Advice / Where to start - UK debts

[eugirl]

Hi there,

 

I wonder if anyone can offer me some advice please. I am in debts to about 10 different UK companies totalling about 11000, the largest one being about 4000 pounds. All are either catalogues or unsecured personal loans of very high interest.

 

Now I live in the Netherlands, when I left the country I basically ran away from my debts, but they play on my mind a lot and I really want to sort them out.

 

I would really appreciate no negative comments on my actions, I know how bad it is, they are a result of being in an abusive relationship who basically used me in lots of ways - money being one of them. I've worked really hard all my life and I always made repayments while living in the UK, my ex however, never worked and had a drug problem. But anyway, I didn't have much choice in leaving them behind as I was still with him when we left.

 

But now, how do I go about getting on top of them? Where do I start? I'm not even sure I have the contact details of them all anymore. I'm paying off debts he incurred over here first so I'm not in a position to start repaying them yet but I will be in a few months time. I've been living here for a year and none of them seem to have found me yet. What happens if they find me before I get in touch with them?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice that can be given.

[cerberusalert]

I've been living here for a year and none of them seem to have found me yet. What happens if they find me before I get in touch with them?

Not a great deal they can do. These debts are of small value in the main so the majority of debt collectors/creditors are not going to invest a lot of time or money in trying to locate you.

 

Eventually the original creditors will sell the debts on to a debt collection company for a fraction of the face value. Personally I would do nothing until they contact you & then when they have proven a debt exists and they have the legal right to collect you could come to some repayment arrangement with them.

[eugirl]

Thanks a lot for your reply! hearing they are of small value in the main is also very reassuring, I"ve been worrying for a long time.

 

If I may ask one more question please, will they affect my credit rating here in NL?

 

Thanks once again

 

Not a great deal they can do. These debts are of small value in the main so the majority of debt collectors/creditors are not going to invest a lot of time or money in trying to locate you.

 

Eventually the original creditors will sell the debts on to a debt collection company for a fraction of the face value. Personally I would do nothing until they contact you & then when they have proven a debt exists and they have the legal right to collect you could come to some repayment arrangement with them.

[cerberusalert]

If I may ask one more question please, will they affect my credit rating here in NL?

No, a UK debt cannot be entered on a NL credit file.

 

They are unlikely to know that you are in the NL & your UK file will probably be marked as a 'gone away'. They may monitor your UK credit file to see whether there is any activity on it such as you applying for credit here, opening a bank a/c or opening a utilities a/c.

[eugirl]

Ok, thank you very much for your quick responses - they are really appreciated.

 

I am repaying my UK student loan and they have my address here - so I guess there is a chance that they could find out my address - but they don't seem to have yet and the student loans company has had it for a while now.

 

You've really put my mind at ease about the situations, thanks again

[cerberusalert]

There's no reason for the SLC to share your information whilst it's being paid. It's only if you default on it and it's passed to a debt collection company that your address may be revealed.

[eugirl]

Oh great, what a weight off my mind, thank you so much