Link Financial/MBNA

Menucha

'll make as short as I possibly can.

Early 2005 I was made redundant - by September I was having difficulty with debts and liaised with a Debt Management Company who sorted monthly payments out for me perfectly.
Then early 2006 my husband has to take ill health retirement on a much reduced pension plus Incapacity Benefit plus my own Widows pension from a previous marriage. We had no home as we lived in a Manse and on our joint income could afford no more than two rooms in a shared house. So when his lump sum came through we decided to retire to Cyprus where we could live very nicely in a rented house with a garden for the same money.

Obviously circumstances changed with the reduction in our income and the Management Company negotiated reduced payments with all my creditors satisfactorily. Then last year I received the 2 letters from MBNA stating that they wanted more than the reduced rate offered or they may pass the debt on to a third party. I received yesterday from EOS - a Debt collection firm in Germany (obviously used as we live in Cyprus) - referring to a debt with Link.
I had never even heard of Link Financial until this letter came. I have certainly never had any correspondence or phone calls from them.
Obviously MBNA had passed the debt on to LINK.This has also been sent to the Management Company who have how sent relevant forms - financial statement and a letter of Authority to EOS

Reading the EOS letter it looks to me as though they want the whole amount plus all sorts of extra charges and nothing less - maybe I'm reading it wrong. I'm not sure the Management Company are doing the right thing here.
Any advice would be helpful.
Incidentally MBNA are still accepting the monthly payment at the reduced rate even though they were asking for more- so presumably they are passing it onto Link - or are they because I'm assuming now that Link haven't received any money,

I am happy to email copies of these letters to anyone who can really help
Thanks

Philippa

Mike123_2

Hi Philippa

There is a way to stop this hapening really quickly, you need to submit a CCA request. Their tacktics (Link) are underhand and make a difficult situation worse. Any way iv just joined here and have allready started with some defensive letters to Link and a whole load of DCA's I havent got long here, so follow this thread http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/debt-collection-industry/59949-link-financial-mbna-getting-2.html

and follow related threads, then find out from same forum what a CCA request is and how it can help you, pm me and i will help all i can

good luck

daviddd22

Keep us updated here.

Last week I got a letter from EOS in Slovakia acting on behalf of LinkFinancial (concerning a former MBNA debt).

I'm sending a CCA to LinkFinancial in the UK.

Would be interested in finding out how you get on (I will post my results as well, if you're interested).

David

Menucha

daviddd22 wrote: »

Keep us updated here.

Last week I got a letter from EOS in Slovakia acting on behalf of LinkFinancial (concerning a former MBNA debt).

I'm sending a CCA to LinkFinancial in the UK.

Would be interested in finding out how you get on (I will post my results as well, if you're interested).

David

Hi David

Were you, like me, unaware of the debt with Link? And also like me - had they not contacted you re the debt?
I'll post when I receive a reply - bearing in mind that they have to send it to Cyprus so you will probably get a reply before I do.

daviddd22

Link contacted me originally last dec about buying the MBNA debt.
I wrote in Feb. with an income/expend. plan offering the same % as my other creditors. Also asked for their bank a/c. no and sort code to make payments by internet banking. (These were not printed on the back of their letter).
NO REPLY.

Wrote again in May (recorded delivery) with incom/expend. pland and request for bank details (when I was updating my income/expend. form with all my other creditors.
NO REPLY FOR FOUR WEEKS.
Get a letter in June from Link saying they 'have lost contact with me'.
UNTRUE (I have a Royal Mail electronic signature and name of staff member confirming receipt of May letter.

I get a letter from EOS in July. Phone Link directly. International section again deny receiving May letter. The EOS letter demands 30% more than the Link letter!!

I scan and email the income/expend. plan. Have heard nothing. Sending a template letter from the consumeractiongroup website for a CCA. Translated letter into Slovak asking EOS to consult with Link as I didin't intend negotiating in a parallel fashion with 2 companies over the same debt.

I will keep paying MBNA (even though it slows the payments to Link) as IF IT GETS TO COURT, my continuing to pay MBNA will demonstrate good faith.

RAS

Menshua

Can we check that you are using a debt charity which is free and not a debt management company that charges you fees?

Menucha

RAS wrote: »

Menshua

Can we check that you are using a debt charity which is free and not a debt management company that charges you fees?

I am using a Debt Management Company that charge fees. I had thought of changing over to a Debt Charity, but when I moved to Cyprus I thought you had to be UK resident which is why I'm still with the DMC. If you can point me in the direction of a Debt Charity which might take me on then obviously that would be much better for me.

Menucha

daviddd22 wrote: »

Link contacted me originally last dec about buying the MBNA debt.
I wrote in Feb. with an income/expend. plan offering the same % as my other creditors. Also asked for their bank a/c. no and sort code to make payments by internet banking. (These were not printed on the back of their letter).
NO REPLY.

Wrote again in May (recorded delivery) with incom/expend. pland and request for bank details (when I was updating my income/expend. form with all my other creditors.
NO REPLY FOR FOUR WEEKS.
Get a letter in June from Link saying they 'have lost contact with me'.
UNTRUE (I have a Royal Mail electronic signature and name of staff member confirming receipt of May letter.

I get a letter from EOS in July. Phone Link directly. International section again deny receiving May letter. The EOS letter demands 30% more than the Link letter!!

I scan and email the income/expend. plan. Have heard nothing. Sending a template letter from the consumeractiongroup website for a CCA. Translated letter into Slovak asking EOS to consult with Link as I didin't intend negotiating in a parallel fashion with 2 companies over the same debt.

I will keep paying MBNA (even though it slows the payments to Link) as IF IT GETS TO COURT, my continuing to pay MBNA will demonstrate good faith.

David

Something interesting happened today. I received a letter from a local Solicitor here in Cyprus (no panic - very nice letter) who are respresenting LINK FINANCIAL for the amount of the debt - none of the EOS charges either.
Following that I have just had a very interesting conversation with my DMC who inform me that LINK FINANCIAL and EOS are THE SAME COMPANY. Curious eh???????????
My monthly payments are now being made to EOS.

I am still sending for a CCA from Link although this will take time as I have to send the letter to a friend in the UK so she can get a £1 postal order to send with it.

Back to the Solicitor - I am giving them authority to liaise with the DMC who will prove to them that monthly payments are still being made - and accepted. I doubt there will be much they can do then - I hope anyway.

Cheers

Philippa

daviddd22

So EOS and Link are the same company?..Interesting.
Even though EOS have an office in the UK.

I'm in the process of sending LINK a postal order. Got a friend to mail me a postal order to Slovakia to send to them.

D.

Menucha

David

Do a searc h for Link Financial on Consumer Action Group and Debquestions.co.uk. There are some real horror stories there.
There are other sites too, but at the moment I can't remember what they are.

Pip

daviddd22

I forgot to mention that EOS in Slovakia are asking for 6000EUR more than I owe LINK (and yes, I did take into account the £/EUR conversion rate). Unbelieveable.

In addition to asking LINK for a CCA, I've made a formal complaint (using their, no doubt, rigorous in-house complaints system). I'm posting a copy to their director Mr Burdell, whose address I found on the Company Directors' website.

I might actually complain to Lambeth Trading Standards by the end of August about the extra sum demanded, the claim they had lost contact, evn though I have recorded delivery comfirmation.

I sent my CCA and detailed letter to LINK by DHL - cost £20 but worth it for all the extra delivery confirmation. If they're prepared to deny recorded delivery, then they're prepared to do anything.