Lift the receiver on Vodafone

I was made bankrupt on 3 August last year for being unable to repay a £35,000 business loan. At the end of that month the official receiver asked me for my last mobile phone bill (my payments were up to date), to turn off the phone and not use it again, and that he would be writing to Vodafone to close the account. I followed his instructions. Despite this, I continued to receive monthly bills from Vodafone, each one adding about £100 a month to the total owed. I couldn't contact Vodafone myself as I was under strict instructions not to contact any creditors directly, so I forwarded the bills to the receiver who sent letters to Vodafone reminding it of my status. Eventually, I cracked and contacted Vodafone, which denied all knowledge of the letters. A year later the bankruptcy finally ceased and I was able to get on with my life. But the next day a firm of debt collectors threatened me with personal visits and possible litigation for the outstanding debt owed to their client, Vodafone, of £1,115.91. It looks as though Vodafone has decided to ignore the correspondence from the receiver and keep the bill ticking over for 12 months, then on the very day I was discharged to instruct their legal team to threaten me with court action. I am at my wits end. Having spent a year finally putting my financial problems behind me once and for all, I feel it's all happening again. RH, Telford, Shropshire The last thing you needed when trying to carve out a future for yourself was the past springing up in the vivid red guise of Vodafone to remind you of prior financial calamities. The mobile phone provider admitted the processes it has in place to help customers who have been declared bankrupt failed in your case. "The process was significantly delayed, which unfortunately meant Mr H went on receiving bills," claimed a Vodafone spokeswoman. To be fair, Vodafone resolved your problem quickly once Brignall and King stepped in. "We've cleared Mr H's outstanding balance and we have stopped any further follow up from the collections agency." You are finally free of your financial problems. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at [email protected] or write to Brignall & King, Money, The Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number