It's been over a year since ISP Gio Internet finally bit the bullet and shut up shop, which followed endless complaints and the now notorious debt collection scandal. Unfortunately some ex-users continue to be harassed by the provider’s debt collecting legacy.

Regular readers may recall the turmoil that ensued as customers attempted to leave the ISP and cancel, only to find that nobody in the support department would ever respond. Others needed to update their credit card details, yet again could not contact support to do so.

Naturally many users, left with no alternative, simply cancelled their credit card payments, sent a letter of cancellation and moved on. Unfortunately this, coupled with the ISP's own incorrect billing records, later caused many ex-users to receive debt collection letters.

We're saddened to report that this same practice hasn’t stopped, with ISPr continuing to receive the odd e-mail from worried former Gio users complaining about threatening letters.

One such reader sent us a message yesterday and included a copy of the letter, which was issued by a payments agency known as 'ISP Payments'. He was shocked to learn of an outstanding debt totalling nearly £450. The letter itself was unsigned and read:

We wrote to you on the 07-04-2006 regarding payment discrepancies relating to your current/previous Internet account provided by Surfdsl (Formally Gio Internet).

To date no payment has been received to clear your arrears.

Your account currently has an outstanding balance of £436.77 for services you have used between 2nd July 2003 when the last successful payment was taken, up until June 2005 when services were last accessed from **********.

..........

Unless the outstanding balance is cleared within 7 days of this letter the matter will be passed to our designated debt recovery agents Daniel Silverman. A surcharge will be applied and your credit history may be affected.

Typically the best advice is to contact the company concerned as soon as possible, preferably by phone, to discuss your situation and gain any needed evidence.

Ideally you should have a copy of the letter or e-mail of cancellation as proof, failing that you may have to cough up. It may also be worth giving Trading Standards a bell.

One forum post (HERE) suggests that it may not only be former Gio Internet users receiving such messages.