Amber Credit - grrr! and help!

[angela_itr]

Hi all,

 

First time posting here although this site has been very useful for browsing in the past. Unfortunately I now find myself with a situation which I need help with...

 

2 years ago I took out a car insurance policy with Greenlight Insurance. As I paid by instalments, I signed a credit agreement with Amber Credit.. not fully understanding the setup to be honest, but I didn't question it and merrily paid my instalments each month. In August 2007 I moved house and informed Greenlight, but not Amber as I never even thought about them - my arrangement was with Greenlight or so I thought.

 

In September 2007 I cancelled my insurance policy early as I was selling the car. I agreed the cancellation figure with Greenlight, I think I ended up giving them an extra £60 or something. They sent me my proof of no claims, I paid up and that was the end of it as far as I knew.

 

Today I tried to sign up for broadband and was told my credit check was refused. I checked my credit file and saw unpaid status being logged by Amber Credit since October 2007, for an amount of £33.

 

I eventually find out this is because Amber still had my old address (pre August 2007) and had apparently sent numerous letters there, as well as sending someone round to knock at the door and even checked local establishments such as the pub??!! I asked them if it occurred to them that I had moved house, and did they take the obvious course of action which would be to call Greenlight and validate my address? Well here is where the conversation started to break down, as of course they didn't do this, but have instead had the debt sitting on their books for over a year without trying to find my new address.

 

I do accept that it was my responsibility to contact Amber when I moved, although that wasn't made clear to me by Greenlight when I cancelled, and the whole arrangement structure was a bit of a mystery to me really. However I do take issue with the fact I had told Greenlight of my address, and that Amber could easily have avoided this situation by calling Greenlight to check it.

 

The guy I spoke to at Amber was extremely rude and kept calling my questions about the attempts they had made to find me "irrelevant". He started to accuse me of fraud and deception for refusing to reveal my current address.. but he hadn't even asked me for it!

 

It boils down to this: I have to give them £83 otherwise my credit file remains affected and I can't set up my phone/broadband contract which I need urgently. Should I swallow my pride and pay up? Can I ask Equifax to adjust my credit file if I'm disputing this situation?

 

Thanks in advance,

Angela

[freakyleaky]

Hi and welcome to the site.

I have moved your thread to the insurance companies forum where you will get the best advice.

[Trilby274]

Hi Angela and welcome also from me. Whatever action you take is going to take time, so your urgent broadband connection MAY have to go on the back burner until it is sorted out. The only constructive advice I can give at the moment is - don't speak to them on the phone. Hone up your letter writing skills and write to Amber explaining everything again - address it to the Managing Director and send it recorded delivery. Amber were taken over in March by Close Premium Finance, so send a copy of the letter to them also. Their address is

Close Premium Finance

21st Floor, Tolworth Tower, Ewell Road

Tolworth, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7EL

 

Much more knowledgeable people will be along to help in due course, but in the meantime, I hope this bit helps.

[angela_itr]

Thanks for your advice trilby. I'm thinking of writing to them with a cheque for £33 (the original amount which they say was outstanding) in full and final settlement. If they accept it, am I right in thinking the rest of the debt (£50) would be written off?

 

Perhaps if I send the cheque with a letter setting out the facts and how I would have paid them had they made any effort to check my address, plus how abusive their telephone representative was, then they might figure its less hassle to just accept the cheque and let it go? Or am I being too optimistic!!

[Trilby274]

Some do, some don't. I wouldn't send the £33 just yet. Had a small run in with a DCA a couple of months ago where I had written to the original creditor on a couple of occasions asking for their proof that I owed what they alleged. I had no reply to those letters and then, like you, out of the blue comes a letter from a DCA. I gathered together all the relevant documentation, copied it, and sent it to the DCA together with a letter suggesting that as I had carried out the work which SHOULD have been done by both the original creditor and themselves, then I was entitled to bill them for it. My bill came to £10 more than they were claiming. I can't say for sure that I have heard the last of it, but it has been very quiet since I sent it two months ago.

 

In your case, you have had to chase up the insurers and try to get sensible answers from the DCA, none of which has been forthcoming. This, together with the unreasonable abuse you have received from the DCA should be worth more than they say you owe.

 

Offer to pay them £33 in full and final settlement if you wish, but don't send the cheque until you have it in writing that they will accept it, and carefully check the wording of their response! In fact, post it up here so that we can all have a look at it. Just to reiterate - don't accept any phone calls from them - you want everything in writing.