debt colloctors

[run_rabbit55]

I have been sent a letter from a debt collection company saying i owe then �350. Ive found out this is for a catalogue company. The catalogue was my nans from 5 years ago nothing to do with me. Admitally i owe some money for goods she purchased on this catalogue. can she pass her debt with the catalogue on to me? Im refusing to pay wessex debt colloctors at the moment and they have told me ill go to county court. Ive asked for details in writing of what i owe beut they cant or wont. can any one help?.....quickly! thanks

[CheekyChops]

If you ordered goods out of someone else's mail order catalogue and then don't pay, then yes, they can pass your details on to the catalogue company who in turn will pass it on to debt collectors.

[themas]

Did you sign anything about this catalogue? Normally these transactions come under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which requires you to have signed an agreement. If you did not sign one, the agreement is unenforceable in Court. This does not mean the money is not owed, just that the creditor can't get a CCJ (but if the Court is not told the position they will get one - so, if you didn't sign anything, you need to tell the creditor and ask them to prove that you did).

The above assumes you rather than your Nan are liable. I'm not sure you are - normally there has to be a contract for you to be liable and it may be the only contract you had was with your Nan, not with the creditor. You could query this with the company as well.

[LegallyAware]

This is a tricky situation, depending on the type of agreement she had with the catalogue company, you could be held liable. For the debt but only the part that you had benefited from from, the credit agreement would have been your nans from which you purchased items.

If I assume your nan may was a registered or recognised agent for the catalogue company.
This is how it would work, she would be allowed to assign some of her credit facility to someone else, family or friends, by placing an order for you she would have been required to provide your contact details and the items she was purchasing for you. Your nan would then act as a bailie, this means she would be billed monthly/weekly and your payment would be collected by her and they would then collect it in turn from your nan. If you fail to pay then your nan would be expected to inform the catalogue company of this to avoid being left with this debt against her.