DVSL - Scam?

Yesterday I received a text from a company called DVSL asking me to contact them quoting a reference number. The text message included my first name, middle initial and surname. I googled the company and it appears to be a debt collection company. I've since received 2 phone calls which I've ignored and they've left voicemails asking me to contact them.

It all seems a bit phishy though. A text message as a first point of contact? And they haven't wrote to me explaining what the debt is which makes me think they don't have my address. Again very suspicious.

I do owe money but I think this is just a scam so I've decided to ignore their texts/calls. What do you think?
Post edited by Rebelstar without a cause on

Comments

  • edited May 2013
    Yes its probably one of those companies that scares people into paying , for fear of going to court. But they have no intention of taking anyone to court.
  • edited May 2013
    It might be the case that the company you owe money to has passed the debt onto a collection agency who are now pursuing you for the debt. I suggest you respond to this DVSL company asking for full details of the debt they're collecting but making no offer of payment or giving them any other details. If they're legit then they've no reason not to tell you.

    You could also contact the company you owe money to and ask them if they've passed the debt to a collector.

    If you're unhappy contacting either yourself get in touch with a third party organisation like Citizens Advice and have them do it for you.

    Regardless, if you owe money it's never a good idea to ignore a creditor chapping at your door, literally or virtually. Thing always just get worse.
  • edited May 2013
    Don't contact them, just ignore them.
  • I'm guessing if it's a legit company they'll have my address and will therefore write to me with details of debt including who passed it to them. I'm certainly not responding to a text message though!
  • edited May 2013
    I'm guessing if it's a legit company they'll have my address and will therefore write to me with details of debt including who passed it to them. I'm certainly not responding to a text message though!
    Aye, that's what makes me think this is a scam. A proper debt collecting agency would have everything done in writing.
    Oh, no. Every time you turn up something monumental and terrible happens.
    I don’t think I have the stomach for it.
    --Raziel (Legend of Kain: Soul Reaver 2)

    https://www.youtube.com/user/VincentTSFP
  • edited May 2013
    My mother told a debt collection agency that's been chasing me for a debt in England to sod off a while ago, they kept red and black lettering her house (obviously my old digs), with all kinds of bollox. She threatened them with legal action in the end and they left her alone.

    I apparently owed a stupid amount of money to Lloyds TSB, which actually they screwed themselves with. I still have all the paypal records, and written evidence of the fact they were f**king me, and I banked with them for years.

    That debt has passed through about 3 collection agencies now, and has probably snowballed into stupid amounts of money, they aren't getting a f**king penny though. Lloyds mistake, Lloyds bullsh*t, Lloyds problem. I've already sent emails to 2 collection agencies who after no doubt reading my detailed account of how my bank tried to shag me up the arse with a serrated breadknife washed their hands of the debt and passed it on.

    They will never ever see that money, after the empty promises I got over the phone from the bank about my situation. The reason I was in debt was I still had life insurance in the UK, which I was still paying into every month. I no longer have that the insurance company themselves cancelled it, f**k em'. Money went missing in transit they told me it was fine they'd waive the charges, they didn't, then they told me I'd already had a waiver within a year so I couldn't have another one. To which I told them the reason I had my last waiver was the same as this one theft or missing money. Then they told me oh well it's fine just send us a payment to cover your life insurance for the month and we'll make sure it goes through and the charges are removed.

    Needless to say I sent the money they took it off the charges, charged me again, and didn't pay a f**king penny to my life insurance. So I just said f**k it you can whistle for your cash you pricks. You blatantly lie to me, and expect me to pay up go f**k yourselves!

    Lloyds TSB is the whole reason I opened a Paypal account in the first place as a gesture of good faith so I could pay some money in for an empty promise. I told my ma to pour boiling water over anybody who turns up asking for money because of that debt (she's just crazy enough to do it too :lol:).

    They will never see a penny of their money they can suck my balls :evil:
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited May 2013
    I'm guessing if it's a legit company they'll have my address and will therefore write to me with details of debt including who passed it to them. I'm certainly not responding to a text message though!

    They should send you a letter, aye. As far as I know debt collection agencies tend to use letters and telephone calls. All they have to do is keep the debt "active" by trying to contact you. I'm not sure about the law in England & Wales but in Scotland the only way a debt will go away is if it's written off or if they make no attempt to contact you for over five years.

    Contacting a debtor by text isn't something I've heard of before, at least not as a first contact, so you may be wise in waiting and seeing if they send you a letters as well. Don't expect any debt to go away by ignoring it, though. Collection agencies can and will put interest and charges on debts they own.
  • edited May 2013
    ive been contacted on my mobile before by a collections agency. dunno how they got the number though. i made sure to check that the debt was correct with the original people i owed money too.
  • edited May 2013
    many debt collecting letters are fairly meaningless, but written in such a way as to trick the unwary
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