After an investigation was completed, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have ordered debt collection agency Mackenzie Hall Ltd to improve it’s  business processes.

The investigation showed that Mackenzie Hall failed to meet a required level of standards in several of its processes and, as a result, have now been ordered to not pursue a debt where it has written confirmation that there is reasonable cause to believe a debt is in dispute, or if the debt is statute barred.

The in-depth investigation into the debt collection company’s practices revealed that while business processes where satisfactory, the significant amount of complaints received by OFT indicated these practices were not always followed.

Ray Watson, director of credit control at OFT, said “Persisting with debt collection activity when debts are in dispute can give rise to significant consumer detriment, particularly when vulnerable consumers are involved.”

“In this instance, Mackenzie Hall co-operated fully with OFT, and has taken steps to ensure that the business follows required practices for dealing with disputed and statute barred debts.”

Mackenzie Hall has been warned that repeat offences could lead to a fine of up-to £50,000 and their consumer credit licence being revoked.

Tags: uk debt collection