S

Yep your quite right, I'll send a letter straight away and request these. I'll also mention what it has cost in communicating with them to deal with this mattter. Hopefully, at least I'll get my costs back.

All the best

Hi Royal Lancer,

Great news.

I think it would be worth one final letter to request that any credit reference information passed on in relation to this matter be rescinded and also, in order to be compliant with the Data Protection Act, they confirm destruction of all personal data relating to your home and your son.

They should do this anyway but few do.

Worth checking

S

Great news

Have received a letter from DLC this afternoon apologising that they have made a mistake and ''incorrectly traced an account to you'' and ''apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.''

It looks like all the effort has paid off.

Thank you for your advice and help over the passed week.

This goes to show that if your are in the right - dispute the case and chase them for evidence that they have against you - they will have to recheck and hopefully find that they are in the wrong - do not sit back and hope they will just go away.

All the best in the future

Sean

cheers -

Informed them with the first letter sent last week so now await both Orange and DLC to contact in writing.

I'll update as the situation continues

All the best

Sean

Sean

Debt collection agencies (DCA's). In this case Direct legal and collections.

There are a lot of them. They either chase for payments on behalf of companies or they buy the debt.

Huckster

Huckster

Cheers for you prompt reply.

I,ve contacted Orange this afternoon, just to confirm that they have received the fax. Thet did and an investigation was started on the 16/10/09, so they have informed that we should receive confirmation within the week stating they are investigating - here's hoping!!!!!

With regards to the DCA - please excuse my ignorance, but how are they? I've googled but I don't think the Dundee Contemporay Arts would be interested ''slight jest''.

Onced again, thank you for your help and support,

Best regards

Sean

Sean

Yes allow Orange a few weeks to investigate. The dodgy contract in question may have been sold through a high street or online retailer, so they will have to obtain the details. Orange will face the same difficulties/delays in getting hold of the information, as anyone else, due to red tape e.g. Data Protection.

You should inform the DCA that Orange are looking into this matter and have the Police reference details. Advise them that you will record their contacts and inform the OFT if they continue to harass, while this matter is subject to investigation. This goes against the OFT collection guidelines.

In regard to credit rating, yes if he has any bank account or other financial product he will have a record. If this issue has been recorded against his record, then yes his record may have been affected. Also the other angle that should be covered off is the potential for other forms of identity fraud to have been commited. Are there any other suspicious details on his credit records e.g. have any odd searches of his credit record been carried out. As the Experian and Equifax trials are free, I think such a check is very worthwhile.

Huckster

Huckster

Thanks for your reply,

The police although have given an incident number are taking it no further.

When I first contacted Orange about the case I was passed onto their debt collection department, where again they would not give any info, but when I insisted this was not my sons contract and that I would be reporting it to the police, they gave me a fax number which I sent all the details of the police incident number plus requests for info regarding the process in which lead them / the debt collector to my son, that was 14/10/09 still not received any reply yet but will give a little more time. They did say they would investigate, but the debt collectors still called on monday.

As this is my first encounter with these type of people, should I give them more time for the details to go through the system or should I keep chasing them?

With regarding to his credit rating - although he has a bank account with a debit card, he does not have any credit cards, hire purchase agreements or any other loans of any kind in his name, so would he still have a credit rating, as he isn't on the radar yet?

All help is appreciated and it's reassuring to know there are kind people out there who are willing to give helpful advice

Best regards

Sean

Sean

I think you have done pretty much all you can do. Are the Police actually looking into this? Or do they just give you a crime reference number?

If the Police are not investigating, it may be worth your son writing a letter to Orange Head of compliance (Data Protection officer) by recorded delivery setting out what has happened. Orange may wish to investigate this matter, as this also affects them.

Also I would recommend that your son obtains his credit record. Experian and Equifax both offer free trials, so it may be worth getting both as different companies use different Credit Reference Agencies.(CRA's) The reason I suggest this is to check what has been added i.e. any defaults or other suspicious information. Just don't forget to cancel the free trials, otherwise he will get charged.

It also worth mentioning the affect on his credit rating due to this. Once this is resolved, he should make sure that Orange or the DCA restore his credit rating, by contacting the CRA's. If he doesn't he could experience problems in obtaining any finance at a decent rate. I have read other posts of a similar nature, where people have been rejected for Mortgage and car finance for example.

Hope this helps

Huckster

My son received a letter from a debt collector ''Direct, Legal & Collections''. When we enquired they informed that he had got an Orange contract phone in June this year. When we enquired about the details they would not give any info as we were unable to confirm the address to which the contract was taken against (my son as always lived with us and as never moved out). they informed us that a letter had been sent ear;ier, where someone contacted them informing this person had also moved out of the address 6 weeks previous.(what checks had they made to confirm this?)

We contacted the police informing of the identity theft against my son - got an incident number and sent it along with requests for proof of the details concerning the supposed account -

We sent two seperate letters and sent them by special delivery informing that they do not contact by phone as the case is now being disputed. - low and behold they rang on monday, when I enquired about the letters they informed that no letter had been received - I then told him that they had received them and that any further calls would be classed as harassement anither letter was sent again by special delivey.

We have also contacted the Office of Fair Trading informing of the case and they have added our details to any future action taken against the collector. Also we have Contacted Consumer Credit Counsilling Service, Communty Legal Advise ( where are now waiting infothrough the post) and Citizen Advice Bureau (waiting for them to come back).

Every one has said keep records of any communications with the collector and wait for them to reply to your letters -

We are very upset that someone can demand money when you are not involved and yet they keep trying when you,ve told them so.

Any further help would be much appriciated

Sean