Debt collection agency chasing me for money i don't owe!! help please

[newb]

I signed up for BT total broadband package a year ago, but i cancelled it with in the cooling off period and i have a confirmation of the cancellation (an email sent to me from BT). however, I received an "early termination" bill soon after I closed my account with them. I sent BT several emails to cancel the bill but they didn't even bother to reply. now they passed it onto a debt collection agency and this agency is bombarding me with threatening letters to force me into submission. I haven't yet replied to this agency but I need your advice now :
a) whether I should contact the DC agency
b) whether I can report BT to any legal authority for harrassing me unfairly as i don't owe them not even a penny.
c) can the DC agency send a bailiff without a court warranty? this is my biggest worry, because i know if they take me to court they don't have a leg to stand on, and I'm worried they might attempt some underhand tactic to get a warrant without my knowledge.

Thanks a lot in advance for all your help and advice.

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Debt collection agency chasing me for money i don't owe!! help please

Hello and Welcome Newb,

I'm ex o2 staff, so I should be ok to help with a BT problem, if you did a 7 day cool off cancelation you owe nothing and need to go to BT and tell them to call the Bully Boys off. Give them the reference off the letter and say if it is not sorted out then and there, you will go to the next stage of complaints, written.

I would suggest a written warning to the debt collectors that you owe nothing, and that you will be contacting the OFT regarding the harrassment you are receiving, above all SIGN NOTHING! Print your name as a signature.

If after 8 weeks you have not recieved a satisfactory solution, go to OFCOM and have them interviene.

DON'T speak to the debt collectors, do everything in writing and if they ask for a copy of the email BT sent you, obscure your email address, and write CERTIFIED COPY on it. Send copies of emails recorded delivery then they cant get Lost in Post!!

[newb]

Re: Debt collection agency chasing me for money i don't owe!! help please

Hello and Welcome Newb,

I'm ex o2 staff, so I should be ok to help with a BT problem, if you did a 7 day cool off cancelation you owe nothing and need to go to BT and tell them to call the Bully Boys off. Give them the reference off the letter and say if it is not sorted out then and there, you will go to the next stage of complaints, written.

I would suggest a written warning to the debt collectors that you owe nothing, and that you will be contacting the OFT regarding the harrassment you are receiving, above all SIGN NOTHING! Print your name as a signature.

If after 8 weeks you have not recieved a satisfactory solution, go to OFCOM and have them interviene.

DON'T speak to the debt collectors, do everything in writing and if they ask for a copy of the email BT sent you, obscure your email address, and write CERTIFIED COPY on it. Send copies of emails recorded delivery then they cant get Lost in Post!!

hello and thank you puffrose,

very gratefull for your quick reply, just wondering why you ask me to hide my email address ... i was actually planning to contact the by email. is it not good to contact by email? sorry if I sound naive, but that's probably because I am

[Hurricane Puffrose]

Re: Debt collection agency chasing me for money i don't owe!! help please

Hiya newb,

personally I wouldnt email them, dont give them any other form of contact If you give them your email address they will send you countless emails about how to pay them.

Your not naive in anyway hun, your new to this and your not MEANT to know these things thats why we are here to help

Personally i would keep the Debt Collector (DCA) to letter only. By all means Email BT, but I would go through the complaints proceedure and Ofcom if need be.

They cannot just send a baillif, they MUST go to court first. and yes you can go with your proof and say this is what they are chasing.

Try with BT, ask to speak to their Retentions department regarding termination charges, tell them you did a 7 day cease and you have been wrongly billed, and then ask to speak to Collections regarding it. DONT take no for an answer, if you need a call listened to, they keep the tapes for 6 months normally, and most (about 85%) are recorded, some companies have 100%.

You can ask for a SAR which will cost £10 an will have every detail of every contact, if you chose to go down that path and dont understand the jargon, please obscure your personal details and post up, i will gladly translate for you

P