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Hi Everybody,
I'm new here, converted from consumercorner so hopefully I'm posting in the right place, apologies if not.
It's a bit of a long one, and has got a bit complicated over the last couple of months for a couple of reasons, I'll try and keep it short but bear with me. I'll post up some of the posts from the other forum as it'll save me explaining again, and then update with recent events.
July 16th 2007
July 26th 2007
August 9th 2007
August 28th 2007
October 24th 2007
December 8th 2007
Which brings us pretty much up to the present, I think everything there explains what's going on, sorry it's so long 
Basically I now have the statement of account but will have to dig it out and check what I owe them exactly. The debt collection agency are asking for in excess of £600 with all the charges added on, I'm sure my actual missed payments were no more than £200 without letter/phonecall/DCA charges.
They don't actually owe me any money, I owe them money but I'm refusing to pay until they drop the charges.
Please let me know if I've done this wrong or missed any information out, and I gratefully receive any advice from here on in!
I'm new here, converted from consumercorner so hopefully I'm posting in the right place, apologies if not.
It's a bit of a long one, and has got a bit complicated over the last couple of months for a couple of reasons, I'll try and keep it short but bear with me. I'll post up some of the posts from the other forum as it'll save me explaining again, and then update with recent events.
July 16th 2007
Try and cut this down so it makes sense. I bought a new TV last year on finance, the agreement being with Clydesdale Financial Services.
Unfortunately for most of the last three months I have been in hospital and for various reasons a couple of payments were missed at the end of the agreement (it was a 12 month finance agreement) and I also missed the letters and didn't have a chance to sort this out. They have charged me what I think are unreasonable amounts for each letter they have sent, and seem to have added lots of money to the amount I owe them. I then received a letter from their solicitors telling me to contact Clydesdale within 7 days (I was still in hospital at this point and unable to do so). By the time I got home again, the 7 days had expired and I called them anyway, where I was advised that the debt had been passed to a debt recovery agency (Credit Solutions). I phoned them straight away (last week) and they told me that they were unable to do anything yet as my account had not properly been passed over. So instead of being able to try and sort things straight away I had to wait. They finally called today to ask me if I was prepared to settle straight up. I said no, and that I would not pay a penny until I had a full breakdown of what I was paying. I was then pointed back in the direction of Clydesdale to get this breakdown. I have phoned them this afternoon and they are sending me a statement of my account so I can see.
I'm pretty sure from memory that the debt is about £150 from two missed payments, and that Clydesdale wanted £250, then something like £400 and now it's well over £600 that they want to settle the debt. This seems insane to have gone up that much in the matter of a couple of months. I'm assuming a lot of the charges are similar to what the banks try with their 'service' charges?
Can anyone advise me of the best way to deal with this please? I am sure that they have added a lot of extra and over the top charges, and also I am in no way in a position to pay off that amount of debt at the moment.
Also, when I was on the phone to the debt recovery agency, the woman started asking me questions about whether I was in work at the moment, receiving benefits and whether I owned the house I was living in. I answered the questions without thinking, as you do, until I clicked and asked why it was any of her business. She said that as I wasn't going to settle outright, their client wanted to know my detailed financial details?? Sounds a bit cheeky..
Help most greatly appreciated please!!
Unfortunately for most of the last three months I have been in hospital and for various reasons a couple of payments were missed at the end of the agreement (it was a 12 month finance agreement) and I also missed the letters and didn't have a chance to sort this out. They have charged me what I think are unreasonable amounts for each letter they have sent, and seem to have added lots of money to the amount I owe them. I then received a letter from their solicitors telling me to contact Clydesdale within 7 days (I was still in hospital at this point and unable to do so). By the time I got home again, the 7 days had expired and I called them anyway, where I was advised that the debt had been passed to a debt recovery agency (Credit Solutions). I phoned them straight away (last week) and they told me that they were unable to do anything yet as my account had not properly been passed over. So instead of being able to try and sort things straight away I had to wait. They finally called today to ask me if I was prepared to settle straight up. I said no, and that I would not pay a penny until I had a full breakdown of what I was paying. I was then pointed back in the direction of Clydesdale to get this breakdown. I have phoned them this afternoon and they are sending me a statement of my account so I can see.
I'm pretty sure from memory that the debt is about £150 from two missed payments, and that Clydesdale wanted £250, then something like £400 and now it's well over £600 that they want to settle the debt. This seems insane to have gone up that much in the matter of a couple of months. I'm assuming a lot of the charges are similar to what the banks try with their 'service' charges?
Can anyone advise me of the best way to deal with this please? I am sure that they have added a lot of extra and over the top charges, and also I am in no way in a position to pay off that amount of debt at the moment.
Also, when I was on the phone to the debt recovery agency, the woman started asking me questions about whether I was in work at the moment, receiving benefits and whether I owned the house I was living in. I answered the questions without thinking, as you do, until I clicked and asked why it was any of her business. She said that as I wasn't going to settle outright, their client wanted to know my detailed financial details?? Sounds a bit cheeky..
Help most greatly appreciated please!!
Just had a call from Credit Solutions, spoke to a very rude guy who was apparently my account manager or something (after a woman phoned me, checked who I was and then put *me* on hold to speak to him).
He basically told me that today was the final day to pay up in full otherwise it would be passed to doorstep collectors. I explained that I was waiting for a statement of account from Clydesdale and until then as far as I was concerned the account was in dispute as I believed there were unfair charges on the account. He said he didn't care, wasn't his problem and that I couldn't tell him the account was in dispute so he was sending the doorstep collectors round, and then put the phone down!!
He basically told me that today was the final day to pay up in full otherwise it would be passed to doorstep collectors. I explained that I was waiting for a statement of account from Clydesdale and until then as far as I was concerned the account was in dispute as I believed there were unfair charges on the account. He said he didn't care, wasn't his problem and that I couldn't tell him the account was in dispute so he was sending the doorstep collectors round, and then put the phone down!!
Okay, I sent the two letters off to the recovery agency saying debt in dispute and to the creditor on Friday by registered post.
This morning, I received a letter from Power 2 Contact, albeit dated 6th (so has taken 3 days to get here?) saying they have been instructed by Credit Solutions to visit my address and collect the debt. I have 72 hours to phone Credit Solutions, I'm assuming to pay up to stop them coming. Oddly enough, they both have the same address.
I'm assuming that they sent this before they read my letter saying the debt was in dispute, but should I do anything to make sure?
This morning, I received a letter from Power 2 Contact, albeit dated 6th (so has taken 3 days to get here?) saying they have been instructed by Credit Solutions to visit my address and collect the debt. I have 72 hours to phone Credit Solutions, I'm assuming to pay up to stop them coming. Oddly enough, they both have the same address.
I'm assuming that they sent this before they read my letter saying the debt was in dispute, but should I do anything to make sure?
Just to update on this, Clydesdale have finally sent me a letter saying that they would drop half of the charges as a goodwill gesture and that they were aware of the advice from the financial ombudsman of maximum charges being £12 etc. They also said that they had enclosed a copy of the statements which they had not done.
I phoned them up and spoke to the woman who had sent the letter out, and she admitted she had forgotten it and would send it straight out. This was early last week and still no word from them. I said I'm not doing anything until I've received the statements that they were legally required to now send me and that I wanted this cleared up as soon as possible.
I phoned them up and spoke to the woman who had sent the letter out, and she admitted she had forgotten it and would send it straight out. This was early last week and still no word from them. I said I'm not doing anything until I've received the statements that they were legally required to now send me and that I wanted this cleared up as soon as possible.
In a bit of a tight spot with this one, half because I forgot about sorting it and time has gone on a lot and half because they're being a pain in the ****.
Following on to my last post, I still did not receive a statement of my account as I asked. A couple of days ago I recevied a letter (dated the 12th October so I assume got lost in the postal strike and took a long while to get here) from Credit Solutions again saying that Clydesdale have once again passed the debt back to them for immediate collection as they are not prepared for it to be oustanding any longer. They gave me 7 days from the date of the letter (it wasn't even here then) and say that court proceedings may commence against me without further warning or notice. Also that charges would be added to the account of £70 Solicitors Costs and £80 Court Fee.
I phoned up Clydesdale to complain that I hadn't received the statement. The unhelpful woman said 'Well it has been requsted'. I replied that I knew that as I had done the requesting but it hadn't arrived. She said she would order another one for me that should be here by the end of the week. I said I wasn't paying anything until I had the statement as as far as I am concerned the amount is in dispute. She said that's not my decision and that I need to make a payment towards the account as I agreed to the T+C's etc. when accepting the credit. She also said that I need to speak to Credit Solutions to stop them taking legal action, but I'm pretty sure they'll be as unhelpful as before and also say that it's not my decision that the amount is in dispute.
Are they just trying to take the mickey or have I stuffed up? I could really do without this now, I go in to hospital on Sunday for a bone marrow transplant and don't want to be worrying about this..
Following on to my last post, I still did not receive a statement of my account as I asked. A couple of days ago I recevied a letter (dated the 12th October so I assume got lost in the postal strike and took a long while to get here) from Credit Solutions again saying that Clydesdale have once again passed the debt back to them for immediate collection as they are not prepared for it to be oustanding any longer. They gave me 7 days from the date of the letter (it wasn't even here then) and say that court proceedings may commence against me without further warning or notice. Also that charges would be added to the account of £70 Solicitors Costs and £80 Court Fee.
I phoned up Clydesdale to complain that I hadn't received the statement. The unhelpful woman said 'Well it has been requsted'. I replied that I knew that as I had done the requesting but it hadn't arrived. She said she would order another one for me that should be here by the end of the week. I said I wasn't paying anything until I had the statement as as far as I am concerned the amount is in dispute. She said that's not my decision and that I need to make a payment towards the account as I agreed to the T+C's etc. when accepting the credit. She also said that I need to speak to Credit Solutions to stop them taking legal action, but I'm pretty sure they'll be as unhelpful as before and also say that it's not my decision that the amount is in dispute.
Are they just trying to take the mickey or have I stuffed up? I could really do without this now, I go in to hospital on Sunday for a bone marrow transplant and don't want to be worrying about this..
To update this, I've just come out of hospital (5 week drag, not very nice) and just before I went in the statement of account came through in the post. Very late, but I guess as I've now got it, I can't do anything about it.
Unfortunately whilst in hospital I was too ill to do anything about all of this and so the situation has escalated a little. Credit Solutions are now phoning a couple of times a day to urgently talk to me so I'm guessing they're going to threaten bailiffs again soon. I need to re-open the case with the original creditor and re-dispute the charges, as they will have closed the case now on not hearing from me. How do I go about this?
Unfortunately whilst in hospital I was too ill to do anything about all of this and so the situation has escalated a little. Credit Solutions are now phoning a couple of times a day to urgently talk to me so I'm guessing they're going to threaten bailiffs again soon. I need to re-open the case with the original creditor and re-dispute the charges, as they will have closed the case now on not hearing from me. How do I go about this?
Basically I now have the statement of account but will have to dig it out and check what I owe them exactly. The debt collection agency are asking for in excess of £600 with all the charges added on, I'm sure my actual missed payments were no more than £200 without letter/phonecall/DCA charges.
They don't actually owe me any money, I owe them money but I'm refusing to pay until they drop the charges.
Please let me know if I've done this wrong or missed any information out, and I gratefully receive any advice from here on in!
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