Yes - t'is the season for Mackenzie Hall -advice please?

Beanietdc

But isn't that letter for people who did at least once owe something?

rog2

Beanietdc wrote: »

But isn't that letter for people who did at least once owe something?

Not necessarily Beanie - you CAN go through the action of requesting a CCA but this can take 44 days or more, whereas the statute barred letter is also asking them to prove the alleged debt.
You can, and in your case probably should, preface the letter with the words:

"I acknowledge no debt to your company" and you can edit slightly the sb letter to suit.

The advantage of the SB letter is that even if they can provide a cca, unless they can also prove that you have either acknowledged, in writing, or made a payment to the debt, in the last 6 years, then they MUST leave you alone.

Beanietdc

OK - I will give that a go.

OH keeps telling me to phone them tomorrow but I will resist! *insert superhero smilie here*

Thanks for the help guys - I knew I could rely on you lot! :T :T

rog2

Beanietdc wrote: »

OH keeps telling me to phone them tomorrow but I will resist! *insert superhero smilie here*

Whatever you do - do not ever phone Mackenzie Hall. :eek: :eek: They will twist your words, tie you up in knots and tell you whatever they want, irrespective of the law.
They are pondlife - plain and simple.

futurehope

my parents had a letter last week from these people for a barclaycard which neither of them can remember ever having, they phoned barclaycard who looked back and said there was a card from 1990 that they had and was last used in 1992. I did the letter from national debtline and have told my parents that if they call do not say anything to them, if there is an old debt (the amount was about £200 according to MH) to put the phone down, my dad asked for proof from them and they said they didn't have any paperwork.............

what is scary is all their letters seem to be chasing justa few hundred pounds, I wonder how many people get these letters and just pay.

rog2

futurehope wrote: »

what is scary is all their letters seem to be chasing justa few hundred pounds, I wonder how many people get these letters and just pay.

This is EXACTLY how the 'Great Mackenzie Hall Scam' is supposed to work, fh.

There must be literally millions of low value 'alleged debts' floating around the system. Original creditors know that they have little or no chance of collecting them due, in part, to the fact that many of these 'alleged debts' are statute barred and, again in part, because the costs, to the original creditor, involved in trying to 'collect' against these, often unenforceable, alleged debts would render such efforts uneconomical and, therefore, not viable.

The original creditor knows this, and probably treats the 'alleged debts' as scrap - i.e. of no economic value. In ALL industries there are people who make their, often very good, living out of the 'scrap' that that particular industry generates, and the Financial Industry is no exception. It has spawned its own 'scrap' processing industry, masquerading under the umbrella of the 'debt collection industry' which is prepared to buy the 'floor sweepings' in the hope of making a quick and easy return.

Mackenzie Hall is one, though by no means the only one, of the most active players in this 'lucrative' market. They regularly send their 'scrap lorries' - figuratively speaking of course - around the finance houses in the hope of 'salvaging bones with a bit of meat left on them'. They continuously scour the credit reference agency websites in order to 'cherry pick' their target 'clients' when they are most likely to get the best return for their minimal investment.

Mackenzie Hall are fully aware of the implications, on such 'alleged debts', of the Limitations Act, 1980.

They are, EQUALLY, fully aware that the vast majority of the British population are blissfully ignorant of this legislation, and the rights that it affords them.

MH are also aware of Debt Counselling Forums like DFW, and probably trawl them regularly - throwing in the occasional TROLL to defend their corner.
UNFORTUNATELY for every recipient of a MH 'letter' that posts here, there are, probably several hundred others who do not. Of these, the vast majority will be totally unaware that they have become the unwitting victims of this scam and will, in total ignorance of their rights, simply pay up in order to get Mackenzie Hall off of their backs.

boudicca_2

rog2 wrote: »

This is EXACTLY how the 'Great Mackenzie Hall Scam' is supposed to work, fh.

>Of these, the vast majority will be totally unaware that they have become the unwitting victims of this scam and will, in total ignorance of their rights, simply pay up in order to get Mackenzie Hall off of their backs.

Ok...you got me, I'm one of those dumb hicks who agreed to pay monthly by standing debit.

Yes it was a bank loan
Yes it was Statute Whatevered.
Yes they didn't find me in over 6 years.
But MH did and scared the life out of me. Oh the 6 years doesn't apply to bank loans.....so I payed a monthly 25 quid to keep them off my back.

Now over 2 years later....no statement, no letters, no hassling but its too quiet. Last time I spoke they it was 1500 or was it 1800....I don't know.

If I call them they will ask me again for the money
If I write to them.....same.
If I cancel the Standing order.....Baliffs and all that.

There not praying mugs who don't know any better, there praying on my fears of the ole times. Dole....debt and misery.

Now Im working these day....I have a home and career I could pay in 2 or three installments but then why should I and get hassled. That money is important elsewhere.

At the end of the day. Fear is what keeps them going. Fear of being in debt.

I really want to stop that standing order but what would happen !

Beanietdc

Right then. I went against what everyone said and phoned them :eek: :eek: . I just thought b*ll*cks, I don't owe anyone anything why should I let them get away with trying to scare people into paying what they don't owe.

I should probably point out that I do tend to have my "mini-crusades" once in a while and I think this is my current one! (Halifax and my OH bank charges was my last one :j ).

Anyway... the woman that answered ask my name and reference, no inside leg measurement, bank details, pin number etc and proceeded to tell me that I owe £110 to Sky for non-payment of subscription.

Now, I could tell she was about to launch into some well rehearsed b*tch-fest about how I am the lowest scum of the pond (below you my love) and they would force me to sell my house or something when I cut her off mid-sentence (I would thoroughly recommend doing that - it felt good!). I jumped in with a quick and innocent "I have never had a Sky account".......... *insert pregnant pause*....... and proceeded as so

Scum: oh, but our records show you do
Me: Hmm... interesting seeing as I have never had an account. Are you sure it says Miss Beanie Bean and not just Miss B Bean?
Scum: No - it says Miss Beanie Bean.
Me: Hmm... Well I think that someone has added that in for a laugh at a later date because I certainly have never had that account - I think I would remember.
Scum: Well it definitely shows your name (I worked out that there was a theme forming here!)
Me: So you are telling me that the original agreement shows Miss Beanie Bean and not Miss B Bean who is my sister and did have a Sky account before she changed her name and left the country 10 years ago?
Scum: Oh, I don't have a copy of the original agreement with me
Me: Well I suggest you go and find it and then contact the person whose name is really on it.
Scum: Oh, well will investigate and be in touch
Me: I don't want you to contact me - it's nothing to do with me, it isn't my debt, I have never had a Sky account and I am not interested in your investigations
Scum:..... We will be in touch with you either way after we have investigated.
Me: Oh OK - do what you feel an need to waste your time doing-, you won't get any money for a debt that isn't mine. Bye.
Scum: grunt

So.. nothing bad happened but it kept me amused for 5 minutes.:rotfl:

I wouldn't recommend this course of action to someone that actually does owe money but seeing as I know I am not in the wrong here I quite enjoyed myself (it's my dark side fighting it's way out - actually I don't hide it so well sometimes!:mad: :eek: ).

So now I have composed a nice little letter for them - included at least 4 references to OFT guidelines, limitations act etc and that will be winging it's way to them tomorrow in the pre paid envelope that they were kind enough to enclose with the original letter.

I will keep you posted!

Beanietdc

OK - next update.

I have just had the payslip type messge through telling me to contact them urgently by 18th September.... the day I got the letter.

What do I do now? Do I ignore them and report them for harassment. I sent the letter to them (recorded delivery and have proof of delivery) telling them that a: it isn't my debt and b: it is statute barred and they still keep trying.

Advice gratefully received.

RAS

Sorry

Cannot get the National Debtline links to work. Did you send a bog off 6 years letter or a letter telling them it was not your debt?

And yes, you can complain to the trading Standards, OFT, re their license to collect debts and the Information Commisioner re their holding false information about you.

CC MCKenzie into each letter, then write and demand compensation for their breaches of the OFT Guidelines and the DAta Protection Act plus stress and distress.

This is Pip's list

These addresses are the ones that I have used to find the information that I required, You may want to research pages other than the ones I have linked to, try clicking on the home page if any of these aren't what you wanted.

Office of Fair Trading, Contact page: http://www.oft.gov.uk/contactus

The Information Commissioners Office, Complaints page: http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx
(note: I chose to complete and download the .pdf form on Data Protection, which I am also sending to the other offices, with an accompanying letter)

Trading Standards, Central office homepage: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/
-Please note, you can search by inserting the postcode in the top right hand corner, remember to use the postcode of the DCA rather than your own-

Consumer Credit Association, enquiries page: http://www.ccauk.org/consenquiries.htm

the Financial Ombudsman Service, Contacts page: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org/contact/index.html

Members of parliament list, (as provided by RAS): http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/clomps.cfm