CRS/Harlands Debt

[UniStudent21]

Cheers guys,

 

Just gonna ignore all the stuff and wait it out then!

 

One last thing is that I got a call from a phone number: 01614752875, after looking it up I turns out that it is a company called Moorcroft?

 

They are another debt collection agency I believe. Are they in any shape or form connected to Harlands or CRS?

 

As far as I am aware I am fine on all my other payments. My rent is overdue but I have spoken to my landlord about it :/ I really cannot think of anyone else that would be looking to take money off me?

[slick132]

Hi UniS,

 

Yup, just let us know who contacts you in due course.

 

Re the call from that number, Moorcroft are a well-known DCA but they do NOT chase Harlands cases. I wonder if you have fallen behind with a bank or Credit Card account as that is the sort of debt they would normally deal with.

 

[dx100uk]

have a check of your credit file.

 

 

noddle is free see below.

 

 

dx

[UniStudent21]

Hi everyone,

 

It has been a while.

 

 

Today I received a text from Zinc telling me that they have been trying to get into contact with me.

 

 

I have been back at uni for just over a month now.

 

 

I asked my family to forward on all my post and unfortunately it has been lost in the Royal Mail postal service. :/

 

 

I am not really aware of what Zinc have sent in the form of a letter

 

 

I was just wondering whether I should be taking the same ignore stance that I had been before.

 

Thanks for any help!

[dx100uk]

zinc are the same lot?

 

 

diff bloke at the next desk in a diff coloured skirt ?

 

 

ignore them

[slick132]

Not quite what DX says...... Harlands and CRS are one and the same, where Harlands then use CRS letterheads to appear to be a different company. However, Zinc are a separate and external DCA.

 

This contact from Zinc is what we'd expect (as per post #25 above). Don't respond to their text msg for now but, if they write to you at either address, you can reply to them once as follows :-

 

I refer to your letter of xxdate.

 

Harlands/CRS are fully aware of previous letters I have sent to them explaining why I dispute owing them what they demanded.

 

Accordingly, they have no right to involve you as an external DCA and doing so is a breach of the OFT Debt Collection Guidelines.

 

If you contact me again, you will be included in my formal complaint to Trading Standards about Harlands/CRS practices.

 

[UniStudent21]

Hi all,

 

Just an update on the situation.

 

 

I have finally recieved an email from Zinc stating that I can contact them to resolve the situation etc.

 

 

So I replied exactly as you suggested and I am going to wait to see if there is a response.

 

Cheers !

[slick132]

Hi UniS,

 

That's fine for now.

 

Keep us posted and feel free to complain briefly to Trading Standards.

 

[UniStudent21]

Hi everyone,

 

I recieved a reply from Zinc today with an email as follows:

 

Dear Mr xxxx,

Thank you for your email of the 10th March 2014, which contents have been noted.

Please accept this as an acknowledgement of your dispute.

 

Your account was passed to the Zinc Group for collection by our client,

Credit Resolution Services, on the 6th February 2015 ,

with an outstanding balance of £166.49.

 

In order to investigate your dispute further,

we need to ascertain how you cancelled your membership and require evidence of the cancellation

and any other correspondence/evidence you feel relevant to your dispute.

 

Whilst we understand and will do everything we can to resolve your dispute, without these details you remain fully liable for the outstanding balance.

 

I attach a copy of the Terms and Conditions you agreed to when making your application to join online.

As your application for membership was completed online you accepted the terms and conditions in the Declaration section

during the online sign up process (See section one), which indicated your acceptance of the attached terms.

 

The attached Terms and Conditions constitute a legal agreement between you and our client and

our client’s obligations are fulfilled in relation to evidence of the agreement.

There are no signed agreements as they are done electronically, but the terms are binding in law.

 

Under these circumstances, we can offer you a settlement of £124.87 which can be paid in 3 monthly instalments to conclude this matter.

 

 

Once payment has been made, this will close the account with ourselves and will be returned to our clients CRS, marked as settled,

with no further balance payable.

 

 

Our client will mark your credit file as ‘Partially Settled’ if a default has been registered. This will remain on your credit file for 6 years.

 

Should you have any queries in the meantime please do of course contact me direct.

 

Kind Regards

 

So I just wondering what my next steps are?

 

As always thanks in advance for any help!

[slick132]

Brief reply to Zinc :-

 

I refer to your email of xxdate.

 

I have neither the desire nor the need to communicate with you further in this matter.

 

Harlands/CRS have everything they need to resolve our dispute.

 

Further contact from Zinc will result in a formal complaint to Trading Standards, particularly highlighting your reference to Credit File markers. After the case of The OFT v Ashbourne Mgt Svs Ltd, your reference to CRA markers is a threat covered by The OFT Guidelines on Debt Collection.

 

Keep us posted and don't worry - this is running as we expected.

 

[UniStudent21]

Hi everyone I received a new email today from Zinc following the one I sent under your suggestions.

 

Here is the reply:

Good Evening,

Thank you for your email dated 11th March 2015, the contents of which have been noted.

 

 

Your account has now been closed with the Zinc Group and your comments updated.

 

 

We have now referred your account back to our clients Credit Resolution Services with the recommendation to write off.

 

 

Should you require any further details, please contact them directly.

Kind regards

 

Marianne

Would I be right in thinking that this is the issue solved and I am in the clear?

[dx100uk]

well there was bugger all they could do in the first place really!

 

 

dx

[slick132]

Hi Uni,

 

Would I be right in thinking that this is the issue solved and I am in the clear?

 

I think Zinc backed off quickly because you picked them up on them threatening CRA markers when they should not have done so.

 

Harlands/CRS can be persistent but they can be ignored when necessary. Don't assume this is the end yet, but you're certainly closer.

 

Keep us posted

[UniStudent21]

UPDATE :

 

This week I received a text from CRS asking for contact with them regarding my account. I have also got an email that said this:

 

 

Following our recent e-mail, we note that you still have an outstanding balance £166.49.

 

We want to help you resolve this as soon as possible. We can set up a payment plan or look at a settlement figure to resolve this.

 

Please call us today on 01444 449165 between 08:30am and 6:00pm. Your reference number is 8244396.

 

If you would prefer us to call you, please confirm a suitable number to reach you on.

 

We regret that if we do not hear from you within the next 7 days, your account will be transferred to our Solicitors Spratt Endicott for further action.

 

Many thanks,

 

Rob Avery

CRS Collections Manager

 

Any advice what I should do now ?

[slick132]

Hi UniStu,

 

We've seen an increase in the number of cases where Harlands/CRS are dragging up old alleged debts recently.

 

If you're happy to ignore them, that's the best bet really. If you feel the need to write, let us know and we'll draft a suitable letter you can use.

 

If they were in the least bit serious about any such debt, they would have had to take court action long ago.

 

The most important thing is to make sure that they have your current address, so you keep tabs on what they're up to.