Student Loans Company/Smith Lawson & Company Recovery Se - Page 3

noomill060 · 9th October 2007, 23:36

If they do have a note of your letter asking for a deferment form, it will be in the stuff they provide in response to your Subject Access Request.

noomill060 · 9th October 2007, 23:39

When "They" ring again, tell them the call is being recorded, then ask if the person you are speaking to actually represents for SLC or whether they represent a debt collection agency engauged by SLC.

If so, ask if the name of the DCA is called NCO (Europe) Ltd or RMA.

noomill060 · 9th October 2007, 23:44

Then tell them you dispute the amount owed and tell them that you will only comunicate by letter. Check out the CAG library for a letter to this effect, then send it.

You should also send them a s.78 request for a copy of the original agreement. They have to supply you with one within 12 working days.

After which time they cant hassle you until they do.

This just gives you enough hassle-free time to get enough info from advice on here to be able to take them on.

noomill060 · 9th October 2007, 23:46

Send all letters to SLC by Recorded Delivery. They are are very good at "not recieving" them, as youve discovered already!

courtneycrumrin · 10th October 2007, 00:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by noomill060

Send all letters to SLC by Recorded Delivery. They are are very good at "not receiving" them, as you've discovered already!

I will make a note of all the info you have relayed and make sure I am armed with this if they call again. Though I rarely answer the phone. If they should write then I will of course use the same info in writing.

I always send everything to SLC recorded delivery and last time was able to confirm that they had indeed signed and received my payslips.

The last time I was on the phone with them, I was forced to put the phone down as they were so abusive in regard that I had all the proof needed they'd received the right data to dismiss arrears ever occurring and I refused to pay the arrears and they said I had to, which I of course dispute. Especially given that the deferment by their own confirmation in writing, proves the fact in covering the time period they claim I must pay for.

They act as if a law unto themselves.

noomill060 · 10th October 2007, 00:26

As you have a letter from them, stating you were defered for the period they now want payment for, start a small claim to force them to remove the alleged arrears from your account.

They do act as iof they are above the law. Most proper banks like to do that as well.

But they are sh!t scared of facing a judge and will do anything to avoid it.

Do you want a hand with it?

noomill060 · 10th October 2007, 00:28

Ive taken them on and beaten them

noomill v Student Loan Company ***WON***

noomill060 · 10th October 2007, 00:30

Have you had any letters off them where they charged you £20 for the privilege?

courtneycrumrin · 10th October 2007, 00:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by noomill060

As you have a letter from them, stating you were defered for the period they now want payment for, start a small claim to force them to remove the alleged arrears from your account.

They do act as iof they are above the law. Most proper banks like to do that as well.

But they are sh!t scared of facing a judge and will do anything to avoid it.

Do you want a hand with it?

It was the message left for me that prompted me to do a search on them when I found this place. What I need to do now is gather my paper work together.

Once I am armed I'll be back here with more of the info I have to hand. Then I may indeed need some help (thank you for your offer)

Its a comfort to not have to face these monsters on my own. I am really glad I found this place

noomill060 · 10th October 2007, 00:39

You never have to face these weasels alone on CAG!

Have you written to them telling them that you want the arrears removed because your deferment covers that period?

noomill060 · 10th October 2007, 00:42

If so send a letter headed Letter Before Action giving them 14 days to comply before you commence your small claim action.

Then start your small claim. You'll need to do a Particulars of Claim, but you'll find a template, or you can use mine, suitably modified.

noomill060 · 10th October 2007, 00:43

If youve had any £20 penalty charges for the letters they've sent in the past, you can reclaim them, by the way!

Halfangelhalftart · 8th February 2008, 16:02

Quick history: Pre 98 loan. In 97 I entered into an IVA with my partner. Even though I was earning below the threshold and entitled to defer repayment, the IVA company advised me to include my student loan - actually, they said I HAD to!

Round about 2002 the IVA ended by default (my partner did a moonlight flit to the States and as he defaulted I had to default too) and the IVA company told me to sit and wait to see which debtors would contact me. (One of which was the evil Mackenzie Hall but thanks to this site I've managed to get rid of those scum- thank you)

I got a letter from a debt collection agency (not SmLC but it was passed to them eventually). It had been passed to them as SLC couldn't 'find' me. They had even tracked down my original referree who had changed her name and moved away to ask if she knew where I was!!! Why they didn't contact the IVA company I do not know! Anyway, this naturally incurred charges.

Anyhoo..I didn't want to shirk my debts and so entered into a repayment - thinking that as some repayments had been made via the IVA I wasn't entitled to defer (as I still was earning below the threshold). I did send a deferral form and it was returned so I figured that was there way of saying no. I tried again a year or so later and they advised me that my loan had matured and so couldn't defer. I then offered them a settlement figure but they said that they didn't allow such things.

Anyway..what I really want to know is how can I find out what charges have been incurred in total so that I can try and appeal against them?

Thank you in advance for your advice

Cara

maybelline · 8th February 2008, 17:01

I would issue a Data Protection Act request, cost £10.

soulcatcher · 9th February 2008, 13:05

maybelline is right. Put in a request under the Data Proctection Act 1998 for any records showing charges made to you. (You might want to request anything else you want, such as your account notes--there's no extra charge.) There should be a sample letter somewhere on this site.

Remember that Smith Lawson & Company is a trading name of Student Loans Company. It is a collections team that works in SLC's Collections Department. Address your request to SLC and state that the request applies to any part of the organisation, including SmLC. Also note that registered mail is specially examined at SLC for DP requests, etc.

If you want to know more about the situation regarding credit charges in connection with Student Loans Copmany, see my posting: Student Loans Company - are default charges recoverable?

SC

maybelline · 9th February 2008, 15:40

soulcatcher, I will PM you about the next stage if you dont mind?

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