Klarna selling a debt that was never a bad debt and was closed months previously.

retiredbanker1

Have you checked your credit reports?

If this is showing as a default on there you could argue that you have been libelled.
I am in no way advising you to take legal action at this stage but if It was me I would be looking for a D&I payment - not a huge amount unless you can prove that you have lost out financially due to your actions (maybe £25 to £50).

It may well be that they will throw this back to Klarna - it is they who would compensate you.

nyermen

JadedAngel88 said:

Creditlink have now removed money from my bank account, by setting up a direct debit.

Claim it back via the direct debit guarantee through your bank.

Incredibly, this suggests that they created a direct debit mandate knowing they had no authority to do so?  BACS should revoke their license (or, I guess, have a strong word with whomever their financial institution who processed it all, is?)...

edit: Certainly the FOS are - https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/complaints-deal/banking-and-payments/direct-debits

ancientferguson

JadedAngel88 said:

Creditlink have now removed money from my bank account, by setting up a direct debit.

Claim it back via the direct debit guarantee through your bank.

Hi there, thanks for this. My bank is hopeful it will be back with me before 8pm. We shall see. :-)

Saving2Spend

I have had a near identical experience as ‘ancientferguson’ with the exception that no monies have been removed from my bank account as yet. With my Klarna account being fully paid off and an acknowledgment email from Klarna confirming that the loan had been fully paid. Judging by the telephone wait times and comments from the Klarna call centre staff, I would imagine that hundreds if not thousands of former customers have received demands from these debt collectors for non-existent debts.
Persons who are less financially astute have possibly made payments for these non-existent debts. 

What does surprise me is that there is not more people on social media / national press sharing their stories. It was ‘ancientferguson’ who was seeking the extent of this debarcle, that prompted me to sign up to this forum and let him know that he is not alone, I would urge others who have been affected to also add to this thread, so that an indication of the true scale can be gauged.
I understand that Klarna are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, it is possibly time for them to be knocking on their door and performing some regulatory activity.
At best it is an example of gross incompetence, if not then it is an elaborate attempt to obtain monies by deception.

ancientferguson

nyermen said:

JadedAngel88 said:

Creditlink have now removed money from my bank account, by setting up a direct debit.

Claim it back via the direct debit guarantee through your bank.

Incredibly, this suggests that they created a direct debit mandate knowing they had no authority to do so?  BACS should revoke their license (or, I guess, have a strong word with whomever their financial institution who processed it all, is?)...

edit: Certainly the FOS are - https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/complaints-deal/banking-and-payments/direct-debits

Absolutely. The first I knew of any of this was from CARS, nothing ever from JCIA the purchaser of the "debt".

The timeline goes like this.

First contact from CARS on the 20th via email and I have a discussion at length with them as result. The young lady hung up the phone on me because I was asking too many questions and she was no doubt expected to answer many more calls.
During that call I explained there was a very clear and obvious error. She acknowledge I wasn't the only caller that day with the same problem.

On the 21st I sent CARS and JCIA all my supporting documentation showing that the meticulously maintained account had been closed naturally by Klarna, all payments had been made on time as per the original agreement, the closure letter received and my credit file updated. I also screen captured my payments made to Klarna via my bank account. You couldn't get a better file of evidence that a serious mistake had been made.

JCIA don't answer their phones very often and for fun, anybody is welcome to try it. 0203 437 0310. But, I got them at 9am on the 22nd just as the phones opened. I was very clear and concise about what I wanted to happen.
At 1337hrs on the 22nd, JCIA rang me back to express their innocence in all of this and claimed never to have received my email; but acknowledged they had spoken to CARS and was able to view my evidence from the email they received. They assured me the account was now shown as settled..... What account? Grrrr. Anyway, they claimed they would be going back to Klarna for "their money back", the money they had paid for my closed account. 
According to JCIA, all was settled and my complaint was only with Klarna, as they had bought the debt in good faith. 
On this SAME day, CARS, on the behest of their client, JCIA, requested money from my account via direct debit..... totally without my knowledge and contrary to their pitch of innocence and efficiency. 

I have tried ALL day today to get JCIA to answer their phone. Tomorrow is another day. I have lots to say to them.

Thanks for your input.

Klarna, still haven't acknowledge my existence yet, but I will happily gather all my evidence against them in the meantime.

ancientferguson

Saving2Spend said:

I have had a near identical experience as ‘ancientferguson’ with the exception that no monies have been removed from my bank account as yet. With my Klarna account being fully paid off and an acknowledgment email from Klarna confirming that the loan had been fully paid. Judging by the telephone wait times and comments from the Klarna call centre staff, I would imagine that hundreds if not thousands of former customers have received demands from these debt collectors for non-existent debts.
Persons who are less financially astute have possibly made payments for these non-existent debts. 

What does surprise me is that there is not more people on social media / national press sharing their stories. It was ‘ancientferguson’ who was seeking the extent of this debarcle, that prompted me to sign up to this forum and let him know that he is not alone, I would urge others who have been affected to also add to this thread, so that an indication of the true scale can be gauged.
I understand that Klarna are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, it is possibly time for them to be knocking on their door and performing some regulatory activity.
At best it is an example of gross incompetence, if not then it is an elaborate attempt to obtain monies by deception.

Welcome onboard. Keep an eye on your account for a direct debit being set up for CREDITLINK. Delete it straight away. I have kept mine open until the clawback is complete.

I am sure there are hundreds like us, if not more. They are trying desperately to keep a lid on it and the cowboys at CARS are atrocious.

P.S.  CARS and JCIA both know that there is a very big problem and are in damage limitation mode. They are trying to bluff with a very much guilty until proven innocent attitude, essentially forcing victims like us to reveal more data to prove our innocence. 

I asked a manager from CARS a question today, that if I had not noticed the money being removed from my account, what would happen to that money. They said it would be passed to JCIA. I look forward to hearing JCIA's response to this question.

I have investigated much more complicated financial abuses than this and my goodness, would I love a run at all three of these companies. Sadly, it doesn't work like that, but I will provide the Ombudsman with a very comprehensive report.

Saving2Spend

Thanks for your advice, this morning I found that a direct debit had been set up on my account - reference CREDITLINK which I have deleted. The actions of these people is unbelievable! Others in the same situation-beware!

nyermen

Please take a screenshot or similar first.  One or two the regulator / ombudsman will shrug off, with many examples clearly unauthorised they might take more formal action (at what point does a "mistake" step over the line into "deliberate" and potentially criminal?)

ancientferguson

Saving2Spend said:

Thanks for your advice, this morning I found that a direct debit had been set up on my account - reference CREDITLINK which I have deleted. The actions of these people is unbelievable! Others in the same situation-beware!

Fabulous, well done. These people remind me of a virus.

I cannot get JCIA to answer their phone, even by trying to catch them at opening times. They have gone to ground.

carl_swlondon

I’m another unwelcome member to the club!

I won’t repeat my experience over the last 24 hours as it mirrors the original poster.  Needless to say, Klarna are saying I need to sort with JCIA & they are saying they have bought our ‘debt’ in good faith.  

My starting point on Monday will be to see if my bank can recover the payment they have taken and to stop the next one they are planning to.