Wescot DCA

[FreakedOut]

Hi I could really do with a little help and advice.

I have received a letter from the above saying I owe £12k for a credit card I've not had since 1996.

I can't be sure but it looks like my mother who had an additional card didn't pay what she owed after I cut my card up, and it's now the amount above.

The card was at my mothers home address ( who has recently moved ) and I haven't seen a statement since moving out.

I have brought it up with my mum but she's being unfair and telling me to ignore it.

I don't know what my next step should be, so any help would be gratefully received.

Very worried and panicked

[Kati]

Re: Wescot DCA

You could try sending a 'prove it' letter ...

Dear Sir/Madam

Account No: XXXXXXXXX
Ref: XXXXXXXXX

Your company have contacted me regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself.

I would point out that I have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to XXXXXXXXX I would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above accounts unless you can provide evidence as to my liability for the debt in question.

Yours faithfully

(printed signature)

and see what they come back with?

[Kati]

Re: Wescot DCA

or:

Send A CCA REQUEST ( see here )
This applies to all credit cards / loans / hire purchase / store cards type debt. It doesn't apply to Mobile Phones / Utilities or Overdrafts.

??

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Wescot DCA

Hi I could really do with a little help and advice.

I have received a letter from the above saying I owe £12k for a credit card I've not had since 1996.

I can't be sure but it looks like my mother who had an additional card didn't pay what she owed after I cut my card up, and it's now the amount above.

The card was at my mothers home address ( who has recently moved ) and I haven't seen a statement since moving out.

I have brought it up with my mum but she's being unfair and telling me to ignore it.

I don't know what my next step should be, so any help would be gratefully received.

Very worried and panicked

Any idea when either you or your mum last made a payment? If it's been more than six years and there's been no written acknowledgment from you, it would be statute barred, meaning it cannot be recovered through the courts. You could send either of the letters above, however, neither response would tell you whether the debt is SBd or not. You may want to ask your mum when she last paid, if it was as long ago as the 90s, then it would be well and truly SBd. :grin: And you'd have no reason to worry or panic! :thumb:

[nemesis45]

Re: Wescot DCA

Hi I could really do with a little help and advice.

I have received a letter from the above saying I owe £12k for a credit card I've not had since 1996.

I can't be sure but it looks like my mother who had an additional card didn't pay what she owed after I cut my card up, and it's now the amount above.

The card was at my mothers home address ( who has recently moved ) and I haven't seen a statement since moving out.

I have brought it up with my mum but she's being unfair and telling me to ignore it.

I don't know what my next step should be, so any help would be gratefully received.

Very worried and panicked

Was the actual card account in your name only with a simple additional card holder, if so the addition card hold would not get their own statement???

When you cut up your card did you take an other action other than just stopping payments?

WE need to know:

When did payments cease completely?

When was the account defaulted?

Does it show on your credit reference files?

When was the card last used?

@ Kati has suggest a CCA Request to Wescott and that's what you must do asap.

nem

[FreakedOut]

Re: Wescot DCA

Was the actual card account in your name only with a simple additional card holder, if so the addition card hold would not get their own statement???

When you cut up your card did you take an other action other than just stopping payments?

WE need to know:

When did payments cease completely?

When was the account defaulted?

Does it show on your credit reference files?

When was the card last used?

@ Kati has suggest a CCA Request to Wescott and that's what you must do asap.

nem

Thank you everyone, I will get the prove it letter sorted.

I don't know when payments ceased completely, as I made my last payment in 1996, mum still had money to pay off.

I sent a letter telling them I had destroyed my card, and that the account was to be closed, new address in the letter also. As I had heard nothing since then, I thought all was good and sorted.

No idea when the account defaulted or how it got to be so high, because it only had around £500 on it when I finished it.

It doesn't show on experian who I check regularly.

I last used the card in 1996 but clearly looks like my mother never stopped using the account.

I feel so stupid, but I trusted my mum to do as she said she would do.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Wescot DCA

Thank you everyone, I will get the prove it letter sorted.

The CCA request is only a request for a copy of your credit agreement and a statement of account, however, it won't tell you when the last payment was made.

I don't know when payments ceased completely, as I made my last payment in 1996, mum still had money to pay off.

I sent a letter telling them I had destroyed my card, and that the account was to be closed, new address in the letter also. As I had heard nothing since then, I thought all was good and sorted.

No idea when the account defaulted or how it got to be so high, because it only had around £500 on it when I finished it.

It doesn't show on experian who I check regularly.

I last used the card in 1996 but clearly looks like my mother never stopped using the account.

I feel so stupid, but I trusted my mum to do as she said she would do.

1996 was nearly 20 years ago, would your mum still be using it as recently as 2009? Is there any way you could ask her nicely?

[nemesis45]

Re: Wescot DCA

Thank you everyone, I will get the prove it letter sorted.

I don't know when payments ceased completely, as I made my last payment in 1996, mum still had money to pay off.

I sent a letter telling them I had destroyed my card, and that the account was to be closed, new address in the letter also. As I had heard nothing since then, I thought all was good and sorted.

No idea when the account defaulted or how it got to be so high, because it only had around £500 on it when I finished it.

It doesn't show on experian who I check regularly.

I last used the card in 1996 but clearly looks like my mother never stopped using the account.

I feel so stupid, but I trusted my mum to do as she said she would do.

I suggest that you make a Subject Access Request to the original creditor ( which company was this?) to get all the personal data it holds o you which should provide answers about the account, there is a £10 statutory fee for this use a cheque or postal order. The creditor has 40 days to comply.

It Wescot acting on behalf of another company if so which one?

nem

[Roland]

Re: Wescot DCA

I think it also needs clarifying you say there was £500 on it when you closed it. They would not close the account if there was still a balance on it of course, Although they may terminate if no payments were made, certainly you would not be able to terminate it yourself unless it was nil balance.

[FreakedOut]

Re: Wescot DCA

Nem - Bank of Scotland.

Roland - I sent a letter saying to close the account once the remaining money was paid off as my mum the additional card holder told me she would pay it off in full.

Thank you again everyone for your advice

[nemesis45]

Re: Wescot DCA

I think it also needs clarifying you say there was £500 on it when you closed it. They would not close the account if there was still a balance on it of course, Although they may terminate if no payments were made, certainly you would not be able to terminate it yourself unless it was nil balance.

As the OP cut up the card and said the account should closed by the card provider he made the correct decision and did not " terminate the account himself.

[Roland]

Re: Wescot DCA

As the OP cut up the card and said the account should closed by the card provider he made the correct decision and did not " terminate the account himself.

The OP said this" I sent a letter telling them I had destroyed my card, and that the account was to be closed, new address in the letter also. As I had heard nothing since then, I thought all was good and sorted.

?????

[FreakedOut]

Re: Wescot DCA

Roland - I asked for the account to be stopped/closed IE no more transactions allowed, no more increases to the credit limit as my mum said she would pay what she owed in full at the end of the following month. Because I haven't received any communication from the bank I thought she had done just that.

[nemesis45]

Re: Wescot DCA

Roland - I asked for the account to be stopped/closed IE no more transactions allowed, no more increases to the credit limit as my mum said she would pay what she owed in full at the end of the following month. Because I haven't received any communication from the bank I thought she had done just that.

You did the right thing asking for the account to be closed so no further transactions could take place, please don't be mislead by anyone saying otherwise.

nem

[Noah]

Re: Wescot DCA

Surely the real question should be " What exactly did the letter closing the account say"?

If it just said please close the account when the balance is paid off the bank may have done nothing wrong
If it said , please cancel the cards and do not let any more transactions go through , the balance will be paid off and the account closed then the bank are in the wrong

However it happens I think the bank will have sent out new cards and I think you now have to ask for increases not just be given them automatically. The upshot being that your Mum could be in some serious trouble if she interferred with this but try to find out from her what happened without spoiling your relationship

I would suggest that the CCA request is the best way forward and as there is a good chance they will not be able to have an agreement then you can sort this out without any more trouble.

That is all looking on the black side, it could be that it was defaulted long ago and is now statute barred .