Old Vanquis Card Account - not sure what to do

hereagain22

Hi folks,

Just looking for some advice on what to do about an old Vanquis account that I think has been passed on but I am not sure. Do I just call Vanquis and see what info they can give me? 

I am getting quite stressed about this old Vanquis card account - opened 2018. I fell into arrears during Covid times and started making small monthly payments via standing order to Vanquis. I am wanting to increase the payments and get this cleared as wanting to tidy up my credit file to apply for mortgages in a couple of years. On my credit file the Vanquis account is showing as closed in 2021 with a balance - no defaults.

I have been checking my balance to confirm payments are received by calling the automated line which was giving me a balance up until a couple of months ago - it now will not give me a balance and says the card is not valid.

I started receiving calls from a company called NCO Collections I think towards the end of last year - which when googling a range of things come up including it being a scam but also mentions of Vanquis so I thought I wonder if this is to do with this Vanquis account. When I first picked up the call the chap I spoke to was quite stroppy and asked me to go through security before he would tell me anything. I said but I have no idea who you are so I am not giving my personal info to you. I asked him to write to me. He said he would and I never heard anything so thought possibly a scam. I remember picking up another call from them at some point where I had the same conversation and the lady I spoke to who assured me they were not a scam and were a legitimate company, but still we were at a stalemate as I didn't want to give security info out.

I can see from my credit file with Vanquis that they hold my old address so assuming I did not update the address - moved end of 2020 - so would this be my fault then for not updating my address?

I am not sure how best to proceed. The balance is around £600.

Does it mean my payments are now going into a black hole at Vanquis? They haven't returned my payments so are they still being credited to the account? How if they have sold it on?
I am worried that NCO may go down a CCJ route - which I obviously do not want. I had a few calls from them a few weeks ago so this has worried me - were they trying to call me before taking things further.
But why can't NCO check my credit file to obtain my current address? Why don't they use the email address that Vanquis held for me? What would they do if someone has moved and changed their phone number?
If they bought the debt end of 2021, why have they sat on it for so long? Why aren't they more proactive with chasing the debt - a few calls every so often - doesn't make sense?

Should I just face up to it and call Vanquis first and then if NCO is confirmed, call them and just get on with it? 

fatbelly

Stop making payments and see who writes to you.

They can see your addresses from your credit file so whoever owns it will write.

hereagain22

fatbelly said:

Stop making payments and see who writes to you.

They can see your addresses from your credit file so whoever owns it will write.

Oh I'm not sure if I can cope with though! I am so worried about this going to further action - my credit file is pretty ropey so it would be a massive knock back if that happened  

sourcrates

Hereagain22,

There is a debt collection process that is followed, standard practice when no payments are received is to ring/text/email the debtor to encourage contact between you, if that fails to bear fruit, then they will write to you.

Legal action is extremely rare with consumer debt, believe it or not, and will not even be a consideration at this point.

NCO Collections, the clue is really in their name, "collections" they will have been assigned to collect the debt on behalf of vanquis, or other as yet unknown owner.

They do not own the debt, it will be what`s known as an equitable assignment, so they cannot take legal action against you, they can only ask you to pay the debt.

If the debt had been sold, called a legal assignment, you would have been notified in writing.

So put aside your unsubstantiated fear of the unknown, do a little research on "debt collection" it`s always a good thing to understand a process rather than fear it, stop paying them, and whoever is charged with collection of the debt will write to you, I guarantee it.

hereagain22

sourcrates said:

Hereagain22,

There is a debt collection process that is followed, standard practice when no payments are received is to ring/text/email the debtor to encourage contact between you, if that fails to bear fruit, then they will write to you.

Legal action is extremely rare with consumer debt, believe it or not, and will not even be a consideration at this point.

NCO Collections, the clue is really in their name, "collections" they will have been assigned to collect the debt on behalf of vanquis, they do not own the debt, it will be what`s known as an equitable assignment, so they cannot take legal action against you, they can only ask you to pay the debt.

If the debt had been sold, called a legal assignment, you would have been notified in writing.

So put aside your unsubstantiated fear of the unknown, do a little research on "debt collection" it`s always a good thing to understand a process rather than fear it, stop paying them, and whoever is charged with collection of the debt will write to you, I guarantee it.

Yes I wondered if they were just chasing it on behalf of Vanquis - but found it weird that I had not heard anything. Ah I wonder if I have the name wrong now I think I had a text from them. Sure it was NCO something - comes up with NCO europe when I google! 

I am confused as to why Vanquis have recorded the account as closed in 2021 unless they have sold it on. It is all very strange.

Plus why have neither Vanquis or NCO written to me about any of this. Normally you can't get away from these people when they want money off you - what is going on! Why don't they call daily - why don't they email?! 
Unless they just keep writing to my old address, I would be surprised if the current occupier was not returning any letters received to my old address.

sourcrates

Well, it may have been sold, it may not, occasionally things do go quiet, not every debt is chased, sometimes commercial decisions are taken.

You know what to do to get the ball rolling on this, just stop paying, then you will get all your answers.

sourcrates

However, looking at their sparkly new website, it appears they don`t buy debts, reading between the lines of PC rubbish, describing themselves thus -

"We are a Business Process Outsourcer for all your customers' needs".

and -

"It’s our job (and privilege) to delight every single one of your customers that you have entrusted to us and give them the best experience possible".

And this is from a debt collector, the mind boggles it really does, what a load of utter woke garbage.
Reading between the lines here OP, I would say it`s safe to assume NCO are just acting as collector here.

hereagain22

sourcrates said:

However, looking at their sparkly new website, it appears they don`t buy debts, reading between the lines of PC rubbish, describing themselves thus -

"We are a Business Process Outsourcer for all your customers' needs".

and -

"It’s our job (and privilege) to delight every single one of your customers that you have entrusted to us and give them the best experience possible".

And this is from a debt collector, the mind boggles it really does, what a load of utter woke garbage.
Reading between the lines here OP, I would say it`s safe to assume NCO are just acting as collector here.

Lol - right! 

Process outsourcer!! :O 

fatbelly

They may be acting on behalf of some other organisation who has bought the debt ... or it may be something unrelated.

You can keep an eye on your credit report but if Vanquis have marked the account as closed in 2021 I don't think you will be hearing from them.

In any event, my advice is the same - stop paying and see who writes.

hereagain22

fatbelly said:

They may be acting on behalf of some other organisation who has bought the debt ... or it may be something unrelated.

You can keep an eye on your credit report but if Vanquis have marked the account as closed in 2021 I don't think you will be hearing from them.

In any event, my advice is the same - stop paying and see who writes.

The standing order is now cancelled :P