Had that lightbulb moment

WorriedSpender

I've partly got myself together in the past enough to browse the forums but I've never got any further now I've got to the point that I want to actually fix all these things because I have had enough of worrying about them. Compared to a lot of peoples the amounts aren't big but they're bigger than I would like them to be and enough to worry. I was stupid when I was younger and never took care of my finances to my bitter regret now and would very much like assistance please. I have just tried calling CAP but they don't open until 10:30 so will try back then in the hopes of maybe getting a face to face with someone, although that may not be necessary when you've all finished with me! The spur is a letter I have received from HFO services dated 28 April saying it's a 72 hour notice of Litigation this is for a credit card I had in April 2005, I received this yesterday and am now terrified, the other people are Red who seem to have bought a debt from Lowell Financial to do with an old Barclays account, possibly a loan from years back, however I am convinced that this debt was satisifed a few years ago, but being a long time ago I have no proof that it was.

The HFO letter has a phone number on it asking me to call, should I call and say I'm seeing a debt assistance agency to try and stall while I sort myself out? Thank you for reading and your assistance.

Tixy

I wouldn't call them.

I would reply to the HFO letter (and any similar first letter from debt collectors) by sending the prove it letter recorded delivery. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11570893&postcount=2
This requires them to prove its your debt and that they have a right to collect it.

Have they quoted reference numbers so you know it is your credit card? Was April 05 when you took the card out? how long did you use the card for? do you know when you would have last paid anything towards this credit card?

WorriedSpender

Thank you very much for your assistance, will print out the prove it letters and send it to both companies today. There are reference numbers on both letters the HFO/Morgan Stanley I know was mine I actually found a statement from them from April 2005, I honestly doubt I made many payments after that but I cannot remember and have no proof either way. The limit was 2100 and the amount owing now is 3888.58. I used the card for only a matter of months and it was then maxed, I thought the letter I'd found was welcoming me to Morgan Stanley but it is actually on closer inspection a statement so I had it prior to that, it looks like I made a payment at least that month as the tear off slip is removed.

Tixy

This HFO debt could well be just coming up to being statute barred. The prove it letter is fine to send (as it doesn't admit the debt) but don't send anything else and certainly don't pay anything towards it at all until you've found out some more info and established if it might be statute barred or more crucially might be just about to become statute barred.

Statute barred debts and the Limitation Acts

RAS

TIxy is right - quite possibly a debt about to become statute barred - cost them peanuts to buy and hope to panic you into paying before you leqarn enough about the law.