Hi,
I have just received a claim form from the County Court Business Centre issued by PRA. I should be grateful for any advice as to how I should proceed.
Sometime around 1990 I applied for and was granted a Bank of Scotland 'Affinity' Credit Card. In 2005, this was taken over by MBNA. At first eveything was OK but MBNA's customer service gradually deteriorated and, in 2012, I wrote to them, enclosing my credit cards, as informed them I wished to close my account.
I received a reply thanking me for my payment and confirming my account was closed. Unfortunately, I no longer have that letter. I heard nothing more until late 2014 when I received a 'statement of account' from Aktiv Kapital claiming I owed them (AK) over £8000. The statement mentioned an 'Original Creditor' as MBNA Europe Bank Ltd. As I had never heard of Aktiv Kapital before, I presumed it was some type of scam. I receive hundreds, if not thousands, of similar 'statements' by e-mail and I thought this was just a variation of those so ignored it.
In January 2015, I received a similar 'statement', this time from PRA Group. I attempted to contact MBNA a few times to clarify the situation but gave up after repeatedly having to wait unreasonable lengths of time for one of their advisors to take my call.
I heard nothing more until the claim form arrived yesterday. It shows the claimant as PRA Group (UK) Ltd and their statement of case say that I entered into an agreement with MBNA on 8/11/91 and that I defaulted on 31/7/2013. The claim is for the amount shown on the statements I received together with interest for the period 20/9/2013 to 21/1/2016, a court fee and legal representative's costs.
I find it strange that they allege the original agreement was with MBNA when, in fact, it was with the Bank of Scotland.
After I closed the account, believing it was all clear, I saw no reason to keep any of the paperwork relating to it. With hindsight, I was wrong to discard it. I am now at a disadvantage, partly due to that and the delay between the alleged default and the issue of proceedings.
I have just received a claim form from the County Court Business Centre issued by PRA. I should be grateful for any advice as to how I should proceed.
Sometime around 1990 I applied for and was granted a Bank of Scotland 'Affinity' Credit Card. In 2005, this was taken over by MBNA. At first eveything was OK but MBNA's customer service gradually deteriorated and, in 2012, I wrote to them, enclosing my credit cards, as informed them I wished to close my account.
I received a reply thanking me for my payment and confirming my account was closed. Unfortunately, I no longer have that letter. I heard nothing more until late 2014 when I received a 'statement of account' from Aktiv Kapital claiming I owed them (AK) over £8000. The statement mentioned an 'Original Creditor' as MBNA Europe Bank Ltd. As I had never heard of Aktiv Kapital before, I presumed it was some type of scam. I receive hundreds, if not thousands, of similar 'statements' by e-mail and I thought this was just a variation of those so ignored it.
In January 2015, I received a similar 'statement', this time from PRA Group. I attempted to contact MBNA a few times to clarify the situation but gave up after repeatedly having to wait unreasonable lengths of time for one of their advisors to take my call.
I heard nothing more until the claim form arrived yesterday. It shows the claimant as PRA Group (UK) Ltd and their statement of case say that I entered into an agreement with MBNA on 8/11/91 and that I defaulted on 31/7/2013. The claim is for the amount shown on the statements I received together with interest for the period 20/9/2013 to 21/1/2016, a court fee and legal representative's costs.
I find it strange that they allege the original agreement was with MBNA when, in fact, it was with the Bank of Scotland.
After I closed the account, believing it was all clear, I saw no reason to keep any of the paperwork relating to it. With hindsight, I was wrong to discard it. I am now at a disadvantage, partly due to that and the delay between the alleged default and the issue of proceedings.
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