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Hi. I was just wondering in brief if anyone here could help me.
To keep it short, in 2006 I was talked into a MSCD course with Computeach.
In 2007 I was granted a £5000 CDL from Barclays. On the initial chat I had with the course advisor/salesman I did bring my concerns that having such a large debt could be a problem in the future if I fail for whatever reason to complete the course - he then assured me that "no it won't. It's funded by Europe so if you don't complete it, all the money will just go back. But you will do it, won't you?" **reassuring chuckle** This satisfied me (yes, I got suckered), and I rushed straight into the course as soon as I received it.
I flew through the first module, the IC3. A year later in 2008 I ended up homeless. I was in sheltered accommodation for several months, which time I kept in contact with Computeach and they allowed me a break in my study to continue my course - extending the deadline into 2009. On that we had quite a good rapport and I can't really fault them for that.
However, towards the end of 2009 they requested £500 to extend the course a further 6 months. I didn't have it to give them so the course was effectively cancelled.
Since a year or so after that I regained a roof over my head and I took care of other little debts from the previous property, like a similar one for another distance learning course (I really really needed a proper "job" before I became homeless which is why Computeach and other distance learning companies looked so attractive) but I pretty much neglected Barclays because in the back of my mind I was happy it had returned to Europe from whence it came
It didn't.
I've been getting the occasional demand from Barclays, who I bank with anyhow, demanding £5,197.70 or at least a nice chunk of it/monthly payments. I rang them the other day (Friday 4 Aug) and had a chat with an advisor at Barclays to explain what I thought to be a mistake. He advised me I had to make a token payment of some kind or a monthly agreement my account would be passed to collections. I said no, not a penny purely because I cannot commit to anything - I am a thirty something single father on Income Support with a 22 month old child and who works on a voluntary basis only and who really doesn't give a monkeys about keeping up with the Joneses or luxury items.
Me being threatened with bankruptcy is the equivalent of an atheist being threatened with hell. I don't care. I couldn't care less. In fact what would scare me is to be ordered to pay £10 per month for 510 months (!?!?)
I would actually leap for joy if a legal exec at Barclays or any DCA threw the book at me for a year and severed my ability to gain credit for 6 years. Why? Because I've only ever needed credit for two things in my life. Two computer courses; one of which went bust anyhow. "If" I needed credit in the future I'd panic, but as it stands "if" I need something I will probably do what I've always done and bought second hand gadgets/laptops/et cetera and shopped in charity shops.
Nothing of what I hear or read on the internet scares me of bankruptcy - what does scare me is the thought of well meaning companies helping me to "reduce my payments to manageable levels" - thus meaning I will still end up paying for a course which, with hindsight, was a total rip-off. Five books and a DVD/CD Rom... And I know now that in terms of Computeach I stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting even a £1 refund for the cost of stamps I've sent them.
So, all in all... Am I mad for looking forward to what most would see as financial suicide, or can I potentially speed things along? Has anyone had any experience with CDL's or Computeach that are similar? Thoughts welcome
To keep it short, in 2006 I was talked into a MSCD course with Computeach.
In 2007 I was granted a £5000 CDL from Barclays. On the initial chat I had with the course advisor/salesman I did bring my concerns that having such a large debt could be a problem in the future if I fail for whatever reason to complete the course - he then assured me that "no it won't. It's funded by Europe so if you don't complete it, all the money will just go back. But you will do it, won't you?" **reassuring chuckle** This satisfied me (yes, I got suckered), and I rushed straight into the course as soon as I received it.
I flew through the first module, the IC3. A year later in 2008 I ended up homeless. I was in sheltered accommodation for several months, which time I kept in contact with Computeach and they allowed me a break in my study to continue my course - extending the deadline into 2009. On that we had quite a good rapport and I can't really fault them for that.
However, towards the end of 2009 they requested £500 to extend the course a further 6 months. I didn't have it to give them so the course was effectively cancelled.
Since a year or so after that I regained a roof over my head and I took care of other little debts from the previous property, like a similar one for another distance learning course (I really really needed a proper "job" before I became homeless which is why Computeach and other distance learning companies looked so attractive) but I pretty much neglected Barclays because in the back of my mind I was happy it had returned to Europe from whence it came
It didn't. I've been getting the occasional demand from Barclays, who I bank with anyhow, demanding £5,197.70 or at least a nice chunk of it/monthly payments. I rang them the other day (Friday 4 Aug) and had a chat with an advisor at Barclays to explain what I thought to be a mistake. He advised me I had to make a token payment of some kind or a monthly agreement my account would be passed to collections. I said no, not a penny purely because I cannot commit to anything - I am a thirty something single father on Income Support with a 22 month old child and who works on a voluntary basis only and who really doesn't give a monkeys about keeping up with the Joneses or luxury items.
Me being threatened with bankruptcy is the equivalent of an atheist being threatened with hell. I don't care. I couldn't care less. In fact what would scare me is to be ordered to pay £10 per month for 510 months (!?!?)
I would actually leap for joy if a legal exec at Barclays or any DCA threw the book at me for a year and severed my ability to gain credit for 6 years. Why? Because I've only ever needed credit for two things in my life. Two computer courses; one of which went bust anyhow. "If" I needed credit in the future I'd panic, but as it stands "if" I need something I will probably do what I've always done and bought second hand gadgets/laptops/et cetera and shopped in charity shops.
Nothing of what I hear or read on the internet scares me of bankruptcy - what does scare me is the thought of well meaning companies helping me to "reduce my payments to manageable levels" - thus meaning I will still end up paying for a course which, with hindsight, was a total rip-off. Five books and a DVD/CD Rom... And I know now that in terms of Computeach I stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting even a £1 refund for the cost of stamps I've sent them.
So, all in all... Am I mad for looking forward to what most would see as financial suicide, or can I potentially speed things along? Has anyone had any experience with CDL's or Computeach that are similar? Thoughts welcome
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