In a BIG mess! Please help!!

[L_Jones89]

Hi,

 

I have read through some of the posts on here and a few sound similar to mine but I just wanted to create a post personally so I can explain just how big of a mess I am in.

 

A few months ago, I had a really good job, paid everything off on time each month , then I was offered a job abroad which i decided to take. While I was there the job then fell through and i was left struggling for money. This is when I decided to take out a payday loan and then another and another, all this time missing payments for other things such as credit cards/catalogues/phone bill etc.

 

Last week, after realising i had no money at all I came home. Now I have 4 different payday loans to pay back, as well as everthing else! I'm so mad at myself for doing what I have done because now i'm jobless I have literally no way of paying anything back! I am now trying to get job seekers allowance but even if I am elligible for that, it's only going to be £50 a week!

 

I really don't know what to do - if there is anything I can do!

Please help!

[renegadeimp]

Calm down and dont worry. Send an email or letter to each of your creditors. Dont talk to them on the phone. Let them know your situation and ask them to hold off on any collection activities.

 

Nothing bad will happen as even if it went to court, a judge can clearly see you cant afford to repay.

[L_Jones89]

I keep getting emails back from Quick Quid saying I need to ring them, so do i just reply saying i'm not ringing them?

 

Payday Express were being quite good at first but now im just going round in circles with them and i seem to be getting the same automated emails from them now!

 

As for the other 2, I get no reply from either of them!

[applecart]

Hi Ya

 

Debts are just that, debts. I agree with the poster at #2, calm down - handling debt is an administrative process, email or write to them - I always think it best to write to them and advise them that you are guided by the OFT guidelines that their handling of your debt is a regulated process that can have a direct effect on their credit licence - harrassment of a debtor who is genuinely unable to afford repayments is definately against regulation.

 

Send them proof of your claim for benefits when you write to them all, along with an outline of your personal income and outgoings and offer what you can reasonably afford against the debt and advising that you fully expect that your situation will change at some point and as and when it does you will let them know.

 

Where you can afford to do so, make sure you send written communication 'recorded' and keep copies on a file.

 

Hope this helps?

 

Apple

[renegadeimp]

Dont listen to t

Quickquid. Yoh dont need to ring them at all. Tell them that they are trading in the uk, and as such it is your legal right to have all communicatio in writing for your own records QQ are based in the us and over there the laws favour the creditor. Not the consumer.

[L_Jones89]

Hi,

 

Sorry for the late reply. Quick Quid seem to be being ok about it and have offered a repayment plan

 

I don't know if anyone has dealth with Speed credit before but i'm not having much luck with them! I have just received a letter from a solicitors saying i now have to pay £963 within 7 days or they will take things further, i only leant 350 off them in the first place! I have tried to email them and had nothing back so looks like I will have to write to them now instead. Such a pain!

[renegadeimp]

Speedcredit are about to be investigated by the OFT soon due to their business practices and possible abuse of their license. Ignore their threats as if they ever did try to take you to court, you can file a full defense and ask a judge to see their charges. Don't write back tot hem if they didnt reply. Just send 1 email a week and cc it to yourself, so a judge can see the headers and know that it was sent, and the creditor refused to reply.

 

You also should be making formal complaints to the regulatory bodies and the PDL.

[L_Jones89]

Hiya,

Do you know if they have ever taken anyone to court before? Im more worried really because I live with my mum and dad and don't want anyone turning up at my door. I'm not even sure who i'm supposed to writing to with them, their email address or Northern Debt Recovery? This is all new to me. Thank you

[renegadeimp]

Theyve taken a few people to court, but the only cases theyve won is where they got judgement by default, or the defendant didnt form a proper/complete defence. Unless the debt is owned by NDR, deal with the creditor ONLY. If a DCA doesnt own a debt, they have no legal rights at all to the debt apart from asking you to pay.

 

Speedcredit are about to go under investigation atm, so they are trying anything and everything to get money from people before they lose their license.

[L_Jones89]

Ok I have just sent a letter off to them so hopefully I'll actually get a reply! Payday Uk have said that they will not put my account on hold and will still attempt to take payments until they actually receive something from me. I have told them I have no income at all until I get jobseekers allowance sorted. Is there anything I can say to them about this?

[renegadeimp]

Ok I have just sent a letter off to them so hopefully I'll actually get a reply! Payday Uk have said that they will not put my account on hold and will still attempt to take payments until they actually receive something from me. I have told them I have no income at all until I get jobseekers allowance sorted. Is there anything I can say to them about this?

 

Yep. Write to them and revoke their permission to debit your account. Then write to your bank and hand it in, in person and give them a copy of the instruction you gave to the PDL. You also must file a full complaint with the OFT as the PDL is breaching guidance on debt collection.

[renegadeimp]

Whenever you are dealing with debts, it is a very good idea to open a parachute account with another banking group to secure your income. As chip said, tell the PDL you ar eon benefits, and if they take money, then they are in serious trouble. They get the legal minimum of £1 a month until your circumstances change.

 

If you need help with a letter, let me know and i will write you one up.

[applecart]

Are they threatening you or just trying to intimidate you?

 

Stand firm, be in control, this is your debt - not some young administrators on the other end of the phone - state your case firmly whenever they call or turn up at your door - which is 'I've told you many times before, I am unemployed and as soon as I get notice of what I will be paid, I will be allocating a portion to ALL my creditors' - Then simply put the phone down or close the door.

 

What ever methods they use - You have rights too - you can get the CAB involved if it becomes too much for you to deal with - pop to the CAB - Let them know, that the situation is getting too much for you to cope with - advise them of who all your creditors are - The CAB will seek your authority and will do the letters for you - makes the offers of payment etc etc and generally - if they call you - simply tell them you are speaking to the CAB with a view to them handling the matter.

 

Hope this helps : )

 

Apple

[L_Jones89]

Thank you for all your help, I think I'm getting somewhere with 3 of them. Speed Credit is still being a pain though! I wrote to them last week telling them I was unemployed and even though they are saying I have ignored emails calls and texts, I couldn't have possibly done as my phone has been cut off anyway and I haven't had one email from them!

 

I received a letter from a bailiff company this time saying I have 7 days to pay £963. But I received it on Saturday and they're saying I need to pay it off by 1 o clock, Tuesday. Shall I write to them again today?

 

Does anybody have any tips on what to actually put in the letter so they back off?

 

Thank you

[renegadeimp]

Its not a bailiff. It's a DCA misuing their company name. I'm guessing marshall hoares?

 

Get that letter in a complaint to trading standards and the OFT. Repayments are to be done on YOUR terms and financial situation. Not theirs. You MUST file a complaint about the company using their company name to scare and threaten people. This is a very big No-no in the OFT's eyes and can easily lead to action on their credit license including revocation of their license.

 

If ANYONE tries knocking on your door about the debt, tell them to get lost, close the door and walk away. DO NOT get into a conversation with them. If they refuse to leave, call the local police and tell them you are being threatened.

 

Remember, DCA's have NO legal rights at all to the debt. If the police come and say otherwise, tell them the same thing and shut the door.

 

 

As for your last question, i would send a copy of the letter in a complaint, and then ignore it. They wont do anything, because they know they would be in deep "doo-doo" if they tried.

[L_Jones89]

Yes Marshall Hoares.

 

It makes it worse that I live with my parents too and so I really don 't want anybody turning up at my door anyway! Ok so I write to OFT and then Speed Credit?

[renegadeimp]

Yes. File a complaint with the OFT with as much info as you can, then copy in Speed Credit and Marshal Hoares. Make sure you are telling the OFT that they MH are trying to represent themselves as bailiffs.

 

File a full formal complaint with the PDL/MH and demand you recieve a final response within 8 calendar weeks. This allows you to take your complaint to the FOS for ajudication.

 

 

Regarding doorstep visits, you should find http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?441-If-you-do-receive-a-doorstep-visit-we-give-these-suggestions-to-Members very helpful. Remember, they have NO rights at all to come to your house. Let them know that.

 

You should really have an issue with it anyway, as MH are all talk and rarely send someone to visit ( even though they try to charge you for it).

 

Oh, almost forgot, you will need a full and complete breakdown of the debt they say you owe, as its 99.99% guaranteed with this group of companies, that they will have piled on unfair charges.

[renegadeimp]

Also, make sure you send a copy of your repayment proposals once a week, or in reply to any correspondance they send you. Only do this though after you get the breakdown, so you can add that you deny any liability for the unfair charges added to your account.

[applecart]

Might be an idea to let them know that you intend to report them to the OFT, and at the bottom of any communication to them -whether sent by email or letter.... add a footnote which says 'cc: Office of Fair Trading, & Financial Ombudsman Service'

 

This will let them know that all communications you have with them has also been sent to their Regulatory Authorities.

 

Hope this helps?

 

Apple

[renegadeimp]

Dont add the FOS, the PDL knows the FOS will not respond to any complaint until youve exhausted the complaints procedure of the creditor. Theyve had enough dealings with them already/ Thats why they dont release details. Simply send a notice of formal complaint and demand a final response within 8 weeks. This gets round Speedcredits little tricks.

 

Dont chase the complaint up. If they dont send a response titled "final response" then more fool them.

Edited July 16, 2012 by renegadeimp

[L_Jones89]

Do i address the letter to Speed Credit, Northern Debt Recovery or Marshall Hoares Bailiffs?

[L_Jones89]

Hi again,

 

After sending a letter to speed credit i thought it was strange how i hadn't heard anything back from them at all! That was until I have just opened my junk email folder and found lots of emails from them! Why they are going into that folder I have no idea but the latest one which was sent this morning is not good! This is what I received:

 

Loan Ref: 14185762 / PCP®

 

08/08/2012

 

Dear Miss Jones

 

This is a reminder that you committed to pay back your Speed Credit Loan*** debt.

 

This debt is now very overdue. We have allowed you to extend the loan as a goodwill gesture.

 

As part of settling this debt you are committed to paying GBP 504 by 09.08.2012.

 

In accordance wih the Standard Terms and Conditions you agreed to, we will be automatically taking payment tomorrow as agreed. Please ensure the amount of GBP 504 is available by midnight tonight.

 

If there are insufficient funds in the account the payment might fail and all charges will IMMEDIATELY become due, ALL back dated interest, penalty fees will be charged.

Recovery Agents will be sent to all addresses we have on file for you in order to obtain payment. Should this also prove unsuccessful we will be liaisin g with solicitors who will obtain a County Court Judgement against you. Once this is secured we will return with a Warrant of Execution from the County Court and certified Court Bailiffs to seize goods at 9 times the value of what you owe.

 

IT IS ESSENTIAL you HONOUR this agreement

 

If you have any questions regarding this, or willbe unable to pay contact customer services NOW.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

COLLECTIONS

NORTHERN DEBT RECOVERY

0843 381 0843

 

Seems very threatening to me! I have tried to reply to the email but ive had a reply saying you can't send emails to them, the only way you can do it is by filling in the form on their website which doesn't work anyway and i never get a response from them! What should I do now?

[renegadeimp]

DOnt reply to it. Send it to the OFT in a complaint as its a standard threat letter from them. Then file the original email away and ignore it.

 

Remember, these con artists are under investigation atm by the regulators and one of the biggest DMP providers has even stopped authorising payments to them while the investigation is ongoing.

[L_Jones89]

So i shouldn't try to suggest a repayment plan or anything? Mind you saying that, it's not like I haven't tried! They just seem to be completely ignoring me!

[renegadeimp]

Personally whenever you get a threat letter from them, i would send the repayment plan one back and update it with all previous contact attempts to prove they are simply ignoring you.