PRA Group/Aktiv Capital - Broken Arrangement Letter

Burnt_Reynolds

Last week I had a number of missed calls from the PRA Group asking me to contact them and then over the weekend I received a letter with the title 'Broken Arrangement' advising that the payment plan I had entered in to with them has not been maintained and has now fallen in to arrears despite them referencing my last payment as being October 2016.

The debt they are referring to is one that they purchased from MBNA in February 2012 and to which I have been paying £60 a month without issue for nearly 5 years but suddenly I am now being told that the account is in arrears.

The original balance was £16k which is now down to £12k after my payments. I recently checked my Credit File and all history of the payments to Aktiv Capital seemed to have been wiped and the last payment for October is now listed under the PRA Group. Previously there was a specified amount listed against Aktiv Capital in regards to the monthly payment which is now missing from the PRA Group entry.

The letter also states that they are keen to help me reduce the balance of my account and that if I fail to contact them, collections activity, including letters and phone calls will recomence.

Does anyone have any ideas what they are playing at? I don't hear from them for nearly 5 years aside from the odd statement and then with just over 12 months to go until the default drops off my account they tell me I'm in arrears?

sourcrates

Hi Burnt,

Its a typical mis-leading DCA letter designed to get you to contact them, possibly there not happy with the £60 a month, maybe they have time on their hands, its anyone's guess really.

Write back to them stating that :

(A) The account is not in arrears

and

(B) You have been paying £60 a month, as previously agreed with them.

If they have any other issues with you, then to please put them in writing to you within 28 days, otherwise you will consider this matter closed.

See what response you get.

blisteringblue

PRA are fairly toothless, did similar with me earlier this year, I wrote telling them tough really, you get what I'm paying you, take it or leave it.

They continued to text me daily even after I told them in writing not to, so put a complaint in. They stopped and sent me £20 for my trouble. They are still getting the same payment from before.

Burnt_Reynolds

blisteringblue wrote: »

PRA are fairly toothless, did similar with me earlier this year, I wrote telling them tough really, you get what I'm paying you, take it or leave it.

They continued to text me daily even after I told them in writing not to, so put a complaint in. They stopped and sent me £20 for my trouble. They are still getting the same payment from before.

Did you speak to them at all via the telephone or did you only contact them in writing?

blisteringblue

Do not speak to them on the phone, they are sharks and the will only badger you for more money. Everything was in writing. I think my complaints were by email as they quote one on the correspondence I got.

These companies are so worried about complaints from the FSO that they will buckle.

National_Debtline

It sounds as though they have passed or sold the debt on from Aktiv Capital to the PRA Group. It is not uncommon for a new debt collector to review the payments, although the letter you have received does seem to be intended to worry you.


I would suggest you keep everything in writing from now on. Send a letter back to the PRA Group with your SOA and highlight why you offer is what it is. If nothing has changed and you can't improve your offer then you need to stress that. Ask for all communication to be done in writing from now on. If the letters continuing to be 'overzealous' or they communicate in a way you have asked them not to, you should complain, argue it is harassment.


Try not to worry too much about your credit file. The debt will come off, 6 years after the date of default whether they sell it on or not. The only issue that can cause it to stay longer is if they get a CCJ.


Laura
@natdebtline

Burnt_Reynolds

blisteringblue wrote: »

Do not speak to them on the phone, they are sharks and the will only badger you for more money. Everything was in writing. I think my complaints were by email as they quote one on the correspondence I got.

These companies are so worried about complaints from the FSO that they will buckle.

Thats great, thanks. I'll reply to them in writing with what has been suggested above.

sourcrates

Burnt_Reynolds wrote: »

Did you speak to them at all via the telephone or did you only contact them in writing?

Never deal with debt issues over the phone, there call handlers job is to extract as much money as possible from you, the phone gives them that opportunity, deny them it !!

Only deal in writing, or email, that way you also have a written record of whats been said/agreed, and the ability for them to intimidate or mis-lead you as to your rights, is taken away from them.

Burnt_Reynolds

sourcrates wrote: »

Never deal with debt issues over the phone, there call handlers job is to extract as much money as possible from you, the phone gives them that opportunity, deny them it !!

Only deal in writing, or email, that way you also have a written record of whats been said/agreed, and the ability for them to intimidate or mis-lead you as to your rights, is taken away from them.

I'm just pretty annoyed that they have contacted me out of the blue with this nonsense. I guess they're not happy that it will take another 17 years to pay off the balance at the current rate.

sourcrates

sourcrates wrote: »

Never deal with debt issues over the phone, there call handlers job is to extract as much money as possible from you, the phone gives them that opportunity, deny them it !!

Only deal in writing, or email, that way you also have a written record of whats been said/agreed, and the ability for them to intimidate or mis-lead you as to your rights, is taken away from them.

I assume this was a loan, when did you take out this loan, approximately ?

Have you thought of doing a CCA request, are you familiar with the process and possible outcomes ?

Burnt_Reynolds

sourcrates wrote: »

I assume this was a loan, when did you take out this loan, approximately ?

Have you thought of doing a CCA request, are you familiar with the process and possible outcomes ?

It was a CC with MBNA and it was taken out in 2004. I have never done a CCA request and I'm not familiar with the process or possible outcomes. Can you elaborate please if possible?