Dear Sir
Account number - IN DISPUTE
I refer to your letter of 26th November 2009, and in particular the document headed “
Egg
Card Agreement for my name”, which I assume is the document you are relying on in relation to your demand for payment. However, I now consider to be in dispute for the following two reasons.
In your letter you say that the “signed credit card agreement ... shows you [I]] agreed to the
terms and conditions
of the agreement”. However, the agreement is improperly executed under section 61(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and associated regulations.
1.According to the Consumer Credit (Agreements) Regulations 1983 (Schedule 1), this agreement should have been given the heading “Credit Card Agreement”. In fact it has been incorrectly headed “Egg Card Agreement for (my name) “and, subsequently, “Credit Agreement”.
2.Additionally, no “Credit Limit” has been stated – this is a prescribed term set out in the Consumer Credit (Agreements) Regulations 1983, as required by section 61(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. In paragraph 3 of the document you have sent me, the phrase used there - “Approved Limit” - is not sufficient to advise me what the credit limit is or how it will be decided, and therefore a prescribed term is not correctly stated. On this point, please see
Central Trust Plc V Spurway [2005] CCLR,where HHJ Overend states
24.” In my judgment, the passages of Lord Nicholls’ speech cited by Mr Say persuade me that:
(a)
The amount of credit must mean credit in its technical sense, and
(b)
That although the use of the word “credit” is not prescribed, there should not be any confusion in the mind of the lay reader as to what the amount of credit is”
As the agreement has been improperly executed, it is only enforceable by an order of the court, by virtue of section 65. However, since it does not explicitly state the term “credit limit” (rather, it mentions only an "Approved Limit”), as required by Schedule 6 of the Consumer Credit (Agreements) Regulations 1983, the court would be prevented from granting such an order by virtue of section 127(3).
3.Paragraph 22 of Schedule 1 Consumer Credit Agreement Regulations requires that the agreement details the default charges payable. The document that you have sent to me fails to provide this information, and is therefore deficient in terms of these regulations, making the agreement further improperly executed.
I trust you will now be in a position to reduce the balance on this account to £0 and to remove any default that has been registered by yourselves with any credit reference agency, as required by the Data Protection Act 1984.
Furthermore, please be aware that from this point onwards I will respond only to written contact. You are now under notice that I will not discuss personal or confidential matters over the phone under any circumstances whatsoever.
I trust you are aware of the limitations placed upon you now that the account has been formally disputed. I particularly draw your attention to the legal requirement that a creditor is not permitted to take any action against an account whilst it remains in dispute.
The lack of a valid and enforceable credit agreement and the payment protection insurance complaint are both very clear disputes and therefore the following applies:
• You must not demand any payment on this account, nor am I obliged to offer any payment to you.
• You must not add any further
interest or charges to this account.
• You must not pass this account to any third party.
• You must not issue a default notice on this account.
• You must not register any information in respect of this account with any of the
credit reference agencies. To register information with the
credit reference agencies, or to issue a default notice, would also be in breach of Section 13.6 of The
Banking Code, which stipulates that you can only register such information if the amount owed is not in dispute. I note that you are a subscriber to this Code.
Any further actions taken by Egg to collect the alleged debt whilst it is under dispute will be vigorously defended. I am also aware of the law regarding harassment of creditors under these circumstances and will use UK law to defend myself.
I look forward to receiving a satisfactory response.
Yours faithfully
My name (but no
signature
!)