Debt collectors?

Whiplashy

I closed my UPC account at the end of June because I was moving. Somehow I forgot to make the last payment on the account. I only remembered it this morning when I got a text message asking me to call a phone number and quote a reference number. I googled the number that they asked me to ring and found out that it is a debt collector.

The UPC is the only thing I can think of that would cause a debt collector to contact me. I have to admit I'm extremely annoyed that UPC never contacted me about the outstanding debt before handing it over to a collection agency.
I may have moved but they have my mobile number.

I'm not sure what the appropriate way to handle the situation is. I would rather not deal with the collection agency and have not rang them yet. Would it be alright to pay the outstanding balance direct to UPC? Or will the agency continue to pursue the money if I don't deal with them?

I've read some absolute horror stories about debt collectors online today and really don't want anything to do with them.

January

I'd ring and just make sure the debt is from UPC, and then ring UPC and tell them you are paying them and not the debt collector and let them sort it with the debt collector.

foggy_lad

Whiplashy wrote: »

I closed my UPC account at the end of June because I was moving. Somehow I forgot to make the last payment on the account. I only remembered it this morning when I got a text message asking me to call a phone number and quote a reference number. I googled the number that they asked me to ring and found out that it is a debt collector.

The UPC is the only thing I can think of that would cause a debt collector to contact me. I have to admit I'm extremely annoyed that UPC never contacted me about the outstanding debt before handing it over to a collection agency.
I may have moved but they have my mobile number.

I'm not sure what the appropriate way to handle the situation is. I would rather not deal with the collection agency and have not rang them yet. Would it be alright to pay the outstanding balance direct to UPC? Or will the agency continue to pursue the money if I don't deal with them?

I've read some absolute horror stories about debt collectors online today and really don't want anything to do with them.

The only way they can connect that mobile number to you is if you reply to the "spam" text you got from some company you have no dealings with! As far as they know that number might now belong to someone else.

I would do nothing and completly ignore that and any further texts as this crowd clearly do not know you are the owner of that number now. You should contact your service provider about the malicious text:)

You should really settle the debt but you should do this with UPC and not any third party company and I would be asking how UPC sold your contact details off to some dodgey company that contacts you with threatening texts.

Whiplashy

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll contact the debt collector in the morning to ensure that I don't actually owe money to anyone else! I'm not handing them over any money though unless UPC tell me that I can't deal directly with them.

slimjimmc

foggy_lad wrote: »

The only way they can connect that mobile number to you is if you reply to the "spam" text you got from some company you have no dealings with! As far as they know that number might now belong to someone else.

I would do nothing and completly ignore that and any further texts as this crowd clearly do not know you are the owner of that number now. You should contact your service provider about the malicious text:)

You should really settle the debt but you should do this with UPC and not any third party company and I would be asking how UPC sold your contact details off to some dodgey company that contacts you with threatening texts.

You'll probably find in UPC T&Cs that you have already consented to your details being passed on to sub-contractors. The DPA also allows disclosure to allow them exercise their legal rights (e.g. payment for services rendered) or where legal proceedings are a prospect.

We may, subject to the relevant legal and regulatory provisions, whilst you are a customer and for as long as necessary for the specified purposes after you terminate purchasing Services, use your personal information together with other information for the purposes of administration, credit scoring, customer services, training, marketing, tracking use of our services (including processing call, usage, billing, viewing and interactive data), profiling your usage and purchasing
preferences and providing you with services,. We may disclose your personal information to UPC or any Group Company and our sub-contractors and agents for these purposes.

There is no suggestion the text is threatening, the OP just mentions the text asked Whiplashy to contact them quoting a reference number.