In October 2016 I took out a loan online from the sister company of the O University (OU), OUSBA for close to 7.5K (for 2 modules). The repayments were 500 a month.

After a few months my circumstances changed and I was unable to make those repayments.

I arranged with OUSBA to pay a token payment of 60 a month until my circumstances changed.

My circumstances became increasingly worse.

I had and still have a lot of trouble with the OU - namely they refused to grade my end of year work because it was submitted a couple of days past the deadline.

However, this was due to malfunctioning software provided by the OU.

I have been appealing this decision (and other issues that I have had with the OU) for the last 6 months.

It has meant that I do not receive my degree.

It has been extremely stressful and has impacted negatively on my health as well as resulting in a loss of earnings.

Given all this I was unable to make one of the token repayments at the beginning of November, but paid it by the end of the month.

In January I received a letter from OUSBA which was dated the 23rd December 2017.

In this letter they refer to a Default Notice from the 25th November 2017 (which I did not receive) and said that they were terminating the agreement.

The last of my payments however was on the 21st December 2017 (2 days prior to this letter).

I wrote to them explaining the situation and asked that they revise the termination.

stating that I wished to continue with the token repayments until the situation changes.

I told them that I could provide a letter from doctor and also proof that I am currently unemployed.

They wrote back simply saying that the agreement has been passed onto their legal agents, STA International and I need to contact them.

A few days later I start receiving calls, SMS messages, emails, letters from STA International that state I must pay the rest of the loan 6.5K in full and I must respond to them within 14 days.

I am extremely nervous about this (I suffer from anxiety and the stress of dealing with the numerous issues with the OU has significantly intensified my condition

- I receive weekly professional help with it now)

I do not have this money, as mentioned above,

I am currently unemployed and struggling to make ends meet as it is.

I don’t want to make any mistakes in dealing with this.

Can anyone advise me on how best to deal with this situation.

Can STA take me to court? What’s the worst that can happen?

I am truly at my wits end after all of this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

read these threads

https://cse.google.co.uk/cse?cx=partner-pub-8889411648654839:6449422593&ie=UTF-8&q=STA+International+&sa=Search+CAG#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=STA%20International%20&gsc.page=1

STA wont do court

but hadfields sols will if instructed by the uni

only the UNI can take court action

is there not a student union there you can contact.?

might be best to seek advise from them esp as you have 'medical' issues.

and continue your payment direct to the UNI as you have been.

STA are a DCA

a DCA is NOT A BAILIFF

and have

ZERO legal powers.

Thanks for the reply dx100uk.

Unfortunately, because it is distance learning university there is no union only a students association. I have looked at their website and their peer support section is undergoing some change so is not available at the moment and the other student support redirects to the university website support page . (I have tried to use this service throughout my studies but it caused more trouble than it did good)

Plus OUSBA state that they are not the university but a separate (sister) company.

I wrote to them explaining the situation and asking if I could continue paying them the token payments each month until I get things sorted and am in the position to pay more. But they wrote back saying it has been handed to their legal agents STA and I have to contact them.

I am nervous about dealing with STA. They have been very intense so far, calling many times a day and sending SMS and emails on top of that. Do you think I should contact OUSBA again asking if I can just deal with them and make the payments to them (After all I didn't miss the payment in November I was just late with it)

Sta are not legal agents

They are a dca

You deal with the uni

Again, thanks for the reply.

The debt is with OUSBA, the separate (sister) company of the Uni.

I contacted them in January already asking that they rescind the termination of the agreement and allow me to continue to make the token repayments

but they just just referred me back to STA and said I need to deal with them.

Do you suggest that I contact OUSBA again?

I contacted them in January already asking that they rescind the termination of the agreement and allow me to continue to make the token repayments

but they just just referred me back to STA and said I need to deal with them.

Have you put that in writing to the Uni? If not do so.

Once you have it in writing that they are washing their hands of it, then do nothing, ignore their pet DCA, in turn they'll return it back to the OU, who then might grow up and start a dialogue with you when they realise you're only going to pay them.

Thanks Bazooka Boo.

If by Uni - you mean OUSBA (the sister company who I borrowed the money from) Then Yes, I put it in writing.

I'll attach what I wrote to them and their reply if you got a chance to look over it and maybe tell me if that's enough or if I should contact them again.

OUSBA Email.pdf

OK so you have the OUSBA bank details?

If you were paying £50 a month to their account, then continue to do so, ignore their 'Agents' entirely....

You can if you wish respond to them, but be mindful of not getting into a game of letter tennis with them.

Simply,

Dear Bill&Ben,

Thank you for your recent correspondence, the details of which have been noted.

Unfortunately I am only able to pay £50 a month until my circumstances change, I will update you with my situation in three months.

I shall pay you via standing order, thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely.

Then set up a S/O to pay them each month.

THANK YOU!

I'll do that. (email and pay OUSBA + Ignore STA). Hope it will work.

I will give an update if it was accepted or not incase it's helpful to others on here.

Many thanks again!

I transferred £100 for jan and feb payment and emailed them (OUSBA) saying what bazooka boo suggested.

Thank you for your recent correspondence, the details of which have been noted.

Unfortunately I am only able to pay £50 a month until my circumstances change,

I will update you with my situation in three months.

I have transferred £100 for January and February and shall pay you via standing order,

thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Today they replied saying :

Thank you for your email.

I have looked at your records and can confirm that you account is now been referred to our collections agents.

You need to contact them to arrange your payment plan.

Should I just continue to pay OUSBA with the standing order I set up ?

or do I have to contact STA as they say?

ignore pay OUSBA

You are under no legal obligation to pay anyone other than OUSBA.

This is the problem with emailing drones, you always get the standard knee jerk response.

No-one even read your email, you need to write them instead and tell them this is what is happening, you need a paper trail not a data trail.

What do you mean write them and tell them this is happening?

I wrote to them in January explaining the situation but they said that it's too late and i need to contact the STA

I do get the impression that they are reading the mails - they answered a specific question etc.

I also sent them what you suggested with regard to the standing order. I do get the impression that they are reading the mails - they just will not 'deal' with me anymore.

I will ignore as Dx100 suggests - for now anyhow - (STA have been calling and texting again today.)

But I'm still a bit nervous cause someone suggested to me that they more than likely are entitled to default the agreement and make me deal with STA because I originally breached the contract by not paying them back the original 500 a month.

So therefore I *have to do as they say and contact STA to make repayments.

Thanks for your replies, they're really appreciated.

well that somebody is TOTALLY WRONG.

Okay, good!! Happy to hear you say that!

I'm gonna go with the standing order and ignore.

Will keep the thread updated incase it's of help to others.

THANKS again!