Help With A&L 25% Offer

Jim Pike · 15th June 2009, 22:32

Hi All
I wonder if you good people can give your views on this please. I was given the offer to clear my debt of appx £8000 with A & L by paying 25% of it over 3 months which I thought would be a full and final thingy. This letter arrived and I am not sure if it means the same as full and final, could you give me your views please as I am due to make the second payment towards it soon.
Cheers
Jim

a&l Offer this one.pdf

dx100uk · 16th June 2009, 01:22

yep i think you are right to question it.
i would be more happy that they change the line to add 'and any of our agents'

BTW: have you CCA'ed this? it puzzles me why they are being so nice?
almost as if they know its unenforceable.

dx

Jim Pike · 16th June 2009, 11:43

Hi dx100uk,
Thanks for your reply, Yes I did cca them in Feb + follow up letters but heard nothing from them until begining of June thanking me for my request, saying that my copy will be sent under separate cover, and goes on to say they are not required to send a copy which contains signatures. Which is strange as I cca'd them for my loan and they sent a copy of the signed agreement back pretty Quickly.
I am just unsure about the "Partial settlement" wording in the letter. The account has never been sent to a collection agency, just dealt with inhouse at mbna/A&L this is not the first offer they have made to me they started at appx 50% then 40ish then 33% then this is the final one before they send to collection agency. I thought 25% was a good thing, but not if they can come back at me later?
Jim Pike

avarose · 18th June 2009, 11:40

Hi Jim, congratulations on the 25%! I am wondering how long it was before A&L started to make offers to you? I owe them and am currently getting letters from them charging me £25 a month for the letters and that's it! I want to offer them a F&F but scared they will not accept the low amount i can offer - but if they are now accepting 25% from you then i may have hope yet! Best of luck

andie_303 · 18th June 2009, 11:49

I would ask for written clarification that this is a full and final settlement and that that their will be no further liability to yourself to make further payments after these 3.

I would also ask for a written receipt for each payment and final discharge after the last payment

Hadders86 · 18th June 2009, 12:25

Crikey Jim that is a fantastic offer if as andie says you can get the wording of their letter tightened up. I have a loan with them at the moment so am curious to know how long it took to get them to offer 25%.
Good luck, I'm jealous !

avarose · 18th June 2009, 12:32

I am wondering if the difference here is that Jim is talking about a credit card with A&L via MBNA? Is that right Jim? And that you have a loan also? To be honest i am having more luck sorting out my MBNA card ( not an A&L one) than i am with A&L loan... How are you doing with the loan side of things? That is if i am talking any sense at all!!

Jim Pike · 18th June 2009, 16:10

Hi
avarose,
It was appx 4 months when I started getting offers from them, I suppose it depends on a lot of different things
i.e Your age, amount owed, prospects of eventually paying it off
in my case it would take appx a zillion years to pay it off.
This is only my credit card account, the loan is something else.
I would imagine that yours is a loan? that's why they charged you £25 for letters, thinking back they were pretty fair and stopped the interest going onto my CC quite soon after I fell into difficulties, as did most of the others with the exception of HSBC and Lloyds (another story)
Jim Pike

Jim Pike · 18th June 2009, 16:18

Hi andie_303
Thanks for your advice, I have already tried but as it's not a full payment I am making they will not class it as full and final only partial settlement. But I am sure other people have settled in a similar manner and i have not heard of A & L going back on the arrangement and chasing for the remainder so fingers crossed.

Hadders86
I think that you may find it won't happen with loans, mine is a CC debt that I will now never be able to pay off due to no work, age and level of debt.
Cheers
Jim

havinastella · 18th June 2009, 16:26

should you take them up on this offer, you should get it paid via a 3rd person.

Then they cannot come after you for the rest.

Jogs

Jim Pike · 18th June 2009, 21:32

Hi Jogs
Can you explain, by third person do you mean someone else to pay it on my behalf and I pay them back, or someone like the cccs.
Cheers
Jim

havinastella · 18th June 2009, 22:56

Someone pay it on your behalf!

This really screws them up

JOgs

steven4064 · 20th June 2009, 12:57

Jim

I think the advice you have been given on this thread is perfect. Gat them to confirm that by 'no further action' they mean that the remainder will not be passed on to another party for collection - in other words, although the debt is only partially settled, the arrangement constitutes a full and final settlement between you and them.

underdog13 · 21st June 2009, 00:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Pike

Hi Jogs
Can you explain, by third person do you mean someone else to pay it on my behalf and I pay them back, or someone like the cccs.
Cheers
Jim

Your local CAB may be able to help you with this.

CAG Products - We think that these will help you to make your claim or Reclaim your Right These sales also help us to keep helping YOU and ensure this site will remain free to use!

Small Claims Kit--	Small Claims Court Guide New Edition	Consumer Action Group envelope labels	Last Will & Testament Kit	Fight a Motoring Ticket

Alternatively you could purchase a CAG email address here, or maybe you'd prefer our address labels here
UPDATE: Consumer Forums ConsumerWiki is now LIVE - click here: ConsumerWiki