HD Law in Bradford - anyone else being intimidated by them due to PPI refunds from years ago?

Ycnex86

Hello everyone. I'll try to keep this brief.
Almost 2 years ago, I reclaimed PPI from a company using the Resolver site. They refunded me via a cheque in the post and that was it. 
Two weeks ago, I received a letter demanding I pay over £900 to HD Law in Bradford for their services in getting me the refund back in 2019! Totally out of the blue, it didn't even have any details as to the finance company on it. Naturally suspicious, I asked for proof of their help linked to my claim. Nothing provided, only endless emails and calls demanding payment within 7 days. Who has this amount lying around?! In addition to this, the calls have been coming from various different mobile numbers and their emails are full of spelling mistakes. I do not want to hand over any money when I am suspicious of this. I asked a few friends and they too have been receiving demands for PPI payments from years ago too, all demands having been received in the last few weeks.
Google reviews inform me that they are a poor company with terrible service going from what I have read. I have contacted the Financial Ombudsman, Citizen's Advice and just now, the Action Fraud website linked to the Police) as I want to know if they are genuine or not before handing over any cash - and even worse, my bank details.
Finally, they said online payments were impossible and that they have to be made over the 'phone - the same has been said to my friends who have received letters from them too.
Has anyone else dealt with this firm and if so, what was the outcome please? I am becoming increasingly upset and worried about this, so any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you and best wishes.

[Deleted User]

Are you 100% sure you used resolver and not a third party?
Send them a DSAR for everything they hold on you firstly. Then speak to the firm who you complained about PPI to in order to check they didn't have some sort of third party agreement / letter of authority to allow this firm to act on your behalf. Are you 100% sure you didn't accidentally engage these people? Obviously don't give them money on the phone until they provide proof they did the complaint.

Ycnex86

Deleted_User said:

Are you 100% sure you used resolver and not a third party?
Send them a DSAR for everything they hold on you firstly. Then speak to the firm who you complained about PPI to in order to check they didn't have some sort of third party agreement / letter of authority to allow this firm to act on your behalf. Are you 100% sure you didn't accidentally engage these people? Obviously don't give them money on the phone until they provide proof they did the complaint.

Yep, 100% certain - and I sent them evidence of the Resolver claim too. The fact they have waited two years to demand payment is all very strange, especially with zero correspondence until now. One of my friends received the same letter for an even bigger amount last week linked to a claim back in 2016 which she too did herself online. I have contacted the finance company now to see if they engaged with HD Law so will await their response and if so, I shall be asking them why they did this and did not inform me. Thank you so much for your reply - I do appreciate it.

Alpine_Star

HD Law having been doing this to a lot of people.
You need to make a formal complaint to them if you already haven't. As they are solicitors if you're not happy with their response or you don't get a response you can then go to the Legal Ombudsman. The Financial Ombudsman don't have jurisdiction over complaints to solicitors.

Kishrw

My husband has had a letter from a company called HD Law demanding payment for their services in regard to a PPI claim from a Black Horse Loan.

However, we’ve only made claims via the Resolver tool.

They’ve sent a ‘contract’ through which shows a signature that doesn’t look like my husbands although it’s similar, and the date on the contract has clearly used a ‘written’ computer font and isn’t my husbands handwriting.

They want payment within 7 days. We’re finding it difficult to tell if it’s a scam because they seem to have accurate information. Their responses are ultra fast via email, as if preset rather than actually a person responding.

Their website is very basic with no specific company information except registration numbers and an address in Bradford.

Not sure what to do, what’s the difference between Legal Ombudsman and Financial, and what’s the point in complaining to the company when we’ve already explained we have nothing to say we’ve engaged them in any help with PPI claims? Is the Resolver Tool leaking information about claims, as that would be the only way we can see that this company could get specific information?

brettcta

Kishrw said:

My husband has had a letter from a company called HD Law demanding payment for their services in regard to a PPI claim from a Black Horse Loan.

However, we’ve only made claims via the Resolver tool.

They’ve sent a ‘contract’ through which shows a signature that doesn’t look like my husbands although it’s similar, and the date on the contract has clearly used a ‘written’ computer font and isn’t my husbands handwriting.

They want payment within 7 days. We’re finding it difficult to tell if it’s a scam because they seem to have accurate information. Their responses are ultra fast via email, as if preset rather than actually a person responding.

Their website is very basic with no specific company information except registration numbers and an address in Bradford.

Not sure what to do, what’s the difference between Legal Ombudsman and Financial, and what’s the point in complaining to the company when we’ve already explained we have nothing to say we’ve engaged them in any help with PPI claims? Is the Resolver Tool leaking information about claims, as that would be the only way we can see that this company could get specific information?

Whilst your husband may have lodged a complaint via Resolver, did he do any ‘free PPI checks’ through adverts on Facebook, other social media or those really annoying adverts (you know the ones - ‘over 40’s are in line for a big PPI refund with this one weird trick’)? Those were often used to lodge DSAR requests and then subsequently lodge complaints off the back of them. 

The reason the signature will look like your husbands but isn’t identical is that he’ll have been asked to provide a signature with his finger on the screen of his phone/iPad and these don’t always look like they should do. This will be the reason why the date is done electronically too.

if the information request from HD Law was placed on or after 1 July 2019, then it more than likely was auto converted to a complaint by the lender, hence you’ve now received an invoice from HD Law for ‘services rendered’ (though their actual ‘service’ vs what they charge has an enormous gulf in difference, but that’s just going over very old ground at this point).