Debt-chasing phone calls : wrong person : What to do ?

[Steven68]

Hi,

How to stop Wescot calls from scottishtrustdeed.co.uk when they have the wrong person? They say I have to pay back what I owe and I said over and over that I am not that person, yet they still keep calling. I'm really annoyed. What should I do?

[landsurfer]

Contact a money advice forum rather than a cycling one for a start ....?

[Oldjohnw]

Go to CAB.

[mercalia]

You need to know Westcotts address I would think for any effective action? yes go to a Citizens Advice Bureau. Many have legal sections/surgeries. Westcotts have to be convinced that you are not the person they want and I suppose it must be tempting for some to say what you are saying as a way to get out of paying debts. I suspect you will have to put it all in writing to them sent recorded delivery ( keeping a copy). The CAB will advice you what to say.

[Mick F]

Hi,

How to stop Wescot calls when they have the wrong person? They say I have to pay back what I owe and I said over and over that I am not that person, yet they still keep calling. I'm really annoyed. What should I do?

First thing I would do is not answer the phone, or block the number. If they know the address, they'll send a letter. It will have a return address.

Second thing, is to contact CAB.

A little story .......
We moved into this place 20odd years ago. The previous owner had died. When letters arrived for him, we would take them to the solicitor in the next town who dealt with the house-sale. This went on for weeks.
Eventually, we just wrote "deceased" on the envelopes and pushed them into the nearest mailbox. They stopped soon after that.

[Oldjohnw]

It is an offence to harass anyone over debt. Regular phone calls without correspondence comes into that category.

[Psamathe]

Important question: If they are pursuing a debt, have they incorrectly assigned the debt to you (i.e. Steven68 owes £xxx) or are they chasing somebody else and have your phone number/address in error (i.e. Mr X owes £xxx and he lives at <Steven68's phone/address>).

If they believe Steven68 owes the money then I'd ask them for evidence of that debt (you can't argue it's wrong if you don't know what it is). If they believe Mr X (who owes the money) lives at your address/phone number then I'd get their address and send them some official documentation that you are not Mr X and you live at that address (e.g. a utility bill with your name of address on, Council Tax bill or something (you can blank out amounts if you are concerned.

Or follow the other suggestions about CAB, etc. already provided by others.

Ian

[Pastychomper]

First thing I would do is not answer the phone, or block the number. If they know the address, they'll send a letter. It will have a return address.

It should have a return address, but if it's addressed to another name then you're unlikely to have any legal means to know it's connected to the debt.

I once moved into a house that got regular letters for several names I didn't recognise and I duly wrote "not known at this address" and dropped them in a post box, even though some didn't have return addresses on the outside. After a few months a hand-delivered letter arrived addressed to one of the names, with a note stapled to the outside warning that someone claiming to be a debt collector planned to return about 11 hours later with the police and the intention of removing all items of value from the house.

Fortunately I was in the house for some of those 11 hours, the "collector" had left a 'phone number, and he took my word for it that I wasn't the debtor he was looking for. He seemed mildly annoyed and not at all apologetic, and offered no response when I pointed out that I'd returned multiple letters in that name to the sender. I'm still undecided as to whether that was a sloppy but genuine debt collector or an outright scam.

At the same address I also had numerous spurious bills in my name from an electricity company, but that's another story.

[Mick F]

A quick check on the electoral role will tell them who lives there to prove it.
https://www.gov.uk/electoral-register/v ... l-register

[Oldjohnw]

Everyone should do a £2 credit check with Experian or one of the others every year. That way you see if there are any unexpected things.

I would like to ask the OP if they have received any letters. If only phone calls just put the phone down and get it blocked. They will then send a letter which gives you something to go on. If no letters forget it. If a letter comes but is not addressed to you, as others have said, stick itstraight back in the post marked 'not at this address'.

You do not need to be bothered this way if it is wrong. It is very likely the company are breaking the law of it isn't you they want.

[Psamathe]

Everyone should do a £2 credit check with Experian or one of the others every year.......

You trust those companies?

Experian hack exposes 15 million people's personal information

How to find out if you're affected by the Equifax hack
Equifax said Thursday that 143 million people could be affected by a recent data breach in which cybercriminals stole information including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and the numbers of some driver's licenses.

etc.

Ian

[Oldjohnw]

No I don't . But hen almost every company is vulnerable. What hey do is tell you about any debt etc against you

[richardfm]

A quick check on the electoral role will tell them who lives there to prove it.
https://www.gov.uk/electoral-register/v ... l-register

Many people aren't registered to vote and many who are have opted out of the open register. So someone's absence from the publicly available register tells you nothing about who lives at an address

[Psamathe]

A quick check on the electoral role will tell them who lives there to prove it.
https://www.gov.uk/electoral-register/v ... l-register

Many people aren't registered to vote and many who are have opted out of the open register. So someone's absence from the publicly available register tells you nothing about who lives at an address

Also, people can opt to not appear on the "Open register" which limits who can get their address (e.g. Credit Agencies can but this is not somebody applying for credit. But maybe the courts have revealed the address which is then separate from the Electoral Register). Debt Collection Agencies are limited to the Open Register. I've no idea how many people opt to not appear in the Open Register (it's just a box to tick on the form an dI've not appeared on the Open Register for years).

Plus you can register to vote anonymously (if you have good reason) or you can register twice (if you "live in two places" - but you can only vote once).

Ian

[NUKe]

Hi,

How to stop Wescot calls when they have the wrong person? They say I have to pay back what I owe and I said over and over that I am not that person, yet they still keep calling. I'm really annoyed. What should I do?

Is it somebody using your name? is it somebody using your address ? or just a wrong telephone number, if its the latter then get the number blocked by your telephone provider.
If its is either of the first 2 you need to sort it out. As has been said you can go to the CAB, or report to the Police. otherwise you can end with a county court decision going against you.