** A+ vs SAV Credit HELP NEEDED PLEEEEEASE **

[A+]

I am not sure who this is, but i have been receiving letters for some time alleging a debt to SAV CREDIT LTD.

I don't know who this is, but someone suggested it is Aqua which ran small credit cards some years ago.

 

After a year or two of threats, hassle and the usual rubbish, i got a letter (the first i have on file) in April 2008 with a "Reduced Settlement Offer" from Meritforce stating they owned the debt. This offer was a couple of hundred pounds less than the alleged outstanding amount.

 

I replied with a CCA request.

 

July 08 - 2 letters both dated the same day strangely:

 

1. 1st letter said "We refer to your letter of xxxx, we have contacted our client for a copy of your agreement. Your account is currently on hold please be assured no action will be taken against you. Should we not receive proof from our client with 28 days we will close your file and return the file to the client. Our client will then decide what step to take.

 

2. 2nd letter same day said "Refer to your letter of xxxx and would like to inform you that your account has been passed back to our client as our company is no longer dealing with your account.

 

 

So.... in early August i get a letter from LOWELL FINANCIAL. Claims OC is Sav Credit Ltd. and get this!.....

 

'We have been instructed by our client LOWELL PORTFOLIO to write to you about your oustanding balance. you can prevent further action being taken by either paying in full or agreeing a payment plan.'

 

A few days later i get another letter from them saying they will visit my home unless i pay up or contact them immediately.

 

I then CCAd them (Lowell Financial) in September 08.

 

I got threatening normal letters back and no mention of CCA.

So i then sent them a letter saying i would report them for harrassment as well as CPUTR and OFT guidelines, reminding them that i had CCAd them.

 

Letter received from Lowell Financial saying

 

"We can confirm SAV credit Ltd are still in the process of retrieving the paperwork.

There will be no further correspondence from us until the agreement has been received, at which point we will require payment in full.

You currently still have the option to pay £xxxx (30% of the balance) as a full and final settlement., after which we reserve the right to collect the balance in full.

If you want to take the offer and bring the matter to a close then please call the number below, payment can be taken over the phone by debit or credit card."

 

Is it me, or did they just (in the SAME letter) admit that the debt is AWAITING PROOF of CCA and then right underneath try to attempt to collect on the debt?!!!!!!!! This letter IN ITSELF is surely a case waiting to happen?! Anyways... onwards....

 

I then replied with (in summary form for Caggers benefit):

 

You are in breach of CPUTR and OFT guidelines. If i hear from you one more time regarding this alleged debt i shall report you to xxxx.

In July i wrote to Meritforce CCAing them, and they sent this file back to SAV Credit. SAV then ILLEGALLY passed this on to yourselves as the debt was IN DISPUTE.

I think its safe to assume from this that SAV Credit have no valid agreement on file and as such they have passed this alleged debt to another firm for chasing.

Be warned if you chase me again you are breaching many laws and regulations, and i will take it further. Go away until you have an agreement which proves i owe anyone anything."

 

This is obviously abbreviated for speed here, it was a more formal letter!!

 

I then get a letter back from Lowell saying basically that they are no accountable for Meritforce's actions, and that Lowell have followed industry guidelines and regulations. They then said:

 

"Further to receiving your request for a copy of the signed credit agreement, i can confirm we have requested this info from the creditor and will forward this once we have it. In the meantime all collection activites on this account remain suspended until this information has been forwarded to you."

 

HEY!!! GET THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i am so traumatised by much of this (i have about 18 of these in the household to deal with) that i have only just found a letter from LOWELL back not long before Xmas where they say:

 

"We refer to your recent request for a copy of the original credit agreement for this account.

 

After liaising with SAV Credit Ltd in an affort to obtain this document we have been advised that it is no longer available due to the length of time since the account was opened with you.

 

At this time we have closed our file and will not make any further contact with you concerning payment against this account unless the copy of the agreement is received at some point in the future from SAV Credit Limited."

 

WOOO!! Unfortunately this was less than a thousand pounds alleged debt, whereas i have others alleging many thousands. But the glass is half full here, so this is great!!

 

SO.... ANY IDEAS WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?!

 

I assume i should contact SAV to push them to close this rubbish down, and remove the many black marks on my credit file which they no doubt placed.

Any tips on what i should do next would be gratefully received.

Many thanks CAGGERS

[harrassed senior]

Are you saying that DCA's are writing to you after the date you received the Lowell letter before Christmas?

[A+]

No, that last one from them in my post about no CCA on file is the last i have received. So wondering where to go from here as i am sure my credit history will still be suffering from an unproven and non existent debt

[cerberusalert]

SO.... ANY IDEAS WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?!

 

Send them a copy of their own letter back because obviously they've lost their original along with the CCA.

[A+]

Sorry, i don't follow that. The case is closed according to the DCA. My only question now is whether i should forget about it (and suffer a bad credit file from this couple of years of hassle) or go to SAV proactively and start asking questions and demanding things

[cerberusalert]

Have you sent them letter #1 from The Consumer Forums - Debt collectors

[A+]

No i had never seen that. Do you recommend i do that to begin with?

[cerberusalert]

If they haven't got an agreement then they haven't got your permission to process your data either.

[A+]

I'll take that as a big YES then!! Sending that today

THANK YOU

[A+]

Letter sent, with slight adjusments. Will post reply as soon as i get it

THANKS AGAIN