Old Debt? Mackenzie Hall

twyll

I have just recieved a phone call from these people about a debt that I know I had as a student. I hadn't heard about it for years so, naively I suppose, thought it had been written off. It is from a student overdraft with Barclays that was around two grand, but with extra costs is now nearer three. The debt is from around 2000, I haven't heard anything about it for around four years, but am not sure if I have put anything in writing since the debt "went bad".

I explained I had moved a few times since, had tried to contact Barclays, but not heard anything and had assumed they would be able to contact me. I was told it was not up to Barclays to stay in touch. I realise I should have made more effort not to lose contact but lost the address of the latest company Barclays had sold the debt to and, as with a couple of other debts I had, thought it would be very easy for them to locate me if they wanted to.

I was resigned to arranging repayments with them, but then was faced with a very aggressive man, called "Jim", telling me the fact that I couldn't afford to pay the debt off in full was "not the answer we want to hear".

He told me they must have a down payment nearing half of the full amount immediately.

When I asked why an analysis of my financial situation and repayment ability was not an option like it is for other debt agencies he stated "We are not any debt collection agency, this is MacKenzie Hall."

I asked why he was being aggressive and he said he was not being threatening, but he felt I was not taking the situation seriously. I said I was taking the way he was talking to me very seriously.

Looking for a reason to tell me I could afford it he went on to ask what my job is and how much I earn. I told him I am a teaching assistant and earn about £9,900 per year. (Which is true). Somewhat disgusted he asked if that was part time. I explained that this is what LSAs earn, pro rata. He asked what I drive. I said "I don't". He asked "Well how do you get to work then?!" I said "I cycle." So he dropped that line of questioning.

I have been told I have untill March 14th to come up with a suitable offer.

Any ideas or insight will be welcome.

Loafer

Hi Twyll.

I would have replied sooner but I only just picked up the email with this thread in.

My experience with MacKenzie Hall ended as soon as I cut and paste the letter suggested by file_wizzard an sent it recorded delivery a day or so after it was posted here and havent heard from them.

My debt at the time was a little over 6 years old.

If your debt is from 2000 then you could try the same. If you acknowledged the debt four years ago (made a payment, had some kind of correspondence) then it may be tougher.

A little digging (well a google search) found this link : http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/other-institutions/6895-mackenzie-hall-help-needed.html

What is said about three posts down about applying for the original agreement is a good idea. Theres also a templated letter there.

Good luck and do let us know how you get on.. i hope it pans out for you

DionneB

I have recieved two letters from a man called Rob Sanderson asking for £383.07. The first letter he was writing on behalf of Creation Financial Services with an address in Yardley Birmingham. I did telephone the number given on the letter and spoke to Brian Gee who told me he had no information on his system with regard who this debt was owed to etc. But he would follow it up. This was on 21st Dec 2006. Now I have receviced another letter from Rob Sanderson but this time he is at Mackenzie Hall in Ayrshire. The telephon number is the same on both letters but this time I try and ring it I get a voice telling me that this is IP Office and asking for an extension number and password - both of which I do not have. I have also sent 3 SMS messages to a number given promising an immediate call back. Nothing to date.

I have today written a letter and posted in recorded delivery. To my knowledge I do not owe anyone any money and the latest letter is a rather threatening final notice giving me 10 days to pay up or they will take me to court. Well I say bring it on - I am so angry now I almost hope they do take me to court because I know I do not owe this money.

I can see from threads posted here that this seems to quite common from this company but the company I am meant to owe money to is 'Acquired Debt Ltd' - has anyone heard of them?

Good luck to all the folk who seem to having the same problem as me - makes me want to spit!!!!

clairegiz

Hi all, I was just wondering if anyone has received texts from Mackenzie Hall aswell as the usual letters & phonecalls?
I have just received a text saying 'Please contact Sheila at Mackenzie hall immediately on 01563 *** *** quoting reference number M2******'. Before i received the text i had never even heard of Mackenzie Hall and know nobody called Sheila so i thought it could have been one of those phone scams where you ring the number back and it costs u a fortune. So instead i typed Mackenzie Hall in Google, clicked on the site and straight away it asked me for a username & password (strange).
I then found a link through Google to this fantasic helpful site with Mackenzie Hall being a major discussion. I now know that Mackenzie Hall is a so-called 'debt collecting agency' and possibly in most cases a scam. It has really been bugging me wether or not to ring the number back but after reading these posts im not going to bother. I know that i do have debts out there most of them coming up to 6 years ago (i can see a pattern ammerging amongst us people regarding the 6 yrs). So, did anyone else receive any texts like mine? Its now worrying me that im going to receive letters and phone calls from them. Thanks for reading Claire x

DionneB

Hi Claire my advice to you would be ignore the text do not ring these people, they may send you a letter or call you. If they do call you tell them you will not conduct any dialogue via the telephone and will only accept letters. Do not give them your address. The hang up the phone. If they ring you constantly that amounts to harassment and this is not allowed. Keep copies of all letters (if any arrive) and do not acknowledge any thing to do with the alleged debt. The debt they say I have is from 1990 according to a rather nasty young man called Frazer who I spoke to when I rather foolishly rang them. Even though on the letter they sent me the phone number was wrong and I had to go online and find out about the outfit. All rather shady. I doubt very much wether they will follow through with their threat to take me to court but if they do I will relish it. I know for certain that I do not owe anybody any money and have informed them via a letter that if they do pursue me through the courts that I urge them to and by return I will be seeking damages for libel. Which ever way you decide to go Claire I would ask you to read through the numerous threads regarding this company on this website and take comfort in the knowledge that there is not an amazing amount these cheap little company can do to you. Ignore it - it will go away.

Good luck

DionneB

aggis_3

What would the next course of action be?

Not specifically McKenzie Hall, but time expired debt in general.
I have sent two letters as described earlier. One company replied asking for more time, but has since sent nothing, the other has not replied.
It has been over a month.

Should I write again restating the original letter.
These "debts" are still on my credit file, how do I progress further, small claims court?

Thanks

Neil

clairegiz

Thanks Dionne. yeah ive decided just to ignore them and hopefully they will dissapear, if i hear anything else i'll let you all know, Claire

DionneB

Hi Neil

with regard to old debts in general if they have expired ususally after 6 years you can apply to have them removed from your account. The 6 years rule seems to apply if there has been no movement on the account for 6 years. Movement seems to mean you acknowledging the debt and making attempts to pay etc. What ever you do not acknowledge the debt. This is what these companies seems to want you to do. As soon as you do acknowledge it then the 6 years starts again. Do not write to the companies involved with your case any more. Wait for them to make contact with you. As for the company who requested more time then that would suggest to me that they don't have any information on you at all and are just stalling for time. They know the consumer law and the debt recovery law and they hope that you don't. Use this web site and it will take you to all sorts of pages that will help you further. Keep copies of all letters you send and receive and as I have said before do not enter into any telephone conversations with these people conduct everything by letter.

Good luck.

DionneB

JayneC

Hi there,
don't know if it was the same company but OH had a similar situation a while back and responded in the way suggested here (on advice from CAB ) and the company continued to send letters arguing the point. they did eventually drop it, they'd also sent what looked like court papers with the letter, but on closer inspection these turned out to be 'examples' - a scare tactic!!!. However i received a similar one a bit later and totally ignored it, i never heard anything more.
I guess if they get some response they may believe they can 'work' on you to get you to acknowledge the debt.
Jayne X

clfairy

Sevral months ago my partner started getting text messages asking him to call someone at Macenzie Hall. This stopped afew weeks ago, then today when my partner was on his way to work he recived a phone call from a lady from macenzie hall asking for me. Now why would they be ringing my boyfriend and how did they get his number? If they can get peoples mobile numbers that easily then why didn`t they get mine?
The only debt i can think it could be regarding was a credit card i had from lloyds when i was 18. I was young and living away from home and abit niavie. So when it came to paying it back i kinda ignored it and ran from it. I got a letter about2 years ago from macenzie hall saying i owed money. I tried ringing the number that was on the letter but no answer.
So i rang lloyds and they had no file on me. My debt would seem to be cleared, it has been over 6 years since i started the debt and had heard nothing till 2 years ago then now.
If i`m not on the lloyds records then does that mean macenzie hall are just trying to scam me out of money?
I`m abit panicy about as i don`t work and my boyfriends job`s not great and we have a 19 month old daughter. We can`t afford to have baliffs come round and raid our house.
Any advice?
Clfairy xx