La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

[Perturbed]

Hello,

Wasn't sure where to post this but hopefully someone will have some advice
(please feel free to re-direct me if necessary)...

I have shopped with La Redoute online for several years on and off and had no real problems
until recently when I started to receive statements and letters saying that I have an outstanding
debt on my account. The letters have become increasingly threatening, first of all stating that they
were suspending my account, not allowing further orders and demanding immediate payment with the
last letter threatening that they will now be forced to take action against me.

Since reading the letters I have responded via their contact form on the website and by letter via email,
stating that I have no outstanding payments as I have never bought anything on credit (I don't have
credit accounts with any company or shop) and all past purchases have been paid in full at time of purchase.

The amount that they are chasing me for is £44.50, which corresponds to the price of an item I returned to
them several months ago (my last purchase). In fact, I had to chase them (!) for a refund (which they then paid,
apologising for the delay!) Since then I have made no further purchases.

I know that they have received my correspondence via email and their contact form as I received the auto-acknowledgements,
but I have still (three weeks after my initial contact) not received a response - apart from a meagre one sentence reply two weeks
later:

"Thank you for your email I have passed your quiery to the customer service team and they will contact you direct"

Nobody has "contacted me direct" and in the meantime they have continued to send threatening payment demands.

Please can somebody advise me on what to do next?

Thanks

[basa48]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

First off, I hope you have kept good records of your transactions with La Redoute, especially the refund you mention.

You should then write (or email) a 'prove it 'letter, e.g:


"Dear Sirs

You have written to me regarding a debt of £XX you allege I owe under account ref xxxxxx.

As far as I am aware I have no outstanding debt to your company and before I respond further to your threatening letters I require proof by way of statements or other means as to how this sum is allegedly owing.

In the meantime, without said proof, any further letters threatening legal action will be treated as harassment and may be reported to the relevant authorities."


You should then sit back and see what they reply. Ignore any further threats with no proof!

[Perturbed]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I have already told them in my last email that their demands and threats are unfounded, that any further letters will be treated as harrassment and that I will be seeking legal advice should this continue.

I have kept all correspondence, checked my bank statements and logged onto my La Redoute account just to double check there is no discrepancy with their website and all of these confirm that I indeed have no outstanding payments or debt. This has all been pointed out to them in my previous correspondence, which they have yet to respond to.

What concerns me is that, by the tone of their letters, it seems that they are threatening to pass this non-existent "debt" onto a third-party (i.e. bailiffs). From the way that they have systematically ignored my correspondence so far and their beligerent insistence that I pay them money that I have never owed (despite my account details on their own website confirming that this "debt" is non-existent), I am beginning to fear that bailiff action may be a distinct possibility.

I will write to them again, reiterating more clearly that I request proof of this debt. But to be honest, I have already written to them several times now, clearly stating all the facts and suggesting that they check their records as they will find that I don't even have a credit account with them, nevermind any outstanding payments... and still no response.

I may be back here again soon asking for tips on how to fight off bailiffs...

[CleverClogs]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

What concerns me is that, by the tone of their letters, it seems that they are threatening to pass this non-existent "debt" onto a third-party (i.e. bailiffs). From the way that they have systematically ignored my correspondence so far and their beligerent insistence that I pay them money that I have never owed (despite my account details on their own website confirming that this "debt" is non-existent), I am beginning to fear that bailiff action may be a distinct possibility.

For them to set any bailiffs on you, they would need an unsatisfied County Court judgement in their favour.

Whilst one cannot be certain, it seems relatively unlikely that they would go to the expense of suing over a trivial and trumpery sum as £44.50, especially as they would not be able to recover their lawyer's costs.

I would like to see their threats. Can you scan and post a redacted copy here?

[CleverClogs]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

I have since looked at their website.

I was not impressed.

Can't you shop at Matalan instead?

[Perturbed]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

From the latest letter:

"OUTSTANDING DEBT £44.50

We have tried to contact you by both letter and telephone on a number of accasions, without success. Your account remains in arrears.

If you continue to ignore our requests for payment we will be forced to take further action. We therefore ask that you immediately pay the arrears of £44.50...

DO NOT IGNORE THIS LETTER; IT IS NOT IN YOUR INTEREST TO DO SO."

For the record, I have been taken to court before (without warning) over 20p so nothing surprises me these days.

[Perturbed]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

Also, despite what their letter states, they have not contacted me by telephone at all. Meanwhile, I have written to them several times.

[CleverClogs]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

Also, despite what their letter states, they have not contacted me by telephone at all. Meanwhile, I have written to them several times.

How and to whom have you written?

Their web site suggests:

Write to - Liz Roberts, Customer Care Manager, La Redoute, 2 Navigation Walk, Bridge Street, Wakefield, WF90 8AA

But the bottom of every page gives different details:

Redcats (Brands) Limited t/a La Redoute. 2 Holdsworth Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 4AH (No. 110433).

... which may be of some interest - link
Company check states that the company was formerly Empire Stores Limited and lists four directors - link

I hope this may help.

[CleverClogs]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

For the record, I have been taken to court before (without warning) over 20p

Did they win?

[Perturbed]

Re: La Redoute threatening action for non-payment of "debt"

I have contacted them via their website's Contact Us form as well as emailing letters to helpline@redoute.co.uk, fssupportteam@redcats.co.uk and advisors@laredoute.co.uk. I refuse to spend another penny on this awful company by paying for postage.

As for the 20p court case, yes, believe it or not they won. I was fined (£100 I believe it was) and have a criminal record. This was a result of a train ticket bought from a machine and discounted (unbeknownst to me) from £14.90 to £14.70. My ticket was confiscated by a ticket inspector on board the train and next thing you know I received a summons! Despite presenting my case clearly, providing my ticket receipt and fully cooperating I was told that I was guilty of fare evasion (!) and should consider myself lucky that the fine was not higher. So, forgive me for my lack of faith in the British justice system. I now know that it is nothing more than another money-making scheme for this corrupt government and their cohorts (i.e. large corporations).

Moral of the story? Don't travel with First Capital Connect.