Barclays UK debt Chased in Australia

[Littlemisswildchild]

Hi everyone

 

I have just discovered this forum and I have a few questions.

You will have to excuse my ignorance I am afraid as I am guilty of burying my head under the sand with regards to my debts,

so I may ask some stupid questions.

 

Just over 6 years ago I had a number of debts, probably totalling around £12k, on

various credit cards,

an overdraft and

a personal loan.

 

 

I was young and silly and as my boyfriend of 5 years had a rubbish credit rating,

I took loans out for both of us in my name,

which he swore he would help pay back after we split, which as you can imagine, he didn't.

I still had every intention of paying however I then got made redundant from my job.

 

I did actually take out PPI for the larger loans,

I contacted my bank,

explained I had no income, and

I wanted them to make the payments for me for the relevant loans as per the PPI agreement.

 

 

Well, it turns out I was one of those mis-sold PPI,

as I had been in my job for less than a year and

therefore the PPI agreement was invalidated

(although they knew I had been in this job for less than a year when I took out both the loan and the PPI).

 

 

Furthermore, they were very aggressive with me over the phone

and essentially told me that I had to pay and I should borrow off friends or family etc etc.

I also caught them in a number of lies, which they were using to threaten me.

 

 

At the end of the day, I couldnt afford to pay back the minimun payments,

and I was angry about the whole PPI thing, I just didn't pay them.

 

 

But as I knew I would ruin my credit rating by not paying these loans

- there was no point paying any of them, especially as I was unemployed anyway!

A silly attitude to have, but I was broke, fed up and depressed.

 

I proceeded to get lots of threatening letters and phone calls, which I ignored, and

I moved around a lot over the following 6 years - nothing to do with the debts.

I never once had a bailiff turn up.

 

 

I eventually stopped opening the letters at all and many were returned to sender I presume by the company that manages the apartments

where I have lived as the mail was unclaimed.

 

 

Most of the debt companies have given up, although every now and then I will get a letter in the post.

 

 

I am at the 4th residence since I last acknowledged the debt,

so I guess they're only hoping that I am at my current address.

 

I have not so much as checked my credit rating in the last 6 years, and for all I know I have at least 1 CCJ against me.

 

I am now married to someone who is aware of my debts but we have been careful to not have any kind of joint finances,

he owns a property (which he rents out), and I don't want them trying to take it off of him.

He has an unusual surname, whereas mine is common so I am not even changing my name in the UK,

as it would be much easier to do a trace on the new name, in the UK or abroad.

 

I am also on maternity leave at the moment, I am on statutory pay, which is virtually nothing,

and have no valuables other than my engagement ring and my mac.

All our savings are in my husbands name in his bank account.

 

I'm moving to Australia (dual national) in Feb next year.

By October next year, 6 years would have passed since I acknowledged any of my debts,

and as far as I am aware, my credit rating in the UK should then be clean.

My credit rating in Australia is perfect.

 

I guess my questions are:

 

If I do have a CCJ for the UK do I have anything to worry about?

We only have 3 more months left in the UK, what is the worst that could happen in that time if someone decided to do something about it.

 

Is it worth me going on Experian to check the status of my credit history?

I'm not acknowledging any debt by doing this am I?

 

Can a CCJ follow me to Oz?

 

Is there anything I should do (or not do) before I go to prevent any debt collectors

knowing I have left the UK and start searching for me abroad?

I.e I am wary about telling our utility companies or current bank (of which I don't owe any money)

our Australian address to forward on final bills in case I get tracked down that way.

 

I am nervous of being tracked down in Oz, not that I am really bothered by their threats

as from reading this forum it doesn't look like any debt is enforceable in Oz anyway

and if a UK debt shows up on my credit file I can get it removed and also complain

- but we will be staying with my parents when we get to Oz

and I don't want a record of any dodgy debt on their home address.

 

I think I should just keep my head down for the next year when I hit 6 years and then all will be okay?

 

Any suggestions would be great!

 

 

And sorry for the idiotic questions.

[unclebulgaria67]

1) Check your credit history, as that does not affect you in anyway. You need to know what is on there.

 

2) Keep everything financial separate from your new husband, as you may then be linked,

which would make you easier to trace. Any pasts debts in your name, do not affect him

or any assets in his name, that he held before you got married.

 

3) If there is a CCJ, then they have 6 years from the judgement date to enforce.

There are agreements between UK and Australia, to transfer enforcement.

But apparently they don't bother due to the cost involved.

 

4) Close down all UK accounts in your name before you leave, as you don't want any forgotten debits

or card payments going through causing an overdraft.

Also you don't want any statements or other information about the accounts going to your last UK address.

 

5) The debts will come off your credit record after 6 years and any CCJ's will lapse 6 years after the judgement date.

The claimants for the CCJ's could go back to the courts before the 6 years is up to ask for an extension,

but they don't seem to bother.

 

6) UK debts will not affect you or your family you are staying with in OZ.

If they manage to trace you, it will just be the odd letter every now and again.

You may also get a few phone calls from international debt collectors.

There is an American debt company, who try to trace people and try it on for a few weeks.

But they have no way of enforcing, but will try to harass into paying. If this happens,

 

 

just ignore them.

[cerberusalert]

Posts moved & new thread created.

[Littlemisswildchild]

Hello again,

 

Thank you for all your help with my last enquiry.

 

 

I have a few more questions now, if anyone can help?

 

 

I'm now in Oz.

before leaving the UK in Feb I checked my credit history.

There were a few defaults on there but no CCJs (phew!),

though I guess something could have happened between then and now.

 

 

My last debt will drop off my file in April 2014.

Hubby and I are about to apply for a mortgage in Oz.

I just wanted to confirm that my UK credit rating does not matter in Oz

(I have maintained an excellent rating here for the past 15 years while living in the UK),

and that no one will be able to come after the property here (if we get it) to chase a fairly small UK debt.

 

 

My finances are still separated from my husband in the UK, and also here in Oz until the mortgage application goes through,

when we will be linked.

 

 

My parents will be acting as a guarantor for the Oz mortgage so I don't want my UK debt to cause problems for them.

 

 

From what I can tell, and what was helpfully said above, everything here should be fine,

but I felt I should check first.

 

 

Thanks for all and any help

[unclebulgaria67]

I can't see any small UK debts affecting an Aussie mort application, but it is up to the company you are applying to.

 

Don't really see any issue with small debts left behind, as it would be uneconomic to pursue you, even if there was some way of finding your foreign address.

[Littlemisswildchild]

Hi everyone,

 

I have some debt in the UK which is probably close to 8 years old

(it was just under 6 years when I left the UK so still on my credit file at that point).

 

I have now moved to Australia.

I wanted to update my bank account with my UK bank

- to which I have no debt owing

- so they could send me updated bank cards and statements etc

however it has just hit me that they will update my last known address to my new Australian address on my credit file.

 

My debt in the UK is so old...

. am I at risk of being harassed in Australia for 8 year old debt

if collections agencies get hold of my Australian details?

 

 

I haven't checked if it has come off my file as I am unable to identify myself from over here (and I'm not that bothered about it).

 

 

My UK bank account is not so important to me that I wish to open myself up to harassment,

I don't really need a UK account, if it comes to it but I'd like to keep it if I can.

[fkofilee]

IF there has been no payment or written acknowledgment within 6 years its SB. Also though i they have a CCJ it will be very difficult for them to get it enforced.

 

Id just go ahead and update your details

[Littlemisswildchild]

Just before I left, so only a few months short of the 6 years, there was no CCJ on my file. So does that mean they can't contact me at all if it is SB?

[dx100uk]

threads merged yet again.

for history

 

 

dx

[dx100uk]

if you have debt to that UK bank

 

 

and its not sold on

watchout for off setting.

 

 

but if they've not done that to date

I doubt it now.

 

 

get on with your life

 

 

forget the debts and the no powers DCA's

 

 

they are NOT BAILIFFS

 

 

dx

[unclebulgaria67]

Hi everyone,

 

I have some debt in the UK which is probably close to 8 years old

(it was just under 6 years when I left the UK so still on my credit file at that point).

 

I have now moved to Australia.

I wanted to update my bank account with my UK bank

- to which I have no debt owing

- so they could send me updated bank cards and statements etc

however it has just hit me that they will update my last known address to my new Australian address on my credit file.

 

My debt in the UK is so old...

. am I at risk of being harassed in Australia for 8 year old debt

if collections agencies get hold of my Australian details?

 

 

I haven't checked if it has come off my file as I am unable to identify myself from over here (and I'm not that bothered about it).

 

 

My UK bank account is not so important to me that I wish to open myself up to harassment,

I don't really need a UK account, if it comes to it but I'd like to keep it if I can.

 

Update your bank with your new address details and this will be recorded on your credit file. No excuse for creditors no knowing where you are then and all they can do is write to you, as it is VERY difficult to gain any UK CCJ if you are out of the country. Without a UK CCJ, they can't enforce any debt in Australia.

 

As a word of warning, I have had two relatives move abroad and both of their banks refused to note a foreign address or send any statements abroad. They will ask whether you have another UK address e.g a relative or friend to use for correspondence purposes.

[Littlemisswildchild]

Update your bank with your new address details and this will be recorded on your credit file. No excuse for creditors no knowing where you are then and all they can do is write to you, as it is VERY difficult to gain any UK CCJ if you are out of the country. Without a UK CCJ, they can't enforce any debt in Australia.

 

As a word of warning, I have had two relatives move abroad and both of their banks refused to note a foreign address or send any statements abroad. They will ask whether you have another UK address e.g a relative or friend to use for correspondence purposes.

 

Thanks for the reply

 

 

It's Barclays and they were in the process of changing my address for me to my Australian address

when it hit me that it would go on my file so I didn't go ahead with it.

 

Maybe I should try to check my credit file to make sure everything is off and there are no CCJs (I'm pretty certain there isn't)?

 

 

I really don't want to be hounded by them here.

 

 

My only problem is I'm not sure how I can verify who I am?

 

 

I recall they ask for a drivers licence which I misplaced years ago,

or they can send something to your address, which I'm no longer at.

[unclebulgaria67]

Thanks for the reply

 

 

It's Barclays and they were in the process of changing my address for me to my Australian address

when it hit me that it would go on my file so I didn't go ahead with it.

 

Maybe I should try to check my credit file to make sure everything is off and there are no CCJs (I'm pretty certain there isn't)?

 

 

I really don't want to be hounded by them here.

 

 

My only problem is I'm not sure how I can verify who I am?

 

 

I recall they ask for a drivers licence which I misplaced years ago,

or they can send something to your address, which I'm no longer at.

 

Sounds more like anxiety of moving 10,000 miles to the other side of the world and not being in control of what is left in the UK. This is pretty normal, as I have witnessed it with family who have made the move.

 

If you have UK financial accounts ongoing, you should register your Aussie address, so you can be contacted. So what if this is recorded on your credit record and you get a few letters about some old debts. They can't enforce in Australia without a UK CCJ and even if there were a UK CCJ, I doubt they would bother to try to transfer to Aus.

 

You can check for CCJ's using this site.

 

http://www.trustonline.org.uk/