Safestyle UK and Barclays Partner Finance

[lil-fee-fee]

I'm new to this and don't know if I have posted in the right place.

 

Last year I had new doors and windows from Safestyle UK. The salesman persuaded me to take 12 months interest free credit arranged through Barclays Partner Finance with the advice to "pay it off or get a cheaper loan". There was no discussion about affordability and no income/expenditure assessment. My (then) partner assured me that he would pay the full amount before it came due.

 

The payments are due to start in August. My "partner" has gone missing (with 20k of my money). I have tried to get another loan but because of my income I can't. Even adding it to my mortgage has been refused as I only have 5 years left so to add 7500 to it would be too expensive.

 

I am now faced with paying 20% APR and my windows are going to cost me over 20K in the next 10 years. I can't afford the repayments and I'm thinking that I might have to sell the home I have worked so hard to keep.

[BankFodder]

I think that you are in a very bad position. Clearly you should be proceeding against your partner - but if you don't know where he is then that is impossible.

 

Obviously the best thing to do is to try and get another loan - and if it can be secured on your property it will be much cheaper.

 

These people have very strict lending criteria but you should try them any way - http://uk.zopa.com/ I have only heard good things about them so far. Search the BBC website for "peer to peer lending"

 

Additionally I would start making the rounds of brokers. You have time to save the day if you can get a move on.

 

I can't think of any other solution at the moment.

 

One thing is sure, that you will find your ex-partner at some point - and when you do, don't hang around, issue a clim against him immediately and without warning.

In fact if you know his parents address or some other address such as his bank's address, I would consider issuing a claim against him straightaway. You can make a special applicatin to a judge to get an order for "substituted service" which allows you to serve the claim documents to an address where he is likely to have knowledge of them.

Then if he doesn't defend, you can get a default judgment against him.

It won't get you your money but by registering the CCJ against him, you will limit his ability to move around financially. Also, if he does surface, then all you will have to do is to get a warrant of execution to enforce the judgment, rather than having to begin from scratch - http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/S/SubstitutedService.aspx

 

Also, if he has walked off with £20k of your money then I would call the police and get a crime reference number.

 

I think that a campaign to limit his movement as much as possible would pay off in the end.

 

However, for the moment you certainly need to sort out a loan.

[lil-fee-fee]

Thank you for your swift reply Bankfodder.

 

So far I have only tried RBS who have my bank accounts and mortgage and was refused on the grounds of affordability. I will start looking elsewhere now.

 

I have spoken to the Police regarding my ex but they are of the opinion that it is a civil matter. All of the money I "loaned" him was in cash. I can demonstrate that I withdrew it from the bank but I can't prove where it went. The only thing I can show and I think it's circumstantial is that I withdrew a substantial sum on the same day that his car was registered. The amount I withdrew would match the value of the car but I can't prove it.

 

On the subject of tracing him via his bank, I'm not sure how this would work. I'm guessing that they have an address for him as his bank statements have stopped coming here. All I get now is debt collection letters! If I write to his bank will they forward my letters?

[BankFodder]

Police will always say that it is a civil matter.

You must write and make the complaint and insist. Show evidence of dishonesty. The police are under-resourced - but also that can be just plain lazy.

People who complain persistently - write to your MP etc will make headway.

 

Write to them. Adress your letter to the Chief inspector admin. However, you will help your case if you can show that ther was dishonesty - he took the money and then just disappeared. He made a promise to repay you while all the time preparing to leave etc etc.

Put together a statement to be used as the basis for your complaint which puts your partner in a bad light and which exploits all the circumstances of the case to produce a resonable suspicion that he acted dishonestly and that the fact that he now doesn't respond to your attempts to contact him through his family, etc are evidence of dishonesty.

 

If you can get the crem reference number then supply a copy fot he report to his bank and get a CIFAS mark against his name. This will further limit him

[lil-fee-fee]

Zopa have offered me a loan but the Direct Debit set up is being refused. Don't understand!

[cerberusalert]

You can contact them via http://uk.zopa.com/help/help-contact-us to see what the problem is.

[lil-fee-fee]

The problem was a typing error in the sort code . Application now submitted!

[HAWC]

Any news?

[lil-fee-fee]

Sorry to bring this up after so long. I'm now paying £20k for windows and doors that apparently would have cost £7500 cash! I'm wondering if I have any comeback under pressure selling or "duress". The Safestyle rep was in my home from 3pm till 10pm and the only way to get rid of him was to sign up or call the Police as he was going nowhere. I'm quite happy to pay the cost of the installation, it's the interest that's killing me. What can I do?