Dear Agony Aunt
we have just found out that our 18yr old daughter has got herself into debt with a phone company. our daughter left home a month ago and we do not know where she is living or with whom.

We do know she is currently unemployed and not claiming any benefits. we have recieved notice from a debt recovery firm that she owes voda phone over ?450. only last year we paid off a debt to voaphone for almost ?600 and we trusted our daughters word that she had cancelled any contract with the phone company.obviously she has not and she is now being threatened with possible court action or the removal of goods from our house to help recover any lossess.

We are at our wits end with it all we have contacted vodaphone to find out how she was allowed to take out a contract without having a finacial check done, and they would not divulge any info with us as because of privacy etc.

As parents are we liable to repay any debts our daughter has got,and what will happen to our daughter if she cannot repay any money.
We suspect this was her reason for leaving home and we are desperate to know what we can do. we are not in any position to repay the debt on her behalf we also think that she needs to be taught a lesson but we also do not want to see her blacklisted for future.
hope you can advice.
thank you

Dear worried mum

The chances are that your daughter is already on a list of bad creditors, more worrying is the fact that her bad credit may affect you.

Get a copy of your credit report from equifax and experian ASAP, they charge ?2 each.
Make sure her debt doesn't show up as being yours.

I am sorry to say that you will have to let your daughter stand on her own two feet for this one.

I can honestly understand your worrying about her , but you can not afford to pay the bill for her so she will have to pay it herself.
Make sure that any mail you receive for her is returned as "no longer lives here" and make sure vodaphone know that she doesnt live there.

They can not come and take items that belong to you as it isn't your bill, you never signed the agreement so why do you have to pay?

Go and see your local Citizens Advice Bureau for detailed advice.

Good luck

Agony Aunt