Thread: Keyes Whitlock / Payday UK

I took a Small payday loan out before I lost my job. Could not pay back at the end of the month so called PayDayuk and spoke to a really nice lady and forgot to get her name. I explained that I have no income at present and asked if they would allow me to repay in small installments until I finally get my Jobseekers paid (3 months processing clain BTW) or secured employment. She agreed to defere the "Payment" with no extra interest for an extra month AND I said I would give them a call as soon as I can pay. I was relieved and found them really helpful.

Well Yesterday 14th September, Exactly 3 months after I made my claim for JSA, I got a Payment of approximately £500. Great I said, Just going to pay my some bills and get some Essential items like Baby milk, Nappies etc. n treat the Missus to a chinese! NOPE! Card gets declined so I check online to find out that PaydayUK or Keyeswhitlock (their debt collection dept) have taken £437.00 from my debit card.

Barclays Bank
I called the bank and asked them to stop payment and they said they would and it would be back in my account by close of business that day. Sure enough it was. So I paid some of my household bills etc.

Today (15th September), I noticed that I was £190 overdrawn. Surely not! Check my statement online to find that the Payment had been made to Paydayuk, putting my account overdrawn. I have a no agreed overdraft and nor do I want one. I called the Bank again today and they state that it will be some days before they can investigate the transaction and that I need to speak to the company. CAN THE BANK AUTHORISE A TRANSACTION WHERE THERE ARE CLEARLY NO FUNDS AVAILABLE?

I already had agreed to pay by installments and when I called Keyes Whitlock today asking for a refund, They said that there was no record of me contacting them whatsoever, and the phone numbers I gave them I could not be contacted on. Well I spose thats correct as I gave my work numbers, and Work mobile number. The Mobile phone went back to the company when I left. They also state that they could not contact me at home and I discovered there was an error in the order of the digits. Its not a mistake I am like to make, getting my own number wrong.

They were unhappy to help me as they have the money and the file is closed END OF!

This is my situation:
Overdrawn
Today I am £190 overdrawn - I dont have an overdraft and I cannot understand why this transaction was authorised. If i go into Dixons and buy a laptop on my card without funds in my account the bank would decline the transaction. Why is this transaction any different? Apart from the fact that I did not authorise it. Why did the Money get refunded and then taken out again without BARCLAYS noticing it?

JSA Payment
I have signed on today and will be expecting a payment soon. But the payment will not cover the UNAUTHORISED OR WELCOMED overdraft and this will lead to several weeks on No money again! Bearing in mind that My 13 month old and 9 week old daughters, my partner and I have had no income since june. I have asked "Belfast" for a counter giro to be issued at my local jobcentre but as always, they dont call back when they say they would. (More Delays). A counter payment would prevent exceptional Hardship. HOW DO I GO ABOUT ARRANGING THIS URGENTLY?

Housing Benefit
I am expecting my first Housing Benefit Payment to be paid next Monday and there is no way I want to borrow any of that Money as it is rightfully due to my Landlord who is the worst kind of person you can meet (Landlord Harrasment). CAN I ASK FOR THE HB TO BE PAID DIRECT TO LL?

PAYDAY UK
I was stunned today to be told that there was no record of any communications despite the fact that they had stopped charging me interest on my account as the Lady on the phone said she would. All they said was that it was My first transaction with them and they tried to call me.... Erm! AT WORK. but as I informed them, Or so I thought, that I was not there anymore, I would update them and make an offer of regular payments. Imagine my surprise when I find they have taken the whole amout without my knowledge.

Not willing to give a refund as there was No contact and they could not get hold of me. Also as they made "no mistakes", they could not help me but referred me to the Customer Relations Team. Thanks! As a safety measure I have cancelled my debit card and now I have to change all my details with various organisations which is time consuming.

BUYER BEWARE
PAYDAY UK asked me to provide ID. I provided my Driving licence and Debit card as proof of ID. I did not provide that Information so they could take payment in one go after I had "attempted to make an arrangment to pay via installments." The advisor confirmed that the payment would not be taken out in one hit and I trusted her that that was the case.

When contacting your bank about any unauthorised transactions, state you do not have any knowledge of the company etc. If you do the bank will just ask you to complete a form so they can Investigate.

If you do get into difficulties, contact them ASAP and ensure you get everything in writing. As a safeguard, Block the debit card and request a new one. That way they cant take funds from your card.

It never rains but it pours.....

Let the bank know you are on benefits, they are NOT allowed to take money from you when you are on benefits.

You also need to get a parachute account, the Post Office do one and so does halifax, complete with online banking facilities.

I would also write to Trading Standards about their practice of taking money out when you haven't authorised it. Sadly it is common with these companies.

You now need to 'loose' your card so they can't take any 'remainder' they deem owed to them.

Originally Posted by sillygirl1

Let the bank know you are on benefits, they are NOT allowed to take money from you when you are on benefits.

They already know and have done for some time.

Originally Posted by sillygirl1

You also need to get a parachute account, the Post Office do one and so does halifax, complete with online banking facilities.

I am wise to that now and have applied for Both. I though the whole idea of having a Basic account was to prevent overspending especially with Money I dont have. Seems not. I have never had or needed an overdraft in 22 years of Banking.

Originally Posted by sillygirl1

I would also write to Trading Standards about their practice of taking money out when you haven't authorised it. Sadly it is common with these companies.

Dont get me wrong! They helped me when I needed it, but as I cannot prove my contact in any way, they are playing by the book! Shame they cannot offer any Discretion relating to my circumstances.

Originally Posted by sillygirl1

You now need to 'loose' your card so they can't take any 'remainder' they deem owed to them.

Cancelled my debit card and ordered a new one.

How can the bank authorise a £400 transaction yet bounces my £19 monthly car insurance??

It's a very interesting place being "Unemployed". Yet as soon as I start my new position in oct, I am going to kick some but through the courts.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Limo

Unscrupulous companies like this are interested in only one thing - money - and they do not care how they get it. It is a mistake to expect them to act reasonably.

If nothing else, this story illustrates why CAG tells people not to speak to creditors or DCAs on the phone. Keep everything in writing.

Do you have a copy of the loan agreement that you could post up after removing personal details? You'll need to use photobucket or similar - the image above is too small to read.

If you keep talking to them on the phone, they'll keep waffling to you.

We can help you to deal with them, but there's no point in people taking time to advise you if you are intent on making it difficult for yourself.

You can only take the practical steps as you've been advised like having a seperate account etc....
There are only so many places you can complain to like the OFT,trading standards,financial Ombudsman, info commissoner & so on.....
The only place left to go beyond all of that is your own legal action through the court system etc..

Complaints to DCAs by telephone are meaningless, even if recorded, if you want to achieve anything and/or intend to take the matter further. Unless only for personal use, you have to tell the other party; even then, DCA's will usually deny everything.

fos will only accept a complaint when you have gone through the DCAs complaint procedure; every DCA is obliged to have one, and to send a copy on request. These procedures invariably involve putting your complaint in writing.

How you feel is, to a DCA, irrelevant - except where they can exploit it. It may make you feel a little better, but it won't effect the outcome, and ultimately it will leave you feeling frustrated and angry. The main weapon in the DCA's arsenal is telephone contact; as long as you are talking to them, they think they have the advantage. Many of the telephone techniques used by DCAs are designed to play upon the emotions. Only by making them communicate in writing will you be able to get them to stick to fact and obey the rules - and you will have a paper trail that can be used to back your complaint.

If they call you, simply refuse to answer their security questions, tell them you don't discuss personal matters on the phone, and tell them to put whatever they want to say in writing - and then hang up.

In this particular case, where the DCA appears to be undertaking unlicenced activity, I suggest that this is even more reason not to engage with them - just report them to Trading Standards.

Does anybody have the phone number for Keyes & Whitlock.

Have been ringing/emailing PaydayUK constantly and can't seem to get anywhere so going to go direct to them. Any advice? x

Am in a similar situation, was called by someone from payday uk recently, we eventually agreed to pay in instalments as I'm struggling and then they went and took the whole amount out of my account this week.

Contacted them to explain that I need that money and they said my account was being managed by Keyes & Whitlock, have been given a phone number, haven't called it yet but it is: 0800 0750 728

Have just spoken to Keyes Whitlock, got an 'adviser' with very poor english who explained to me that because one of my payments didn't get paid on the date we'd agreed, the day after they took the account 'off hold' and therefore the system automatically takes the full amount.

I explained that I need that money minus my £60 agreed payment to live this month as my hours at work have been cut and she said "well unfortunately the account is now closed. I do understand, yeh, but there's nothin' I can do. The account's now been settled"

any one got repayment plan done with them so far been nightmare but will not give up.

I feel so sorry for every single person who has commented on this page.

I used to work for MEM consumer finance AKA payday uk/Keyes Whitlock.

The practices involved in them taking money is disgusting.

Did any of you know the agents receive commission if they take your payment that is overdue.

I have now left the company thank god and I want to share things about them with everyone.

If anyone needs any questions answering, I will be happy to oblige and answer them honestly and fairly.

Thankyou, and again I am really sorry to all those affected by the [problem]ming gits.