So im on JSA and applied for an argos credit card direct from a link on the argos website and shortly after got a phonecall and sure enough believing this company to be argos went ahead with it and got a 250 credit limit with a 'Vanquis' credit card with argos written on it... Anyway being a typical 20 year old i near enough maxed the 250 limit out within a few days although within my limit this was 2-3 months ago, I paid over the minimum payment fee for the first month and everything seemed fine with it , Although this month they tried to take a direct debit of £11.27 from my bank without me having any money in there even after me already paying them £55.00 this month so the payment was reversed and now i have £72.69 charges including minimum payment a hell of a lot considering my minimum payment should be £11.27!

Ill write down the charges that were applied here:

25/03/14 TESCO STORES - 19.50

03/04/14 PAYMENT REVERSAL 11.27

04/04/14 PAYPAL FLAVOURWARE 11.99

09/04/14 BILLED DEFERRED FINANCE CHARGES 6.76

09/04/14 PURCHASE INTEREST 8.02

09/04/14 REPAYMENT OPTION PLAN 3.57

09/04/14 UNPAID ITEM CHARGE 12.00

09/04/14 OVERLIMIT CHARGE 12.00

Within this month i made 55.27 in payments although my minimum payment was 11.27

Now my balance has gone from being within credit up until the payment reversal because they tried to take minimum payment from my bank account to 30.29 overlimit ( 280.29) from around (240.00) that it was beforehand although they didnt take a direct debit in the previous month where i also had a minimum payment which they DID NOT try to take.

Now they are sending me 2 letters a day and are expecting to pay the 30.29 overlimit charge as well as a new 42.40! minimum payment!!!! Which is a far cry from the 11.27 that it was supposed to be they are expecting me to pay £72.69 in payments for one month just because I had already paid them 55.00 in that month and they tried to take a further 11.27 through direct debit is it just me who sees this as unfair!?

Anyway i called up and gave them some grief and they hung up on me!

I then got my mum to call and speak on my behalf which also didnt help the slightest is there anything i can do here because i really feel that they are punishing me for paying and i cant really afford to be giving them £70 something pounds being unemployed and on the dole, I have other credits which are exellent service and not absolutely ridiculous like vanquis and was very naive when going into it as im still only young , any advice on what i can do to help myself anybody?

Hi xj

Welcome to CAG

Write a Formal Letter of Complaint, mark as such. Explain what's happened (charges), how they have let you down (not refunding charges as you are unemployed / not communicating with you) and what you want them to do (refund charges). Explain that you are considering other action in this matter.

Send it to:-

Mr John Walden

Managing Director

Argos UK

[email protected]

Hi thankyou, what do you mean by other actions so i can refer to this in the letter, and is argos definitely who i take it up with and not vanquis directly?

Thankyou

Hi xj

You applied for the card through the Argos website, the card says Argos on it, Vanquis probably just manage the account.

Complain to the FOS once you receive their final response is received. You don't need to mention the FOS at this stage.

Hi thankyou, what do you mean by other actions so i can refer to this in the letter, and is argos definitely who i take it up with and not vanquis directly?

Thankyou