Is it the same company, Marshall Hoares, SN8 ?

Yes and NDR. I have been on a DMP with Step Change since February. They have already sent the correspondence letter 3 times but NDR refused the amount every time. They are asking me to pay what I clearly can’t afford. My £400 loan has gone up to £2245.

In the beginning, when I wouldn’t pick up their call as I had already explained it at least 4-5 times they called my work number twice. When I asked them why they did that, the agent told me there is no record on their system that mentions calling my work number. Big surprise!!! After advice from Step Change, I told them I would report them calling my work number to the OFT as it is clear I haven’t given them the permission. They didn’t call my work number after that.

They are calling me at least twice daily (weekends as well) and once a week ‘home visit’ SMS & email. Couple of weeks back, they spoofed their number so it appeared to be an international call and I picked up. The guy on the line very rude and screaming at me and told me I should give up some luxuries like my mobile phone and my land line in order to pay off my loan. Next they will tell me my rent is a luxury..lol I even tried to reason with them that if they had accepted the agreement in the beginning, part of that loan already would have been paid but am guessing you can’t reason with Idiots!!!!

Having got sick of these money robbing unethical idiots I decided to get just as aggressive today and sent them the following message:

 

To whom it may concern,

 

Please note that to prove we have sent this we are recording it being sent and adding the video evidence to a portfolio we are forwarding to the Office of Fair Trading.

 

I wish to place my account reference ********** in to dispute with to regards the outstanding balance due to the illegal and non-enforceable charges you have made. My debt should be £272 (original loan plus one month interest) minus £230 already paid leaving an outstanding balance of £42 which I am willing to pay when I have it it writing that this is all I owe and that you will close my account once this is received.

 

I also wish to complain about the manner in which you are harassing me. Emails, texts and phone calls several times a day from yourself, Northern Debt Recovery and Marshall Hoares Bailiffs. Only one company can legally own my debt, and legally pursue it. I suggest you decide which company legally owns the debt, then tell me who owns it and I will corresponde with that company, and only them by email only. Any further phone calls or text messages received from today (11/08/2013) will be seen as harrassment and reported to all relevant authorities. Please note I have video evidence of making this request.

 

I am also concerned by the way in which Marshall Hoares like to claim they are bailiffs when they have no legal powers to do any of the things a bailiff can. I have no CCJ against me with regards to this debt, and therefore cannot have failed to stick to a court agreement so any doorstep visitor has no legal power. As such I withdraw all rights for them to visit. Should they visit from this date it will be deemed as trespass and the police will be called in necessary. I also believe that trading as bailiff and allowing people to believe you have bailiff powers is misleading advertising and something I am sure trading standards will be very interested in hearing about.

 

I also have in writing via email confirmation from your company that I have withdrawn permission for you to debit my card via the continuous payment authority, which I have also cancelled with the bank, yet you still attempt to take money via the CPA. This is something that you cannot do, and especially not now the debt has been placed into dispute. This is something the I am aware the OFT are cracking down on and could result in this leg of your company losing its credit licence.

 

If I do not hear from you via an email that can be replied to by the close of business today confirming that you have received my complaint I will have no choice but to forward my complaints to higher authorities. If I do not receive a satisfactory response to this complaint, particularly with regards to harassment and the amount owed then I will take my complaint as far as I possibly can.

 

I look forward to hearing from you, and please note I KNOW where I stand legally with regards to what I still owe and will not back down, and should you wish to go to court we have plenty of evidence of your company's illegal and unethical practices.

 

I have tried being nice to them so getting them back in the same manner they have me. Wonder how long it will take them to agree! Off to fight OPUS now as well while I'm in the mood for it!!!!

Hi Lottie,

have you had any communication from them regarding this yet. Would really like to know what their responses would be. Specially if calls and SMS stopped.

I am thinking of taking a similar action.

OOPS..must have missed that...thanks a lot

Sorry I don't understand

Hi CitizenB,

have you had any communication from them regarding this yet. Would really like to know what their responses would be.

I am thinking of taking a similar action.

I have thought about that actually. Do you call them or just send them an email. What would be the best option. Also can financial ombudsman do anything about it?

Thanks a lot to all of you for getting back to me. I already spoke to Step Change. They told me all they can do is send the correspondence letter. Apparently they never call the creditors and provided a number that the creditor should call. On the other hand NDR is refusing to call them and telling me that Step Change should call them.

Hi,

I am having huge difficulty with NDR/Marshall Hoares. I have read several threads on them but not entirely sure what I should be doing next.

I wasn’t able to handle my debts anymore so I entered into a DMP with Step Change.

As per instructions, I sent an email to all my creditors that I was entering a DMP and that they will be receiving details shortly.

While the whole thing was getting set up, Speed Credit kept trying to call me.

I spoke to them the first few times explaining that they need to wait a while.

Few days later they passed it to NDR and then calls kept coming from them.

Finally it got ridiculous as they were calling me 2-3 times a day during my working hours and I had to say the same thing over and over again.

i started to ignore their calls. Then they called my work number.

I wasn’t at work and a colleague picked up and left me a message.

When I called them and asked them why they called my work, they said there was no mention on their system that my work number was called. Big Surprise!!!

I then told them they should never call my work and the guy told me I provided the details and that they will call my work number if they cant get me on my mobile.

After I spoke to the advisor and explained my situation (that they will be receiving a correspondence letter soon),

on the same day I received 2 other calls, just different idiots asking the same thing.

They are calling me 2-3 times a day now, even on weekends.

Also text and emails with home visit threats and in a few months my £400 loan has gone up to £2245.

Step Change has sent the correspondence at least 3 times on my request and every time they declined it.

Apparently it wasn't enough.

They want me to pay a minimum of £40/month.

I have several other Payday loans and can’t pay any more than what has been offered to them.

Last Sunday, they spoofed their number so it seemed like an international call coming in.

I picked up and the guy was very rude, screaming at me.

Why I took out a loan when I can’t pay?

Apparently 90% of their customers always pay and are very satisfied with them, etc. etc.

I even explained that if they had accepted the offer which was in late February,

a lot of that debt would have already been paid but they didn’t.

He kept on saying that I need to give up some luxuries, I asked him to look at my budget sheet and tell me if there is anything there that can be removed.

I don’t earn a lot so after all the essential things; I don’t have a lot extra left over.

Whatever is left is going to step change.

he told me my land line and my mobile is a luxury and I should give that up and pay them back.

I couldn’t believe it; thank god he didn’t say that rent was a luxury as well.

I asked them to contact Step Change and he said and I quote ‘we don’t contact your debt management company, they should contact us.

If we don’t hear from them, we will contact you only’.

I have read somewhere that once you are in a DMP, the debtors should only contact the debt management company and not me. Is that true?

We finally came to an arrangement that I will ask Step Change to send them the correspondence again but I know they will decline it again.

The calls/text/emails are still coming in.

I really need this to stop and there is no way I am paying over 2 grand on a £400 loan. Please help.