I found pinned on the notice board

[Dazzza]

That’s a fucker.

Have you spoken to the debt recovery agency yet?

All they're interested in is getting hold of the cash.  You should be able to wrangle some payment by instalments by which time your flatmates should be home and you can castrate them.

[STFCere]

when is your tenancy expiring? i gather you graduated this summer so my guess its either the beginning or end of this month. you could always try doing a runner and leave it with the new tenants. failing that get your mates and the phone and give them hell. if there not around, get them to get their parents to send some cash. sort out the bill, then leave it to them to settle the bill with ther parents. all in all they are the cunts, you should give them hell

[Simon Pieman]

Aug 5th

I think it will all get sorted out on Tues evening when everyone is back so I will phone the Debt Agency then and explain what has happened (just say nobody has been around to see the letter. Will be a bit of a bluff but that's ok) and say we are sending payment on Wednesday.

Just spoke to my mum who said she doesn't mid lending me the cash, but considering she has funeral expenses and shit to pay, I don't really want to do this.

[STFCere]

i feel for you mate, i know from personal experience how annoying student bills are to pay. the best advice i can offer you is keep the debt agency well informed tell them everything and be honest, this will buy you time. you should be ok. good luck!

[Bedford Red]

When you're names on the thing; not a lot you can do unfortunately.

Worked in a bank for years; lots of joint debts where people offered to pay back 50%. The Bank's attitude was 'well you can pay 50% but we'll still chase you for the rest as you're liable for it"; and that was a bank so as other people have said the debt collection agency ain't going to give a toss who they get it from as long as they get the money unfortunately.

[Mexicano Rojo]

tell them your real name is pieman

[Reg Smeeton]

tell them your real name is pieman

 I thought that was his real name.

 Its a big bad nasty world out there tax dodgers....you use stuff and have to pay for it....rather than relying on the pees or us tax payers....its just soo not fair.

[oxford_fan]

Is your name on the account Pieman?

One of the things I avoided at Uni was sticking my name on any of the utility accounts as it can royally fuck with your credit rating and this sort of malarky gets pinned on you.

i pay all of our bills, is that going to mess me up? none of them have been late though.

[Dazzza]

Is your name on the account Pieman?

One of the things I avoided at Uni was sticking my name on any of the utility accounts as it can royally fuck with your credit rating and this sort of malarky gets pinned on you.

i pay all of our bills, is that going to mess me up? none of them have been late though.

No it's only when you make late payments.  If you’re on time then it goes down as a plus point.

I got screwed by Orange at Uni and didn't find out until I applied for a Mortgage several years on that they hadn't recorded the account as settled and closed.

 I had something like 3 years of late payments each over four months clocking up like no ones business.  I had a few late card re-payments and the like but I hounded the companies concerned and appealed everything which forces them to dig up their records each time and justify the black mark.  If they don’t respond in 30 days to the credit reference agency the mark is removed.

Managed to go from being in the bottom 25% in the country to the top 15% for credit.  Only down side is the amount of junk mail offering loans and credit cards.

[flammableBen]

Is your name on the account Pieman?

One of the things I avoided at Uni was sticking my name on any of the utility accounts as it can royally fuck with your credit rating and this sort of malarky gets pinned on you.

i pay all of our bills, is that going to mess me up? none of them have been late though.

No it's only when you make late payments.  If you’re on time then it goes down as a plus point.

I got screwed by Orange at Uni and didn't find out until I applied for a Mortgage several years on that they hadn't recorded the account as settled and closed.

I'd noticed you always recomend people should check there credit rating (although it's good sence anyway), I thought there might be a reason.

Never got as far as debt collectors, but a few times at uni bills have got lost under the pile of post addressed to people who moved out years ago and then someone finds a last notice burried somewhere. Always got them in time though.

[Dazzza]

It's my crusade Ben.  

A mate got bummed when she found out someone had been using her name for credit cards and the like and she's had a real nightmare sorting out the reams of companies who were shafting her.

To be fair though you can play the system if you really get in the mess.  

Change of name by deed poll is one was but you have to be careful you sever all links and accounts otherwise the old record will follow you like a bad smell.

[genf_stfc]

Check your meter reading and the bill...

Sounds like powergen are fucking about with their bills, as my missus had something very similar a few weeks ago with them.  Seems like powergen love making up a completely unreasonable estimated bill - which sounds like what you might have had to get 330 quid - then they think you actually owe them that if you are a bit late (missus was on holiday) and you get a letter v similar to the one you say and threats from the leg breakers.  

Check your meter reading, you may actually only owe them 100 or something, then you are well within your rights to phone up powergen and point out that they are a bunch of cunts.

[STFCere]

so how do you go about checking your credit rating ?

[pumbaa]

so how do you go about checking your credit rating ?

There may be other methods, but both Experian and Equifax are credit reference companies who will tell you your credit rating. They may charge you for the pleasure though (normally around £12). Check around to see if anyone will do it for free!

[Bedford Red]

http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/index.html

Experian charge 2 quid according to this.

http://www.equifax.co.uk/

Equifax appears to be 12.50; which is a lot of money in my opinion.