Motormile Finance bought old PDL debt

Poten

I took out a PDL with vivus.co.uk over a year ago for £300. Despite paying ~£200 off the balance outstanding was £364 when I entered in to a payment arrangement with them. We agreed that all interest and charges would be stopped. I made an initial payment of £15 and have been paying £5/month since. This means I have paid £70 off the debt in the last year.

Ive had a letter from Motormile Finance Ltd (and it can be confirmed via vivus' website) that they now own the debt and that it stands at (the original) £364.

What should I do here?

I am happy to keep paying £5/month but Im worried MMF will want considerably more. Ive done some searching and there seems to be a lot of threads describing them in hugely negative terms. Some threads allege they have no proof of debt and should be ignored? Is this correct? I dont mind paying what I owe but I dont want to pay their 'debt' off and then later be asked by a different company for the same debt...

Should I contact them and inform them of the correct amount? Im worried they will say that last months (or twos) payment of £5 went to vivus and therefore end up adding a little bit to my account.

FireWyrm

First step then is a Prove-It letter to Motormile Finance demanding to know how the outstanding amount is calculated.

Secondly (and while the above is happening), you need to contact Vivus and ask for a full breakdown of all payments made.

Marry the two bits of information, establish that Motormile does have the right to collect and then write to them telling them what you will pay and at what frequency.

It is up to them to prove the debt is owed and to whom, not for you to prove otherwise, but I would get to the bottom of this quickly since £70 odd has apparently disappeared.

sourcrates

The problem you are likely to encounter is that Motormile Finance are just about the worst DCA in the business, one of the real "old school" "threaten to come take the furniture kind".

They simply do not respond to letters, the telephone is there weapon of choice, avoid calling them whatever you do.

You should address your letter to there compliance officer, then it has some chance of been responded to, you may be better off dealing with the OC if that is at all possible.

Poten

Thank you for the responses.

I have read similar things sourcrates.

How likely is it that they will visit my address? The debt was registered at my parents address where I no longer live. My worry would be that they call round and end up taking advantage of or causing distress to my elderly mother. If I provide them with my new address am I ok to expect them not to call to my old address?

Id like a speedy resolution so was thinking I would phone them, discuss and ask for everything to be sent in writing before actioning any payment plan. Contemplating just offering them a full & final (with provisos).

sourcrates

They do use self employed collectors, in some parts of the UK.

I can understand your concerns with regard to your mother, but mostly this is just used as a threat, although it does happen, what you have to remember is that they are just self employed collectors, not bailiffs, and have no power at all, you can tell them to leave, or not even answer the door.

Its always a gamble dealing with them on the phone, and is not recommended, however it can be frustrating when they don't answer your letters, best advice, if you must phone them, don't agree to pay there and then over the phone, if you can reach an agreement, get there bank details off them, and pay later via online banking, but make sure you get some thing in writing off them first, even an email will suffice as proof you have paid what was agreed.