Uncle Buck

[m00nwalk00]

Hi

 

I stupidly took out a loan with Uncle Buck a couple of months ago which I am now unable to repay in full.

 

I have received the following e-mail from Uncle Buck, despite contacting them and asking if I can repay £50 per month. Can they really threaten to visit me at my place of work or ask my bank to pay them from my next payday without my permission?

 

 

Despite our previous communication, your account remains in arrears.

 

Unless you contact us within three days to arrange repayment this matter will be referred to our collections dept. Their procedure will include:-

 

1) instructing a debt collection agency, MeritForce, to make contact with you directly in order to visit you at your home or place of work.

 

2) commencing proceedings against you in the County Court. There will be significant additional charges should this become necessary and your credit status will be at risk. In addition we may also apply to your bank for the entire balance outstanding on your next payday, if this payment is not honoured your bank may also impose charges.

 

If you are in financial difficulty it is important that you contact us now and we will do our best to assist you.

 

I strongly urge you to make contact today either by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 0800 328 9263 before further action is required.

 

A fee of £10 has been added to your account.

 

R

[robjam1969]

They will certainly try to take the money without your agreement. "lose" your card and get a new one and keep checking to make sure they don't try and set up any direct debits.

 

They will pass to meritforce but they caused me no problem. Post again when they contact you.

 

nobody can make you pay more than you can afford!

[m00nwalk00]

Hi

 

I have already "lost" my card and now have a new one and am checking on a daily basis to make sure they don't set up a DD!

 

Will let you know when meritforce contact me!

 

Thanks for your help xx

[RIDDICK]

I have just cancelled a direct debit (uncle buck) from my account. Found on internet banking this morning. I have already agreed to repay remaining balance over 6mths but then found this. Quite possibly they were looking to take out the whole amount in one go without my authorisation. Does anyone know how often these companies set up direct debits to get money back? And how soon money can be removed from my account after setting a DD up?

[robjam1969]

No easy answer. I would just be very careful when you have sizable funds in your account. They havnt tried a second time with me after I cancelled their last one! Wouldnt trust them so you will need to keep checking. Online banking gives you a head start.

[robjam1969]

Sorry riddick didn't answer your last point. Natwest told me that a DD could take money from your account the day it is set up. The risk is that if they know your salary date they could try a lucky dip!

[RIDDICK]

Thanks Robjam.

[PGH7447]

If they set up a dd and you have not signed the consent form that is in my eyes theft and I would not hestitate to report them to the Police

[robjam1969]

I agree, however I believe at the application stage you give them consent or sign something they later rely on. My motto is to hang on to the cash and not have to argue with these people later.

[PGH7447]

No you give them consent to set up a DD at the time of applying if You then cancel the DD they cannot set up another one, they know this and so does the bank. otherwise every utility company in the land would force all customer to pay by DD

[RIDDICK]

Thanks PGH.

 

So to clarify that for myself and many others reading this post.

 

If an organisation sets up a DD without your signature to collect money from your account. (But agreed in T and C of loan contract)

Then if you cancel this direct debit with your bank, they can no longer set up another DD to collect payment from your account.

 

I assume this is correct?

 

 

Thanks for your assistance.

[PGH7447]

Correct, the only power they have over a DD is to increase the payments, thats why it is better to use a Standing Order.

[robjam1969]

PGH7447

 

I agree with you in principle. Unfortunately these type of companies don't stick to the rules. This company tried it with me with my Halifax account. Halifax told me there was nothing they could do to prevent it.

 

A lot of these companies have no scruples and will clean a bank account out and argue about it later. I suspect the police would not be interested (civil matter they normally quote - debatable I know!)

 

Personally I would keep checking my account.

[PGH7447]

PGH7447

 

 

Personally I would keep checking my account.

 

Agree with you there, I check my bank everyday now

[m00nwalk00]

I have started to check my account on a daily basis - both morning and evening just to make sure!

 

Haven't heard anything else from them yet.

 

I have reported them to the OFT (and copied them in on the e-mail) with reference to the threats made to visit me at my work place.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I will post again when I hear something from them.

[nish40]

Rob and PGH, hope the following helps....

 

I have posted already on Uncle Bucks and a loan they say i asked for but i did not.

 

In Feb i repaid £390 back for a £300 loan i got in Jan 09 then cancelled the DD. after it was Paid back they deposited £200.

They say i applied but i did not, so they set up another DD to take the money.

I cancelled the DD, And told them they had no right to set it up without my authority, they said the original loan gave them permission. When i pointed out that after i cancelled the first, my bank would have informed them so, and they would need my permission to re-set it up, and they did not have permission.

Now they wont acknowledge any correspondence regarding the DD, and wont Acknowledge the dispute i raised.

I said i would pay the £200 back upon receiving proof it was paid (my bank has a deposit of 3X200 but no names next to them) but no interest.

They now want £320.

 

can anyone say what to write to Meritfarce, as i have had a letter from them.

[nish40]

PGH7447

 

I agree with you in principle. Unfortunately these type of companies don't stick to the rules. This company tried it with me with my Halifax account. Halifax told me there was nothing they could do to prevent it.

 

A lot of these companies have no scruples and will clean a bank account out and argue about it later. I suspect the police would not be interested (civil matter they normally quote - debatable I know!)

 

Personally I would keep checking my account.

Mine too is Halifax, they also said they cannot stop setting the DDup, as they are under illusions that uncle Buck have authority, but said they do inform the Creditor so it will be on Bank records of the dates they were informed.

Seems they will try anything.

Since i took the DD issue up though, they have not tried since

[m00nwalk00]

I have had a default letter from therm this morning. Says they will pass the account to Meritforce in 21 days - I am going to wait for them to do this as they will not enter into a repayment arrangement with me even though I had tried.

 

Are Meritforce easy to deal with?

 

Thanks

[Ell-enn]

You can write to your bank telling them that you have not given authority for a DD to be set up by that company - who do you bank with? If it's Natwest I've got the contact details for the Regular Payments Team who you can give instruction to.

[ladytg]

Hi people I'm a bit stuck I took out an advance with Ablemarble & Bond and they tried to bank 6 cheques totalling £600.00 the cheques have bounced and they passed my details onto Chantry Collections. I told them about my personal circumstances and they have now passed my details onto Notts County Court. I'm currently on a DMP and I emailed my account manager yesterday but I haven't got a reply from her as of yet . I'm really scared and I really dont know what to do. any help or advice is much appreciated.

 

Regards

 

 

Lady TG x

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, when you say they have passed your details on to Notts court - do you mean you have received a county court claim in the post, or have Chantry just written to tell you that they are going to do that.

[m00nwalk00]

Just checked internet banking and Uncle Buck had set up a direct debit - needless to say I was straight on the phone to the bank to cancel it.

 

Will wait on them passing the account to meritforce and take it from there.

[robjam1969]

Well spotted- vigilence pays! Meritforce I believe will pass back to uncle buck if they realise you can't commit to the sort of payments uncle buck want. Uncle buck give meritforce a minimum figure. Ultimately they will have to negotiate with you on your terms

[PGH7447]

Just checked internet banking and Uncle Buck had set up a direct debit - needless to say I was straight on the phone to the bank to cancel it.

 

Will wait on them passing the account to meritforce and take it from there.

 

Hope you complained to the bank

[m00nwalk00]

Hi

 

Got another letter from Uncle Buck stating that they will take further recovery action through the county court without any further warning then further down the letter state the account will be passed to Meritforce in 7 days.

 

Will post again when Meritforce contact me.

 

Regard