McCall

Shaithis14

Not sure where this would go but as it is relation to an old Barclays credit card we had I thought I would try here.

Today, in the mail I received a letter from McCall Door Step Recovery.

Pretty much saying that they have been instructed to carry out removal action in the next 24hours.

My wife contacted them and it appears it was about the Barclays CC that we did owe on about 3 years ago. The company that we were paying closed. Our payments were refunded to us and when we asked Barclays what had happened they said they had sold it on and was nothing to do with them.

McCall were ok with my wife (I was sleeping as I had just finished a night duty) and asked her if she could go to Lloyds and make a £20.00 payment. She did this. When she then contacted them again to inform them she was met with a torrent of abuse, rudeness and threats.

She then came to me in tears, so, I rung them and asked what they were doing. Met with the same rudeness (not for long), I then told them that I would not pay another penny unless I had written proof of what we owed, if any, and to whom. I also said that I do know about bailiffs and told them that they had to be a court appointed bailiff and as we were on an army camp that they had to be with at least to police officers. The guy then says the he can arrange that if I wanted !!!

So, I'd had enough by this time and said "Go for it, until I get a letter you get nothing". HE then swore at me and hung up !

So, (sorry about the life story) has anybody else had dealings with this company? I believe that they used to be called Carted Legal but changed name to avoid action against them. I have checked the consumeractiongroup website and they pretty much say avoid at all costs.

Help !! )o:

Consumerist

It's very strange that they should arrive at the doorstep without any prior communication with you. Either they have written to you before or they are spinning you a yarn.

Paying them any money could have been a mistake as it might be regarded as an admission of liability.

You are correct to demand written evidence of the alleged debt and also proof of their right to pursue you for it; since the debt is old, it could have passed all round the houses from Barclaycard so you need the complete (i.e. uninterrupted) trail of proof ending with their authority to collect the debt.

Once you have an address for the company, you can dispute the debt until they prove your liability - your payment may, however, have weakened your position on this.

When you write, you should insist that they communicate with you only in writing. Don't speak to them by telephone because anything you say may be "misconstrued" or "adjusted" for their purposes.

There is plenty of good advice to be found in the <Debt-free wannabe forum> for dealing effectively with debt collection agencies. Have a trawl through so you are prepared to deal with them in future.

Good luck.

Sallybaby

I have just read this post due to a name search of mc call on the internet. I have not heard about my debt since 2008. The payment to barclaycard was leaving the bank by standing order everymonth to a company called cdca. I was notified by my bank that the company details and account details were now invalid. I tried to contact cdca who no longer existed. I have heard nothing since december 2008. Three weeks ago i had a letter from mc call stating i owed a balance of 766.00. I didnt think i had kept paper work so took their word for it. I set up a standing order to pay it and today found paperwork from cdca saying that in jan 08 my balance was 186.00. The balance is infact a 131.00 as i continued to pay upto dec 08. when the bank wrote to me. I have the banks letter too. Ive tried to rind mc call today to be told the number no longer exits. Its a dodgy 0700 number now. I scared to ring it incase its a high charge number. Ive looked on companies house and cant find the company and the website on the letter doesnt exist. I dont mind paying my balance but not 766.00. Im not sure where to go from here. Help please.

Wywth

Sallybaby wrote: »

I have just read this post due to a name search of mc call on the internet. I have not heard about my debt since 2008. The payment to barclaycard was leaving the bank by standing order everymonth to a company called cdca. I was notified by my bank that the company details and account details were now invalid. I tried to contact cdca who no longer existed. I have heard nothing since december 2008. Three weeks ago i had a letter from mc call stating i owed a balance of 766.00. I didnt think i had kept paper work so took their word for it. I set up a standing order to pay it and today found paperwork from cdca saying that in jan 08 my balance was 186.00. The balance is infact a 131.00 as i continued to pay upto dec 08. when the bank wrote to me. I have the banks letter too. Ive tried to rind mc call today to be told the number no longer exits. Its a dodgy 0700 number now. I scared to ring it incase its a high charge number. Ive looked on companies house and cant find the company and the website on the letter doesnt exist. I dont mind paying my balance but not 766.00. Im not sure where to go from here. Help please.

Just ignore them as you've managed to do for the past 4 years

If they come to visit, don't whatever you do, allow them to enter your property. They are not allowed to force their way in and they can't take anything if they can't get in.

If they get threatening or attempt to force entry against your will, call the police and the police will attend and take the thugs away

Consumerist

Sallybaby wrote: »

I have not heard about my debt since 2008. . . Help please.

Hi Sallybaby and welcome to the forum.

Firstly, don't panic.

Secondly, do not call them by telephone, as advised above.

A few of the facts above are not entirely clear to me. Perhaps you would clarify.

My understanding is that you had a debt with Barclaycard which had been passed on to a debt collection agency called CDCA whom you were paying monthly by standing order (i.e. not Barclaycard). Your bank, who was paying the standing orders, has subsequently notified you that the standing orders could no longer be paid out because the recipients bank details were no longer valid. You have recently heard from a company called McCall who is claiming that you now owe the outstanding balance to them.

What appears to have happened is that CDCA has ceased to trade or has been merged with another debt-collection agency, called McCall. The outstanding balance of £131.00 in Dec 2008 has had interest and charges added to that balance for which McCall is now demanding payment.

Perhaps you would confirm that I have understood the situation before going any further.

For the moment, it would be unwise to contact them at all until you ( and I) understand the situation more fully. As I see it at the moment, your maximum liability is likely to be only for the £131.00 you owed in Dec 2008. You will also want to know why, for example, they have not contacted you since Dec 2008? Did you move?

You will need to demand proof from McCall that (a) you owe any debt and (b) they have the legal right to collect it. If they cannot provide this proof then they will have difficulty getting you to pay anything more.

Sallybaby

Thank you consumerist. Yes you have it exactly right. The only thing is that when cdca ended i had no one to contact as all their telephone numbers didnt exist. I have recieved nothing regards the debt in 4 years. Not a letter, call or anything. Hence the reason i couldnt even remember the balance to start with, till i found the paperwork out. I have not moved, changed address or anything like that. Maybe they leave it a few years hoping that you will have genuinely forgotten how much you really owe. Lucky for me i kept the paperwork, wondering if someone would eventually get in touch. I dont mind paying what i owe, but thats all. I didnt give card or bank details as i offerered to set up the standing order myself as i bank online. Another payment is due in a couple of days. Do i pay the payment and challenge the balance in the meantime or not pay at all till its sorted out.

Consumerist

Sallybaby wrote: »

Do i pay the payment and challenge the balance in the meantime or not pay at all till its sorted out.

My understanding of your earlier post is that you have already agreed to pay McCall monthly by standing order. If another payment is due shortly, it may already be too late for your bank to stop that next payment. Try to cancel the payment if you can.

How did you agree the monthly amount to pay?

pqrdef

Shouldn't there be a CCJ in these stories somewhere? Are the bailiffs just an empty threat?

Sallybaby

I rang the number that was on the letter. I agreed over the phone to set up the standing order myself, and agreed a payment of £20 per month. I can adjust the standing order myself, or cancel it. There is no ccj, infact, no corrospondance at all. I had practically forgotten about it. I rang the same number yesterday when i found the paperwork and the number no longer existed but told me to ring and 0700 number. I went to ring and then changed my mind as i thought i could be a high charge number. There is an address at the very bottom of the letter. I dont know if its legit. The website address on the letter doesnt exist.

Consumerist

Sallybaby wrote: »

I rang the number that was on the letter. . .

I repeat my earlier advice not to call them on the telephone. When your next payment becomes due and unpaid, things may start to get nasty. What little I can find out about McCall suggests that rudeness and threats will be high on their agenda.

Accordingly, I suggest the following :-

• Write to them, sending the letter by Recorded Delivery post, to dispute the amount of the debt. Advise them that you have located a statement of xx Dec 2008 and the balance owing on that statement is not consistent with the amount being demanded. Do not, at this stage, give them the balance figure from that last statement from CDCA or even mention CDCA - if McCall has genuine rights to collect the debt then they should already have this information.
• Ask them to provide you with Notice(s) of Assignment to prove that they have the right to collect the debt. Make sure that the notice(s) provide an uninterrupted chain starting with CDCA and ending with the exact name of the company now calling itself McCall. Be aware that if McCall does not have the right to collect the debt then you might end up having to pay it again, at some time in the future, to a company which does have the right to collect it.
• Ask them to provide a full and detailed statement of the amount they are claiming. You want a detailed list of all charges applied to the account, the reason for each charge and the date each was applied to the account.
• Ask why you have not heard about the debt since December 2008. You should mention that you were, at that time, making regular payments until your bank advised you that the recipient's account details were no longer valid.
• You should insist that that they communicate with you only by post from now on so that both sides are clear about their position. Specifically state that you do not offer them any appointment to visit you personally and that any such visit will be regarded as harassment.
• Explain that once they have established their right to collect the debt and also the correct amount outstanding, you will pleased to make the necessary arrangements to pay them.

At this stage, do not send them copies of any documentation you have about the debt; If McCall has genuine rights in this matter then they should already have all the information you hold. They will have a hard time justifying any charges since Dec 2008 in the circumstances you describe.

Beyond that, I suggest you have a look through the Debt-free Wannabe board to clue yourself up to the tricks DCAs employ and how to deal effectively with them.

Sallybaby

I have sent a letter by recorded delivery asking for all the relevant information. I have placed a hold on the standing order. Im not quite sure what to expect from them. Probably a home visit, even though I said they are not to. I think I will have to wait for their response, in whatever form, before I can take the next step.