HFC MBNA GM card card debt - been paying Restons £20PCM for years

[Grub Granny]

This is the first time I've posted so I hope I'm in the right place!

I'm just after some general advice.

 

I received a letter today from Restons Solicitors on behalf of HFC Bank.

 

This is the first communication I have received from them in over 2 years.

 

I agreed £20 per month payment to service my HFC bank credit card

and have been paying without fail every month since into the HFC bank account as instructed.

 

I have not received a 6 monthly or yearly statement of account to show how much is owing on the debt

or indeed anything else from them.

 

The letter this morning is headed

 

Re: HFC Bank Ltd v Yourself.

 

This in itself sounds legal and I do wonder if they are working themselves up into taking me to court to try and get more money,

which would be impossible.

 

The letter is just "reminding" me that they are instructed by HFC bank to manage my account

and I should use their account to pay future payments into.

 

Am I being paranoid or should I expect more?

 

I have not asked for CCA info or anything from them.

 

Would it be sensible just to change payments into the account they request and shut up or request anything from them,

 

I don't want to open a can of worns!

[dx100uk]

welcome along

 

I've moved you to the HFC forum.

 

you'll find lots of useful threads here.

 

prestons are [in a way] HFC

 

they are run by ex employees/managers.

 

they made £1M's out of HFC customers &as did HFC on the rollover loans & compulsory PPI debacle.

 

can you give us the history of the debt please

 

is it on your cra file any longer?

 

I bet it full of £12+ PENALTY charges [late/over/letter/debt management/phonecall]

 

might be an idea to SAR HFC and get all the statements too.

 

dx

[Grub Granny]

Hi

It was a GM Credit Card.

 

I told them in June 2011 that I couldn't service this debt, total currently about £12,500,

 

I informed all my creditors and offered them £20 per month to each of them.

 

I have continued to pay this amount to all of them without fail,

fending off some requests for more with some rather interesting letters

which like everyone else they completely ignore but ultimately accept the continuing £20 per month.

 

I have refused all attempts from any of them to get me to fill in a financial statement

except I have heard nothing from HFC or Restons since a threatening letter back in June 2011

saying I had failed to make a payment with the usual threats of legal action,

 

I replied saying I had continued to pay and would continue to pay until I can pay the debt.

I heard nothing since!

 

I have only just realised after the letter this morning that I have not had an annual statement from HFC

saying how much I owe them, is this not a statutory requirement?

 

I have never asked for my CRA file.

 

I have also never rung them on great advice received here.

 

I'm just concerned they are planning taking me to court hence the header on their letter of HFC Bank v Me!

 

What's my best plan of action please

[dx100uk]

GM card huh

 

that goes back a longway then I bet..when did you take it out

 

it might be to your advantage to get your CRA file. [typo]

 

all information at this stage is useful.

 

if you've not got all the statements, get the sar off.

 

pestons do, obv, do court, but they hedge their bets on easy targets.

 

me thinks you and your debt are not.

 

you cra file will tell you if HFC have sold the debt or just passed to prestons to willy wave.

 

dx

[Grub Granny]

Excuse my ignorance but what's a VRa file?

 

Me and GM Card go way back,

 

I must have taken the card out about 1985/86 can't really remember.

 

My concern is I'm opening a huge can of worms.

 

Could the letter from Restons just be a general pay into this account from now on and nothing else!!

 

Okay stop laughing

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Credit Reference Files (Experian, Equifax and Call Credit + Noddle which is free but often not up to date).

 

You must DEMAND a statement immediately from Restons have you calculated how much you have paid yet compared to the original debt?

[Grub Granny]

Okay. Don't I request the statement from HFC? I've paid £20 per month since June 2011 without missing a payment so to date I've paid £560 off the debt

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

If Restons are Manging the account put them on the spot, they should send a statement at least annually.

[Grub Granny]

Thank you that's what I'll do now. I'll post here once I get a reply, is it a statutory requirement to send out annual statements do you know?

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Thank you that's what I'll do now. I'll post here once I get a reply, is it a statutory requirement to send out annual statements do you know?

Yes.

[Grub Granny]

Thanks I'll post again once I get a reply from Restons

[dx100uk]

i'd get that CRA file first [sri the typo!]

 

I had one of those card

 

think it went off my file in 1991

 

then in to early 2000's pestons tried to make me pay it

 

the debt was ofcourse statute barred.

 

was there ANY period of 6yrs whereby you did neither use nor pay on the card?

 

dx

[Grub Granny]

I've always paid against the card, over the years either the whole amount or part amount

always more than the minimum until

June 2011 when my contract finished and I didn't have the income coming in.

 

As I said in an earlier message I wrote to all my creditors and they accepted £20 each including GM Card,

 

I have continued to pay this without fail every month since.

 

I've sent a letter this morning to Restons asking for a year end statement since June 2011 as I haven't received anything from them whatsoever.

 

I'll also get a copy of my CRA file now and see what it says.

[Grub Granny]

Just got a copy of my CRA file from Experian.

 

My GM Card is listed under HSBC which I believe own HFC.

 

I took the card out in 1994 a bit later than I originally thought.

 

I've checked the payments against what I owe, it has gone down £20 per month over the last 2 years

except for 2 months where it shows a zero balance and a green circle with a ? in it.

 

Current balance £11,900,

 

I pay every month so I don't know what that means,

 

otherwise things seem in order except my Nat West Access card isn't listed at all!

[dx100uk]

the ? will be just months where the creditor did not report it.

 

seems strange they are refusing to accept your reduced payments

 

they should, like the rest, be actively helping you.

 

I was wondering if you'd had any lengthy period without

payment but your haven't

 

shame .

 

ok get that SAR off to HFC

 

lets see if you've got loads of PENALTY charges levied

 

and or PPI

 

I bet you've PPI for sure knowing HFC

 

dx

[Grub Granny]

Hi Dx,

They are not refusing my reduced payments at all.

 

I just got the letter from them yesterday asking I pay direct to them and not to the original GM Card account which I have been doing.

 

I haven't had a yearly statement from them which I believe is mandatory,

 

I've written and asked for that this morning.

 

I was concerned as the heading of the letter said HFC Bank v yourself

 

they were building themselves up to perhaps take me to court.

 

Remember I haven't not paid each month and the £20 reduced payments haven't been refused and I haven't been asked to pay more.

 

Am I opening a can or worms by asking HFC for a SAR?

[dx100uk]

ok understood

 

no you are not opening a can of worms for YOU but for THEM.

 

if HFC/HSBC are shown as the OWNER of the debt on your CRA file

 

then you ONLY pay the OWNER.

 

never ever pay a fleecing DCA or a fake/tame solicitor.

 

dx

[theoldrouge]

GM card from 1994?, I think I would be tempted to send CCA request to restons, cant do any harm, your right to information, and even if you keep paying, if they cant comply at least it will give you something to negotiate with at some stage

[Grub Granny]

Okay I'll continue paying GM Card account direct and wait for Restons to write to me again requesting I pay them which I assume they will!

[dx100uk]

i'd pop an sar in the post during the week too

 

dx

[Grub Granny]

Ok thanks for that. I'll request SAR from HFC Bank next week. I'll post when I get reply.

Many thanks for help so far

[Grub Granny]

Hi

I have a debt originally with GM Card which has passed through different DCA's and is now with Restons. 

I have paid £20 per month since being unable to pay any more round 2014. 

I've always paid this amount never missed. 

 

My question is:

if I send off a CCA to Restons would this have any affect on my overdraft with HSBC as GM Card was originally owned by HFC Bank who was owned by HSBC. 

The original credit card must have been taken out prior to 1998. 

If my overdraft could be compromised I'd be worried about moving forward with this.

[AndyOrch]

Hi GG

 

Restons are not a DCA or debt buyer they are Solicitors so it would be pointless sending a CCA request to them.Who are Restons Client ?

 

Andy

[dx100uk]

stop paying 

they'll never get an enforceable agreement back for a MBNA HFC GM card of that era

they were all shredded in the late 90's when PPI reclaiming really took off.

 

have you checked theres no PPI on your card?

as I bet there was..

[dx100uk]

retitled and moved to the HFC forum

plenty of like stories to read here.