Roxburghe loses licence

trisontana

The OFT has refused to renew the consumer credit licences of debt purchaser HFO Capital Limited, and two associated debt collectors, HFO Services Limited and Roxburghe (UK) Limited. Alasdair Turnbull, a solicitor who acted for the group of firms, has also today been excluded from the group consumer credit licence held by the Law Society for England and Wales.


http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2014/08-14#.UvM2NIUZNRq

Umkomaas

Tears pouring from my eyes.

esmerobbo

At last, pity they have been allowed to scam and intimidate people for 3 years since first been looked at.


I do hope the BPA DVLA act quickly now!!!


No doubt they will appeal and probably be able to carry on until the appeal is heard?

4consumerrights

Ooh Trisontana - I was on the OFT website checking and creating thread - and find you've pipped me to it - two threads now sorry!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4889170

HO87

It has taken them long enough to get there. Stand by for a protracted appeal.

It would be interesting to know quite how they can act in respect of all of those unpaid PPC invoices. So, not only did they lose Michael Sobell, GPB Solicitors but poor old Gladstones have now lost their client too.

EDIT: Roxburghe's response can be read here

Press release
Roxburghe, a leading debt collection agency, has expressed ‘extreme surprise, disappointment and dismay’ at a decision by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) that it is not fit to hold a consumer credit licence, calling the announcement a ‘travesty’ that it will take to Appeal.

The company says that in the three years that it has taken the OFT to act, during which time the business has successfully continued to trade, the regulator has not once visited the Roxburghe offices, nor met with senior executives to discuss any ongoing concerns.

A spokesman for the company said that he had grave concerns about the length, viability and fairness of the review, especially given that there was a change of Adjudicator half way through the revocation process: “Roxburghe has consistently been given inconsistent information by the OFT about the delays in the decision-making process,” he said.
“Indeed, the decision by the second OFT Adjudicator to revoke our licence is contrary to the stated views expressed by the first Adjudicator to hear our case, and for which we have written evidence. We are confident that common sense will prevail, and that the decision will be overturned before an independent tribunal on Appeal.”

Roxburghe’s consumer credit licence remains in force pending the Appeal. The company has also applied for, and received, interim permission from the new regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), in readiness for the transfer of consumer credit responsibilities.

“We have consistently provided the highest levels of service to our clients and their customers, in adherence with the CSA’s Code of Practice, and in accordance with our own values and cultures,” the spokesman concluded, “and we shall continue to do so as we look to overturn this decision.”

A spokesman for trade body the Credit Services Association added: “We are aware of the recent decision by the OFT that it has determined not to renew the Consumer Credit Licences of two of our members, Roxburghe Ltd and HFO Services Ltd. We have not yet seen the full adjudication and so it is difficult to comment on individual cases until the OFT's findings have been made public. We do know, however, that members have a right to Appeal and can continue to trade during the Appeals process, so will decline to comment further until additional information is forthcoming."

Roxburghe has been in the debt collection industry since 1961 and as recently as 2009 was voted Credit Today's debt collection agency of the year.

fermi

Extreme surprise? No one else is surprised.

Well, maybe that the OFT has grown some balls and acted, but that is a different matter.

Browntoa

all we need now is PE made a vexatious litigant

what happened about that 31st Jan deadline to list all their claims ?

prowla

They were only trying to make a decent living, and as they say:

“We have consistently provided the highest levels of service to our clients and their customers"

HO87

prowla wrote: »

They were only trying to make a decent living, and as they say:

“We have consistently provided the highest levels of service to our clients and their customers"

And for the recipients of their "services"...?

Letters that misrepresented their legal position; misleading and inappropriate behaviour by the Roxburghe agents telephoning them and failing to properly investigate disputed debts.

Given, Roxburghe's reaction one is tempted to think they too might have been at the receiving end of their own "highest level of service" but this time from the OFT.

I'd be most surprised if this provokes an increase in Roxburghe's business. I suppose the most obvious sign will be a decrease in the quality of paper they use for correspondence but then it will just more closely match its use - were it to ever arrive - in the HO87 household. Torn into squares and hanging on a length of string.

Coupon-mad

Oh dear, my heart bleeds for my old acquaintance, ex-Banker and signatory of the threatograms Steve Dargonne - soon to be gone from debt collection then unless his name springs up on other letter headings. This sort of outcome is not a new experience for him as he also used to be involved with a dissolved Worthing firm called Energywize, which is all in the public domain!

HO87

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Oh dear, my heart bleeds for my old acquaintance, ex-Banker and signatory of the threatograms Steve Dargonne - soon to be gone from debt collection then unless his name springs up on other letter headings. This sort of outcome is not a new experience for him as he also used to be involved with a dissolved Worthing firm called Energywize, which is all in the public domain!

Indeed. If things go really pear-shaped for him he'd be welcome on here for some free employment law advice from zzzLazyDaisy. I'm sure she'll oblige.