Have HFO Srevices sent you your credit report or any other info?

[coledog]

I have received a letter from HFO Services claiming that they have purchased an old personal credit card debt and treatening legal action unless I phone them.

 

The letter does not mention attachments but a number of sheets were stapled to it and the muppet had left a posit stuck to the letter saying 'First Class post with attachments'.

 

The attachments included an Equifax credit report about me, a company credit report on the limited company I am using to run my small business and a Balliffs Action sheet which amusingly contains a colour photo of a house that I don't recognise and bears no relationship to the block of flats that I live in.

 

The T&C on the company check website have been broken as the 'subject of the search' was not the company but me and the data is 'for personal use only'. Equifax are also investigating how HFO were able to obtain a report without my permission.

 

I have complained to ICO and written to HFO with a complaint, CCA and DPA requests.

 

Has anyone else experienced this type of behaviour from these lowlifes?

[rebel11]

Hi Coledog

 

Welcome to CAG

 

Others will have similar experience and thus respond shortly.

[harrassed senior]

Hi and welcome

 

Thankfully I have no dealings with them, but from several threads on her, the 'Google Street Level photo' is something they use.

 

I would think that you would have a claim for substantial damages in connections with the Data Protection issues, and hopefully as already mentioned above, you will receive many other responses soon.

[sillygirl1]

Naughty indeed,, this company really should be closed down immediately and all court cases stopped. They seem to rely on dubious information and are committing criminal acts in terrifying potential debtors.

 

Why not contact your local MP and get them in on the act, they could ask questions in the House as to why this company is allowed to get away with despicable acts.

 

Don't forget to contact the Ministry of Justice about this as well, they seem to have some teeth to deal with these companies.

[Seminole]

Not wishing to defend them but I wonder if we are overreacting here.

 

If they have purchased a credit card debt then they can search Equifax if the agreement permits the owner of the account to do so. It's a definate no no if this isn't permitted or if the debt isn't yours.

 

The company search is dodgy if they've broken the terms and conditions of the website they got it from but most company record data is public information and could be obtained from Companies House.

[tindwcel]

Nice of them to save you the trouble of checking the credit report yourself.

[fuzzybobble]

They may be in breach of copyright too. I'm sure Google don't give permission for companies to print their streetview pics for commercial purposes. Might be worth a letter to Google UK head office enclosing copies of what they sent.

 

Has anyone else had photos sent to them by a DCA?

[harrassed senior]

There are a few threads where this is mentioned

[Deb T]

Not wishing to defend them but I wonder if we are overreacting here.

 

If they have purchased a credit card debt then they can search Equifax if the agreement permits the owner of the account to do so. It's a definate no no if this isn't permitted or if the debt isn't yours.

 

 

Not sure you're correct on the above, the original contract remains with the original creditor, if they've defaulted/terminated an agreement and then sold it on I'm not so sure it carrys that the new owner of the debt has the same rights where a credit report is concerned and in some cases debts are sold with the rights of the debt but not the duties (or the other way around)

 

But in any case, it is my opinion that for a company acting in the manner in which HFO appeared to have acted upon in which they have searched the credit file of an alleged debt questionable as pre my comment previous) but they have then gone on to send that to the alleged debtor without first contacting them, how do they know the debtor hasn't moved on? was it sent under secure means? and all manner of things can come in to play when sending out credit details of an alleged debtor...especially when it's pretty much 'first contact' so to speak.

 

Overeacting? On the contrary I'd say Coledog has been a little sedate, I'd certainly be upping the ante with HFO and whomever else I could get to listen. Allowing these DCA's to ride roughshod over the woman/man in the street with their underhanded and in some circumstances somewhat dangerous (from an information point of view) actions by being complacent is not the way forward.

[tindwcel]

If you ever write to them, you could include a copy of this, just to play tit for tat...

 

 

Keen observers will note that the above is actually Roxburghe House. HFO Services would appear to be not much more than a dummy operated by Roxburghe.

 

Or maybe you'd believe the HFO website...?

 

Hmmmm, now which picture looks more believable? Tough one, LOL.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I think the image on HFO's website is a call centre in India where they rent a desk or two.

 

I note that HFO's website does not meet the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, in that it fails to show their company registration number or registered office address. Worth dropping an email to Companies House about.

[F_DCAs]

Yep, you could send them the photo of their office building - as well as a box of sugary doughnuts.

[coledog]

Update

 

First of all - thank you very much for your kind messages.

 

No reply yet from HFO they should have received my complaint and CCA/SAR requests on 12th July. Also, have written again to Equifax with complaint.

 

The company who issued the credit report have suspended their customer's account and written to them (interestingly the 'customer' appears to be Turnbull Rutherford as their SW19 postcode is actually on the report).

 

I cannot identify the house photo they sent or where it came from but it is not in my post code also the account number on the sheet with the photo is not the same as the one on the letter.

 

I have contacted the OFT today and am sending a complaint and all the information to them. ICO have advised me to try and sort the matter out with HFO first but don't know if I should send them a complaint anyway?

 

HFO claim to have bought this debt from Citi Card - should I be writing to them with CCA/SAR requests?

 

Also there is another thread on Consumer Forums - 'HFO Services advice please?' where Mccarthybaby seems to be having similar problems with HFO sending info which they shouldn't be.

[broken arrow]

Subbing

[broken arrow]

any update on your position with our heroes?

[coledog]

Hi

 

Put account in dispute in July and all I have received back are some copies of statements which they have received from Citi and forwarded to me. Had an 'interesting' phone call in August 'apologising' for sending me the personal data when the account was in dispute and requesting I ignore it - even though the account was not actually in dispute when they sent the data and there is no way I would ignore it.

 

Nothing back from official complaints - just 'your complaint has been noted'. Equifax have been the biggest pain as they seem to be of the opinion it is quite acceptable for a DCA to act in this way.

 

Do need to send a SAR to Citi - been too busy interferring in other people's threads!

[broken arrow]

Hi

 

Put account in dispute in July and all I have received back are some copies of statements which they have received from Citi and forwarded to me. Had an 'interesting' phone call in August 'apologising' for sending me the personal data when the account was in dispute and requesting I ignore it - even though the account was not actually in dispute when they sent the data and there is no way I would ignore it.

 

Nothing back from official complaints - just 'your complaint has been noted'. Equifax have been the biggest pain as they seem to be of the opinion it is quite acceptable for a DCA to act in this way.

 

Do need to send a SAR to Citi - been too busy interfering in other people's threads!

 

Not interferring, helping, keep up the good work:-)

Edited September 29, 2010 by broken arrow

[bsj]

I'm pretty certain they have searched my credit file for a debt that isn't mine,they knew too much when they called me yesterday.

 

How nice of them to apoligise to you coledog,they have a heart afterall,you "Interfered"(helped) on my thread so i'm returning the compliment:lol:

 

Now stop" interfering" and send that SAR off:lol:

[coledog]

Have just purchased postal order so doing it now - thanks for the reminder.

[slyspy]

They may be in breach of copyright too. I'm sure Google don't give permission for companies to print their streetview pics for commercial purposes. Might be worth a letter to Google UK head office enclosing copies of what they sent.

 

Has anyone else had photos sent to them by a DCA?

 

 

I have raised this issue directly (via a friend who is a google employee) with google's street view solicitors, and it is their view that there is nothing they can do to stop HFC doing this, and google's suggestion is to get your house taken off streetview.

[coledog]

Yes - you sent my photos to Google although it is not my house. The problem is the way these photos can be used to frighten and harass people who don't realise it is taken from Google Streetview and think someone is watching them. The same thing applies to the other data used. This is why the authorities need to take action.

 

I had a phone call from them prior to getting the letter saying 'we have information about you, you are Cole T. Dog and you live at ........ yes?' this was without verifying who the hell she was talking to and before me telling her to blow.

 

Actually, no one else has reported receiving any photos to CAG in the last few weeks so I am wondering if they have realised they are on dodgy ground.

[Deb T]

I would think them sending you a pic of your house is simply intimidation, there is no other reason for it, they have your geographical address, sat nav gets them there easy enough.

[bsj]

I have raised this issue directly (via a friend who is a google employee) with google's street view solicitors, and it is their view that there is nothing they can do to stop HFC doing this, and google's suggestion is to get your house taken off streetview.

 

Do you know how to go about removing your home.

 

I'm in the process of removing myself from 192.com,to say they make it as difficult as possible is an understatement.

 

To date iv'e not received any correspondance of this nature personally,it's a low trick in my book.

The more the consumer fights back the dirtier they play.

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Just send back to the DCA the following message

 

Be careful as we have a PHOTO of your Car in the neighborhood -- and we'll charge you with the serious offence of Stalking if you don't BACK OFF and send a WRITTEN APOLOGY NOW.

 

You don't have to prove anything either -- Google works BOTH WAYS. If people misuse it you can as well and Google won't give any info out to sleazebag DCA's either.

 

Get just as dirty with these scumbags -- they only win because 90% (less now thanks to CAG) of their "customers" i.e "victims" usually get so scared of Debt collection they will often pay up at the first demand.

 

Incidentally Don't worry about CRA's etc etfc -- the best way forward is to TEAR UP any credit cards etc and get TOTALLY OUT OF DEBT. If you've got problems you wouldn't be on CAG in the first place so its time to say --Credit --NEVER AGAIN. Tough I know but IT WORKS once you've cleared the existing debt millstones from around your neck.

 

Cheers

jimbo

[coledog]

This is the streetview thread - I think that there is something in there abour getting it removed

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?274295-INTERESTING-TREND-DCAs-sending-Google-Street-View-of-your-Home