MEM Finance and CRS

Bessie123

Thanks to all the help I have had from this board, I have paid off nearly all of my debts. However I have had some rather worrying calls, texts and emails yesterday and today.

I had a payday loan debt for £550 from Payday UK (part of MEM Consumer Finance, which is what is recorded on my credit file).

I agreed a partial settlement with a department of theirs called Keyes Whitlock, and I paid them £412.50 on 23rd July.

I then got an email on 26th of July from a company called Credit Resource Solutions with a letter attached dated 24th July headed Notice of Debt Assignment, stating that I had 7 days to pay them £550.

Obviously I called them immediately and told them that I had paid it. They refused to contact MEM/PaydayUK and said I had to prove to them that I have paid it.

To be honest, with all the stress of dealing with some particularly unreasonable people and companies recently, I got a bit angry and told them that I wasn't going to prove anything to them, they could just pick up the phone and ask the original creditor. They refused and said it's up to me to prove I paid it. In my opinion it is NOT up to me to prove it.

So I called MEM and spoke to a manager, who agreed to email them and tell them it was paid. This was yesterday.

I also sent a letter, recorded delivery, with a print of the email I had from MEM/PaydayUK stating it was settled and my bank statement showing the payment. I also added a bit of the template letter re OFT guidelines "In not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive and/or unfair methods".

I then got a call at precisely 8am this morning from CRS demanding that I pay them £550 immediately or they would go for a CCJ. I played the person a call recording from my conversation yesterday with the manager at MEM, but that still wasn't good enough.

I tried to give them the Royal Mail tracking no. to show there was a letter on the way to them, that wasn't good enough.

I asked for an email address so I could forward them the email. They weren't interested and said if I didn't pay them they would get a CCJ issued.

So I rang back MEM, spoke to the same manager, who said she had emailed CRS yesterday but they replied to say they had no record of me!!

I have sent proof to them, the original creditor has emailed them, I have played them call recordings, I have offered to email them; I really don't know what to do now?? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. (and sorry for the long post!)

DS4215

Let them go for a CCJ and you can show the evidence that you have paid the debt. If they are lucky they will just be laughed out of court

Be careful relying on emails though - emails and printouts are very easy to fake, so you might want to ask MEM to send confirmation that you owe nothing in writing on letterheaded paper.

fermi

You've done all you can. If CRS were daft enough to go for a CCJ, which they almost certainly won't, then you would defend it and they would lose.

You've written with a complaint and proof, so if the matter is still unresolved in 8 weeks then take it to the FOS. Tell both companies you intend to do this, and will also be reporting both to the OFT.

You could call the FOS now. They are sometimes willing to write on your behalf at an early stage before it goes to their full complaints process: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

We can help by contacting the business for you, and telling them about your complaint.