Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

[Worple7]

Hi all,

lots of Google searches have brought me to this forum to seek advice.

About 2 weeks ago I received a 9am phone call from an automated voice asking for my first name and maiden name regarding a personal matter (married 12 years now) to press 1. I did this as I was confused why I was having a phonecall in my maiden name, then I got through to a person who asked for my first name and maiden name. I asked who was calling and she asked for me to confirm if I was that person as it was regarding a personal matter. I stupidly said yes and again asked who she was. She replied saying I needed to answer some security questions before she could give information. I replied saying I was certainly not going to answer security questions when I had no idea who I was talking to. She then told me she was calling from Capquest and I needed to answer the security questions before she could tell me any information on the personal matter. I had no idea who Capquest are at the time so told her I was absolutely not answering security questions over the phone and to take me off their calling list.

Since that phonecall I have obviously 'Googled' the name and found them to be debt collectors. I have had credit card debt over a period of years with different companies but have never been in arrears, nor am currently in arrears to my knowledge. All accounts in my maiden name were changed soon after my marriage, except for my BT phone and Orange phone which have subsequently been closed or changed, respectively. Any letters requesting/notifying of late payments that have slipped through the net have always been instantly paid. Therefore, from my research I decided to block that phone number and put the do not disturb feature on my phone contacts. However over the last 2 weeks, I have had 2 text messages asking me to phone their number quoting a given reference and have received 4 voicemails from an automated message stating that Capquest called and will phone again later or to contact them.

I have also invested in using credit reference checks since this started and nothing is showing up on my credit history as being outstanding-I used Experian and clearscore. I've had nothing in writing from Capquest but moved house 8 months ago so letters are being redirected. I'm concerned as to what my next steps should be as I've found conflicting advice through my numerous 'Capquest' searches-many say don't contact, ignore; whilst others say to phone to find out what they want, some say to write with a disclaimer letter; whilst others say do not give them your postal address.

Im also concerned that 2 weeks prior to this I had a phonecall from a company claiming they could help with bank charge claims. Again I stupidly signed up and received paperwork forwarded from my old address that had an old Barclays account (closed 2003 or earlier) on the form. I changed the bank account number to my current one and can't remember if I changed the postal address or not as I'm now concerned this has something to do with all the phone calls?

Any advice on this matter will be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

[warwick65]

Re: Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

Hi
It is almost impossible to give advice when you have no idea what it is about,

You say you have had credit card debt with different companies but these are all being payed off or have they been paid off. the way you have written it , it sounds as if you have been repaying them under a payment arrangement, is that the case?

If you are paying off debts, they are routinely sold on particularly if the sums being paid are low

[pt2537]

Re: Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

Hi all,

lots of Google searches have brought me to this forum to seek advice.

About 2 weeks ago I received a 9am phone call from an automated voice asking for my first name and maiden name regarding a personal matter (married 12 years now) to press 1. I did this as I was confused why I was having a phonecall in my maiden name, then I got through to a person who asked for my first name and maiden name. I asked who was calling and she asked for me to confirm if I was that person as it was regarding a personal matter. I stupidly said yes and again asked who she was. She replied saying I needed to answer some security questions before she could give information. I replied saying I was certainly not going to answer security questions when I had no idea who I was talking to. She then told me she was calling from Capquest and I needed to answer the security questions before she could tell me any information on the personal matter. I had no idea who Capquest are at the time so told her I was absolutely not answering security questions over the phone and to take me off their calling list.

Since that phonecall I have obviously 'Googled' the name and found them to be debt collectors. I have had credit card debt over a period of years with different companies but have never been in arrears, nor am currently in arrears to my knowledge. All accounts in my maiden name were changed soon after my marriage, except for my BT phone and Orange phone which have subsequently been closed or changed, respectively. Any letters requesting/notifying of late payments that have slipped through the net have always been instantly paid. Therefore, from my research I decided to block that phone number and put the do not disturb feature on my phone contacts. However over the last 2 weeks, I have had 2 text messages asking me to phone their number quoting a given reference and have received 4 voicemails from an automated message stating that Capquest called and will phone again later or to contact them.

I have also invested in using credit reference checks since this started and nothing is showing up on my credit history as being outstanding-I used Experian and clearscore. I've had nothing in writing from Capquest but moved house 8 months ago so letters are being redirected. I'm concerned as to what my next steps should be as I've found conflicting advice through my numerous 'Capquest' searches-many say don't contact, ignore; whilst others say to phone to find out what they want, some say to write with a disclaimer letter; whilst others say do not give them your postal address.

Im also concerned that 2 weeks prior to this I had a phonecall from a company claiming they could help with bank charge claims. Again I stupidly signed up and received paperwork forwarded from my old address that had an old Barclays account (closed 2003 or earlier) on the form. I changed the bank account number to my current one and can't remember if I changed the postal address or not as I'm now concerned this has something to do with all the phone calls?

Any advice on this matter will be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

Hi there

Ok , you dont need to accept these companies calling you, the senior Courts including the High Court and Court of Appeal have made it clear that a consumer is perfectly entitled to ask a company to stop calling, and they should stop, if they continue then their conduct can give rise to an unfair relationship and / or Harassment

If you want them to stop calling you, i would suggest you write to them, ask them to cease calling and to set out their claims in writing so you can consider them and where necessary take advice etc

there is a template letter that has been drafted which is here http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...rts-v-BoS-2013

The above also refers to the most recent cases etc

[Worple7]

Re: Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

Hi,

thank you both for your very quick replies. I will certainly look at that link to the letter and send it-would you suggest omitting my address in the correspondence?

Warwick- sorry if my original information was too vague a. (I was trying to put the bare bones of my query without makeup no it too lengthy to read.)
I have credit cards that are being paid directly to the company with payments above the minimum required payment and by direct debit to the bank lender. I have not had debt management intervention at any time. The only default I may have had in the past is missing a payment, prior to direct debit payments and then paying immediately upon receipt of a reminder. I have never received letters from a lender telling me that I have an outstanding amount that has not been paid (other than due to a late payment -which I think would only be a couple of times). My Experian and clearscore put me as very good.

Thanks again for the advice so far.

[warwick65]

Re: Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

Hi,

thank you both for your very quick replies. I will certainly look at that link to the letter and send it-would you suggest omitting my address in the correspondence?

Warwick- sorry if my original information was too vague a. (I was trying to put the bare bones of my query without makeup no it too lengthy to read.)
I have credit cards that are being paid directly to the company with payments above the minimum required payment and by direct debit to the bank lender. I have not had debt management intervention at any time. The only default I may have had in the past is missing a payment, prior to direct debit payments and then paying immediately upon receipt of a reminder. I have never received letters from a lender telling me that I have an outstanding amount that has not been paid (other than due to a late payment -which I think would only be a couple of times). My Experian and clearscore put me as very good.

Thanks again for the advice so far.

Thanks for clearing that up
So in essence you are saying you have no outstanding or delinquent debts that are not being dealt with

To me it is possibly a case of mistaken identity - it can and does happen

I see two options
1) Give capquest a call and see what it is about , it might be that when you give DOB etc they realise it is not you. If that is the case try to get them to confirm it in writing

2) Write to capquest - clearly you have no account number to give them and tell them that whilest you have no ideas why they have contacted you , if they put the details in writing you will investigate and get back to them

How many times have they called you now?
Did you tell them to contact you in writing ?

Maybe, its a little too early to go in all guns blazing although i have been guilty of that in the past. It seems to me there are great chunks of that letter that are irrelevant - also it would sound to me like an admission of liability which if this turns out to be an old debt, you don't really want to do.

[pt2537]

Re: Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

Thanks for clearing that up
So in essence you are saying you have no outstanding or delinquent debts that are not being dealt with

To me it is possibly a case of mistaken identity - it can and does happen

I see two options
1) Give capquest a call and see what it is about , it might be that when you give DOB etc they realise it is not you. If that is the case try to get them to confirm it in writing

2) Write to capquest - clearly you have no account number to give them and tell them that whilest you have no ideas why they have contacted you , if they put the details in writing you will investigate and get back to them

How many times have they called you now?
Did you tell them to contact you in writing ?

Maybe, its a little too early to go in all guns blazing although i have been guilty of that in the past. It seems to me there are great chunks of that letter that are irrelevant - also it would sound to me like an admission of liability which if this turns out to be an old debt, you don't really want to do.

No but the point about the calls is a valid on and one which the Court of Appeal in Roberts said

1. The existence of a debt, however, does not give the creditor the right to bombard the debtor with endless and repeated telephone calls. The debtor is fully entitled to say that he or she does not wish to talk to the creditor. In those circumstances, the creditor is thrown back upon his formal legal remedies. That is what the courts are there to provide. They are there to ensure that creditors do not resort to the remedy of self help.

It is quite right that you shouldnt have to put up with telephone calls from these companies, so you do have the right to ask them to stop calling.

I agree with Warwick that you may want to take a little care when writing, but nonetheless you are entitled to ask them to stop the calls

[Worple7]

Re: Repeated Capquest phone calls and texts

Thank you again,

(Sorry for the predictive typos in my previous reply)

I think a case of mistaken identity but from all my online research I've discovered that it makes no difference as they have repeatedly called/text people who have pointed out they have the wrong name. I only answered 1 phonecall, refusing to answer the security questions and so didn't get as far as telling them my dob as I didn't know what the company was/is.

i have now found online a list of about 100 phone numbers that are attributed to Capquest and have so far manually blocked about half when I have found recent negative feedback to the number. I have a reference number from the 2 texts I have received. The 4 voicemails just tell me that they called and may call again later-I don't think they give the reference number. They may well have called more frequently on any of the numbers that I have blocked.

I think my best course of action is to write referring to their reference number and asking for all correspondence to be addressed to the address they have so that I can read whatever the private matter is regarding (and thereby not giving my address). I'll also quote some of the legal sections from researched letters stating their legal obligations.

Thank you.