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Lying bastards
I'm currently awaiting a couple of packages. When I got home today, I had a card (no name, just our address) from "Rapid Forwarding UK", saying:
This struck me as a bit odd, so I googled, and got hints that they were a front for a debt collectors, the idea being that if you call and give them the reference, then they know that you live there.
Companies house confirms the name and registered office, but thinks they are a "6024 - Freight transport by road" company (are you, I wonder, allowed to lie about this?), so I asked 192.com to look up businesses in LS11 5JJ. That offered me 1st Locate Limited, at 3 Leodis Court (amongst others in the same postcode), and http://www.voifirst.co.uk/contacts.html which is an odd page (I don't have flash here). Amongst other things, it links to http://www.1stlocate.com/ who are, as expected, a debt recovery company specialising in utilities.
So, presumably, they (like several other firms) are after the previous tenant. They are also dishonest.
I should probably just throw the postcard away, but I'm tempted to phone them up and shout at them for lying to me. I'm not sure if that would achieve anything other than letting me blow off a bit of steam, though. I could tell them that I have a forwarding address for the previous resident which I'd have given them if they'd been honest... ;-)
ETA it's worse than that. This lot of cowboys are the same as LCS Civil Enforcement, who have sent us 3 letters asking about our details, and the previous tenants' details in relation to utility bills. We've spoken to them after each letter; and after the last one they promised not to send any more letters! I am even less impressed! This sort of thing shouldn't be legal; I'm fed up of being bothered by them.
ETA2 www.ukdata.com lists them as non-trading...
Rapid Forwarding UK.
There is an item to forward
please call to make arrangements
Lo-call: 0845 603 1406
Note all calls are charged at normal local rates
Please contct us a.s.a.p. / call anytime
Quoting Job No: [elided]
Company Reg. No. 3983694 - Registered Office: 3 Leodis Court, Leeds, LS11 5JJ
Calls may be recorded for training and security purposes
This struck me as a bit odd, so I googled, and got hints that they were a front for a debt collectors, the idea being that if you call and give them the reference, then they know that you live there.
Companies house confirms the name and registered office, but thinks they are a "6024 - Freight transport by road" company (are you, I wonder, allowed to lie about this?), so I asked 192.com to look up businesses in LS11 5JJ. That offered me 1st Locate Limited, at 3 Leodis Court (amongst others in the same postcode), and http://www.voifirst.co.uk/contacts.html which is an odd page (I don't have flash here). Amongst other things, it links to http://www.1stlocate.com/ who are, as expected, a debt recovery company specialising in utilities.
So, presumably, they (like several other firms) are after the previous tenant. They are also dishonest.
I should probably just throw the postcard away, but I'm tempted to phone them up and shout at them for lying to me. I'm not sure if that would achieve anything other than letting me blow off a bit of steam, though. I could tell them that I have a forwarding address for the previous resident which I'd have given them if they'd been honest... ;-)
ETA it's worse than that. This lot of cowboys are the same as LCS Civil Enforcement, who have sent us 3 letters asking about our details, and the previous tenants' details in relation to utility bills. We've spoken to them after each letter; and after the last one they promised not to send any more letters! I am even less impressed! This sort of thing shouldn't be legal; I'm fed up of being bothered by them.
ETA2 www.ukdata.com lists them as non-trading...
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You could phone them up and say "Is it a parcel for Joe Bloggs?" without *actually* saying you're not Joe Bloggs, and see how much of their time you can waste. And if they say no it isn't you could phone again and ask if it's one of the parcels for you.
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http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/cpregs/oft1008.pdf
See in particular:
Provisions 21 and 22 (page 25)
Chaper 7 (Misleading Practices)
Misleading Practices are a criminal offence. Trading Standards in the area of the firm is your first port of call.
Hope this helps.
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The OFT does have some guidelines on unfair practices of debt collectors:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/cca/debt-collection
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf
Which this would seem to fall foul of. 2.2.(c), 2.4.(f), 2.7, 2.8.(a,j,k) frex. Well, the terminology may be a bit loose but I think there's an argument that they've breached *something* in there. Note also that the pdf states that those who hire third parties are liable to sanction themselves for breaches committed by those third parties. Investigating the OFT complaints procedure may be a useful next step.
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I've got the Leeds telephone directories here and neither Rapid Forwarding or 1st Locate are in them.
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Of course, the debt collection guidelines also apply, but it's a lot easier to nab them for a clear breach of criminal law than a breach of guildelines. On the other hand, the Regulations don't have a body of case law built up around them yet, but if anything that makes them a slightly scarier stick with which to beat asshole debt collectors with, and indeed I use them to this purpose in my professional life.
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