Aktiv Kapital (UK) - Who Are They?

davtom

Hello all,

I'm glad I found this thread. My wife has been sent a letter from Thames Credit Limited, part of the Aktiv Kapital Group, requesting payment of an alleged debt for about £60 that she has no knowledge of. It was actually in my wife's maiden name, but it was sent to the address she now lives at, and she never used her maiden name in connection with this address.

I sent an email in her name (with her permission) to their enquiries email address, stating that she acknowledges no debt to the company, and asking the company to prove that the debt is owed.

She received two letters after that. The first was another form letter asking her to telephone them (on a different number) because they required further information. The second was a letter noting that they had not received a phone call, again asking her to telephone them.

Then I found this thread. After reading through it, I advised her not to contact them by telephone. I drafted another email in response, once again stating that she did not acknowledge the existence of any such debt, and stating that as far as she was concerned the onus was on them to prove that such a debt exists. The email also stated that no further information from her was required, and that as such, she didn't see any need to telephone them to provide them with further information.

In any case, we are not going to pay anything unless they can prove that a debt exists (and if it does, the amount involved is quite small to us).

I would be interested to hear whether anybody has had a "debt collector" visit in respect of dealings with this company, so that I can put my wife at ease. I'm good at handling people at the front door; she is not. I might need to train her to always use the chain.

Also, is it possible to send them something to the effect of continued contact without having provided proof that a debt is due to be repaid would be considered harrassment and would be reported to the authorities?

I will send this request for information accompanied by £1 if necessary. I don't really want to do that. I don't see why we should pay them even £1 (although I'd love to subsequently report them for inaction). I'm not really sure whether it applies in our case. My wife has never had any debt other than the occasional unauthorised overdraft (all of which are paid for) and there are certainly no CCJs that apply to her. I think I'd rather tell them that we will see them in court if they think they can prove that a debt is due, but if they have such evidence then surely they would sent that evidence without any requirement for a fee to be paid if it would strengthen their case and make it more likely that they would see some money?

Many thanks.

rog2

davtom wrote: »

I will send this request for information accompanied by £1 if necessary. I don't really want to do that. I don't see why we should pay them even £1 (although I'd love to subsequently report them for inaction). I'm not really sure whether it applies in our case. My wife has never had any debt other than the occasional unauthorised overdraft (all of which are paid for) and there are certainly no CCJs that apply to her. I think I'd rather tell them that we will see them in court if they think they can prove that a debt is due, but if they have such evidence then surely they would sent that evidence without any requirement for a fee to be paid if it would strengthen their case and make it more likely that they would see some money?

Hi davtom - I can fully understand how you feel. Thames Credit (AK) are the absolute pits to deal with.

You are absolutely right NOT to phone them, and I understand your 'reluctance' to send them the £1 'Statutory Fee' with any request for a cca.

There is, however, a 'prove-it' letter, that you can send to Thames, as a possile alternative to a cca request, and this can be found on the following link:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=11570893

May I suggest that you keep ALL of your communication, with Thames/AK, in writing only, as opposed to electronic mail, and that all letters to the aforementioned underclass are sent by recorded/special delivery.

The only thing that I would say, in defence of the 'cca request' is that, by paying the £1 'Statutury Charge' you will, in effect, be placing Thames/AK under a legal obligation to either 'put up' or 'shut up'.

If you feel that Thames/AK are harrassing you, then report them, in the first instance, to Trading Standards. Have a look at the following link to se how they should behave:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf



Good Luck.

GeorgeUK

This "prove it" letter may be of use. Also, how long ago was the last payment or written acknowledgement of the debt? The debt may be statute barred.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11570893#post11570893

Edit: That'll teach me not to press refresh before posting

daddythrimps

Sparklemonkey wrote: »

Hmm, I have had contact with this company over the last two years and had not one problem with them, they were fine on the phone and didn't hassle us at all, I also have a letter from them detailing my payments and stating that the account is clear.

I am sorry that so many of you have had a bad time with them, maybe I am an exception...and a lucky one!

I suppose it all depends on how we all approach these companies. I currently have an ongoing arrangement with Aktiv Capital, and though it pains me to say it, they have been fine with me.

Every six months or so they ring and suggest I might like to increase the amount I pay and every time I tell them I'm paying as much as I can afford, £30 with the balance standing at around the £400 mark, and we carry on as before. So you're not alone Sparklemonkey.

rog2

daddythrimps wrote: »

I suppose it all depends on how we all approach these companies. I currently have an ongoing arrangement with Aktiv Capital, and though it pains me to say it, they have been fine with me.

Every six months or so they ring and suggest I might like to increase the amount I pay and every time I tell them I'm paying as much as I can afford, £30 with the balance standing at around the £400 mark, and we carry on as before. So you're not alone Sparklemonkey.

I'm pleased to hear that, dt. However, you only have to look at the date of Sparklemonkey's post (October 2005) and look at his/her comments in relation to the majority of comments on the entire thread, to see that you must, indeed, be in the minority.

daddythrimps

Yeah I realised that Rog after I posted .

I suppose I must be in the minority. I wish I could say the same for the other company that is currently hounding me. :mad:

~Chameleon~

Ha! I knew I was tempting fate last week! :rolleyes:

Just come home to a letter from a company calling themselves CALL SERVE. Presumably this "debt" they claim I owe them has been passed onto them by Debt Managers since I refused to play ball and make any contact with them

Anyone had dealings with these people and will it be just a repetition of the last company or can I actually expect a visit from the heavies this time if I continue to ignore them?


Have to laugh at the letter content:

We DEMAND that the sum stated be sent direct to this office IMMEDIATELY using the payment slip below.

Your failure to comply could result in a DEBT COLLECTOR calling upon you for payment or a COUNTY COURT JUDGEMENT being registered against you.

ER78

Today I had notification from Experian, that "Activ Kapital (I)" have created a "credit agreement summary" on my personal file - after looking through this thread it seems they are debt collection but I do not know these people and have had no contact. The only debt I have (student o/d) is being paid off monthly and has been for sometime so it can't be this!!

I heard some time ago that certain debt collection companies trawl electoral rolls for similar names in same towns to get a "hit" as I have quite a common name locally, could this be right???? If not, what else could this be?? I am quite worried and I do not want to contact these people if I don't have to.

Thanks

princesspop

have a debt to DLC referring to a car finance I unfortunately defaulted on. When they originally sent the letter, unaware of this site, I called them to set up to pay it off as I know it's my debt. They would only allow me to set up payments for £91.92, and even tho this meant I have been struggling for the last yr I had to do it, was scared by the poss of solicitor's letters, court action etc.
Anyway I have just received a letter from them saying I must contact them as a matter of urgency, as even tho I have made regular payments for more than a yr, they must insist I increase my payments. I simply cannot afford this, and will communicate by letter from now on as can't afford to be bullied into paying more.
My question, is can they legally force me to pay more if I have kept up my agreement with them? Where do I stand on a legal front?
Any help much appreciated!!!!!!!

rog2

princesspop wrote: »

My question, is can they legally force me to pay more if I have kept up my agreement with them? Where do I stand on a legal front?

NO dca should try to 'pressurise' you into paying at a rate which is more than you can reasonably afford. Have a look at the Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidelines, to which this dca should be adhering:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf

Any deviation from these guidelines should be reported to Trading Standards.

If you are worried about dealing with this Debt Collection Agency, then why not have a word with one of the Debt Counselling Charities, who will be pleased to advise on how to deal with them:

National Debtline www.nationaldebtline.co.uk 0808 808 4000

CCCS www.cccs.co.uk 0800 138 1111

Or your local CAB

Good luck