Welcome have stolen my innocence

[alb10n]

Im not happy, for a while I thought I was one of the few unlucky guys with an enforceable agreement, but i didnt mind, i made my bed it was time for me to lie in it. I didnt even mind when my subject access request and change of address form was "lost" in the post. But now Welcome have really got to me.

 

A few weeks ago a guy phoned me from debt collection and said that he could offer me a loan which would pay off my old one and reduce my payments so I could afford to repay them as I had fallen behind on the last one. Being wary I didnt commit myself fully I told him how much I could afford and mentioned that I May be able to make a £100 first payment on the day I got my student loan, but I wasnt sure because it depends on my budget, he came across helpful and told me that wasnt a problem and that he would phone me in a week, little did i know i was talking to a machievalian prince of the highest order. I stupidly gave him my account details so if I could afford it he could take the payment out on student loan day.

 

A week passed and like the majority of the girls I meet he never called, fighting the repressed memories of rejection in the past I plucked up the courage and called him, he was "away" collecting some poor saps money so I was told that he would phone me back as he was only going to be about 45 mins, the day passed without a phonecall. Thinking he would try and get hold of me sometime leading up to loan day I didnt think much of it, but he never called. I know this as my housemate is writing his dissertaion downstairs next to the phone and has only managed 10 hours sleep since last thursday, and even if he did call in one of those rare moments of rest for my zombiefied housemate he still didnt speak to me to confirm.

 

Loan day came and I was busy visiting banks transferring my loan to cover all the bills that have built up since I last had money and I missed a call from welcome. Still no confirmation then. As is often the case on loan day I didnt check my balance all day I was revelling in having some money and was spending it wisely on food stuffs. It wasnt until today when I was trying to pay a bill over the phone that I found out that my account was now empty, "strange" I thought as even with my copious buying of pasta and noodles I should still have around £100 left in the bank. After waiting in line for what seemed like an age in the bank the ugly truth was revealed to me, £100 had been taken from my account 10 mins after I put the money in, the swines.

 

The tragedy of the situation was if they did speak to me he would of found out I could only really budget for around£20-£30 down payment. Oh and he never sent me the documents for the new loan agreement either the fecker.

 

So now I must turn to the trusty caggers and hope that you can fill my day with a little bit of hope. What should I do, oh and sorry for the mini essay, really needed to vent =]

 

Iv been told to subject access request them, Ill do it tonight/tommorow when im in the library, would be a nice distraction from stats. Is there anything I can do now, with them taking so much (its not alot when compared to how much they have fleeced off people before, but that £100 would of seen me to June) is it worth phoneing them up and giving them both barrells? This time recording the call

Edited May 11, 2009 by alb10n

[yourbank]

If it was a direct debit, then the bank will claim it back under the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme. And welcome can argue with you. Did they actually set up a new loan? or a Payment plan?

[alb10n]

No nothings been set up yet. Could you explain what the direct debit guarantee scheme is a little more? Im not fully up to speed with all the in ands outs of banks and stuff.

[JonCris]

1st check with your bank & make sure Welcome haven't set up a DD (Direct Debit) & if they have cancel it NOW in writing. If you gave them your card details & you can manage until a replacement arrives put a stop on it. It's important that you do both ASAP - also tell the bank that Welcome took money from your account without authority & although not guaranteed they should recall it

[alb10n]

1st check with your bank & make sure Welcome haven't set up a DD (Direct Debit) & if they have cancel it NOW in writing. If you gave them your card details & you can manage until a replacement arrives put a stop on it. It's important that you do both ASAP - also tell the bank that Welcome took money from your account without authority & although not guaranteed they should recall it

 

Iv already checked and there are no direct debits. Il speak to them about claiming the money back tommorow. I guess if they refuse then I should SAR them or is it worth doing it now? thanks for the advice

[JonCris]

SAR Welcome now

[andie_303]

did you give them card details in order to take the money or your banks acc number and sort code??

[alb10n]

did you give them card details in order to take the money or your banks acc number and sort code??

 

 

I gave them my card details.

[42man]

They didn't get you to take out a PPI policy then ?

[andie_303]

get on to your back and ask for a charge back as the transaction was not authorised

[JonCris]

I gave them my card details.

 

Then there's every chance they will try to use it again. They may even claim you've agreed to a continuous card payment - Can you stop it until a new one arrives

[alb10n]

No PPI no, I cant really not have my card as its my only debit card and iv still got some bills to pay over the phone. Im popping down the bank in a bit just grabbing a bite to eat, il let you know how it goes. Thanks for everyones advice

[andie_303]

Be prepared for them to keep taking money off that card if you don't change it - Welcome are notorious for it.

 

Who do you bank with Lloyds send you a new one within 48 hours.

[andie_303]

when you speak with your bank DO NOT tell them you said you might possibly pay etc as they may argue this was permission to use the card.

 

Be very economical with your story - just insist to them the charge was not authorised - and don't take no for an answer

[alb10n]

Im with Natwest, Im not sure how long it takes to get a new card, but the card will be sent to my home address down south as iv not changed my address due to the lack of utility bills i get in student accomodation. So it would take and extra 3 days for it to get to me from when my parents get it, so its not really an option I want to go with.

 

I wont be leaving till I get a satisfactory result. Thanks for the advice Andie

[alb10n]

Just got back from the bank, theres nothing they can do unfortunatley as it wasnt a direct debit and was telephone card sale thing. Their not insured to claim that type of transaction back, they said the only way I could get it back is by calling welcome up and telling them. Iv tried calling but no surprises there not answering.

 

Will try again in a bit

 

Any hints as to what to say, im not that great at putting across my point over the phone, hence how they ended up getting my card details off me.

[BSC]

You need to tell the bank it was a unauthorised transaction and you did not at any time tell welcome to take any money from your account. As mentioned by others don't take no for an answer.

 

Also please reconsider getting a replacement card. Pay any bills asap and then draw out money you might need for a few days. If you don't this will happen again and again.

[alb10n]

I had a 20 minute conversation with a man at my bank and he said that there was nothing they could do. Im just waiting for some money to transfer over from my other account so i can pay bills before i get a new card. Should be all done by end of the week and il order a new card after that

[BSC]

I think the man at the bank is misinformed but that is only my opinion. Not sure if any one else knows for sure.

 

Glad to hear your sorting the card out. It may be a hassle now but will save you so much time and stress in the long run

[alb10n]

Yeah i did think it seemed a little wrong that the bank couldnt do anything about a company taking their customers money without their permission. Im going to phone up the bank and see if I get a better response from them.

[BSC]

Personally I would make an appointment to see the Branch Manager. If the monkey won't help...............

[alb10n]

Im on the phone to someone at the mo and im being told the same thing, because i provided my card details theres nothing they can do, and I willl have to speak to welcome to get it refunded im phoneing again to try my luck again.

[alb10n]

I managed to get through to the fraud department, but as Welcome are a company im in an agreement with they cant count it as fraud, wasnt really what i was asking about but still nice to know. He advised me to get hold of the citizen advice bureau and speak to them. :S

[BSC]

But you did not instruct them to take they money they did. I'm still of mind that Nat West can do more then they seem to be trying to get away with.

[alb10n]

I bit the bullet and spoke to Welcome, I tried to record the call but for some reason it didnt work basically I told them I have no problem paying them some money but not £100 that I paid them so if they refunded me the money I was owed I would be able to afford the future payments. The guy then told me that they couldnt do a partial refund, and he would have to email head office to see if they can do a refund and then take the money back off. He also seemed a lil reluctant to send me my new agreement details. The fact he hasnt sent them off yet seems a lil odd but I guess he hadnt spoken to me so he wasnt sure what to put in it.

 

Oh and apparently I agreed for the £100 and we must of got our wires crossed, i dont think that is really a great excuse but I guess were all human, and if it meant he had something to write down on his notes that made him look like a productive employee then thats all good then. grrrrr.