1st credit threatening to "search a credit bureau for purposes of debt collection"

[Skint_ben]

Hi all. I have an old Halifax credit card debt of £4475 that has been with 1st credit for maybe 8-9 years now. I have been paying it off at £35 per month for all of that time. Because it has been so long the default has dropped off my credit score and I actually have a pretty decent credit rating these days. For the past few months 1st credit have been bombarding me with letters, texts, and phone calls. The letters and texts I ignore since they are asking me to contact them even though I am paying my £35 every month ( I think the bombardment started when I was a few days late with a payment ) and I don't generally respond well to somebody telling me I have to ring them just because they want to speak to me. The phone calls I answer, and explain that if the person that actually wants to talk to me calls me I will be happy to speak to them, but if they put me on hold I don't have time to hang about for God knows how long to wait for whoever it is that wants to speak to me to become available. To be honest I feel that phoning someone to put them on hold is very rude and overall find 1st credit staff to be very rude so i just hang up when they again put me on hold. To be honest it seems to have become a bit of a game, and may seem childish of me but the way people from 1st credit have spoke to me in the past, I'm not going to go out of my way one tiny bit to make their lives easier or massage their overinflated ego's

and breathe....

so their latest move has been to send me a letter saying if I dont contact them (even tho I've said I'm happy to talk to them many times on the phone just not willing to be put on hold) that they will make a search on my credit file and will show as for the purposes of debt collection.

Can they do that? I almost feel like asking for my copy of credit agreement (as I'm pretty positive they won't have it) but I know I do owe the money and it's not really in my nature to try and get out of paying a debt that deep down I know I owe. (Even though 10 years of £35 a month I've already paid will be far more than they paid for the debt)

where do I go from here? Just continue to pay my £35? Give in and contact them? CCA request them? Am I right in thinking that they can't affect my credit file if I CCA them since I was defaulted about 9 years ago and it's expired?

thanks and regards, Ben

[L1882]

Re: 1st credit threatening to "search a credit bureau for purposes of debt collection

I can't offer much by way of advice Ben because I'm only just starting on my journey to deal with a number of companies who have 'taken the mick' over the years however I would say this. I too believe we should pay back money we borrow and a fair amount of interest - however how much did you borrow and how much are charges and interest etc? In many cases these are greater than the money loaned so I don't see it as such a simple moral question.

One thing I have quickly learned from this site and other readings is you should only communicate with these people in writing and only accept communication from them in writing - you seem to be dealing with them in the reverse of this.

On the 'threat' - I'm not sure on the legitimacy of them conducting a search when they know where you are etc but I cannot believe it is in the accepted practice to use such tools as a threat, perhaps one of the experienced Beagles can advise on that point?

In general, and again this is from a perspective of very limited experience and knowledge, I would be looking to send a SAR to the original creditor and a CCA to the debt spongers. Knowledge is power - and currently they have it. They could issue proceedings which would mean that although the original debt has dropped off your file you'll get a new CCJ which will show for the next 6 years - always assuming they can win of course!