Natwest overdraft, overseas customer cannot access information

[gelassenheit14]

Hello everyone,

 

I am glad to have found this forum!

 

Long story short. I was a student in England, was given a 2000 pound overdraft and after a couple of years of struggling in London ended up 2000 pounds in debt to Natwest.

 

I ended up moving country twice, and now find myself in the USA. Knowing full well that my debt is going to be significantly bigger with charges, I would like to try and start paying it off.

 

My problem is that I cannot access any account details from overseas, as they say I do not have telephone banking set up. This means I have no idea how much I owe, and obviously cannot broker some reasonable repayment plan.

 

Does anyone have any advice, on 1) how to approach the bank and 2) what kind of repayment plan I should be bartering for?

 

I was actually in the UK for a day last year, went to a Natwest branch in London and was sat waiting for 2 hours to use their 'special telephone' to contact the debt department - no-one could give me any information.

 

I am concerned that before long this debt is going to become too big to surmount, so any help would be a huge relief.

 

Best,

 

M

[enamae]

You could send a Subject Access Request letter. HERE On receipt of this they would have to provide you with any information they hold on you including statements.

 

If it is over 6 years since you have had contact with them or acknowledged the debt, it may well be statute barred which means they would be unable to chase the debt through the courts,although it is possible that they may have already obtained a judgement in your absence.

 

Few questions,

1/How old is the debt,

2 How long since you acknowledged the debt(apart from last year when they couldn't trace anything)

3/Have they been chasing you for the overdraft?

4/Have you checked your credit Report as they may have registered the debt with one of the credit reference agencies.(not sure how you would do this as you live in USA. and no longer have an address in this country)

 

 

enamae

[gelassenheit14]

Thanks so much Enamae.

 

1) The debt is from late 2006, at least that is the last time I was in touch with them in the country.

 

2)I last acknowledged the debt on February of last year, as I attempted to get my statement address changed.

 

3)I have received nothing chasing me about the overdraft. They had my last address overseas and I would irregularly receive statements, but never anything about paying them back. I am now in the USA, and they do not have my address here.

 

4) I haven't checked my credit report, and would guess that I care little about that as I don't anticipate myself living in the UK again.

 

Thank you so much for your help. I would really like to get this weight off my shoulders!

 

M