Looking for advice on HFO

wideload1888 · 26 November 2007 at 10:18PM

Hope someone can help as I am new to this site. I have a debt of £1800 that was with Barclaycard a few years ago. This was taken over by Moorcroft & an arrangement made to pay £50 per month set up in Aug 07. I paid each month & then got a strange card through the door saying that a packet was waiting to be delivered ? I checked the website & they seemed ok-First Direct Logistics- I contacted them via home number & was asked to provide a mobile number. I declined this offer as I immeadiatly smelt a rat. Its OK they said they would send the "packet" anyway ?. It arrived this morning from HFO. I had no idea who or what they wanted until I read they have now taken the debt from Barclaycard of £1779.84. According to Moorcroft they had passed the debt back to Barclaycard on 21/9/07 as it had been written off ?? Strange when I agree I owe the money its just the amount that I dont understand & to whom. As it stands I have paid Moorcroft £200 which they cant find apart from £50.
Anyone got any advice as to the besy course of action. Are HFO legit ? Should I contact them direct ?

Snaggles · 26 November 2007 at 10:33PM

Sorry wideload, I don't know the answer, but just didn't want you to think you were being ignored.

With regard to the money they have 'lost' though - how was it paid, direct debit, standing order etc? If so, your bank should be able to provide you with some details to help them trace your payments (they will have the beneficiary details and the reference number for a direct debit, and the sort code, account number and reference for a standing order).

aarhus_2 · 26 November 2007 at 10:41PM

The same to be legit

[SIZE=-1]www.hfoservices.com/

However this doesn't make re-assuring reading
[/SIZE]

itsnever2lateisit? · 27 November 2007 at 12:38AM

HFO are a bog standard Debt Collection Agency, they will use every trick in the book to get you to settle up ASAP. DO NOT ENGAGE in communication on the telephone with them under any circumstances. Make sure that they do not get your phone number, and keep all communication in writing. The written word is evidence and they will not put anything in writing that they shouldnt. It might be worth requesting a true copy of the deed of assignment which enables them to collect this debt. Then offer in writing to continue the arrangement you had with the previous organisation. They will probably reject this, so you need to be armed and ready, but send them a cheque for that amount anyway, and set up a standing order. DO NOT use direct debit.
Better brains will be along in the morning to give you further advice I'm sure

tealady · 27 November 2007 at 7:31AM

Hi. There are template letters on this site to use re asking the company to communicate in writing only. Best find one and send it off. NEVER give them your phone number.

GeorgeUK · 27 November 2007 at 10:47AM

Hi wideload

Can i just ask what you mean by "a few years ago"? If the debt was more than 6 years old (5 in Scotland) then it would have been statute barred and you don't need to pay it. Even though you have made payments towards the old debt, after 6 years has passed it is barred and nothing unbars it.

You would need to confirm how you paid the company for us to see how you may be able to question the amount paid, as suggested above.

EDIT: If the debt is not 6 years old, you can still ask the DCA for a copy of a valid CCA. If they can't produce it, then you wouldn't need to pay the debt as they haven't proven it is yours. There are some letters linked to this thread - may be worth reading. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=578486

Hippocampus · 11 December 2007 at 8:39AM

6 years from the date of last payment or acknowledgement, that is. NOT from the date the debt was incurred.

HFOsucks · 6 May 2008 at 10:46AM

Nice to see that I'm the only one who is getting peeved with HFO.

I've been having a run in with them for some time and they appear to operate outside of the law. I've never received any written correspondence from them and won't give them any information over the phone trying to force them to reply to my letters, which i sent recorded delivery of course.

They only ever phone me at work after cunningly sending a slip to my house which looked like a private company package delivery slip, of course when you phone the number they just take your contact phone number and then say they will call you back, which in a few weeks they do with alarming regularity and efficiency.

The easiest thing would be to pay off the debt, which I dispute to the nth degree, but bleep them, its become a moral stance and they deserve to be shut down. They are rude, cunning, intimidating and true ball breakers.

I've done some research on them and their company is HFO Services Limited and you need to force them to get the registered office address rather than the PO Box which they are more than happy to hand out.

Address for the official company is: -

HFO Services Limited (Company No. 05120067)
Kings Parade
Lower Coombe Street
Croydon
Surrey
CRO 1AA

The nice thing about companies is that they have to keep records available to the public so the two persons who run this company are:-

:: Personal information removed - MSE Forum Team ::

Also connected to HFO Services Limited are Turnbull Rutherford Limited, the legal arm supposedly. Turnbull Rutherford Limited have Ian Turnbull and Alasdair Turnbull as the directors and these two also live with Kevin and Badhri in Manor House, they must really like one another!

Turnbull Rutherford Limited's address is:

Highland House
165 the Broadway
Wimbledon
SW19 INE

Ontrack Investigations is connected with HFO Services Limited also and has the same address ie

KINGS PARADE
LOWER COOMBE STREET
CROYDON
CR0 1AA

:: Personal information removed - MSE Forum Team ::

I've had calls from Sugandha, William Blakc, Richard Williams, Richard Sony Bridges, Sarah, Anil to name but a few and have probably had a couple of hundred calls.

The amounts that have been requested have varied and changed depending on how much I seemed to know. I always ask them if its okay to record the call, they always say no then I wind them up about why. They aim to get you angry to make you react, its much better to get them to hangup and not tell them anything. It could be anyone calling unless they have sent you official written correspondence.

One thing I still am getting to the bottom off is the status that they operate under. As far as I am concerned they have purchased any debt they chase for about 1p in the £1 so its worth them systematically chasing no matter what the circumstances are. They tell me they are not a debt collection agency but if they are asking for payment of a debt what they hell else could they be.

Hope anyone else finds this information useful. I've sent legal notifications to them requesting information along with the £1 payment needed and they then ask me if that is the initial payment.

Its time to bring them down and using their tactics.

Good luck crunchees!

Looking for advice on HFO

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