Have had a text from Mackenzie Hall...a debt collection agency.

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

Had a missed call yesterday from them I think.

Text asks me.to call urgently with a ref number.

Now I never reply to random texts so I shalln't be calling them.

But I've googled and they are a debt collection agancy .

The only loan I have ever taken out has been my student loan which was repaid in full.

I pay my credit card off in full every month.

I know I have no outstanding debt.

I.will get an experian credit report to confirm.

The only thing I have outstanding is a Parking Eye 'parking charge which can't actually be enforced which is less than 2 weeks old anyway.

Ignore

Ignore - this lot are a bunch of chancers and send random communications to people all the time.

Ignore it.

If you want more info, here's a MSE thread where people are having similar issues:

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3146398

I saw a few mse threads when I googled.

In most cases tho they seemed to acknowledge that there was outstanding debt which could be referred to (even if it was statute barred and therefore didn't have to be paid back).

I am.confident that I have nothing.

I've had this twice - once when Tiscali decided to chase me up for not paying my broadband bill for 9 months (well, no, I'd cancelled it 9 months ago and they sent me a letter to acknowledge it...) and once when BT went through the effort of getting a debt collector on me for the princely sum of £11.32 that I had not paid them (because I didn't owe it them and I'd already spoken to them about it when they sent me the bill, which they said they'd waive). So it's entirely possible that there is something that actually has your name on even though it shouldn't. In both these cases yelling at customer services for a bit (not literally obviously, it's not exactly the fault of the poor calltaker) sorted it right out.

There's this off MSE if it's any help? You'd need to tweak it a bit if you don't have a company name.

Creditor / DCA
Address

Your Details

Date

Dear Sir/Madam

Account no: xxxxxxxx

You have contacted me regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself.

I would point out that I have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to (insert company name).
I am familiar with the Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidance which states that it unfair to send demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question.

I would also point out that the OFT say under the Guidance that it is unfair to pursue third parties for payment when they are not liable.

In not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive/and or unfair methods.

Furthermore ignoring and/or disregarding claims that debts have been settled or are disputed and continuing to make unjustified demands for payment amounts to physical/psychological harassment.

I would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above account unless you can provide evidence as to my liability for the debt in question.

I await your written confirmation that this matter is now closed.

Otherwise I will have no option but to make a complaint to the trading standards department and consider informing the OFT of your actions.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

ONLY PRINT ? NEVER SIGN YOUR NAME

Ignore. They are a bunch of cowboys who think they are a law unto themselves. I had a letter from them a few years back and I immediately phoned them up as I was 99.99999% sure that i did not owe the debt. They told me it was on my credit report, so i paid to check and funnily enough it wasn't. Next time they called i explained this and then they said that it was so long ago that it would have dropped off but that the initial company would still have records. Phoned them (it was a mobile company) and they had no records. So when the debt collectors phoned they were told in no uncertain terms to beat it becaused as far as i was concerned they were fraudsters trying to trick people into parting with their cash. I gave them the option of providing evidence of the debt and funnily enough never heard from them since. I feel sorry for vulnerable people who would panic though and just pay them.

Ignore.

I think this is the same company who contacted my DH a couple of years ago about an outstanding car finance agreement. It was nothing to do with DH - he can't even drive so has never owned a car and the address was a place he has never been to - but from speaking to them I got the impression they'd contacted pretty much anyone they could find with the same name as the person they were looking for.

That's all very well but I have a very rare name and all household bills have always been in xp's name until last few months.

I shall ignore but just concerned that it doesn't make any sense...but I guess that's where they make their money.