Thread: Dispute with GE Money/Debt collectors phonecalls.....Urgent help wanted

Hi this is my first post.

I recently did a credit reference search as suggested on the Money Saving expert site.

When i completed the search i found that i had a sum of £56 with GE bank that was unpaid and had missed two payments.

I contacted GE money with great difficulty as there automated system kept cutting me off. Finally got thorugh and they told me that is was with a store card account i had with them and the card was used back in Nov 2007!

This made me realise that the change of address forms i sent to them nearly 18 months ago had not been updated on my details. Hence when my wife used the card for a purchase just over £20 some time after we moved the bills went to our old address, hence all the late payment charges being added on.

I entered a dispute complaint and yesterday received a letter saying that i was liable for the charges and if i am not happy to call them within 4 weeks. This was a day after i contacted them again to ask for a progress check, asking to speak to the person dealing with the dispute. I was told the dept do not take phone calls and i have to wait for a letter. Surprisingly there is a 0845 number to call the dispute team on the letter!

Saturday (i was unavailable to talk to direct but would not talk to my wife) and Today.....yes today, i had a call from the debt collection agency acting for GE money.....HELLO......a day after receiving the letter, today is SUNDAY!

To add to the insult GE money only operate office hours.

The debt collection agency offered to reduce this bill to just under £50, still double my initial purchase.

I did offer to pay my original purchase price as i did feel that i would have paid on time had my details been updated as requested had the bill been sent to me at the correct address. This was refused.

NOTE: If i had not done a credit check how long would it have been before someone had found me to say your details of address are wrong....i bet not until it was in the hundreds!

I feel that.

1. I have been reasonable in contacting the company in this matter and wanting to know where the payment was from initially
2. I have continued to call them as keen to resolve issue before more charges are added as one has since my initial first contact with them.
3. I informed them nearly 18 months ago about change of address

The company

1. No sooner i notify them of problem , no apology, just complaint passed to payment dispute team (this was only because i did not know what the charge was for at first as i could not remember any purchases 6month back and requested a hold be put on the account)
2. Letter sent to me sat, stating i am liable and if i want to find exact details of the purchase i must contact the store (fortunatly when ispoke to wife she remembered what it was for.
3. Yesterday and today the debt collection agency rang me at my new address amazing how details are correct now!!!!
4. The automated telephone system they keeps cutting me off.
5. Since my first contact an additional charge has been added to the account.
6. I still have not seen an updated statement with figures on just told over telephone!


Do people think i am being treated unfairly?

If so what do i do now as i am tearing my hair out and worried that i will have bailiffs on the doors or higher charges next.

Should they not put the account on hold if in dispute?

Should they not give me time to respond rather than get the collection agency to call me the same day as receiving the letter?

How do i stop the collectors ringing me on the 15 as this is how long they have put things there end on hold saying i must speak to GE Money.


Who can i go to for help?

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hi,
repost this within the debt action group forum as it will get missed in here

Thanks to both who responded.

Today i had success and dug my heals in.

I suddenly thought that i used CPP to assist in letting different services know that i changed address. After 1 call they would support me fully in confiming this.

When i spoke to GE bank they wanted to pass me from pillar to post but i refused to end the call until an outcome and insisted that if my call ended i would contact the FO.

They had apparently passed it onto viking DCA whom wrote off all charges and accepted i would only pay what i should have in the first place.

I am now awaiting a written appolaogy. My credit rating is being restored and my account back to nil owing.

Interestingly after i had settled the account, someone from complaints at GE money contacted me. He tried to say he could meet me half way with the charges!!! I took great delight in informing him he was too late and that they had been wiped off the account. I then informed him that he could arrange for a letter of apology to be sent and to give me some answers to issues i highlighted in the above.

He did ask me what my intentions would be with regards the account, i told him that i was going to close it as soon as, i also told him that i am closing allother accounts with GE money, which i did yesterday!!


Lesson leant....NEVER EVER EVER USE ANY FINANCE KNOWN TO BE LINKED TO GE MONEY, AS THEY ARE ALL IDIOTS