HFO services help please

[bulldozaba]

Hi,

I know it seems to be a reccurring issue on here but i could not find a post which relates to my siutation.

Basically i had a letter from HFO services in 2006 stating they had bought/taken over a debt from Welcome finance, at the time i had no money to offer due to family circumstances. After a while i stopped recieving letters from them and to be honest forgot all about it, recently they sent me a letter saying that i owed them £4500 which shocked me as the original debt was about £1900. Because i was in shock over the amount i agreed to pay £15 per week via my debit card, i have paid for about a month.

Is there any way I can cancel my payment plan with them as they now have my card number and where do i go next? I would probably understand if my debt was still with welcome finance, but can HFO really charge me that much interset if at all?

I am currently going through my paper work to see if i have any other letters from them.

 

Many thanks Russ

[postggj]

do hfo own the debt or just collecting on behalf of welcome

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

To cancel your card tell the bank

it has been compromised and not

to accept any requests from them.

Or report the card lost or destroyed.

You can also ask them to give you

a new account with a new number.

[Stigman]

Cancel your debit card with your bank immediately so that HFO cannot just help themselves.

 

Just tell the bank that you have lost the card and to place a stop on it.

 

Have you sent anyone a CCA request? Are their any PPI on the loan to be reclaimed to reduce your debt?

 

Stigman

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi Bull, make sure that the bank

change your account number as

automated systems can access

new cards issued on an old account

number,

Brig.

[bulldozaba]

Hi, just a quick update the amount is actually £2755 not £4500 sorry and they are charging 12% interest. HFO have bought the debt from welcome according to their letter.

that is as far as i have got so far i am going to cancel my card so they can't just take any more. So do i need to send them a CCA request if they are the owners?

To answer the above question i did take out PPI with the original loan as i did with others that i have, to be honest i didn't think i could claim it back once they are in the hands of debt collectors.

Thanks Russ

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Russ, make sure of the ACCOUNT No. CHANGE

[Stigman]

Hi Russ,

 

Send HFO a CCA request, don't forget to include a £1 postal order and do not sign, print your name only.

 

When/if HFO reply, scan in, remove all personal details and any barcodes/reference numbers that could identfy you and post up.

 

Stigman

[dadofholly]

Hi Russ

 

When did you last make a payment to Welcome, or HFO, prior to the recent payments you have made?

 

What letters have HFO sent you, and who are they saying the agreement is owned by - is it HFO Capital?

[coledog]

Oh dear! This is not on stop all payments and start challenging this!

[DonkeyB]

A Welcome sale from 2006? Unusual. You clearly acknowledge you owe a debt, but there are serious issues with HFO, such as unsubstantiated interest rates (ie. plucked out if thin air but claimed to be 'contractual'), and probable further illegal reassignment of your account.

 

First step is a CCA request, as mentioned.

[DonkeyB]

Also, you may not need to cancel your account. That would be hassle. Simply write to HFO stating clearly that you are cancelling payments as you believe interest has been added without justification. Send recorded. State clearly that any further removal if monies from your account will be regarded as theft and reported to the police and the OFT as such. If they dare then take anything...

[broken arrow]

subbing

[Tashaounette]

I am sorry this is really squashed together. I tried editing it, but nothing works! I am also being hassled by this lovely firm. I contact a solicitor as I had never had a credit card and knew this wasnt my debt. A couple of things I would point out, not only is this company a bully, they are very inconsistant. Now if the debt was bought by HFO in 2006, it means that you probably hadn't made a payment for a while before this. This debt was unenforcable. You hadn't acknowledged your debt in 5 years, so really they couldnt do a thing. Unfortunately you have now acknowledged the debt, it will get a little trickier. Requesting a CCA can help, I did it verbally with HFO (as in I got very annoyed with them) and they sent me a letter from Barclaycard with unsigned agreement saying my debt is unforcable but they are still going to enforce it. - Basically they dont have a leg to stand on and are seeing if they can bully me into paying. If they have no signed documents saying you agree to the debt or to pay the debt they can not enforce it. HFO are truely disgusting. They will try every tactic in the book. They said they were gathering a finacial profile on me, they knew I owned property, started sending me court leaflets - trying to convince me they were official court documents and started sending me letters everyday - but more on this in my own thread. Does Welcome Finance still exist? Or did another company buy them out? If you can, write to Welcome and copy in HFO stating something simular:With regards to the above account number, I have taken legal advice which is of the opinion that a disputed debt lies with a court of law not with debt collectors. I am disputing this account for several reasons as listed below:**Insert here***I received a threatening letter from HFO informing me of this debt, but also stating that they have attempted to contact me on several occasions. This is untrue as I have never had any correspondence from them or any other agencies. I did contact HFO on the 16th May 2011 at 11:57 to advise them of the above. I was informed that it was ‘up to me to prove I have not had a Barclaycard, not them and they will be taking me to court’. I also asked for information to be sent to me to prove that it was something that I was aware of, and again the response I received was, ‘you can see it in court’. This phone call and my request has been ignored as I received a second letter dated 23rd May advising me that I have failed to make contact and they are in the process of preparing and in depth information dossier on my current financial situation. I am upset and distressed with the attitude that I am being presented with. It is not my duty to prove that I did not have this card and this is the reason why I contacted solicitors. If you do issue a court claim I would apply with a defence and this would include expenses including solicitor’s fees, my time and telephone calls. If I do hear from a debt collection agency I will instruct a solicitor under the harassment act. I have copied this letter to HFO Services and I await your speedy response. Obviously you can amend the letter with your relevant information and see where it gets you. And you will probably find they will never take you to court.

Edited September 14, 2011 by Tashaounette

[DonkeyB]

Tashaounette, welcome to CAG. You really must complain about this kind of behaviour to the authorities.

 

You can contact Trading Standards and the OFT.

 

Contact your local TS via this portal:

 

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/index.cfm

 

Send a complaint to the OFT, outlining exactly what you have told us above, to

 

polly.ashford@oft.gsi.gov.uk

 

Hopefully you’ll get quick responses and help put an end to their insidious bullying and illegal tactics.

 

Good luck.

[Tashaounette]

Hello and thank you for the welcome! I have already contacted OFT, and they have a copy of all the letters that have been sent. - I will also send it to Polly Ashford. My advice to anyone is do not let them get your number. If you do have to call them, with hold your number. Also beware people have been checking out their liscence status. MTRevoke does NOT mean it has been revoked, it means the OFT have a Mind To Revoke, they are being investigated so all information you have on this company being as bad as they are send on to the OFT. Does anyone know how to not have squashed messages?

Also apologies for my spelling mistakes.. I blame spell check.

Edited September 14, 2011 by Tashaounette

[DonkeyB]

Quite right, but complaints have got it to this stage, and more complaints – valid ones, of course –*can help stop them doing the bad things they do. MTR is a very serious step, not one taken lightly by the OFT. Very few MTRs do not go the whole way, historically.

[bulldozaba]

Ok i have cancelled my card and am assured by natwest that no further payments can be taken from new card when it arrives.

I have also sorted the CCA letter, who do i need to make the postal order payable to? HFO services as per head of letter or HFO capital as included in the letter?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Hi Bull, leave it blank then if they

have to pass the request to the oc then

it''ll save time, keep the counterfoil safe

so you can check if and when it's cashed.

 

Brig.

[dadofholly]

Just put HFO all one in the same really.

[coledog]

Leave blank!

[bulldozaba]

hi, just a quick update i have sent my letter recorded delivery with postal order included, just tracked it and it was delivered at 9am this morning. they were due a payment today and have been chasing me on my home and work number although i never gave them these or authorised HFO to use them.

I will see if they respond within the time line, what do i need to do if they have not responeded in time?

thanks for all your help so far.

Russ

[coledog]

Account in Dispute letter to send after 12 plus 2 working days

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?436-Failure-to-provide-a-copy-of-the-agreement-within-the-prescribed-timescale

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Go with CDs advice!!

[broken arrow]

chewy do you still have your First direct logistics postcard from 2008?