Really desperate for help ; Next store card

[maderno]

Hi I will try & explain as simple as I can. I made an online order about a year ago this automatically opened an account, I never signed anything, had a balance limit of £150.

 

Last Oct my elderly(& widowed mother) suffered a serious stroke. I went to stay with her as she was not expected to survive, she has but is completly disabled physically but her mind is fine. I returned home early January, realised I had forgotton to pay 3x£12 balances, immediately paid my balance in full.

 

To continue organising my mothers care I went to re-mortgage as to have her live with me I need to do some adaptions to my house & finance some personal care for when I am at work. Yes, these late payments put a stop to that. I honestly did not realise how damaging it was. I rang Next & explained everything they said there was nothing they could do. I spoke to Experian they reassured me that Next could make a goodwill adjustment & remove these late payments. Again Next refused, so Experian asked on my behalf, again refused.

 

Today I spoke to credit at Next Head Office. I begged (in tears) for them to do a goodwill adjustment, they point blank refused. I told them without this re-mortgage I either keep my mother in a home which she loathes & is a 4hr drive away or I look after her 24/7 which would result in me leaving my job & therefore losing my & my childrens home. I doubt very much that my mother will survive much longer than 12mths this re-mortgage is absolutely crucial or I abandon her, it is an unbearable situation I am completely at my wits end

 

It is going to take many months for my credit score to recover, Experian have reassured me that it is perfectly legal for a company to remove late payments as a goodwill adjustment, Next will not budge on their refusal.

 

I'm sorry for making a long post but I am desperate & don't know where to turn, I am exhausted, stressed, worried sick, desperate to give my mother the best possible care & I think a little astounded at how heartless Next have been, I can't believe this, all over £36!!!!

 

Please, please, has anyone got any advice. Time is something I really don't have much of at the moment.& it has reached a crucial point for me.

[silverfox1961]

Hi,

I am truly sorry you are going through the mill at the moment and the only bit of advice I can give is to try once more but by email rather than on the phone and acknowledge it was your fault that the payments were missed and ask for the goodwill gesture.

 

I would also point out that if they refuse, you would be sure that the press would like to hear how such a big company treats its loyal customers

[maderno]

Thank you for your reply.

 

I told them that I accept full responsibility for the late payments, I paid everything in full the moment I returned home, there is no outstanding balance. I apologised, begged, pleaded, everything. They are in no doubt of the desperate situation I am in as both myself & Experian have pleaded with them, it has all fallen on deaf ears. At the end of my last conversation I said I would let these circumstances be made known all she said was "If you're just going to keep taking, I will have to put the phone down on you" At that point I just broke down, as I am now.

 

Honestly, I am a decent hard working mother (& daughter) I have never been in nor caused any trouble or offence in my life & now this, all for being late, in exceptional circumstances, for a grand total of £36.

[maderno]

Please - does anyone have any advice about where I can go with this. I also see today that my (fully paid) Next account has been closed. I never asked for this, will this have any effect on my credit score ?

[needjustice]

Hi, it is a sad story and it very much reflects today's harsh world. You will never get any sympathy from those type of people. Even if one of them felt sorry for you, they would not be able to do anything - "computer says no ! "

 

If you are still in the same predicament, my own advice to you is to look at alternative lenders. The criteria for secured loans is less stringent that personal loans. Furthermore , not all lenders use Experian. Some use Equifax.

 

There are many reputable mortgage brokers about who are willing to source finance for you free of charge (they get their commission from the lenders). If your income is reasonable and you do not have too many debts, it should be worth contacting them. I do not believe that those small missed payments would worry underwriters.

 

D

[silverfox1961]

What you could do is to write a notice of correction to Experian. This gives you the opportunity to put a notice next to the late payments of no more than 200 words. Creditors will read that while making decisions.

 

Missed payments are not as bad as a default but it can influence lenders decisions.

I know it's not going to help in the short term but, I would make a formal complaint about the way you have been treated by Next. Do it in writing and send it by recorded delivery making sure your letter is marked "Formal Complaint"

Have you contacted Social Services to see if they will help?

[maderno]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the replies, I'm sorry but with all that's been going on I forgot about this forum until I was notified of the replies.

 

From another forum a poster gave me an e-mail address for someone higher up at Next; so I contacted them. I soon heard from the head of customer services & I cannot thank this man enough, he was so helpful that I still find it a little hard to believe how personally considerate a big corporation can be. He arranged for the goodwill adjustment to be done, almost immediately, & he really did exceed customer care by the way he handled the whole matter, I will never forget his kindness. The relief has been enormous & I have been able to go ahead with my re-mortgage.

 

I have never owned a credit card & the only store card I ever had was for Next & never in my wildest dreams did I think the trouble a few missed payments can make, no matter how small they are, so I've learnt a lesson there! If I ever do have anything like that again I will have a DD set up. A lesson I will pass on to my children.

 

So thanks everyone & again I have nothing but praise for the senior staff of Next.

[silverfox1961]

I am so happy for you.

I'm glad you got this headache sorted out

 

fox