h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

so I lost my phone at Scout camp in March, and waited a couple of weeks before cancelling the SIM. Clearly this was a BAD IDEA as some bugger has clearly found my phone and has racked up a debt in excess of £600 on it in my name, and because my SIM was uninsured and because I hadn't cancelled the SIM I am going to have to mop up the bill.

I can't I physically do not have the money. Who finds a phone on a SCOUT CAMPSITE and decides to rack up £600 on it?

A soon to be homeless who will have to sell her possessions to get out of this wants to know.

mini

First, if they call you up then tell them you're dealing with it and put the phone down. Do *not* agree to a payment plan over the phone.

Go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau and explain your situation. Bring any letters/demands for payment for the phone bill with you. They will be able to:

1) Advise you whether you are definitely liable for the bill.

2) Contact the company on your behalf and offer them a payment plan which might work out as little as £5 per week.

Companies with unpaid bills pass the debts onto debt collectors who make it their job to hassle debtors with letters and phone-calls usually with (spurious) "demands" that the debtor pay immediately. These are more bark than bite, unless there is talk on the letter of court action the letters carry no legal weight.

All the collectors care about is the bill being paid eventually. If you can only, say, afford £10 a week (or even less) towards the bill then that is what they will accept.

You can find your local CAB by doing a postcode search here:

http://www.cas.org.uk/find-a-bureau/

Most bureaus have a drop-in service so you just have to go there and wait your turn. Good luck.