Sorry i am new to this and am reading this site with so much interest, i wasnt aware of this sort of information! Just one question, what is SARN? I am also have a problem with Wescot, and they are demaninding money from me but can they do this as the debt was not with them but with Bank of Scotland?

-- jamie (cuteboyjamie@hotmail.com), September 08, 2002

Answers

I thought you said you worked in the industry? Sarn = Subject Rights Access Notice (see the relevant sections on this site) Even Barclaycard put their debts out/assign debts to collectors...

-- Too scared to say (iwasduped@yahoo.com), September 08, 2002.

yes i did work in the industry, but i was not told about the data protection side of things as it was not relvant to my job, so i can sarn any finacial organisation not just mortgage accouts? how do i go about this? thanks

-- jamie (cuteboyjamie@hotmail.com), September 09, 2002.

p.s i know b/card put thier debts out but did you know that most of the debt colelction companies and solictiors they use are ACTUALLY barclaycard not a seperate organisation as they make you think but b/card own these, they are simply under another trading name to fool/trick people.....unethical maybe? so it makes you think that most other if not all other cc and banks use the same method, simply cuts down on costs doesnt it? but b/card DO sell debts on sometimes.

-- jamie (cuteboyjamie@hotmail.com), September 09, 2002.

Furthermore it's not always obvious that a debt-chaser belongs to a parent bank. You mention Barclaycard: a lot of their chasing is done through a company called "Mercers Debt Collections Ltd". Mercers are almost invisible (they've filed dormant company accounts at Companies House for the past 6 years or so, in spite of the fact that they have been extremely active - they factor debts too so Lord knows how they get away with dormant status); and you won't find them in the phone book either (even though they operate a call-centre); and their address is a Liverpool p.o. box number (in fact they operate from Barclaycard's premises). Performing a google search produces scant evidence of their existence (none of the usual corporate stuff - sponsorships, seminars etc) Anyhow, Mercers are part of the Barclays group.

One handy tool for discovering whether the company chasing you is in reality a subsidiary of (or otherwise connected with) your lender is via the "Register of Data Controllers" on the Ic's website at http://www.dpr.gov.uk/ Here you can search using address or postcode fields to see what companies come up at the same address. So that Mercers, for instance, are registered as data controllers at the same London address as Barclays' data controllers (in this case the registered office of both companies: they are parent and subsidiary)

The surefire of checking who really owns the company harrassing you is to travel to Companies House and perform a search, although that can be costly with travel etc or otherwise obtaining a search online. But of course that only works if it is a limited company chasing you: the IC's site has EVERY type of businesses registered, whether sole- trader, partnership or limited company. Very useful to know who else operates from or is listed at the same premises as the firm chasing you.

Darius

-- Darius De La Ronde (DARIUSici@aol.com), September 26, 2002.

You don't need to travel to Companies House. Do a company search online. It's free, for basic information. The URL is

http://www.companies-house.gov.uk/

Don't reply to this e-mail. The address is fake - reason? Lots of debt collectors and other scum read these boards too!

-- Highlander (bongo@bongo.com), December 31, 2002.

you dumbass debt collection companies are who they say they are and not sum jumped up creditor pretending to be somethin they are not - take for instance WESCOT they are the second largest collections company in the uk - idiot

-- Jon the WWB (wwb@yahoo.com), January 13, 2004.

I have just received two 'official' looking documents from Wescot chasing me for payments of £320.60 and £295.17. God knows what they are for, cos I recently put my debts into an IVA. THEY SAY NOTHING ABOUT WHO THE DEBT IS FOR, JUST THAT THE NOTICES ARE ISSUED FOR 'NON- PAYMENT OF THE ABOVE DEBT'. What a bunch af amateurs.

-- The Don (steve@chell@aol.co.uk), January 15, 2004.

Thats nothing! When I phoned up regarding a collection letter out of the blue, they wouldnt tell me who it was that the debt was from! I had to cajoul it out of em! unbelievable.

-- Shazza (RowlShar@aol.com), January 19, 2004.

I am too having the same problem we too got a letter from mercers and i phoned them and the said that i had to pay the debt straight away i settled at 450 pounds which i paid on the bank giro slip that day through natwest bank.

we got a letter then from westcott demanding the origanl balance of 722.48 when we had settled it ta 450 pound with this allgedley mercers we told them this went int o natwest and no one wanted to help no but they werent saying that when the took our 450 so then we got a letter from nelson guest solicitors

iv wrote to them iv been out of my maind this page as spurred me on

-- teresa bradley (greengiantqueen@hotmail.com), December 15, 2004.

Have a good look and see the trouble these scamsters are causing:

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/showthread.php?t=17263

DO NOT HAVE ANY DEALINGS WITH WESCOT CREDIT SERVICES OR ANYTHING LINKED WITH GIO INTERNET!

-- John Billet (blt@dsl.pipex.com), December 23, 2004.