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Kez-23's avatar
Kez-23
Tuning in
3 years ago
Solved

IMFS debt collectors for mysterious bill from 2021

Hi, I have today received phone calls, emails and now text messages from IMFS debt collectors claiming I have unpaid bills from virgin media broadband dating back to may 2021. We moved house and I cancelled our package as VM couldn't provide a service at the new address. I thought I paid all bills and i also sent back our router. I received no correspondence from VM about unpaid bills, so v confused. I phoned VM today and they told me its probably a scam and to ignore, but having googled the companies name, it looks genuine. They are telling me virgin media have sold the debt to them & passed on all my personal info to them. VM are saying they can't email me confirmation that my closing account is cleared with no outstanding bills. 

Looking for a speedy resolution pls as v stressed and being hounded by the so called debt collectors 

complaint
debt collectors
personal information
Scam
unpaid bills
  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    3 years ago
    Kez-23 wrote:

    Hi, I have today received phone calls, emails and now text messages from IMFS debt collectors claiming I have unpaid bills from virgin media broadband dating back to may 2021. We moved house and I cancelled our package as VM couldn't provide a service at the new address. I thought I paid all bills and i also sent back our router. I received no correspondence from VM about unpaid bills, so v confused. I phoned VM today and they told me its probably a scam and to ignore, but having googled the companies name, it looks genuine. They are telling me virgin media have sold the debt to them & passed on all my personal info to them. VM are saying they can't email me confirmation that my closing account is cleared with no outstanding bills. 

    Looking for a speedy resolution pls as v stressed and being hounded by the so called debt collectors 

    Have you checked your credit report to see if VM logged a default against you?

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    3 years ago
    Kez-23 wrote:

    Hi, I have today received phone calls, emails and now text messages from IMFS debt collectors claiming I have unpaid bills from virgin media broadband dating back to may 2021. We moved house and I cancelled our package as VM couldn't provide a service at the new address. I thought I paid all bills and i also sent back our router. I received no correspondence from VM about unpaid bills, so v confused. I phoned VM today and they told me its probably a scam and to ignore, but having googled the companies name, it looks genuine. They are telling me virgin media have sold the debt to them & passed on all my personal info to them. VM are saying they can't email me confirmation that my closing account is cleared with no outstanding bills. 

    Looking for a speedy resolution pls as v stressed and being hounded by the so called debt collectors 

    Have you checked your credit report to see if VM logged a default against you?

      • goslow's avatar
        goslow
        Alessandro Volta
        3 years ago
        Kez-23 wrote:

        How do I go about doing that? 

        See the section 'Getting your credit reports' from CAB below and links for the free statutory reports

        https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/help-with-debt/dealing-with-your-debts/collecting-information-about-your-debts/

        Depending on what you discover, you can also submit a data subject access request to VM (DSAR) using the form below to get all the necessary info regarding the closure of your account (given the time that has elapsed some info may not be available, such as call recordings)

        https://www.virginmedia.com/help/dsar

        VM has been inadequate in processing these DSAR's in the past and, if they do not respond within one month, they are failing in their duty under DSAR. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is 'monitoring' VM at the moment because of past non-compliance.

        You can also speak direct to Citizens Advice who will give you detailed advice on the legalities involved in all of the above.

        VM has plenty of form on here for processing defaults against customers who (if the customer posts are taken at face value) genuinely have no knowledge of the monies owed before the default is processed by VM.

         

    • Spencerd's avatar
      Spencerd
      Tuning in
      3 years ago

      I had exactly the same issue from March 2021 no demands emails calls letters and now I’ve got a ousting debt on my credit score , I’m confident that this has happened to many customers and believe virgin media just sold of loads of debts during the pandemic as they couldn’t chase people then for money so now nearly 2 years later we are all getting these debt collectors asking for payment 
      I’ve spend the last few weeks giving detail after detail to a admin on here in private to be told you don’t owe anything then a week later oh you do owe something so you will have to pay it , it’s disgusting tactics that we all need to make sure that we let everyone know on social media etc 

      • coops67's avatar
        coops67
        On our wavelength
        3 years ago

        I now have a default on my credit score too, apparently from June 2021! Finally got a response from JCIA who VM told me to contact to be told they dont have any details of me under the ref number sent to me. So ref number supplied doesnt work when put into CRS site and JCIA know nothing about me, yet virgin have posted a default against me for a debt i dont owe and still getting threatening texts from dodgy CRS firm. Have contacted FCA who have given me details of Financial Services Register to contact. .....Through all this the only information ive ever been sent is texts demanding i click a link to pay money for a 'debt' i know absolutely nothing about. Ive never had any details of what i owe any money for or anything. The texts dont even say what its for. When i closed my account with VM 2 years ago i did everything correctly as asked and returned all the equipment (which they acknowledged receipt of). Now they are trying to make me (and everyone else thats being screwed feel like a criminal). It seems they have falsely made up debts and then just sold them to debt collectors. This is either deliberate on their behalf or a mistake was made and they dont have the balls to just admit it, apologise and sort it out. It's not about the 60 quid. If there was a genuine mistake and VM contacted me directly to discuss i wouldn't have had a problem and just paid it. But to think that without me knowing they they just came up with a debt and then just sold it off to damage me is disgusting. And then refuse to discuss it just because im an ex customer. If they think im going to roll over and just be robbed they can think again. 

  • Kaczorkova's avatar
    Kaczorkova
    Joining in
    2 years ago

    Well after all this time and reading all your answers to this topic, I come to say that today I’ve received an identical email. I started stressing out abt it and looking for closure emails with VM, as exactly one year ago I closed the contract and paid final bill and sent the equipment as requested by them.

    Since November last year when I’ve paid the last bill I haven’t heard from them, no call, no email and no letter, considering I haven’t moved from the address or changed mail or phone no.

    Now I get this email, WITH A DISCOUNT 🤣😂 from this company, apparently very well known and important.

    I’ve called VM and stressed them out to find all info abt my old account and results that I paid everything and never ended contract with debts, finally telling me to just ignore that email, most probably being scam.

    Now, is this just the beginning of scam emails or is it for real?  
    P.S.: The debt collector’s email address ends in .Co.com , which for me looks a bit awkward 😒

    • Thoroscar's avatar
      Thoroscar
      Tuning in
      2 years ago

      Read this thread, horrific by the way, and found this online which you should give a thorough read through. I found it in seconds so no doubt more helpful advice out there. The email address (.co.com) appears to be legit.

      https://moneyadvisor.co.uk/imfs_debt/

  • Leeh0981's avatar
    Leeh0981
    Joining in
    11 months ago

    Exactly the same thing happened to me, Moved house and they couldn’t provide Virgin media, My new house was literally around the corner, Now all of a sudden a £51 has appeared out of nowhere, Final bill was Paid and Equipment sent back as requested.

    Asked IMFS for a detailed explanation but they ‘Cannot tell me’ it’s not getting paid simple as that, I will ignore there future emails. 

    • Gareth_L's avatar
      Gareth_L
      Forum Team
      11 months ago

      Hello Leeh0981.

      Thanks for your post.

      Sorry to hear about the balance that has been passed over to a debt recovery agency.

      If you would like us to take a look at what has happened we can do from here.

      I would need to take some account details through a private message.

      If you can check your logo at the top right of your screen that would be great. 
      Regards     
      Gareth_L
       

       

  • Craftyowl's avatar
    Craftyowl
    Joining in
    9 months ago

     

    Funnily enough I moved end of June 2021. Cancelled my VM from the beginning of the month as that’s when my last payment went out. 

    was told I didn’t need to return equipment if I didn’t need to, but did. 

    No final bill to pay it would just end when it should. 

    I have been constantly harassed by IMFS about outstanding  payment due. First they said mobile. Not a chance I’ve been wit GiffGaff since they started. 

    Now spouting this £59 at me. 

    I do not owe anything. Virgin Media will not help as, surprise my account has been closed for over 3 years. 

    This is appalling behaviour 

     

    • David_Bn's avatar
      David_Bn
      Forum Team
      9 months ago

      Thanks for reaching out to us Craftyowl, and a very warm welcome to our Community Forums!

      I'm sorry to hear of the issues experienced with the amount owed from a former account.

      Check out the envelope in the top right hand corner for a private message from me

      Thanks,

      David_Bn

  • Muzahlita's avatar
    Muzahlita
    Joining in
    3 months ago

    I had 2 accounts (one at my mums and one at home) when I moved back to my mums I cancelled hers and transferred mine back to my mums as it was still in contract, I made sure all bills were paid and settled this with Virgin. I called them a year later to confirm it was all paid as I noticed a mark on my credit report and they informed me I had nothing to pay I have been trying to get the mark removed since but I have now started to receive calls and emails from this company, I called Virgin multiple times and they keep telling me there’s no outstanding bill, as I am still a customer I’d have thought they would have contacted me directly to settle the bill if there was one and when I ask the company they ‘can’t go into detail’ it’s frustrating not getting a straight answer from anyone and I just want it sorted I don’t know if it’s a scam or a mistake at virgin but I’m looking to complain if the calls persist and Virgin sticks to not having a missed bill on file 2 years on