I had a default on my account, settled in full, the DCA didn't want to help with removing the default on my credit report so I contacted Experien and they wrote to the company and weeks later it was removed. If you don't try to get the default removed it can legally stay on your credit file for up to 6 years.

Do you have a letter from these muppets to say that your account is settled? I was under the impression that a full and final settlement means that the account is closed and balance is nil?

Hi Mel, I watched Undercover Debt Collector on Channel 4 a few weeks back and I was shocked at how little they pay! According to a debit collection expert and insider some debts are bought for as little as 10p in every pound! Some of these DCA's must be making huge amounts of money. Imagine a debt of say £100 that a company buys for £10 therefore making a profit of £90!

I've just checked the website and it looks very dodgy to me! Unlike some other payday loan companies there is no information on whether they have a credit licence, if they are regulated by the office of fair trading or if they abide by the consumer credit act. I have certainly not heard of them before. Click on this safe link from a review website Get Payday Loans | D and D Marketing Personally I would cancel your debit card if you have given them the number for them to take payments out. Just contact your bank and say that you have "lost" the card or that your card details have been comprimised.

Hi, Applied and got accepted for a Vanquis Credit Card in March with a £250 limit. I used the card almost up to it's limit and then the problems started: Recevied countless texts, letters and phonecalls even though I responded to each one saying that I had gone over limit due to interest charge. They then charged me £12 for going over limit, £12 for a letter they sent to me. I called them up to explain that I was suffering from some financial difficulties and could I go into a temporary payment plan. They accepted the £10 per month that I could offer and agreed to suspend interest and charges. 4 days before the first £10 payment was due I received a phonecall on a saturday morning at 8.45am from Vanquis. The bloke on the phone was quite rude saying that my payment was late and that I had to pay now etc etc. I explained to him that the payment was not due for 4 more days, he checked the system notes and apologised saying I was correct and then he proceeded to end the call. 2 days before the payment was due I received a further letter from Vanquis stating that I had not made the payment as per the agreement and that I needed to pay the outstanding amount of £66 approx! What should I do now as I am getting very frustrated even though I had tried to comply with them? Thanks Katpuss

Part 2 - Make sure all of your direct debits are cancelled and then keep an eye on your bank account as these companies are crafty and may set up a direct debit without your authorisation

Statements don't prove that the debt is your responsibility. They have to provide a copy of the original signed credit agreement. If they don't supply this then they cannot enforce the collection of the debt. They know all this and are just trying to pull a fast one by sending old statements to you which only prove transactions on the account. I'm sure there is a response letter you can send to Cabot which an experiences poster can recommend? Also HL Legal Services (ahem) is Capquest's so calledcalled "litigation department" which is based in house. Ignore them as the debt is under dispute and whilst it is under dispute they cannot enforce collection. Make sure all your

Hi all, I've called Capital today after my loan wasn't showing in my bank account for the thirs working day in a row. They are experiencing techinical problems with their payment system which they will hopefully sort by Wednesday this week. Thanks Katpuss

Hi, I took out a payday loan with the above company a few years, back, defaulted on it and it was transferred to 1st Credit. I moved address, married, changed my name but due to all the debts that I had at that time I forgot about the debt. Payday UK/MEM contacted me this week and asked me to pay a £15 token payment on the account and then to set up a payment arrangement with them. I was happy to do this and paid the £15 with my debit card. I am now worried that they will try to debit my card for the remainign £135 debt without my authorisation. I really need some help and advice Thanks Katpuss

i didn't really want to cancel the card as i'm going on holiday next saturday....

Hi, I took a payday loan out with MEM Consumer Finance a few years back. Defaulted on the loan due to financial problems and they forwarded the debt to 1st Credit. Anyway I moved address and got married so changed my name and forgot about the loan. Fast forward to this week and MEM Consumer Finance have contacted me and have said that there is currently £150 outstanding with them as 1st credit passed the debt back to them. I (stupidly) paid them a token payment of £15 with my debit card. Questions are: 1. Can a payday loan company automatically charge my debit card for the remaining amount even though the original credit agreement was cancelled due to default? 2. Do I contact 1st credit? 3. I'm already on a DMP with the CCCS so can I add this debt to the others? Any help is much appreciated. Many Thanks Katpuss

Hi all, Does anyone know the name of the DCA that collects on behalf of Swinton Insurance? Had a call from them today and they didn't leave any details. Any advice appreciated. Thanks

Hi guys, I have various debts and am on a debt management plan so I take responsibility for my debts. Imagine my surprise a year ago when I got a letter from Activ Kapital stating that I owed £316 for a Dorothy Perkins account that I had never had. I responded to the letter by saying that it wasn't my debt. I got phoned every day almost and it almost sent me round the bend! But I kept my cool and made them know in no uncetain terms that the debt wasn't mine and they had to prove it. Time moved on and I sent Activ Kapital a CCA request which they denied receiving and then admitted they had received it. After various threatening phonecalls from them I spoke to what must be the only decent person working at Activ Kapital and he agreed that because they could not produce a signed credit agreement/statements that the debt wasn't enforceable. The debt was then written off 3 weeks ago and I haven't heard from them since! My advice is don't let these DCA's grind you down, keep your cool, write to them (recorded delivery), CCA them and basically do not ever back down if the debt isn't yours. Take Care Katpuss xx

Never speak to them on the phone as they try to bully you into paying, just request that all further communication be made in writing. Make sure you can afford payments before you offer and then by all means put it in writing for them and send via recorded delivery. Before you offer a payment do send off a SAR which will give you info on the debt like payments, balances and charges etc If you eventually decide you would like to settle the debt, contact them and ask them if they are willing to give you a discount.

Please don't worry about this letter as I have received several threatograms like this from HFO even though I am paying them under a DMP (Debt Management Plan). File it away and keep it for further reference in case they try to contact you again and don't speak to them over the phone as they will try anything to get you to pay! Also just to confirm what the other guys have sent if this debt has not received a payment in over 6 years then it is statute barred.

Wescot are correct as a telecommunications debt does not fall under cca. You need to send them a SAR (Subject Access Request) which costs £10. Once you have done this Wescot will then have to legally comply, not sure how long they have know, one of the regulars might be able to advise on this.

Hi guys, please correct me if I am wrong but I thought that for bailiff/attachment of earnings action to start the debtor would have to default on an arrangement set by the court? It seems that, according to the letter, the dca seem to think that if a court awards them the case that a bailiff automatically is sent to the debtors house?

So baiscally unless they comply they can't enforce collection of the debt then?

I am being chased by Activ Kapitol for a debt that isn't mine. It is a Dorothy Perkins account and since I have never held an account Dorothy Perkins I am disputing it. I spoke to them yesterday by phone (for the 30th time in 3 weeks!) and told them that they had to comply with the CCA request that I had made. I explained to them that they had to provide me with a signed credit agreement and that if they couldn't they couldn't enforce the collection of the debt. Their reply was: "We don't have to as we aren't original creditor" "2 Payments were made in 2007, you've acknowledged the debt" "You will be contacted every day until you pay us" Is this correct? I haven't made any payments and asked them to provide me with evidence of this as well. Am I right in thinking that they can't enforce the debt unless they provide a signed CCA? For info debt dates back to March 2003 and were passed to Activ Kapitol in 2006. Thanks Katpuss

Do Activ Kapitol need to prove that I owe this debt even though they are not the original creditor? Can they still persue the debt by calling me and hassling me into setting up a payment agreement? Where do I stand? Shall I send a CCA request + £1 to obtain evidence? If so can they still persue?

Hi guys, Am on a DMP with the CCCS and paying regularly. Already have a debt that I'm paying with Activ Kapitol ut they have now found another one which isn't mine! It is a Dorothy Perkins Account which was opened in 1999 and defaulted in 2002 and apparently the last payment received on it was in April 2007?! Have told them that I'm disputing the debt but they keep on phoning 2-3 times every day and it's sending me round the bend!!! Have told Activ Kapitol that they need to produce a signed Credit Agreement by myself (which they won't be able to) and they have said that because they are not the original creditor they can still persue the debt without this? Surely this is wrong?? They even phone at the weekend, twice on the landline and twice on my mobile! Any advice greatly appreciated.

Hi Tracey, The forms are simple enough so don't worry. You won't need to actually attend court in person, it is all done via post. Private Message me and I'll help you as I've just dealt with this sort of thing.

Banks: 1. Abbey 2. Halifax 3. Abbey again 4. Halifax again 5. Abbey and Halifax DCA's 1. Buchanan, Clark and Wells (would like to put another W word in there!) 2. Activ (EDIT)itol 3. Moor(EDIT) 4. HFO (the abbreciation that mean whatever you like lol!) 5. Blair Oliver Scott

They claim it's for a GE Capital Bank Dorothy Perkins account. I've never held a Dorothy Perkins account!

Red are the "legal team" (lol) for Lowell Portfolio. I have received loads of letters from Red threatening to take me to court/petition bankruptcy etc etc....nothing has ever happened! Take them seriously though just in case. Send the orginal creditor a CCA request (costs £1) to obtain a signed credit agreement first. Arrange a payment that you can afford and stick to it. If they do take you to court the judge will set an amount for you to pay what you can afford. It's only if you default on that payment that Red/Lowell can get bailiffs/attachment of earnings and not before.