Mackenzie Hall/Singlepoint

emzey

Hi all, pretty new to this site so if i have posted in the wrong forum i apologise. This morning i recieved a letter from a debt recovery company called Mackenzie Hall, they are stating that they are working on behalf of Singlepoint! And that i have an outstanding debt of £132.88. And within the next 10 days an agent from their collecters Meritforce will be calling to make a doorstep assessment. They also say they have made repeated efforts to contact me (this is the first letter i have ever recieved!!!!). I have also called Vodafone who took over Singlepoint over 10 years ago and they have no record of me, as i would have been archived. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with them. I remeber having a Singlepoint phone but this was years ago. Thanks Emz

Cbrad_2

Hi,

I received a letter from the same people yesterday regarding a singlepoint debt from 2004. I contacted them and requested details be sent out in writing which outline the debt in question. I said i would not be dealing with anything until it has been shown that the debt is infact mine. As i see it until they prove that the debt is yours they cannot proceed especially if you dispute it. As for a doorstep visit they cannot enter your property without your permission. Write to them and tell them this and that you do not wish to make an appointment with them. If they do show up you will consider it harassment and call the police.

As for my debt i'm in a similar position. This came up once before and i disputed it. Vodafone could not prove that the debt was mine. I contacted the the credit file people and requested it removed but vodafone refused even though they couldn't provide adequate evidence that the debt existed.

I'm still in dispute but the debt has once again been sold on to another agency. Not once have they taken it forward... especially when i provide them with the details of why it cannot be proven to be my debt.

rog2

Hi to both of you, and welcome to DFW.

You should be aware that Mackenzie Hall represent everything that is bad in the already questionable world of Debt Collection, and that they have no respect, whatsoever, either for the 'alleged debtor' or for the Guidelines laid down by the Office of Fair Trading, to which they should adhere to, religiously, in order to maintain their licence. :mad: :mad:

Now, MH are a greed driven organisation that makes their money out of 'debts' which are often both legally unenforceable or uncollectable. They do this because 99+% of alleged debtors are unaware of the protection that they have under UK Law, and will probably simply 'pay up' in order to get MH off of their backs.

One such 'scam' by MH is to find, or 'buy' debts which are past their 'sell by' date, and 'purchase' these debts from the original creditor for peanuts - often just a few pence. These will, usually, be debts where a period of more than six years (5 in Scotland) have elapsed since the debtor last made any payment towards them, or acknowledged them in writing. The Limitation Act, 1980, allows a 'Limitation Period' of six years for the debtor to pursue a debt, if there is no activity, i.e. payment or written contact from the debtor during this period the debt will become 'Statute Barred' and, therefore, unenforceable through the Courts. In plain English, that means that, once the debtor has told the creditor, or as in your case, the dca that he/she will not be making any payment towards this debt because it is 'Statute Barred' (the only reason you need give) then that creditor, or dca, must cease all attempts at further collection. It certainly sounds as though your 'debts' fall into this category.

For an overview of the Limitation Act, and how it affects these alleged debts, have a look at the following link, where, if applicable, you will, also, find a template letter that you can send to MH:

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=25_liability_for_debts_and_the_limitation_act

As far as the threat to send someone from 'Meritforce' to your house, you should be aware that 'Meritforce' are a part of Mackenzie Hall and are nothing more than 'doorstep collectors'. As such, they have no legal rights - any visit can only be made by mutual agreement - they have no automatic right of entry to your house and have no rights, nor should they imply that they have, of siezure - equally they must leave immediately on your request to do so.

For an overview of your rights and how both MH and Meritforce should conduct their dubious business, have a look at:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf

Finally, you should know that Mackenzie Hall are on a 'final compliance warning' from the OFT, for the way that they behave towards debtors, in particular the way that they mislead debtors over unenforceable debts:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/requirements.pdf

malestrom07

Send em a copy of this ...
Dear xxxx

Account Ref xxxx

Please be advised that I will only communicate with you in writing. I have noted your repeated attempts to contact me by telephone over the past few weeks/months and these have been duly logged by time and date.

Furthermore, should it be your intention to arrange a “doorstep call”, please be advised that under OFT rules, you can only visit me at my home if you make an appointment and I have no wish to make an appointment with you.

There is only an implied license under English Common Law for people to be able to visit me on my property without express permission; the postman and people asking for directions etc (Armstrong v. Sheppard and Short Ltd [1959] 2 Q.B. per Lord Evershed M.R.). Therefore take note that I revoke license under Common Law for you, or your representatives to visit me at my property and if you do so, then you will be liable to damages for a tort of trespass and action will be taken, including but not limited to, police attendance.

Yours faithfully/sincerely,

Vodafone

Hi emzey and Cbrad,

I'd like to help to get to the bottom of this for you both.

Could you email your details to me using the 'Contact us' form on the Vodafone website.

When sending your emails you'll just need to state 'FAO Web Relations' in the subject bar and within the body of your emails include the link to this thread and the code FIT135.

As soon as we've got them we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

rog2

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

Could you email your details to me using the 'Contact us' form on the Vodafone website.

When sending your emails you'll just need to state 'FAO Web Relations' in the subject bar and within the body of your emails include the link to this thread and the code FIT135.

emzey - I would advise extreme caution when sending your personal details to another poster.

Vodafone rep - can you give your absolute guarantee that emzey's anonymity will be protected if she supplies you the details you have asked for?

insideinfo

Hmm

Vodafone. Shame on you. Do you really want to be associated with historical statute barred debts, dodgy debt collectors etc. What did you sell the debt for? Was it really worth it. Isn't it better to just write these debts off after six years, is the gain worth it. Concentrate on your competition. I for one would rule you out when I next buy a Fone.
How would you feel if i came to your doorstep to discuss the last time your call centre drove me to distraction. "Let's see how a Personal Doorstep Assessment" would go down with your wife and kids...

rog2

insideinfo wrote: »

Hmm

Vodafone. Shame on you. Do you really want to be associated with historical statute barred debts, dodgy debt collectors etc. What did you sell the debt for? Was it really worth it. Isn't it better to just write these debts off after six years, is the gain worth it. Concentrate on your competition. I for one would rule you out when I next buy a Fone.
How would you feel if i came to your doorstep to discuss the last time your call centre drove me to distraction. "Let's see how a Personal Doorstep Assessment" would go down with your wife and kids...

I often wonder if the Original Creditors know exactly what 'tactics' these so called 'Debt Collectors' will stoop to in their insatiable greed to make money out of people's misfortune and ignorance of the Law.

Or, perhaps, they just don't care?

Vodafone

rog2 wrote: »

emzey - I would advise extreme caution when sending your personal details to another poster.

Vodafone rep - can you give your absolute guarantee that emzey's anonymity will be protected if she supplies you the details you have asked for?

Hi rog2,

I can certainly guarantee emzey's anonymity will be protected.

I think it's also beneficial to reassure you and everyone else that MSE has approved the Web Relations Team to reply to other members as Vodafone Representatives by adding us to their approved companies list.

Thanks,

Lee

Web Relations Team

Vodafone UK

rog2

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

I think it's also beneficial to reassure you and everyone else that MSE has approved the Web Relations Team to reply to other members as Vodafone Representatives by adding us to their approved companies list.

I don't doubt that, for one moment, Lee.

However, my point is, and remains, that this forum gives posters a degree of anonymity in that they can post their problems, and opinions, here with 'reasonably' secure knowledge that their true 'identity' will not be known by their creditors, or by errant debt collection agencies, who regularily 'troll' these boards - often entering into threads with misleading information in an effort to obtain personal information about posters.

That may, indeed, not be the case with your company, but it certainly does not alter my advice to the OP. I do not give my own personal details to any other poster, who offers me personal help with my problems, and I would not advise others to do so, either.

I would, however, be more than interested to know exactly what your company's policy, concerning the tactics employed by Debt Collectors - especially those allegedly acting on your behalf, is.

Thanks.