Advantis Credit

[Tanner Bomfin]

Hi

I am just another in the long list of those being pursued by Advantis.

 

I received a letter similar to everyone else asking if I was XX of XX Street, Xtown and if I ignored letter they assumed it was me and would go to war...

 

They gave no details of whom the debt was for and the address was one I had moved from over 4 years ago.

 

Sadly I did not know of the existence of this site and I foolishly rang them (without withholding my landline form them - BIG mistake!).

 

I confirmed only the details on the letter (they did not have my first name) and refused to give DOB.

They then told me it was an outstanding bill from BT from this address.

 

Well I never had a landline at this address so I told them so.

They couldn't have been more reasonable initially.

They apologised and said they would contact BT but were 100% adamant that the bill was from the address they had.

 

A few days later, I received 2 bills from BT from a different address - over 5 years ago and 3 moves before the address they were claiming the debt was from.

 

Now 5 years is a long time but I am pretty certain they were paid.

In fact I can virtually remember paying them in the Post Office in cash but as to where the bills are.

I also had a BT line at the next address which was over 6 months as I am cerain that

a) they wouldn't have let me continue with the landline as I just transferred my details and

b) they would have cut me off pronto.

I really needed the landline at that address so there is no way I would have put its use in jeopardy.

 

I have checked my credit report and there is no sign of any CCJ's to do with this.

 

Advantis have hounded me day and night ever since- (mobile/landline/letter) invariably using an assortment of mobile numbers that I don't answer. .

Initially I found them to be reasonable as I bought time trying to dig out old bank statements but after 5 years this is impossible and that bank account is closed.

 

I spoke to them last on Thursday (funnily enough they wre pretty quiet all through CHristmas)

and told them I was dealing with BT and as a result they had not reason to call me as I was disputing the bill and it wasn't their problem.

Mmmmm - they didn't like that!!

I now have a "red" letter threatening me with bailiffs or court action if I don't pay up/call by 18th Jan.

 

 

Now - do I call BT?

I find it odd they have taken 5 years to approach me when I was perfectly traceable and still held an account with them

 

How much clout do Advantis have?

I really don't want any bailiffs turning up as I am a carer for my elderly parents and the phonecalls are bad enough.

 

So any help/advice would be hugely appreciated.

[dx100uk]

totally ignore them

 

its a phishing trip

looking for a mug

 

ok sadly, you broke the golden rule of calling them or ANY DCA ever!

 

theres nowt they can do to you.

 

they like every other DCA have no legal powers to do NOWT!!

 

as long as your cra file shows nowt you owe nowt simples.

 

dx

[Tanner Bomfin]

Thank you for that but how are they able to send me genuine phone bills from a previous address? They have done this twice now. (and then admittedly putting on a huge whack of their own for "admin costs!") How on earth do they get the bills from BT in the first place?

 

I have done battle with other DCAs in the past and have won out in the end never paying them a penny but these have been the worst by a long way.

[dx100uk]

if bt wanted their money

they would have asked for it years ago

 

ignore them

 

you say you have dealt with dca's in the past

 

then why are you even giving these the time of day or your time

 

sending bailiffs my foot who said that

what utter rubbish

 

dx

[Tanner Bomfin]

Thank you again - I guess I just panic every time!! And because they were initially nice - I thought they were in the right for a change! Usually they are agressive from the start.

 

The last one I did owe the money but managed to bypass the DCA, went straight to the creditor and got it sorted out.

[Tanner Bomfin]

Further update as I am still getting those letters/calls and I need some reassurance.

 

The 2 most recent ones quote:

"we have been instructed by our client BT to collect £393.67 on their behalf. We're aware that you may not have heard from BT in some time, however it is believed that the outstanding balance is still liable for collection............... ...etc etc"

 

now I am taking that this is a load of baloney and the very fact that the words they use are to cover them from a legal point of view. Should I ignore this too?

 

Second letter sets out a nice little table with outstanding balance plus court fees? and solicitors fees? amazingly it all adds up to even more. I htink the giveaway is that they only state the solicitors fees are £80 when we all know you sneeze and they charge at least £180/hour or part thereof!

 

Anyway I know I am answering my own questions here but just need to know I'm not being blonde and ignoring the obvious!

 

I still don't know how they were able to get hold of BT to send me the orginal bills? I did initially foolishly state my name, DOB etc. is this how they are able to do this? Would they ring up posing as me and ask for BT to send me old phone bills for my records? No copies of any "red" bills or letters from BT have turned up at all.

[dx100uk]

we want to fleece you......

 

let try another method ..

 

 

ignore

 

dx

[JamSandwich74]

I had a call from this lot tonight. A recorded message started reading out a list of options and the appropriate number to press. I hung up.

 

Anyone else had these kinds of calls from them? AFAIK, I don't owe cash to anyone, but I've read the other forums on here about them, so I'm a bit wiser hopefully to the stunts they're likely to pull.

[Tanner Bomfin]

They haven't called this week or sent me a letter - first time since November - I think I'm starting to miss them - not!!! But then its only Wednesday!

[JamSandwich74]

According to another thread, they can hassle you for a bit, then it goes all quiet, then they start it up again (no doubt with some new stunt to pull on you).

 

Reading through the other threads on them on here, there are various common themes:

 

- You owe money, usually a sizeable three-figure sum, to a utility company (water, elec, gas)

- They refer to you as "the occupier", don't give you details of your name, address or the amount you owe, but ask you to confirm your name and address instead

- Make various threats along the lines of "If you don't confirm details/reply to the order in seven days, we'll start legal proceedings against you"

- The money owed is usually from several years ago, and from a previous address you lived at

 

The bottom line with these people is to not tell them anything about yourself, not a dicky-bird. If you do send them any correspondence, don't sign anything, and don't give them your name and address.

 

If they carry on hassling or threatening you, I'd threaten them in return and tell them you'll contact the police. What they're doing might be construed as harassment, particularly if you don't actually owe money to anyone.

 

I had a call from a debt collection agency a few months ago. I forget the name but it may well have been this lot. They said that a "Mr Hussein" (or some other Indian-sounding name) lived at this address and owed money. I told them that nobody by that name lived here. That was the end of that and I haven't heard from them since, until tonight.

[Tanner Bomfin]

They're back!

 

I got a fetching pink letter today. The balance has gone back down - erm? where have all those solicitor & court costs gone? But they have given me a priority telephone line I can contact them on!

 

So now I have until 13th Feb to pay or else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm looking forward to their debt collector tunring up!