customer cant pay catalogue, what 2 do??

[kelly!]

hello sorry if I have placed this in the wrong thread.

My friend has been buying off my mums catalogue for years always made payments on time and always paid well over the lowest payment amount.
Every order that has been placed on this catalogue has been for my friend, has always been sent to her address and the payments have always been made by my friend using her card over the phone.
Now my friend has spilt up with her partner and can nolonger pay the minimum payments and my mum is being 'hounded' can can nolonger use her other catalogues because they are 'sister' catalogues.

My friend has asked my mum if together they could write a letter to the catalogue saying what has happened and that the monies owed is that of my friend and not my mum. They want to know if they both sign this letter can the debt be transferred into my friends name at her address, it will state that my friend is sorting out debt management and will pay this debt.

Does any body know where they stand on this matter?

thank you x

[42man]

I think you might find it difficult for them to agree as the catalogue is in your mums name, and despite what has happened, it probably won't mean much to them....Did your mum sign an agreement for the catalogue account ?

[gyzmo]

As 42 said, the catalogue will simply say that, as far as they are concerned, their contract is with you. Any liabilities to or from youis not their concern.

That however is a separate matter. If you are having dificulties, have a look at the debt forum to see about ensuring the agreement is enforceable and how offers can be made etc.

There is then the issue of getting money from this other person. That may be easier said than done.

Is this JD Williams group by any chance?

[Bookworm]

Well, actually, guys.... 42 and Gyz, in this instance, you're wrong...

As long as Kelly's mum tells the catalogue that the friend was her customer and that the customer can no longer pay up, the catalogue should then send mum a form, which mum will have to fill in and send back to catalogue with as much detail as possible so that the catalogue can then pursue friend, they should then remove that amount from mum's outstanding balance. Especially if friend is ok to make arrangements separately, it should be no problem, I had a friend like this who used to owe thousands on my catalogue, when she left the country, I told the catalogue and they just wrote it off my balance.

[kelly!]

thank you all for taking the time to help,
my mum has been with littlewoods for years since she was in her 20's so a good 30 years. My friend is more than willing to pay but cant make the payments asked thats why they both want to 'pass over' but none of us knew where to start, where my mum stands or how to go about it.
My friend owe's around £900 in all but this about 2/3 months behind my mums credit limit has been dropped down from 1000's to 0 in the space of 2 months.

So, bookworm would my mum need to phone or put it in writing?
thanks x

[Bookworm]

Get her to phone them and explain the situation, they're usually pretty good with situations like this, if they say to write in, then do it then, but they usually send out a standard form when you call.

[gyzmo]

Well I never... can you do that with catalogues?

[Bookworm]

Yes, because the catalogue customer is often also an agent for other people and gets a 10% commission on the orders. In this case, as the deliveries were going straight to friend's address, it really should be no problem.

[alijessuk]

I had a so called friend who has ordered various things from variety of catalogues I have, she has always paid usually on time but just recently shes been really late with the payments I've pestered her and pestered her for the money and obviuosly now we have fell out because I feel shes been very selfish by putting me in a position where I have to pay, anyway to get to the point she now hasn't paid me at all and owes in total £400. Most of the goods including a monster fridge freezer went to her house. I've phoned the catalogue companies and they say its my responsibility. I noticed one reply to someone elses similar situiation where the catalogue company pursued the person themselves, why am I being told this system does not exsist? Should I go to a solicitor? Have I got a claim to go to small claims court? She went bankrupt 2 years prior too this!