Debt collectors

[nic3c]

We recently changed our home insurance company when we moved house and our old company are out of the blue telling us we owe them money for cancelling the insurance mid-year (we weren't told we would be charged this when we cancelled). We have been trying to reason with them but now they have got debt collectors on us. So far we have received one letter from the debt collector asking us to pay the money. What happens next? How long do they give us before they come knocking at our door, how often will they come round, how much will the debt increase by and do they have any powers to enter our house? We are going on holiday in 2 weeks time and are worried what will happen while we're away. We're still trying to resolve the issue with the insurance company but in the meantime the debt collectors say they are going to continue pursueing us. Any help would be much appreciated.

[factor-fiction]

What did your initial contract say- it probably included such a charge. If you haven't got the paperwork you need to ask the insurer for the terms that specified teh charge

[Jan1957]

Debt collectors cannot enter your house unless you have left a window or door open. Just make sure the house is securely locked up when you go away. They can not break in.

[nic3c]

That's a relief, thanks. We are waiting for the T&Cs to arrive in the post, it was a bit mean of them to pass us over to debt collectors before they sent it to us.

[factor-fiction]

How much is being demanded? I'm just wondering whether the charge would be considered 'reasonable'.

[nic3c]

�80

[Ethel]

It is as a favour to you they allow you to pay in instalments - it is not so long ago that you had to make one payment in advance.

Then when you cancelled you sometimes got a rebate.

However, the point is you contracted to pay them �x for 12 months, and you didn't. You could have transferred the insurance to the new address, but chose not to. Did you give them your new address as soon as you moved?

[nic3c]

No, we phoned up to cancel because we found a cheaper company for our new house. They didn't say on the phone they'd charge us otherwise we wouldn't have cancelled it.

[nic3c]

We were paying �11 a month to them so �80 was the rest of the year's payment. We recently changed car insurance and all they charged was one month's payment.

[factor-fiction]

It would have been in the terms and conditions when you signed up to the annual contract

[north star]

A debt collector has no more powers than you or I. To stop further hassle form the Debt Collector (DC), you should reply saying that the debt is in dispute and should be referred back to their customer. Further contact by the DC could then be deemed as harassment.