Wednesday 27 August 2008

HFO services and unprofessional ethics

HFO is a company 'headquartered' in the UK with an office in gurgaon india.  With another two offices opening in 2009, mumbai  and sydney respectively; this is obviously a fast growing dynamic international company.

A company which, to all intents and purposes when you listen in on conversations, might have had many of its first and second tier employees taken from Fawlty Towers, if it had been a finishing school, and they had been forcibly ejected!

The thing about HFO (which you may discover if ever you have the misfortune to come into contact with them), is they're the bottom feeders - in the eyes of debtors and angelic sharks to creditors.

As a strapline quote on their website says...

An ever expanding client base
A global Distressed Debt Investment Company
A unique multicultural environment, with one overriding goal – SUCCESS

Yes a company that appears to be of the mind-set, that if you don't succumb after the first five minutes they'll progress to shouting at you. Use legal terminology to put the wind up. Threaten court as the next step. All in the hope the unlucky plucky person on the other end will say "bang to rights guv. I'll just pop over to the cayman islands and liquidate all my assets as i've seen the error of my ways!"  Hfo services, i presume, can then feel justified in placing another tick of success, into the book of commission whilst throwing the book of good business practice, into the bin. 

Just in time for that presentation to bigger company "a", and buy their debt for peanuts. All to begin the bullying tactics all over again.

Is this unacceptable behaviour? If not, it should be thus described. But what do I know, as an outsider looking on.

A quick bit of typing into any search engine will bring up streams of pages about the antics of this particular company.

But why would I bring this up?

Well the following is just one example of a conversation overheard:

"If you want you can record this conversation.

Legal proceedings have started which will add £80 to your account and when court proceedings occur it will add a further £32; and judgement will be passed against you.

Please do not waste our time or yours by offering to pay £1.

We're not regulated by the FSA and not bound to accept any payment.

Do not waste your paper or our time.  Your £1 will help you reach to the court.

You just need to wait, the calls will not stop and you will not stop the court proceedings"

Here is a link to the consumer action group and forum with experience of hfo and its practices.

Here is a link, in relation to call recording and your rights.

If you have or are been harassed by telephone calls from companies, then here is a link to a letter template that you can send them, to desist.

And finally, just to put the cat amongst the pigeons, here is a link to trading standards - in the uk

So, in summary. Don't sit back and take it. If they, or any other organisation (and there are sharks out there), attempt to force or bully you into doing anything, stick to your guns.  Know your rights, and don't be afraid to get help!

Now, just have to calm my friend down, and begin the process of hunting down the sharks!

Thanks for listening and reading.

6 comments:

  1. HFO - NOT THAT BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! while i do agree to the comments laid out here , i was surprised by the result of my conversation with them , Which was as follows - I ACTUALLY ENDED UP WITH MORE MONEY!!!! - what happened was that when i told that guy that i was unemployed , he made me realise that i wasn't claiming all my benefits!!!. Now even after paying a monthly installment , i have 50 pounds a week more than i had earlier.

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  2. Yeah Right, have you seen the muppets who work for this company, but ther again you probally work with them in the same office.

    HFO fan club

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  3. Problems with HFO Services ??

    Contact us and we will help you using our vast resources and data on this and other group companies.

    www.hfodata.info

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wonder if that offer is meant for those individuals caught in unfortunate circumstances - by using the vast resources and data the group has at its' disposal? Or is it simply helping the companies (and by extension their own bonus wallets) who have taken the path of employing their services to hound those individuals unfortunate enough to be caught in unfortunate circumstances?

    ReplyDelete
  5. No Planado, it is genuine consumer action site set up to investigate these companies and thier procedures and business ethics. It is intended as a collation tool of genuine cases to ultimately be passed to various LEA's in an attempt to prevent these comapnies trading further by campaigning that thier CCL's are revoked. As I'm sure that you are aware, there are 1000's of "victims", but unfortunately some who just "shut up and pay up" as a resuly of these companies alleged intimidation & harassment techniques. Does that answer your question ? Thank you www.hfodata.info (webmaster)

    ReplyDelete
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