Hi, I've received a Notice of Assignment letter from Hoist Finance UK Holdings 1 Limited. It relates to an MBNA credit card debt that I paid off in full October 2017. There were no late payments for the duration of time I had the debt, and the balance they have on the letter looks to be from many years ago. I've seen from other posts here that you can send the holding company a request for more information and what data they hold on you, but since I don't owe any money and they currently have extremely out-of-date information about me (only address is correct), I don't really want this to become a dialogue. My question is: how can I make sure I don't get any more of these letters? Also, if I can, I want to be able to take further action - it is amazing to me that debt buyers can chase old data in the hopes they can get grab money of people that either don't know that it is out-of-date (not everyone is a credit report nerd) or that they no longer are legally required to pay. I found it a little scary to receive the letter, and that's with full knowledge that it is trash. You know when something is legal, but horribly wrong?!

I'm looking for some advice please on how to proceed with regard to a county court claim I received today, courtesy of H&L. Back in 2011 I enrolled on a local college course for the academic year 2011/12. At the time I was unemployed and applied for "mature" student finance. This was ticking along and as the end of the year approached various people also on the same course dropped out as their finance was turned down or their circumstances changed. In January 2012 I was fortunate to secure full time employment and continued on the course, my employers allowing me to attend the college the one day a week necessary. I advised Student Finances of my change in circumstances but was told there would not be a problem - I just had to get evidence from my council that my household had been receiving council tax benefit for a period up until I started the course. I applied to the council for written proof of this, and to date this never came back. The course itself was flawed. The planned course tutor was on long-term sick and the college struggled to cope. As a class we lost countless hours waiting for a tutor, a room, many times just being told to get on with things or read one of the course books. As an example we had a lesson in flash, then never revisited flash for weeks, the same for Adobe Photoshop. Being told to read a course book was OK if you had the book. For those who were unemployed or on low incomes, we certainly couldn't afford all the books, and the college only had 2 or 3 which could be loaned out for limited periods. Things came to a head after the department head randomly came in one evening and asked for feedback. As a class we came together, wrote down our grievances and passed these on, much to the department head's shock and surprise. A class representative was appointed and a meeting was held and we were told things would improve. In the end I couldn't justify taking time off away from my work and I had serious doubts on the value of the course and spending thousands on a 3 year foundation degree for an education that I wasn't getting - one part of the course was fine - the lecturer did her bit but the main IT elements (this was an Internet Business course) were sorely lacking. I left the course in early 2012 and didn't hear anything from the college. No invoice, no calls, no final demand, no default notice .. nothing. In early September 2013 I received the first of well over a dozen of threatening letters from H&L Solicitors and I contacted the college to find out what was going on. H&L had added around £35 to the total apparently although this was not made clear. The debt was for £1207. I emailed the college and eventually received a holding email in October followed by a letter which claimed there had been no issues with the course , and that I had to pay. I replied by letter, which was never acknowledged offering to pay £300 to resolve matters and cover their admin costs, or for them to put me on a new properly managed course for which I would pay. Moving to 2014, after a flurry of threats from H&L I emailed the college again, asking for my complaint to be passed to the principal. Again I offered the £300, or to pay for a new course. This was ignored. Fast forward to 2015 and many months have gone by without any letters from H&L, so I wrongly presumed the college had simply moved on. Three weeks ago I received a threat of legal action from H&L, the same as many they'd sent before and today I received a county court claim. The total is now £1600 including court costs and £80 solicitors fees, and interest. I am in a position to pay but I'm unsure as to how to proceed. My life is more or less back together after an 18 month period of unemployment before 2012 and I'm with the same employer. I don't want to get my credit rating destroyed after I've been slowly building it back up. I have never contacted H&L as my complaint has always been with the college. The H&L letters do not make clear if they bought the debt or if they are acting on the college's behalf. If I defend would I have to pay more if I lose? If I get a judgment against me but pay within a month does that get wiped? Should I counter claim?, offer a part payment? - contact H&L? Since this started I've moved house and only received the claim because my mail is redirected. Any advice you could offer would be much appreciated.

Hi, I was told that it might be possible to get some advice here. I'll have to be vague-ish about the details. This is what has happened: A friend purchased a large item online from a business using Paypal. The item arrived badly damaged and was not fit for purpose. So their understanding was that pursuant to the Distance Selling Regs the seller was obligated to pay for the cost of returning the item. My friend sent photos of the damage to the seller, which the seller acknowledged. The seller was asked if it would be possible to repair the item. The seller said that this would not be possible. The seller then completely ignored all further communication. My friend opened a dispute in Paypal's resolution centre and contacted Trading Standards. An LBA was also sent by recorded delivery to the seller. This letter advised that the item would be disposed of within 14 days if the seller did not arrange collection or agree to re-reimburse my friend for the cost of the return. My friend actually held onto the item for well over a month whilst waiting for the seller to respond. Paypal's dispute resolution advised that the item be returned for a refund. There were a number of problems with this. The seller's Paypal address for the return was different from the sellers business address originally provided with the purchase. The item was so large and heavy that the cost of the return would have been prohibitive. Due to the nature of the item (the seller would have immediately recognised it even when packaged) it was believed that the seller would simply refuse delivery. This would have left my friend out of pocket for both the cost of the return and without a refund for the item. So in Paypals resolution centre my friend entered the tracking number for the recorded delivery letter that had been sent to the seller. Paypal then refunded my friends payment. My friend then waited for over a month for the seller to reply to either the letter or emails to arrange collection of the item. The seller did not make contact at all. Consequently my friend had to dispose of the item (due to the size and nature of the item it was not possible to store it for any longer). My friend had a phone call from the Trading Standards officer investigating the transaction today. When informed that the item had been disposed of the Trading Standards Officer stated that fraud had been committed by my friend. So my friend is now very scared and in need of advice!

Hi. It may be a silly question but best to ask.....When calculating the Statute Barred date, does a credit from a repossession and subsequent sale of goods on an account constitute payment/acknowledgement and therefore the SB date would run from that credit? Thank you in advance.

Please could someone help me find a piece of legislation, not anecdotal, which shows that alcohol dependence should be treated as a sickness by employees? I know it should be but I can't find anything to support this. Also any help with demonstrating it should be capability not conduct