Interum Justitia

KenziD

Hi about 3 years ago I traveled to the US I was with eMobile and had my smartphone with me when I returned I had a bill for €1200 for data roaming charges.
I called eMobile to dispute but they were having none of it they said I received a text telling me about charges etc. I never did plus the roaming on this particular phone would activate automatically due to app updates etc. anyway I left eMobile and went to another provider. About a year later I got a call from a solicitor and they wanted the money etc. I said I was disputing it. Now over 3 years later I get this letter from Intrum Justitia they are saying they'll come out to my family's residence where I no longer live.
I have seen other posts saying it will be wrote off as a bad debt etc. any ideas what can happen.. I wouldn't have the money to pay them and I'm not paying for something I didn't use either. Please let me know thanks.

L1011

For that sum of money they may actually pursue it through the courts - its not an insignificant sum.

The concept of roaming charges will have been in the contract you signed - not reading it doesn't work as a defence. Your phone re-enabling roaming, which sounds completely made up to me, is also not a defence.

I would recommend contacting eMobile and seeing if you can come to an arrangement, for a lesser sum if possible.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

That is a sizeable sum. You actually have no defence as you could not have been unaware of roaming charges in the US at this stage. You had the phone. It was your settings that used the roaming for your app updates. Have you made any payment to date at all or made payment arrangements? Even a small monthly payment arrangement may be acceptable to them

fro9etb8j5qsl2

Interum Justitia sent me a few threatening letters a few years ago when 3 mobile tried to charge me €600 for cancelling my contract (after their insurance company refused to replace my stolen phone because apparently, having the phone in your handbag on your shoulder is negligent :rolleyes:) Anyways, I ignored the letters and nothing ever came of it. They stopped writing to me after about a year. And then 3 started sending me out bills for the amount again. Eventually, they got tired and went away too.

KenziD

I called them up when i got the bill and tried to reason with them setup some sort of payment plan and they said they wanted 500 euro upfront i was in college at the time and didnt have that sort of money..

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Well try again, now that you are no longer in college perhaps you can afford a plan that will be mutually acceptable.

Doom

Tell them that you owe money to emobile and will only ever deal with them.
You have no contract or owe money to Interm Justina.

KenziD

yeah ill see what they say i am just wondering if i did offer them the bill without the roaming charges would they accept it and leave it at that? I'm wondering will they send people out to my parents house and take their stuff.. i am no longer living at that address and i don't want anyone coming to their door.

KenziD

if i say that they will just turn around and say we work for emobile they employed us to collect

L1011

KenziD wrote: »

yeah ill see what they say i am just wondering if i did offer them the bill without the roaming charges would they accept it and leave it at that?

Extremely unlikely. You're going to have to pay for at least *some* of the roaming charges for this to go away.

GoWhest

Can companies legally pass your details onto a debt collector like that or is it in breach of the data protection act?

dudara

GoWhest wrote: »

Can companies legally pass your details onto a debt collector like that or is it in breach of the data protection act?

Not if it's been detailed in the contact you signed.

Fred Swanson

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Popescu

Some of us get by without a telephone.

Ken.

Popescu wrote: »

Some of us get by without a telephone.

Posted from iphone 5

former legend

GoWhest wrote: »

Can companies legally pass your details onto a debt collector like that or is it in breach of the data protection act?

This is very important because I've heard a few people say that "oh, it's in breach of data protection, they can't do that".

That is just not true and it is no defence for this person:

http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Case-Studies-2012/1354.htm#6

dreamers75

Doom wrote: »

Tell them that you owe money to emobile and will only ever deal with them.
You have no contract or owe money to Interm Justina.

Thats a stupid post, the debt has been sold onto a debt collection agency. You agreed to this when you turned on the phone/whatever.

Interim will follow this up, normally Emobile "sell" the debt for 25% of it. Some companies sell at higher rates. but in this instance it would be about 300 to emobile from IJ then they chase you up for the 1200.

They have someone in the district court who will roll off up to 50 cases at the judge in an hour.

its an efficent system i will give them that.

Go to court and take your chances with the judge, the other 49 most likely wont show anyone who does has a reasonable chance of getting a payment plan that suits them.

L1011

Its extremely rare that the debt is legally transferred, although its more likely for sums like this. If that hasn't happened, the debt collector doesn't own it regardless of what way they've agreed to pay the original source of the debt.

Fred Swanson

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emo72

KenziD wrote: »

Hi about 3 years ago I traveled to the US I was with eMobile and had my smartphone with me when I returned I had a bill for €1200 for data roaming charges.
I called eMobile to dispute but they were having none of it they said I received a text telling me about charges etc. I never did plus the roaming on this particular phone would activate automatically due to app updates etc. anyway I left eMobile and went to another provider. About a year later I got a call from a solicitor and they wanted the money etc. I said I was disputing it. Now over 3 years later I get this letter from Intrum Justitia they are saying they'll come out to my family's residence where I no longer live.
I have seen other posts saying it will be wrote off as a bad debt etc. any ideas what can happen.. I wouldn't have the money to pay them and I'm not paying for something I didn't use either. Please let me know thanks.

do you have anything that they can take from you? you mentioned you were in college ? therefore you are young and living with your parents? if you dont own any assets they cant take anything from you. they need to go to court, get an order against you, even then if they win their case you have to have something they can take from you. if your only assets are a cheap mobile phone and a schoolbag, give it to the sheriff and tel them thats all you own. IF IT GETS THAT FAR.

dreamers75

MYOB wrote: »

Its extremely rare that the debt is legally transferred, although its more likely for sums like this. If that hasn't happened, the debt collector doesn't own it regardless of what way they've agreed to pay the original source of the debt.

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Its in the contract you agreed/signed.

You do not have to be notified that the debt has transfered, its simply a machine with an end goal. Who you owe decides who gets the money back from you, not you.

People get into debt then look for a way out that doesnt involve paying said debt.

I got lucky/well advised(mabs) my debt was with BOI who sold it to Mason hayes who went bang and it was moved to some english company. Judge said I can pay 10 a month and because i was there in court they agreed to it. The other 49 that morning were not so lucky judge ordered debt company to "recoup" which is exactly what you think it is.

L1011

dreamers75 wrote: »

Its in the contract you agreed/signed.

It is nowhere near that easy.

The vast majority of cases of a debt collector being used in Ireland do not involve any transfer of the debt at all.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

There seems to be an assumption on Boards that debt collectors have bought the debt. This is very rarely the case and they are simply working on behalf of the creditors.