mackenzie hall? advice please?

[kinkynagbag]

Hello, im becky and im not sure if this is the right section for this? but here goes.
umm to start with 8-9 years ago i took out a newlook card.. which i know i paid off.. i remember the it videdly because my mum did it over the phone using her card.(being a silly 17-18 year old my mum bailed me out and i paid her back the week after )) so i thought that was that.
about two years ago i received a letter saying i owe them 400 , i tried to look into it because i KNOW FOR fact that i paid it off, i went down to new look and received the news that the people that they use have closed down so there is no proof or records of any payments never mind my important last payment. so either they screwed up or some one stole (prob one of my flatmates tbh) my new-look card and used it because i never used it after that last payment.

so iv ignored them iv revived letters randomly thought out the past two years some from different companies all giving false threats.. twice i have been threatened with bailiffs but none have appeared. but today i have received a letter from Mackenzie hall stating this

our client aktiv kapital has instructed us to commence further action against you for the balance out standing, to avoid this a monthly repayment plan must be in place with in the next 7 days. we require 7.59 on 30 08 11 then 10.00 until the debt is clear.

no attempt to resolve this matter will leave us with no option but to sanction a doorstep visit to your property by our field collectors, merit force.

this seems a bit more scary looking then the past letters.. do i phone them? write to them? do i have any ground to stand on? thank you in advance for any advice given.

[shamen]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

When did you last use the card, acknowledge the debt as being 'yours' or make a payment towards it?

If the answer to all of the above is 'over 6 years' then you dont have to pay a penny, no matter what they threaten you with. Its called Statute Barred under the 'Limitations Act' and means they cannot take you to court for it.

Mackenzie hall are well known for buying unenforceable debt and then trying to get people to pay or admit the debt is theirs.

1) never speak to mackenzie hall on the phone. Ever
2) never admit liability for a debt (eg, if they say "do you remember this debt" the answer is "no")
3) insist everything is in writing, no phone calls
4) see number 1 + 2 + 3

Have a read of this excellent thread too http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/...ead.php?t=7923 . Look for the 'prove im the debtor' bit and send them that if you wish to talk to them. You may want to add in that you do not give permission for a doorstep visit (which means they will be harassing you if they turn up on your doorstep) and also that you do not grant them permission to telephone you.

Whatever you do, do not sign the letter with your signature. A printed name is fine. Some unscrupulous debt collectors have been known to 'photoshop' signatures from one document onto another to help their case.

[Caspar]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

I would recommend you totally ignore them. For a start MackenzieHall specialise in debts which are either totally unenforceable or which don't even exist, but appear on paper as though they may (which seems to be the case here).

They are also breaking the law by threatening a doorstep visit as they cannot just do this. They have to make an appointment with you first, which you would, of course, never agree to.

They may keep sending you letters for a little while, but don't worry. They are best totally ignored.

[kinkynagbag]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

well over 6 year but i cant pin point the date of my head.. it was paid whilst being at a family mebers wedding so the date is easy enough to obtain lol. i have never spoke to them before phone or letter.

thanks for advice. so if they do come i can tell them to bugger off.

[shamen]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

To be fair, Caspar is spot on. You dont have to talk to them and they cant do a thing (from a county court perspective) if the debit is statue barred.

I doubt you will ever see them at your door. Ive never known a muck hall account have a doorstep visit. Their modus operandi is phone calls and threatening letters, which are filed under ignore.

[twix]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

Ha Ha..Mucky Hall, I've dealt with them and they will try their hardest to get the money.
They went so far as sending out debt collectors to my door (mk called them 'debt consultants'), 3 times they came but they didn't get very far..
If they decide to visit you they will notify you in writing 10 days before and the 'consultants' will look scruffy...

[Caspar]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

Ha Ha..Mucky Hall, I've dealt with them and they will try their hardest to get the money.
They went so far as sending out debt collectors to my door (mk called them 'debt consultants'), 3 times they came but they didn't get very far..
If they decide to visit you they will notify you in writing 10 days before and the 'consultants' will look scruffy...

They cannot notify you 10 days in advance as it has to be done by appointment. They often try to state they will send someone round and that put in small print at the bottom of the letter (unless you inform us you do not wish to keep this appointment) and try to get round it that way, but it has to be in the letter somewhere that an appointment is being requested. If they don't put this in, complain.

You're the first person I've ever heard of been visited by them,so I guess you were unlucky. MH are brilliant at threatening, but useless at action.

[mr.ton]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

Muck Hall & Meritfarce = LOL....had many run in's with these clowns.
They have no powers to turn up and can simply be told to go away.
Report them to the OFT & trading standards if they refuse to stop harassing you.

[twix]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

Reply to Caspar
Muck Hall did indeed send me a letter stating 'a debt consultant will visit you in the next 10 days'.
It was even printed in red a bigger font.
Obviously I totally ignored it...the debt was 8years old.

Well, a few days later the first 'consultant' turned up in a very nice car, but couldn't get in.
He then tried a tenant on ground floor by flashing his ID card with a smile.
When this didn't work (his 'charm') he became very upset (****ed off) and left.

Having a CCTV system is funny as I've saved these 'visits' just for a laugh.

[Caspar]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

Typically MH then! Never been known for working within the precribed guidelines!

[twix]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

And still they are allowed to harass people.
Where is OFT?

[CleverClogs]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

And still they are allowed to harass people.
Where is OFT?

It's hibernating again.

[ODC]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

[QUOTE=twix;223844

Having a CCTV system is funny as I've saved these 'visits' just for a laugh.[/QUOTE]

You should post them on you tube

[CleverClogs]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

You should post them on you tube

... speeded up and set to Yackety Sax - link

[fliss]

Re: mackenzie hall? advice please?

After many threatening letters i contacted the national debtline who sent me some letter templates out which i kept using to reply to them in the end i wrote to them saying this is the last time i am going to answer you before i take legal advice, they then replied stating they was letting the debt go and would not contact us again.