Response Credit Management / Mackenzie Hall

Bluntman_1983 · 12 February 2009 at 7:02PM

Hi,

Having looked at a lot of the threads in these forums I'm guessing this may be a familiar story to a lot of you. However none that I could see answered my specific problem so I thought I'd post a new thread in the hope that someone can offer me some advice!

I got home from work today to find two letters (addressed to me) from a company called "Response Credit Management" stating "Notification of Outstanding Debt", issued on behalf of Mackenzie Hall (HFC). One was for £711.80, the other for £1,757.07. They have asked for immediate payment and said that I must make it within 14 days (this first alerted me to the fact that they might be idiots). I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. As far as I am aware I have no debts of this kind.

I phoned Response but their office was closed (I don't get home till 6pm). I then phoned Mackenzie Hall and was told by a chap called Peter that they couldn't help and I would have to speak to Response tomorrow.

My next port of call was my creditexpert (experian) credit report - for which I paid £6.99. This showed a few debts (all in good order, or settled) and certainly nothing of the order that they are talking about. As of this stage I have no idea what the debt is, where it came from originally or if it's even mine (I doubt it is). Having read some of the other threads I am extremely cautious about contacting these people again. Should I write to them saying I do not acknowledge the debt, or phone Response tomorrow?

If this is not my debt then who is the appropriate agency to complain to about these cowboys?

Sorry for the ramble. I am (naturally) quite worried about this. I would be very gratefull for any comments.

RAS · 12 February 2009 at 7:18PM

Welcome

You might find this thread useful.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1486533

if you think it is not your debt, ignore the idiots but complain about there sending debt demands to someone who they have not accurately identified as the debtor.

Bluntman_1983 · 14 February 2009 at 9:02AM

Thanks for the link. Some useful stuff there.

I've written them a letter stating that I do not believe that the debt is mine and I refuse to acknowledge it unless they can provide me with proof that it is mine and details of what it is. I have also requested an apology for the stress caused. I have stated that I want a response from them within 14 days or I will be contacting the Financial Ombudsman & Trading Standards. I'm going to contact them anyway of course, but I hope that this speeds them up a bit!

Here's hoping they drop the matter and move on. Terrible way to treat people though.

night-owl2 · 20 February 2009 at 12:06PM

Had a similar letter this morning saying I owed £416 to a company I'd never heard of!!!! anyway, after 20 min on hold I eventually spoke to someone who basically just asked if I had previously lived at an address in Scotland and as I hadn't then said it did not related to me. I asked them to send a letter to confirm what they had told me.... won't hold my breath on that one!!
Seems that as other post suggest, they just do a blanket search for a particular name and then send out letters to everyone. The people that don't reply are then the ones they persue. Pretty disgracefull way to operate really. Shouldn't be allowed.

Bluntman_1983 · 20 February 2009 at 6:53PM

I sent my letter off last Friday. No response yet, but I'm still hopeful.

I phoned Response yesterday and spoke to a chap called 'Kenna'. He asked me if I had ever lived at an address in Gillingham. I told him I had never lived in Gillingham and that the debt had nothing to do with me. I asked him if I had been contacted because I had the same name as one of their debtors and they are just contacting everyone with the same name. He said no and that there must be some link between me and this other person. I said there wasn't and told him about the letter I had sent (of which he knew nothing) and repeated my wish to have confirmation from them in writing that I would be removed from their system and disassociated with this debt. He informed me that my comments would be passed back to the 'admin dept'.

I'm not holding my breath either, but feel happier that the information from this site suggests that this is the way these jokers operate and it's good to know other people have had the same issue. If enough of us complain to the FO and Trading Standards we may start to discourage this sort of behaviour in future. I've got plenty of other things to worry about without people like this trying to get money out of me that I don't owe!

I'll let you know if I get a response from them!

fatbelly · 20 February 2009 at 7:52PM

Trading Standards really needs to 'raid' these offices.

Clearly they are using a scattergun approach to debt collection. We've seen it time and time again on this forum.

It's completely against OFT guidelines (and the guidelines of their professional body, the Credit Services Association):

2.8 Examples of unfair practices are as follows:
a. sending demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that
they are the debtor in question, for example, threatening debt recovery
action to 'the occupier' or sending a payment demand to all people sharing
the same name/date of birth as a debtor in the hope that contact with the
correct debtor will be made.

Please use your evidence to make complaints.

fatbelly · 20 February 2009 at 7:55PM

Incidentally, I just checked the CSA website and found they are running a course for their members - the DCA fraternity:

This week:

How to deal with harassing phone calls by debtors
1 Day Course March—London

There are an increasing number of instances where debtors are being abusive towards their collection staff; and further research carried out by the Association found that this is an increasing problem affecting a majority of members.

Quelle Surprise!

PrinceGaz · 28 March 2009 at 4:56AM

I've just received a letter asking for £817.08 to be collected by RESPONSE Credit Management, also issued on behalf of "mackenzie hall (HFC)".

I knew it was a scam letter the moment I opened it, but I did phone their number and left a short but not very nice message on their answering machine. I might phone back tomorrow and string them along to see how these scams operate. I've watched The Real Hustle on BBC3 and am well aware of all the tricks, but it may be interesting to call them up and see how genuine they sound (hmm, I'll have to invent a random bank account no. and sort code first, and preferably a genuine sounding debit/credit card no. etc too, to keep it going as long as it can). I'll note those down in advance, and provide them... ... slowly. And I'll be sure to ask who Mackenzie Hall are, and who passed the debt onto them (as the answer can only add to the entertainment). I've got time to spare tomorrow, exploiting a scam in action sounds good.

PS. it is an 01/02 number so it would be free for me. 0141 272 1309 if anyone else fancies ringing them about unsolicited letters demanding money for their scams.

Edit: here is a scan of their letter

fatbelly · 28 March 2009 at 9:48AM

PrinceGaz wrote: »

I've just received a letter asking for £817.08 to be collected by RESPONSE Credit Management, also issued on behalf of "mackenzie hall (HFC)".

I knew it was a scam letter the moment I opened it, but I did phone their number and left a short but not very nice message on their answering machine. I might phone back tomorrow and string them along to see how these scams operate. I've watched The Real Hustle on BBC3 and am well aware of all the tricks, but it may be interesting to call them up and see how genuine they sound (hmm, I'll have to invent a random bank account no. and sort code first, and preferably a genuine sounding debit/credit card no. etc too, to keep it going as long as it can). I'll note those down in advance, and provide them... ... slowly. And I'll be sure to ask who Mackenzie Hall are, and who passed the debt onto them (as the answer can only add to the entertainment). I've got time to spare tomorrow, exploiting a scam in action sounds good.

Any chance of recording the call?

Familiarise yourself with the OFT Debt Collection Guidance and see how many times they break it!

Response Credit Management / Mackenzie Hall

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