Help Re: J&J Collections

[propeller]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first visit to the site, I have been experiencing problems with a company called J&J Collection, I have no address for them just a PO BOX in Chester.

 

Problems started when I lost my job & i knew I wouldn't be able to keep up the full payments on my AA Loan, I called them & they agreed that i could pay the minimum (just interest) which worked out at £30pm.

 

I was given the impression by the AA that my loan would just take longer to pay off as i wasn't paying the full £134 for a few months.

 

This was not the case, the money didn't just get added onto the end of the loan it created a seperate arrears account which i knew nothing about until I was contacted by another company called J&J Collections who were demanding the full £1,760 odd pounds. So now i have 2 loans to pay really.

 

I answered a phone call from them shortly after & told what had been agreed with th AA and that I was now in employment & could start back on my normal re-payments. Card details were taken & a direct debit set up for my usual monthly £134 that i was paying before.

 

I then this weekend recieved around 20 missed calls from this place! I answered the next call and my loan amount had changed, after much harrasment & trying to scare me into giving them another payment of £134 they said my last card payment had declined & continued to try & belittle me & make me feel like a complete loser. They were very un-professional, rude & scared me. I told them I only get paid so much & was willing to pay some money to the arrears aslo.

 

Surely if the card declined you get some kind of written notice? how do i know if they are telling me the truth?

 

Also every time I answer the phone to them a charge of £10 is added to the account, can they do this? I habve no choice but to be contacted by them as it is just an automated answer machine when i try and ring them!

 

I was also told that I am currently being charged at 25%, they wouldn't tell me how often or anything else.

 

Are the allowed to do this? I have been completely willing to carry on paying this loan & know nothing about this company, theres no record of themn on the internet etc & they could be anybody. Also I don't think there is anything about this in my original T&C from the AA.

 

I am really worried about this now, I saw a programme on this a couple of months ago about companies using the same nasty tactics & feel I am being treated the same.

 

Can anyone please give me any advice on what I can do about this if anything!

 

Thanks

[demon_x_slash]

What, what what?!

 

Send a Subject Access Request to the AA covering both accounts to get an idea of how much you owe, where all the money's been going to, and if they've ever charged you for late payments (these charges are reclaimable, though AA's difficult about it). This should also include whether they've sold anything on to J&J.

 

If they have sold it on, send a CCA request to J&J asking for the assignment that they must have in order to persue you for money. Send them a SAR as well - this entitles you to a copy of any and every bit of paper they've got on you, so that you can check charges - they are NOT allowed to charge you £10 for 'answering the phone to them', how dare they, if just anyone could do that no one would answer the bloody phone.

How are you paying them at the moment? Is it an automatic debit from the card details you've given them? You dispute the amount they're demanding - you may have to 'lose' your card and request another from the bank to prevent them taking payment again without your permission.

 

You can also stop them calling with another letter which states all communication must be in writing - if they call you after receiving this they are breaking the law.

 

Let us know how you get on. Barstewards.

[propeller]

Thanks for your reply,

In response to your question 'how am I paying them?' I have a direct debit set up to pay the normal £134 loan re-payment every month, which automaticly goes out my account to them. They contact me (and they say because they have to do this I incur a £10 charge each time) and I then have to pay the arrears through giving my card details each time over the phone (im not keen on doing this as it doesn't seem secure. I tried to set up a regular payment with them on the phone last time ie to pay £30 a month to the arrears by direct debit but they were having none of it & said I would have find the cash to pay it all by next time they call.

 

I don't hink they have taken cash without my permission but I do think that they lied about my card having been declined so that I would make another payment to the arrears so that in effect I paid £60 to the arrears last month instead of the £30 which I thought I made! They just carried on really strange and only mentioned it declined at the end of the conversation and after trying to hassle me for another payment, more last a last ditch attempt id say. (I won't know for sure though til my statement arrives)

 

Very shady, I will send those letters as you said.

 

Thanks.

[demon_x_slash]

No, doesn't sound right, does it? With those requests you are at least able to ascertain what money has gone where, then you're in a better position to query things.

[lookinforinfo]

I know it's a hassle this close to Christmas, but Demon x Slash is right

about cancelling your current debit card. If the DCA thinks you are going to give them trouble, they may well preempt the situation by pushing through

a payment without your knowledge, and it is damn time consuming getting it back.

[orky]

Also be aware J & J Coolections Ltd, according to companies house, is a dormant company. I would not pay them anything. Afterall if they do not pass monies onto your creditor who suffers.

[spotnot]

Quoted from their last set of accounts

 

Ultimate Parent Undertaking

 

The ultimate parent undertaking and the largest group in which the results of the company are consolidated is HBOS plc, registered in Scotland.

 

The company's immediate parents are Capital Bank plc and In Store Credit Limited, both registered in England.

 

Also " the company was dormant throughout the year" "during the financial year and the preceding financial year, the company did not trade, received no income and incurred no expenditure"

 

Interesting!!!

[Guest The Terminator]

Quoted from their last set of accounts

 

Ultimate Parent Undertaking

 

The ultimate parent undertaking and the largest group in which the results of the company are consolidated is HBOS plc, registered in Scotland.

 

The company's immediate parents are Capital Bank plc and In Store Credit Limited, both registered in England.

 

Also " the company was dormant throughout the year" "during the financial year and the preceding financial year, the company did not trade, received no income and incurred no expenditure"

 

Interesting!!!

 

That is very interesting because Mercers is the same.They have been dormant as well. CSL is another.

[payingonlyencouragesthem]

It is very interesting. It would seem to imply that the banks' collection departments are hiding behind spoof company names in order to illegally harass their clients.

[spotnot]

Well, thats what I thought. Have checked the acounts of their parent company but no other similarly named subsidiaries are mentioned. Personally I find it very worrying that the Bank of Scotland ultimately own this bunch of idiots!!

 

If they are trading whilst dormant, it could be construed as "attempting to defraud the public" according to those who know more than me!!!! Am trying to find out the appropriate course of action if they are falsely claiming to be non trading. Initial thoughts would be Trading Standards and Companies House

[Guest The Terminator]

Well, thats what I thought. Have checked the acounts of their parent company but no other similarly named subsidiaries are mentioned. Personally I find it very worrying that the Bank of Scotland ultimately own this bunch of idiots!!

 

If they are trading whilst dormant, it could be construed as "attempting to defraud the public" according to those who know more than me!!!! Am trying to find out the appropriate course of action if they are falsely claiming to be non trading. Initial thoughts would be Trading Standards and Companies House

 

Or HMRC

[spotnot]

According to Companies House, they haven't traded since 1996! And possibly further back than that because thats as far back as CH goes.

HMRC? Good thinking! As I deal with them on a daily basis, I could make further enquiries!!!

[spotnot]

FYI, no records found @HMRC. The plot thickens!!!

[Guest The Terminator]

FYI, no records found @HMRC. The plot thickens!!!

 

Good work.Anything on Mercers.Check the Mercers thread there's a few more dormant DCA's on there.

[spotnot]

Ok, will do. Can only access this info when at work so please be patient. I will get there in the end!! Ooh, I've found the one advantage of working in tax!!!!

[Guest The Terminator]

Just found that Capquest is another dormant DCA

[FANTASY CHARGES]

According to Companies House, they haven't traded since 1996! And possibly further back than that because thats as far back as CH goes.

HMRC? Good thinking! As I deal with them on a daily basis, I could make further enquiries!!!

 

 

TROUBLE AT MILL !

they do pay me to work you know good job the bosses are out !

 

https://secure.creditgate.com/search/search.aspx?AP=O&CompanyID=02021640&CompanyType=L&BS=1&BT=Full%20Data

Company Name:

J.& J.COLLECTION SERVICES LIMITED

Company No: 01017660

Registered Office: Incorporated: ? Company Type: Report Status: Basic Dissolved Accounts Type: Unknown Latest Accounts to: ? Latest Return to: ?

----------------------------

Company Name:

J & J COLLECTIONS LIMITED

Company No: 02021640

Registered Office: Incorporated: 21/05/1986 DAWSONS CORNER, 50 COTE LANE

LEEDS

WEST YORKSHIRE

LS28 5ED

 

Company Type: Private Limited Report Status: Full Data Accounts Type: Dormant Latest Accounts to: 31/12/2005 Latest Return to: 01/02/2006

----------- ------------

Description Costs Filed Date Form DIRECTOR RESIGNED £6.95 15/11/2006 ----------- ------------

288b REGISTERED OFFICE CHANGED ON 02/11/06

----------- ------------FROM:PEPPER HOUSEGROSVENOR PRECINCT CHESTER CH1 1EA £6.95 02/11/2006

----------- ------------287 ACCOUNTS OF DORMANT COMPANY MADE UP TO 31/12/05 £6.95 04/11/2006

----------- ------------AA SECRETARY APPOINTED £6.95 30/10/2006 288a SECRETARY RESIGNED £6.95 18/10/2006----------- ------------ 288b SECRETARY APPOINTED £6.95 20/10/2006

----------- ------------288a RETURN MADE UP TO 01/02/06;----------- ------------ FULL LIST OF MEMBERS £6.95 17/02/2006 363a DIRECTOR RESIGNED £6.95 16/12/2005 ----------- ------------

288b DIRECTOR APPOINTED £6.95 16/12/2005----------- ------------

288a DIRECTOR APPOINTED £6.95 13/10/2005 ----------- ------------

288a DIRECTOR APPOINTED £6.95 13/10/2005 288a DIRECTOR RESIGNED £6.95 13/10/2005 ----------- ------------

288b DIRECTOR RESIGNED £6.95 13/10/2005 288b

[spotnot]

My boss will be out all day tomorrow:D . Will do more 'research' then!!

[FANTASY CHARGES]

Also be aware J & J Coolections Ltd, according to companies house, is a dormant company. I would not pay them anything. Afterall if they do not pass monies onto your creditor who suffers.

 

just seen this posting of yours if you look at my post on this thread this little hedgehog is going to wake up pretty soon change of directors etc

 

oh and you are allowed to write to the post office and ask the proper address of a p.o. box

[spotnot]

The directors for this company seem to change every year since 1999 and this has not re-activated this company previously. As they haven't traded in over 10 years, it would seem unlikely that they do so now. However, I may be wrong!! Interesting though, the company secretary is employed by HBOS!!

[spotnot]

According to the staus bar on Comanies House web site, they are an agent. As such they can collect on behalf of another company without actually receiving the money themselves. Also the company they are acting for may incur their expenses. This would make sense as they are a subsidiary of a bank. Even if cheques are sent to J&J Collections, the bank (presumably BOS) would honour the cheques if the bank account stated " HBOS trading as J&J collections"

 

 

Am still digging

[chip76]

J&J Collections is the 'legal department' (ie an alternative trading name) of Blair, Oliver & Scott.

 

Blair, Oliver & Scott is the collections arm of HBOS (ie Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Intelligent Finance, Capital Bank and various branded loans such as AA, British Gas etc)

 

The initials BOS are the clue...

 

Basically, your debt is still being dealt with by a tentacle of HBOS.

[propeller]

Thanks guys this is getting very interesting!

[spotnot]

J&J Collections is the 'legal department' (ie an alternative trading name) of Blair, Oliver & Scott.

 

Blair, Oliver & Scott is the collections arm of HBOS (ie Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Intelligent Finance, Capital Bank and various branded loans such as AA, British Gas etc)

 

The initials BOS are the clue...

 

Basically, your debt is still being dealt with by a tentacle of HBOS.

 

According to their accounts 'the principal activity of the company is the provision of debt collection services as agents for Capital Bank and its subsidiary undertakings' Also managed to get a look at their Memorandum ie, what they do, and it doesn't state anything about legal services.

[FANTASY CHARGES]

According to their accounts 'the principal activity of the company is the provision of debt collection services as agents for Capital Bank and its subsidiary undertakings' Also managed to get a look at their Memorandum ie, what they do, and it doesn't state anything about legal services.

 

 

right no laughing but here is a bit about capital bank

 

"Message from our CEO

 

Capital Bank was founded with the belief that all of us here work for you and the communities we share. We know that our success is only as great as the successes of those we serve. This is in part, why our team of banking professionals strives to provide proactive consultation and expertise to our clients, while practicing sound fiscal discipline. Every day we bring integrity and a sense of passion to our work so that we can establish lasting client relationships.

Over the years you may have noticed Capital Bank has expanded the breadth of our products and services to include mortgage and investment solutions to our personal and business banking clients. With this expansion, the spirit of teamwork and a collaborative approach to service helps us exceed the expectations of what a hometown, community bank can offer.

We thank you for visiting Capital Bank, and look forward to serving you now and for years to come.

B. Grant Yarber

President and Chief Executive Officer"