# University passed my non-existent debt on to a debt collector.



## OFCG (11 Jul 2014)

Hi,

I was due to start a Masters Degree last September. But I got a great job offer, and took that up instead. Unfortunately I couldn't get any of my Semester 1 fees refunded, but I advised the university I was withdrawing and sent the form in.

I didn't hear anything until May, when they sent me a letter asking for €1,400 for Semester 2 fees. I emailed them, saying I withdrew, and didn't owe anything. yet again didn't hear anything back.

Then a few weeks ago I receive a letter from a debt collector looking for the €1,400. Again, I got in contact with university, who finally decided to reply, and said that I was still a registered student, and to contact the university registry if I had any more queries. 

After more exchanges with the university, they basically told me they had no record of my withdrawal, and the burden of proof is on me. I told them that it was all due to their incompetence (I know several people who received similar letters after transferring or withdrawing, so this is not a one-off), and that I was not going to waste any more of my time or energy dealing with them - they needed to sort it out between their various offices and the debt collector.

Again, I hear nothing until today, when the debt collector phoned me. I didn't answer, because I wanted to have a record of any correspondence. So I emailed them warning not to contact me again, as there was no debt and my personal details had been illegally forwarded to them.

I'm completely losing my patience at this stage, I feel like I am being harassed and none of this is my fault. I contacted the university again today, who wanted me to get a signed letter from my employer confirming I was offered a job. I told them it was a ridiculous request, and I wasn't going to jump through any more hoops for them.

Is there anything more I can / should do?


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## no_moolah (11 Jul 2014)

If you didn't attend any of the classes for Semester 1 then presumably you didn't take any exams which means you didn't pass the Semester. Surely if you didn't pass Semester 1 then you're not eligible to go straight into Semester 2. How does it make sense then to bill you for a Semester you weren't eligible to go into in any case?

I would be raising those questions with them.


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## OFCG (11 Jul 2014)

Thanks for the reply. I will raise those points - I did point out that it was blatantly obvious that I wasn't studying there - didn't even receive a student card, sit any exams, attend classes etc.


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## no_moolah (11 Jul 2014)

If they continue to pursue - let them take it to court. No judge is going to entertain that nonsense.


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## RainyDay (11 Jul 2014)

How did you send the withdrawal form in? Post or email or ?


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## Jim2007 (11 Jul 2014)

no_moolah said:


> If you didn't attend any of the classes for Semester 1 then presumably you didn't take any exams which means you didn't pass the Semester. Surely if you didn't pass Semester 1 then you're not eligible to go straight into Semester 2. How does it make sense then to bill you for a Semester you weren't eligible to go into in any case?
> 
> I would be raising those questions with them.



One would also expect there would have been more communication from the college about attend, work not submitted, course selection and so on.....


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## Sue Ellen (12 Jul 2014)

OFCG said:


> I advised the university I was withdrawing and sent the form in.
> 
> I emailed them, saying I withdrew, and didn't owe anything. yet again didn't hear anything back.





RainyDay said:


> How did you send the withdrawal form in? Post or email or ?



Copy of form and e-mail returned by e-mail to college and c.c. debt collector should put a stop to this.


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## OFCG (12 Jul 2014)

I posted it in, I was told I couldn't send it by email. In hindsight, I should have sent it by registered post, but I wasn't expecting all this to happen.


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## OFCG (12 Jul 2014)

Jim2007 said:


> One would also expect there would have been more communication from the college about attend, work not submitted, course selection and so on.....



Exactly, I didn't receive anything. Surely, if I was a registered student, I would have got exam results etc.


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## Branz (12 Jul 2014)

The end game here is to get the monkey off your back so if the employers letter does the job why not.
The judge may just ask you why not also if you go to court.
Should it go wrong and you get a black mark against your credit rating.......
The legal system is very iffy so I wouldn't go there unnecessarily
The issue here is that the uni has got a wedge of dosh from central gov for you so they dont want to have to pay it back.

ps the uni doesn't care about attendance etc, this is third level: in fact if they could collect fees and have no students then happy days


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## OFCG (12 Jul 2014)

ircoha said:


> The end game here is to get the monkey off your back so if the employers letter does the job why not.
> The judge may just ask you why not also if you go to court.
> Should it go wrong and you get a black mark against your credit rating.......
> The legal system is very iffy so I wouldn't go there unnecessarily
> ...




I see what you mean, and if they said they would sort it when I send in the letter, I would consider it, but they won't guarantee anything.

At the end of the day, the fact that I got a job isn't really relevant.


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## Branz (12 Jul 2014)

Another issue here is that while the debtor can be quick to pass on the bad debt to the collector, they may not be as quick to tell the collector that the debt is no longer due for collection.


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## Time (12 Jul 2014)

Also bare in mind the collector has no legal power to do anything beyond asking you for the money.
The university would have to sue you if they wanted to, not the collector.


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## Branz (12 Jul 2014)

Time said:


> Also bare in mind the collector has no legal power to do anything beyond asking you for the money.
> The university would have to sue you if they wanted to, not the collector.



It depends on the deal that was done, some folk sell the debt and assign the benefit of the debt to the debt collector.
It just depends


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## Jim2007 (12 Jul 2014)

OFCG said:


> I see what you mean, and if they said they would sort it when I send in the letter, I would consider it, but they won't guarantee anything.



Of course they can't guarantee anything, because as far as they are concerned you owe the outstanding amount and you have not provided them with any evidence to the contrary.



OFCG said:


> At the end of the day, the fact that I got a job isn't really relevant.



Of course it is relevant, you have no evidence to support your claim other than than your word, the letter would at least confirm part of your claim.  The fact that you are unwilling to provide the letter, probably makes them more certain that you did not cancel the course as you claim!

At this point you have to decide if you are going to continue this merry little dance and see it end up in court or you can try and get it sorted out.  But if it goes to court they will have the hard evidence (signed contract, unpaid invoice etc.) and you will have what exactly to back up your claim?  No one can tell you how a court case will turn out, but one thing is for sure the court will find it hard to over look a signed contract versus 'take my word for it, I cancelled'.


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## Time (12 Jul 2014)

ircoha said:


> It depends on the deal that was done, some folk sell the debt and assign the benefit of the debt to the debt collector.
> It just depends



That is very rare in Ireland. Collectors normally operate as a mouthpiece for the original creditor.


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## cremeegg (13 Jul 2014)

Sorry but you and all the other posters have the completely wrong approach here.

Sue the university for libel. They passed your details with regard to an unpaid debt to a third party. Go to a solicitor and issue proceedings. 

Big organisations behave like this because people don't stand up to them.

Then sit back and wait.

As an aside I thoroughly enjoyed my time at university and would have a strong feeling of loyalty to it. Many of todays students that I know,see their university as little more than an oppressive money grubbing machine


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## Gerry Canning (14 Jul 2014)

Do not get tied into any legal Quagmire;

Send a registered letter to the effect.
1. They were long since advised you were not taking up the course.
2. They were long since advised you feel you owe them nothing.
3. They have been very tardy in responding to your concerns.
4. You are concerned that they are using a 3rd party to follow this up.
5. You feel you are being bullied.
6. You request that they stop this now.
7. You have to advise them that if this bullying continues you will have to take this further.

Request an acknowledgment to your letter.

Then wait; 
The reality is that IF you do owe them funds they will continue after you .
If you do not owe funds they will stop. 

Be aware that you may just have signed something that tied you in on Day one?


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## OFCG (16 Jul 2014)

Thanks for all the replies. The saga is still ongoing - when I told the university I didn't want to get a letter from my employer, they asked if I had proof I discussed withdrawing with anyone at the university. I forwarded them emails between me and the fees office, and also pointed out that it took 3 weeks, 3 emails and many phone calls before I got any reply. I haven't heard anything since.

The debt collector did send me another letter saying they would call to my door if I don't pay in 5 days. I phoned them, as I had requested them not to contact me at all. They said the letter was sent before they received the request.

Anyway, they said the claim had been referred back to the University, and they were waiting on further instruction from them.

If a debt collector does call to my house, I will be looking into the legal action I can take against the university, I am really getting sick of this.


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## Gerry Canning (17 Jul 2014)

{legal action against Uni} 
Do not waste your time on this, unless you are well preared for a very very long saga that will go nowhere! and create more hassle for you!.
From your thread it looks like this will now fizzle out.

Also , since people are looking for you, do not phone them , let them do any running that they feel is necessary.
Methinks it is their problem.

I do understand your vexation.


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