Mckenzie Hall

Rela_2

I had a letter off these clowns today, to Mrs. 'Correct first name, wrong middle name and my maiden surname' (been married 6 years). It states 'Despite repeated efforts for payment by our client....' - whom I have never ever heard of and who have never tried to contact me or the bizarre name they sent letter to- 'they are willing to accept a reduced settlement figure in order to draw the matter to a close'. I've been through DCA's to know how to deal with them thankfully but thought I'd pop here to see if there was a thread and lo and behold there is LOL.

I have rung them, refused to confirm my details but told them I have lived here for 7 years and there is nobody by that name here and they said thank you and that they would remove my address from their system.....we shall see.....

Edited to add that had I recognised name of debt client company or believed it could be genuine I would have contacted them to sort it out, but I suspect they are after a totally different person due to the name strangeness and I haven't time or inclination to sort out somebody elses mess!

Biskit

Thought i'd just pop a similar message on here after receiving a BT text message asking me to contact them - haven't... & won't be ! My debt is cleared and I have no intention of having any dealings with this company ! Thanks to all for the 'heads up' on this lot.

pljv

OK, so about a month ago I started getting BT text message from MH demanding that I call them and quoting a very long reference number. Nothing new there I know but I don't actually have any outstanding debts - I know this because I get an annual credit report from experian. After some digging around and a call to BT I got the number to disable voice text messages to my phone. If anyone else wants to stop MH from spamming them then if you have a BT phone you can call 0800 587 5252.

ginger_cat

:mad: Sorry another Mackenzie Hall horror story/rant :mad:

I recieved a letter from them asking to contact. As seems to be the case they used my maiden name. I suspect in hindsight given I had to complete credit checks and disclosure forms for my new job last year they have been able to link me.

Anywho they tell me the debt is for a catalouge only a hundred pounds but still. I asked them for details and she refused to give me any scoulding me for the amount of previous addresses. I advised her I needed some confirmation of what they are asking me to pay as I did not believe it was me, she then clammed up and refused to give me any information quoting the 3rd party data protection act. I pointed out its not 3rd party as the 3rd party has used my details to obtain credit and she laughed and called me stupid and told me if it was fraud to call the police and they police would have to contact them and hung up ..... pleasant :beer:

Round 2 - Contacted the police made a log, police officer visited and I showed him the letter and frankly he was very concerned and confirmed as I suspected that they can tell me and 3rd party data protection is not an issue and if they continue to refuse not only will a fraud investigation go under way but I should contact trading standards as they are breaking the law by with holding information. However for the police to investigate they need some kind of statement or information and advised me to contact the catalouge the debt was held with to seek some clarification in MH werent willing to do so.

I called the catalouge who told me the incident happened in 2003 and was at an address I didnt not live at, at that time. I actually lived the otherside of the country and can prove this. They told me however that they could not give me anymore info as they sold the debt to Westcott (or something like that - sorry long day) and they must have sold it to MH. They had passed all of the account details to Westcott and the account is dormant. I asked if any legal proceedings had taken place in regards to a CCJ etc and he advised there was nothing and they had passed the debt in 2005. He advised me to speak to MH again as they did have the info.

So I took a deep breath and was greeted by the lovely Mrs O'Neil. I dont know the woman personally but OMG how rude!!! I tried to explain the above to her and she kept shouting over me telling me I was wrong. I tried to tell her I had a police officer in my living room telling me the DPA is not breached if you tell me about debt in my name and she told me I was lying and had not contacted the police and I shouldnt do it the catalouge will. Advised her the catalouge had passed the info to Westcott and she said to phone them, so asked if she was part of that company she advised no and that they had brought the debt from them, so asked her again for the info and she quoted the DPA at me but told me the debt was from 2001 & had defaulted???? Tried to explain to her that there is not way this can or will be resolved unless someone is will to help me and provide some level of information for me to give to the police and she went mental and told me the debt will triple every month with charges and they bayliffs were coming etc, advised her that I take no responsibilty for the debt and unless someone provides some info this will never be resolved and she threatened me again and said I had to give her a crime ref or payment or they will NEVER leave me alone. Advised her she was wrong and will see what trading standards have to say about what she has just said. She laughed and said just to wait and see.... :eek:

I then called the police again, who quite frankly were somewhat cross and were going to go through the lengthy process of bypassing DPA to get the info to investigate and told me to contact trading standards.

Spoke to the catalouge again to check dates and she confirmed the order was made in 2003??

Round 3..........

Called up and a chap answered - I believe it was JIM..... I advised him that I had spoken to 3 of his colleges and really wanted to get it sorted. I advised him that I believed the debt was taken out frauduently but wondered why as it had been over 6yrs they were chasing me now as there had been no contact. He then advised me that it was from the date of default not the order date and the default was in 2005 and continued to tell me that it would be apparrent on my credit report and I would not be able to get a mortgage :rotfl:. Advised him I had a mortgage, he asked when it was taken out and I advised him after 2005, he advised it must have been before the default, I asked him how as it was in 2006 and he then claimed I said 2005 prior, I advised I said it was after 2005 and he began talking over me saying I am just saying what I want when it suits me!

Advised him that as I work in financial services for a large bank and have previously worked in mortgages myself I am very aware of credit reports and have them conducted regually and had I had a default or CCJ I would know about because I would loose my job. He then back tracked saying perhaps the catalouge didnt register it.

So advised him if they did not register and no-one has made a payment or contact in excess of 6yrs it is statue barred and to leave me alone. He advised it wasnt as they only considered it a debt from 2005. I asked him about the fraud and DPA and got the speach about 3rd party companies openly discussing my details, I advised him there is no 3rd party as they have brought the details and the debts are held in my name therefore he must disclose them and failure to do so would be breaking the law. He then said I changing my story to fraud because the barring didnt work and when the fraud story falls through there would be some different reason for me not to pay them and I was a typical non payer! I pointed out to him that the opening of the conversation I outlined that it was fraud and asked him about the 6yr rule, he backed down :T

Throughout the conversation he kept saying its either statue barred or fraud you cant have both, trying to get me to say it was my debt... tricky! I had to explain to him several times it is fraud I can prove it but for the police to investigate he needs to help me out with some info and the debt itself it statue barred and he shouldnt be chasing anyone for it. He finally admitted they had no info on the debt and said if I had reported to the police I would have log number. I advised him I had, gave him the details and he told me that had a given this to him earlier I could be having a cup of tea by now ... he then proceeded to hang up on me..... so heaven knows where I am now.

A letter is being sent recorded delivery tomorrow advising him again of the log number the fact I take no responsibilty for the debt and he should not be chasing it as its in excess of 6yrs......

Moral of the story - be very careful with these people - they are very tricky very agressive and try every unhanded method they can.

I will be calling trading standards tomorrow and have a look at the office of fair trade as well..... horrid people :mad:

Oopsadaisy

Ginger

You've probably wasted your time......the debt was probably by someone with same name as you and mhall just send the same letter to everyone they can find with the same name as the offender in the hope that the offender rings them [thinking that they've been tracked down].

gibby

The best thing to do with all debt collectores is to ignore them & only deal direct with the firm you may or may not owe money to. You ahve a legal right to do so.

Once a firm passes the debt on they usually (but not always) will have nothing further to do with it.

The last time I checked only the original firm your agreement was with can take you to court or take legal action.

The best thing to do is never talk to them on the phone. Simply state you don't give out that info on the phone if they ask you to confirm your details.

There are more & more firms starting up in this market & personally I think they & the people who work for them are very porr human beings.

They sell the debts onto each other & sometimes they add extra charges for the fun of it knowing some poor suckers will make a payment.

I did see a rather nice post on another forum that suggested you look up who the company directors are & send your junk mail to them, unstamped.

G

magpiecottage

Ginger_Cat

Have a look at my template letter on this thread.

You should recognise a lot of it because they are subject to exactly the same rules as your employer - though in my experience most banks fail in their obligation to ensure all staff know how to identify a complaint and what to do about it.

It is worth making a distress and inconvenience claim and if they don't give you some (I would reckon £50) then you can take them to FOS.

djbum_syd

I currently have a debt repayment with Mckenzie Hall, due to end next month.
They sent a letter to the home of a friend who I lived with for 2 weeks - how on Earth they got my details I do not know as I was never registered there.
When I called them they were disgustingly rude and wanted payment of a bill I didn't even know existed (turns out a very lovely ex boyfriend of mine ran up a phone bill on a contract in my name) - they didnt care for my explanation and demanded full payment there and then. When I told them I could not pay the amount in one go, the bloke hung up on me!
They then send me a letter saying they'll offer me a settlement figure of half the amount. I thought "yes, I'll pay that I have that in my savings". Not something I wanted to do, but I wanted these guys gone.
But when I rang they said the letter was sent out by accident and the offer no longer applied!
So I told them I could only afford £5 a month if that was the case. They refused it and I refused to have anything more to do with them.
Case went to court in the end and I won. £5 a month I have been paying, and I'll be glad to be shot of them.

seandevon

my husband has just received his 2nd letter from these people. he ignored the first one. this one names the company who the debt was with. after some brain searching it turns out this was a credit card from about 12 years ago. along with this and the fact that he was bankrupt in 2003 is he legally bound to pay something adventually? his credit report does not mention this debt. this debt was not put on his list of creditors when he was made bankrupt as he did not remember it. he has never been aproached for payment of this by anyone. after reading everyones notes he has no intention of contacting them unless he absolutley has to. does anyone know were he would stand leagally?:j

MattGiblin

I have numerous dealings with MH.

I had a loan with quickquid, which is my debt (unlike some on here).

I lost my job and was unable to pay quickquid, admittenly I kinda ignored it, and then MH took the debt over, and have been dealing with them since about April, I was on JSA at the time so they never really hasseled me, I then started with O2, and would get my first wage at the end of June, so I rang up MH with offer to pay £30 a month to pay £438 (Plus two other which accepted my payment offers), when I budgeted I left room for higer payments, they refused and said QuickQuid (who they represent which I thought was wierd) wanted £138 a month, which was way above what I could afford, I then decided to offer again in writng after researching my rights in case of court action, this was sent by e-mail plus a budget showing what else I pay. No answer.

Then got a letter from a bailiff (or claiming to be) saying if I do not attempt to pay within 10 days they were coming round to cease goods. I rang and offered £50 a month this time, they wanted more than double (which I can not afford). This time after I explained you have never let me pay, I can make whatever payment I want, just if not enought, they may still take legal action, i still couldn't afford the amount they came too and they offered me a settlement, which was very tempting, but I could not afford. They advised borrowing from a friend. I left agreeing £50 a month, I then decided too, to search for a loan, when I found one which would cost me £60 due to my credit I rang back to cancel the payment so I could afford it.

The loan fell through so I ended up paying £10 and £60 down to a company that has ripped me of (another company being chased)

I then got a nasty call, and when I explained what had happened they said pay in full by 4pm or we take legal action.

Everytime I ring I end up in near arguments, and frustrated. They are rude, and I believe they are breaking the Office Of Fair Trade Guidline after research about extra lending, they ring my landline, knowing im not their, bugging my mum (who is disabled.)

I just dont know what to do....