Seemed strange to me too, but as you say they are funded, but not by me. I forgot about the reference number, have to add that to the script. I'm not too stressed now, I was when my wife was in tears after numerous harrasing phone calls though. She's the one they will be calling, but hopefully I'll be there at her side next time to hold her hand, if not she has a script to use and instructions not to enter into any further conversation. If it gets out of hand, tell them to write and just hang up with a smile. Dave

Hi Bob, Well the gloves are off now because we have the knowledge, experience and support of the people here. Oh and the nice people at the CCA. I now know what my rights are and even better I know what MBNA are and are not allowed to do. We will be logging every call, taking names, recording calls when able, advising the nice people at the end of the phone that they are acting iillegally by harrassing us, then going to the trading standards, advocates office and ombudsman, possibly also the police to get a crime number, not necessarily in that order. I hope things work out for you Bob, you'll get all the support and good advice you need here. Once more into the breach.... Dave

It's been a while......so a quick update. We've finally got together all the information for a payment plan and it's being sent out to our creditors. I'm expecting MBNA to be the most difficult from past experience, but I've printed out a little script for my wife, so when she gets the constant phone calls again, she reads from that and says nothing else. Dave

Step one has just been taken. My wife has spoken to the Consumer Credit Councilling Service who seems to be really clued up and are not a debt management service, they are a charity, so I don't think there's anything fishy for us to worry about with them. For us they have been easier than the CAB to deal with. They're going to create a payment plan for us and send it to MBNA on our behalf. MBNA told my wife on the phone that if she went onto a repayment plan, she'd have a black mark against hher name for 6 years AFTER the the final payment was made. CCCS have told us this is not true, as long as you are paying something, no black mark can go against your name. I get the impression from reading other posts that MBNA will say just about anything to scare you into inaction, to tow their line and do what they want you to do, not what's best for you. Incredible. So, the first step has been taken and I feel sooooo good about it. My wife is a little uncomfortable, she's been brought up as I have, you have a debt, you pay it. She can't quite grasp the concept that there are circumstances which prevent you from paying what is demanded of you and that you're not a bad person if you can only make payments that you can afford. Especially if the creditor has contributed in making your situation worse by levying charges on top of a bill that cannot be paid in the first place. I'm expecting numerous telephone calls and letters from MBNA telling us all sorts of interesting stuff that bears no relation to what I'm telling them that I am going to do. I also expect to have to tell them or the debt collection agency that they get to pursue my wife, that they are contravening some act or code of practice by continually phoning demanding monies. (They've done it before when she first got into difficulty, so I expect nothing better of them this time round) It's so good to be back in control. DaveP

No one? Anyone? DaveP

Right, after reading through the FAQ's and quite a few of the posts I need a bit of direction. I need to do two things, one get a payment plan going so that the card is managed properly and two claim back charges, so.... Do I sort out a payment plan with the CAB or Consumer Credit Association and put that forward to MBNA first before doing anything? or Start proceedings to get charges back from MBNA first then do the payment plan? or Start both at the same time because either one would not adversely influence the other? I don't want to jeapordise either option as we really want to get the card payments managable and claim back what we have over paid. Any thoughts from those who've been through the same would be appreciated. DaveP

Hi Bev, That's just crazy, 7 yrs and still at £2,838. I hope that things work out for you soon. My chin's up, I'm just Mr Angry right now, my wife is so depressed, seeing her in tears and I can't even talk to the people responsible for causing her so much distress is what's making me angry. I'll calm down again and get focused on what needs to be done in time. Hopefully I'll manage to do it without upsetting the site moderators anymore, nothing llike starting off on the wrong foot eh? DaveP

Ooops, as I replied in the original thread.......sorry I tend to speak my mind, but I'll be more careful from now on. I had cut and paste the original post to here before I was told off for being naughty. You should have heard what I called them ealier:eek: [/size] DaveP

Ooops, My first post and I'm in trouble. Sorry, I tend to speak my mind. DaveP

Thanks Mechs, I've already started with the FAQ's. My immediate concern is to get them off our backs so that we have time to think clearly. I've posted this in the MBNA section now. It did start it as a hello, but it ended up being a bit of a rant. DaveP

Hi All, I posted this in the Introductions section, but I suppose it really should be in here. My wife and I both have credit cards with MBNA unfortunately, my wife has had a problem for some time paying off her card due to our changed circumstances. We're now in a position where the interest is all we can afford to pay off, her account is stopped and they are refusing to help us at all to reduce our payments so that we can at least keep slightly in credit. This means that we will default again, be charged again and end up getting further and further into debt. What amazes me is how the people on the "helpdesk" can be so unhelpful. We have asked that the interest rate is ruduced, but because the account is blocked due to a missed payment 4 months ago they won't reduce the interest. So now that the account has been in credit for 3 months, we have asked that the block is removed from the account so that we can have the interest reduced, however they are refusing to unblock the account. It seems that they are determined to keep us in the red so that we will be paying them back until we die. Shylock would have been easier to deal with and probably more sympathetic than these (edit). That's exactly what I think of them as, (edit). They're all nicey nicey when you're in credit and are ever so nice to increase your spending limited without you even asking, but as soon as something happens to change your circumstances and you are unable to make payments they show their real colours. I'm all for paying back what I owe, that's right and fair, but for them to do everything in their power to prevent me from doing that is unjust. Sorry for the rant, but my wife is in tears again after coming off the phone to them and I need to get this off my chest. I'm hoping that somehwere on here I can find someone who has had experience with these people who can help us, for a start, to get them to reduce our interest so that we can meet our repayments without going over our limit again. Once we can get things under control again, then I going for the jugular and claiming back their unlawful charges. Right now I can see no end it it all. DaveP [MODERATED: Libelous comments removed again]

My wife and I both have credit cards with MBNA unfortunately, my wife has had a problem for some time paying off her card due to our changed circumstances. We're now in a position where the interest is all we can afford to pay off, her account is stopped and they are refusing to help us at all to reduce our payments so that we can at least keep slightly in credit. This means that we will default again, be charged again and end up getting further and further into debt. What amazes me is how the people on the "helpdesk" can be so unhelpful. We have asked that the interest rate is ruduced, but because the account is blocked due to a missed payment 4 months ago they won't reduce the interest. So now that the account has been in credit for 3 months, we have asked that the block is removed from the account so that we can have the interest reduced, however they are refusing to unblock the account. It seems that they are determined to keep us in the red so that we will be paying them back until we die. Shylock would have been easier to deal with and probably more sympathetic than these (edit). That's exactly what I think of them as, (edit). They're all nicey nicey when you're in credit and are ever so nice to increase your spending limited without you even asking, but as soon as something happens to change your circumstances and you are unable to make payments they show their real colours. I'm all for paying back what I owe, that's right and fair, but for them to do everything in their power to prevent me from doing that is unjust. Sorry for the rant, but my wife is in tears again after coming off the phone to them and I need to get this off my chest. I'm hoping that somehwere on here I can find someone who has had experience with these people who can help us, for a start, to get them to reduce our interest so that we can meet our repayments without going over our limit again. Once we can get things under control again, then I going for the jugular and claiming back their unlawful charges. Right now I can see no end it it all. DaveP [MODERATED: Please do not post libelous comments, thanks]