Ruthbridge now (after Activ Kapital, Thames Credit, Mackenzie Hall, EquiDebt)

[ashre]

For the past four years I've been getting letters from these debt collection agencies and it's beginning to drive me a bit crazy.

 

They never say where the debt originated but I suspect it was from a Cable&Wireless phone line

in my name in my shared house in university (14 years ago!) that I forgot to get disconnected when I left.

 

I had a letter from C&W shortly after I left university asking me to contact them but I was leaving the country shortly after for a few years and so left thinking nothing of it.

 

It then started about four and a half years ago with a letter from Thames Credit.

I wrote to them asking what the debt was and they didn't respond so I found a thread on money saving expert

and wrote a Consumer Credit Act letter asking for the credit agreement,

 

they didn't respond in time so I sent them the standard follow up letter

 

 

("Therefore on 20 March 2008 this account became unenforceable at law")

and phoned Trading Standards who said there wasn't a lot they could do but they would make a note of it.

 

A year after that ActivKapital sent me a contact letter,

I sent them the first response and they sent back a letter saying they hadn't been able to verify my identity

and so would not continue action.

 

After that Mackenzie Hall sent me a letter asking for contact,

I sent them the first CCA letter and they stopped sending me letters.

 

Earlier this year EquiDebt sent me a letter.

 

I replied in the usual way and they sent my £1 postal order back with a letter saying

"Having receiver [sic] your request, we have undertaken a review of the tracing procedure

and are unable to verify that you are the correct individual that we are attempting to contact.

 

As suck we are not in a position to provide you with a copy of the original agreement relating to the account.

We have therefore removed your details from our records and will not contact you again in respect of this account.

 

We apologise for any inconvenience that has been caused, this certainly was not our intention."

 

Finally a month and a half ago I got a letter from Ruthbridge asking me to contact them.

 

I sent them the same letter asking for the credit agreement under the CCA and then today I received a letter:

 

"We take notes of the points you have raised in your correspondence,

however we must advise that we are not in a position to comply with your request at this stage as we are required to verify information

we have been provided with yourself [sic] for the purposes of data protection in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

We would appreciate it if you would contact our offices so we can complete the necessary verification."

 

I could just sent the second letter again and I'm sure it would go away but it is driving me crazy that they all just keep selling/passing it on

without addressing the fact that there clearly is no credit agreement or the statue of limitations is long since up.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Thanks & sorry it was so long, good to vent finally!

[dx100uk]

yes

 

stop playing letter tennis

 

if your cra file is clear

 

then you are on a phishing list

 

the more you write

 

the more they think a mug awaits fleecing.

 

dx

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Welcome to CAG,So the debt is statute barred? 6 clear years no payment or acknowledgment of the debt in writting.

Once a debt gets to Ruthbridge one knows it's dead in the water.

 

So lets put an end to this nonsense.

 

Send the following letter by recorded delivery addressed to

 

The Compliance Manager

Ruthbridge Ltd.,

 

Ref:as on their letter.

 

Formal Notification, Limitations Act 1980.

Final Response.

 

Dear Sir or Madam,

 

I refer to your letter date xx xx xxxx regarding a deby for £xxxxx which you allege is owed by me, please take note I do not acknowledge any debt to Ruthbridge Ltd., or any company you may claim to represent.

 

As you are no doubt now aware this alleged debt has been ''passed'' around the dismal industry in which you operate and no company has provided any documentary proof that an enforceable account exists.

 

I now Formally notify Riuthbridge Ltd., that the alleged debt IS STATUTE BARRED, I will not therefore make any payment or offer of payment in regard to the alleged debt.

 

You will now close the file on this matter, remove all data relating to me from your record systems.

 

I am fully aware of the OFT Guidance on Debt Collection 2003/2011 and the section relating to the pursuit Statute Barred Debt.

 

Should Ruthbridge Ltd., consider passing this matter to another debt purchaser which at a later date contacts me regarding this alleged deb I WILL refer that company to you and report the conduct of your company to the relevant regulatory bodies.

 

You will confirm that you have complied with my imstruction in writting within 7 days of the date of this letter, any further contact from Ruthbridge Ltd., other than that set out above will be considered Harassment and appropriate action WILL be taken.

 

Get that of RD so they get Monday.

[ashre]

Thanks DX and Brigadier, I just signed up to noodle and checked and have a fine credit report with no defaults, judgements or anything else. I think I'm going to go for the Brigadier's solution to try and put it to bed. What drives me crazy is none of them will confirm where the debt is from originally (they just say "from ActieKapital/EquiDebt" etc without telling me where it originated) but I think if I assert it is statue limited and it is not they'll at least tell me what date they think it's from.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

I've written that letter more than 20 times this year on Ruthbridge accounts I'm not aware as yet of anyone having a negative result, BUT..........

[ashre]

Just made it to the post office - sent recorded - will see what happens. Thanks.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Just made it to the post office - sent recorded - will see what happens. Thanks.

 

[ashre]

Had a reply from Ruthbridge (a few weeks after my deadline but still):

 

I write further to the receipt of your recent correspondence. I have now liaised with our client regarding the issues you have raised in your correspondence and they have requested that the above account be returned to them, in order for them to deal with the matters you have raised directly.

 

The account in question has now been closed on Ruthbridge's systems and returned to our client Aktiv Kapital. I can cofirm that you will receive no further communication from Ruthbridge Limited regarding this matter.

 

I have been advised by our client that they will be in contact with you shortly regarding the issues raised in your correspondence, alternatively you may wish tocontact them directly should you have any further queries with regards to this matter.

 

 

 

So at least there is a bit of progress, they're not passing it on, will wait to see what Aktiv do now, if anything.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Looking good!!

[Bandit127]

I've written that letter more than 20 times this year on Ruthbridge accounts I'm not aware as yet of anyone having a negative result, BUT..........

More than 21 times now...

 

A result all round.

[Bazooka Boo]

Ensure you make complaints to the OFT&TS regarding their continued incompetence and failure to adhere to the OFT guidelines.