Thames Credit Limited

[grimmers54]

I have today received the third letter in a month.

 

The first was in June, with Letter Ref XINTR/003 (I guess that these references show them how far through the process they are!):

 

"Dear Sir,

 

Re: Agreement number blah-blah

 

We refer to the above outstanding debit.

 

This company is part of the Aktiv Kapital Group as you can see from the notepaper, and we are now managing your account on behalf of the group.

 

Our records show that the total balance outstanding, inclusive of all accrued interest, amounts to £x.

 

All future payments should be sent to this company at the address shown.

 

We would like to discuss repayment of this account. To assist, we have set up a dedicated team to take your call. The telephone number is 0800 xxx xxxx.

 

It is imperative that we agree a new repayment plan as soon as possible and, we can offer the following options:

 

We will consider a repayment plan that suits your current financial position, and we will allow you to pay by monthly instalments up to a maximum of 36 months.

 

Alternatively we are prepared to offer you a discount on the outstanding balance, provided you are able to settle and agreed sum over 3 months or if necessary over 6 months.

 

It is important taht you make contact with us in the next 10 days to prevent your account being escalated to our Central Collections Division.

 

Please call us.

 

Yf, etc"

 

The second was about 3 weeks ago, with Letter Ref XLT1A/003 :

 

"Dear Sir,

 

Re: Agreement Number: blah-blah

Outstanding Balance £x

 

Your account was legally assigned to this Group of Companies some time ago and since the date of that assignment, we have been endeavouring to contact you.

 

By processing your account through Public databases it has been confirmed that xxxxxxxxx is living at the address shown on this letter.

 

It is therefore imperative that you contact us immediately to discuss your account. Our telephone number is clearly shown at the top of this letter, as our working hours. Please ask to speak to one of our Negotiators, quoting your reference number.

 

If you believe that you are not out customer, and have no connection with the above referenced account, please contact us as soon as possible on 0800 xxx xxxx, so that we can amend our records.

 

Yf, etc"

 

The latest was dated last week, sent by first class mail postmarked 4 days later, with Letter Ref XLT2A/003:

 

"Dear Sir,

 

Re: Agreement Number: blah-blah

 

We refer to our previous letter and are disappointed that we have not received any response, verbally or in writing.

 

We are sure that you are not simply choosing to ignore our letters.

 

The current outstanding balance on your account is £x, inclsuive of any accrued interest.

 

Take notice that if we do not hear from you within 14 days from the date of this letter - by telephone - putting forward proposals to discharge the due balance, we will take action as follows:

 

1. We will refer the matter to our Solicitors for their consideration, and County Court proceedings may be issued against you for the recovery of this debt, or

 

2. We will refer the matter to our Field Agents, who will call at your address to discuss repayment of the debt with you in person.

 

In order to avoid either of the above actions, please telephone our above number immediately. Our opening times are clearly shown. Please ask to speak to a Negotiator, quoting your reference number.

 

If you believe that you are not our customer, and have no connection with the above referenced account, please contact us as soon as possible on 0800 xxx xxxx, so that we can amend our records.

 

Yf, etc."

 

Payment on any debt which I may owe would have been last made over six years ago. I think that I may stop ignoring their letters (why are they so sure that I'm not?), and send the letter M in the templates.

 

Is this a wise move, or should I carry collecting their letters?

[make them aktiv runners]

Sounds a clearer English version of Aktiv's letters.

 

If you send the statute barred letter it will go back to Aktiv, however you will first receive a moral pleading letter with a kind of legal threat. Their words always say things like 'may' rather than 'will'.

 

Should you let them carry on, you will get a whole load more letters, including 14 more days to consider, final warning before it gets passed on, how badly damaged your credit file is, interest is suspended but they will add more, may apply for CCJ-letter will go more into what can be done if CCJ actually approved, 'solicitor' letters (printed by themselves), discount offers.

 

Field Agents rarely call. If they do, you are entitled to tell them to go away and they must.

 

When Thames have had enough it will possibly go to Debt Managers.

 

Aktiv are not the worst DCA from what I have seen on here. It does seem though that once Aktiv group give up another DCA will then take over.

 

The only one to watch out for is Bryan Carter. This one puts in court applications hoping there will be no defence, runs pretty quick when defended.

[grimmers54]

Letters were sent by Recorded Delivery for each of the debts, and I've checked that they were received the following day. I guess that now I just sit back and wait to see if I receive any acknowledgement or further correspondence?

[grimmers54]

Well, that was quick! I received a single letter from them today covering all the debts (up to now, they've been sending a letter for each one!). They saved on the postage, too - second class. The letter ref for this one is CRQ1.

 

"Dear Sir,

 

Further to your recent correspondence in connection with the above referenced matters.

 

In order to assist us in investigating and resolving the issues you have raised. we would ask that you contact our customer relations team on the above freephone number.

 

The purpose of the conversation would be to ascertain certain important facts in relation to this matter, which will assist us in complying withyour request and/or resolving your query.

 

We look forward to receiving your response in connection with this matter by telephoning 0800 xxx xxxx.

 

Yf, etc"

 

Clearly one of the important facts they want to ascertain is a telephone number for me (I haven't used a personal landline for serveral years), in order to hassle me verbally!

 

Should I respond in any way (obviously not by telephone), or just sit back and wait while the "statute barred" fact sinks into their consciousness?

 

 

PS As a precaution, I prefaced each letter I sent with the phrase "I do not acknowledge any debt with your Company".

[palomino]

There are several things you do when you call them -

- buy a very cheap mobile and use that to call them. Then turn it off.

- change your phone settings to withhold you number when you call.

- use a public phone box and only insert 20p. When that runs out wait and see if they call you back. In any case you won't be there on any other occasion and it's not nice to imagine the phone ringing and some unsuspecting member of the public answering and getting a blast.

 

 

[As for using a very cheap phone you might be able to find a discarded one from a friend or colleague. You can then get a free sim from most of the phone vendors by checking out their adverts on msn, itv, and the telegraph and probably lots of other websites.]

[42man]

They are trying to get you to phone them so that they can frighten you into paying and they WILL lie....you have sent them the statute barred letter and made it quite clear....if they continue to to request payment, then the OFT say this...

 

2.14 (b) -

• continuing to press for payment after a debtor has stated that they

will not be paying a debt because it is statute barred could amount to

harassment contrary to section 40 (1) of the Administration of

Justice Act 1970.

[grimmers54]

I don't actually want to 'phone them. But, I did think about sending another letter stating that I wish to keep any contact in writing, and asking them to list the "certain important facts" that they wish to ascertain.

 

However, maybe I should point out that their reply in no way meets my request for written confirmation one way or the other, and that they are the ones who should have any documentation as they are alleging the debts against me.

 

Or should I just sit and wait?

[grimmers54]

Well, I didn't respond at all to them, and I've now received their follow-up - but we're back to one letter per alleged debt. Letters dated one day, posted "Advanced Mail Second Class" the following day, and received two days later. Once again, there's a Letter Ref: CRQ2 this time, so it's clear they receive others like this! Something else I've noticed is that the margins are rather wider than previous - maybe to give more prominence to the wording?

 

"Dear Sir,

 

Re: Agreement Number blah-blah

 

Outstanding Balance: £ x.xx

 

Further to our recent correspondence in connection with the above referenced matter, we note that we have not received a response.

 

We are endeavouring to resolve the issue that you have raised, but require further information from you in order to so.

 

Without your assistance, we will not be able to resolve this matter as efficiently as either of us would wish.

 

We would therefore request that you contact our specialist team on the freephone number, who will be able to assist you in resolving this matter.

 

We look forward to receiving your response as soon as possible, so please telephone us on 0800 xxx xxxx.

 

Yf, etc"

 

Interesting phraseology - first they won't be able to resolve the matter without my assistance, then (if I 'phone them), they will assist so that I can resolve the matter!

 

I don't intend speaking to them, but should I write back to them at all?

[smeecolin]

Hello folks I am new on here !!

 

Well sounds like we are all having fun with the old Thames Credit bunch, I did try and phone once but this kid about 12 was asking me questions off a list probably 2 feet from his face and I gave up in the end, yeah thats right I will send you my passport so you can fit me up for another muppets unpaid bill.

 

Thought I had heard the last from them but the old Bromley Kent letter was waiting for me when I got in to-night. If I had unpaid bills do you think I would list myself on the electoral roll... not in this lifetime???

[grimmers54]

Since my post in August, I haven't had any communication from Thames Credit. From what I've read in the forums, I shouldn't be at all surprised - but I guess that I may get a communication some time in the future trying all over again!

[ScabHunter]

You did the right thing.

 

Their pathetic phishing letters are beyond belief.

 

If the alleged debt is statute barred, it is statute barred and always will be.

 

If you get any more grief you can start firing complaints off. I doubt whether you will, though.

 

SH