to and also that all the transactions including the applications had taken place when I was with the army in Iraq in 2003. I pointed this out to them and they suddenly changed tack. They asked me to put all of that in writing and to sign and date the letter.

My suspicions were raised at this point and i had a feeling they were desperate to link these debts to anyone of my name. I thought why on earth should i help these thugs and why would i give them my own signature that they could forge and use in any way they wanted. As far as i was concerned they were chancers who had been caught out.

I told them i wasnt going to send them any such letter and i was willing for them to take me to court as i would most certainly win and they would be left with the court as well as my own my own costs. They tried to tell me that i had to prove it wasnt my debt and i laughed out loud. What a load of rubbish. I think they knew they had lost at that point. I told them to have a nice day and hung up on them.

i had no more dealings with them and thought the matter was dealt with. I wasnt aware of this selling on of unpaid debts so was surprised to get a letter from Ruthbridge Ltd a few days ago. This time i've done my research and know who and what they are. I have no debts and suspect it is yet again an attempt to link me with these credit cards. I intend having some fun at their expense. I will also be working closely with my MP and he will be paying very close attention to everything they say to me and will receive copies of all correspondence.

I will reitterate what i said earlier. They are chasing me for debts that are nothing to do with me. I have a full and blemish free credit history.

So Ruthbridge Ltd have asked me to contact them on a "personal matter". As i dont know them and have no interest in discussing "personal matters" with total strangers i will not be responding to this letter. I will keep you posted when i get the next computer generated letter from them.

If you have any suggestions as to how i can make them work for a non existent debt please let me know. If i can waste their time and money for as long as possible i will be a very happy man. I cant stand these scumbags who prey on the vulnerable especially in these difficult economic times.

Edited March 9, 2011 by fusilier50

[cerberusalert]

Have you checked your credit file to ensure they haven't made any incorrect entries, because if they have you could sue them for defamation. The going rate is around £1K per entry & could be substantially more.

[fusilier50]

When i last checked on applying for and being granted a mortgage 4 years ago there wasnt anything on my credit history. Oh i hope they try that one. i could do with a new kitchen and i'd love it if they paid for it:razz:.

 

I'm in a very fortunate situation knowing and having proof beyond doubt that these are not my debts so anything they try will rebound straight back at them.

[Mr Worried]

What do we need to look out for then?

 

 

Have you checked your credit file to ensure they haven't made any incorrect entries, because if they have you could sue them for defamation. The going rate is around £1K per entry & could be substantially more.

[cerberusalert]

What do we need to look out for then?

Incorrect defaults, financial associations, basically anything that is incorrect.

[Mr Worried]

WOW Just had a look on mine, I see our friends HFO have had a look at my CF a few days ago, I have noticed a few defaults which I never new I had?

 

I wont hijack this thread and after your next answer I will start a new thread if I need to.

 

Cheers

 

Mr

 

 

 

Incorrect defaults, financial associations, basically anything that is incorrect.

[fusilier50]

2 weeks and my 2nd letter from ruthbridge stating the client is Halifax for a credit card debt of £671. I'm a little confused by this as I have been with Halifax for over 20 years and have never had a credit card with them or anyone else for that matter.I could easily afford such a debt if it was indeed mine.

 

Are they having a laugh do you think? Is it just a ploy to get me to call them?

 

Letter this time from a Jason Evans, RECOVERY DIVISION, a name I've become familiar with since joining this forum. I was quaking in my slippers this morning with laughter I must point out.

 

For the duration of this debacle I have arranged to withhold my number and have arranged a recorder so I can keep a record of any calls I make to them if I decide to do so. Ive also got caller display so I can make sure I am recording any messages if they somehow find my number.

 

For the record letter states;

 

"We have been instructed by the above named client to recover this outstanding balance in full. Failure to respond within the next 7 days may result in the following action.

On an agreed date, an agent may call with a view to discuss repayment terms.

Depending on your financial status, provision may also be considered by way of an attractive settlement option which could substantially reduce the sum due.

However,as there is no guarantee of any settlement offer, it is essential you call our offices immediately, in order to ascertain if you qualify for the above. If your case is then considered to be one of genuine hardship, we will be able to advise you of your debt settlement figure within a matter of moments.

Blah blah blah"

 

I particularly enjoyed the "attractive settlement option". I also like the way they demand you call them "immediately".

 

I'm inclined to wait and see to what lengths they will go to before I respond. The more time they waste on me and hopefully the money they waste too the better. I will check on my credit record too and hopefully if they've placed anything on there i will sue their asses. It makes me so angry that these conmen can get away with preying on the vulnerable.

 

For anyone interested I have never had a credit card with any bank or building society. Ruthbridge are chasing me now for debts that are in no way mine.

 

I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me on how I can spin this out and make them work for a non existent debt. Also do you think my case could be used as a means to investigate these idiots and who I could approach with that in mind?

[cerberusalert]

Send them a CCA request, if you have never had such credit then they will have difficulty providing it, either that or you are not the person they are looking for and they will send someone elses. If they do you can have some fun because they'll be in deep doo-doo.

[Mr Worried]

Did your slippers withstand the shaking? I bet they are size 9s from Marksys?

 

CCA and await their reply..Whooosh

 

Mr

[pmhcfc]

Send them a CCA request, if you have never had such credit then they will have difficulty providing it, either that or you are not the person they are looking for and they will send someone elses. If they do you can have some fun because they'll be in deep doo-doo.

 

No need for the poster to do this...We all know Ruthbridge only chase statute barred debts. I, personally, don't see why he should waste any of his time on these idiots.

[cerberusalert]

No need for the poster to do this...We all know Ruthbridge only chase statute barred debts. I, personally, don't see why he should waste any of his time on these idiots.

Because if they send someone elses details they will be in breach of the Data Protection Act & liable to a rather large fine.

[fusilier50]

third letter arrived on schedule more veiled threats of what they "may" do including bankruptcy court action blah blah blah.

I have no answer to my denial of the debt and my request for proof that it is mine. Looking forward to their next work of fiction. hoping they will be more inventive next time. next letter due this friday if it follows their usual pattern.

[fusilier50]

I've just received yet another letter from ruthbridge. Their generosity astounds me. They have offered me an amazing discount of 80% off the outstanding debt.They tell me i "may" only have to pay as little as £134.23.

I remind you that this debt is not mine and i have absolute proof of my whereabouts when the credit cards were issued and used. I wasnt even in this country but was serving in the middle east with the army.There is no record of this debt on my credit file, indeed i have never held a credit card.

 

I think this must be their last throw of the dice. What will they try next? I intend phoning them just about when theyve given up to get them started again wasting their time on my case.

[cerberusalert]

I intend phoning them just about when theyve given up to get them started again wasting their time on my case.

So you've caught the DCA baiting hobby?

 

Have a read of this thread it may give you some tips, but beware it's 400 pages long. http://consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?131409

[babybear39]

Because if they send someone elses details they will be in breach of the Data Protection Act & liable to a rather large fine.

 

And/or a prison sentence

[harrassed senior]

Well in my personal experience with Ruthbridge, they just quietly went away, shame that I had a few more letters up my sleeve!

[rockwell304]

if they do indeed ever darken my doorstep they will find i am no door mat. If they stick a foot in my door they will leave it behind them.

Like your style Fusilier!