Wonga FinancialAssessment and collections

[kriket1]

Just wanted to say that I am still waiting for wonga's reply. Have a good day.

[kriket1]

UPDATE - wonga is taking very long to reply. Normally they reply within a day or two. Its been over 4 days and no communication on their part to date.

[renegadeimp]

Give them 7 days, then issue a formal complaint. This will throw the account into dispute and will force wonga to reply.

[Jamie Kingston]

I'm suprised Wonga have recently changed to being quite quick and at least trying to be helpful if you cant repay.

[renegadeimp]

They only changed because they are under investigation by the OFT for fraud, and the fact that they are trying to become a bank.

[Jamie Kingston]

seriously? OFT for fraud? If they become a bank don't they have to be regulated FSA.

[renegadeimp]

Yes, but OFT still issues the licences. Have a good search on google or OFT site about the OFT and Wonga. Wonga have also been reprimanded for accusing debtors of commiting fraud.

[kriket1]

I didn't mention this before because I didnt want to further confuse you guys but I did receive an "empty" email this morning from wonga. When i say empty it was exactly that. No body content, just a wonga banner. Any links in that email were the usual "My account", "wonga.com" links and were clicked and were found to be of no consequence. They were all "empty" links as well. The email was from [email protected] . The email had all the usual links including a link to "My Account". I logged in to my account via the link thinking that there might be a message for me there. But my account had nothing - just the notice that

Your account is in arrears

And additional interest for those days seemed to have increased my debt by a further £30.

If you feel you can't repay your loan at the moment, we may be able to provide a payment schedule that is suitable for you. Find out more about Repayment Arrangements.

 

 

 

Clicking on Repayment Arrangements link provided no new info. Just the usual arrangement info like detrimental to credit rating, etc.

[Jamie Kingston]

I saw that and threatening people with the Police... wasters.

[kriket1]

Give them 7 days, then issue a formal complaint. This will throw the account into dispute and will force wonga to reply.

 

@renegade - It has been over 7 days and they still havent replied. Should I just email them back saying that I still havent received your reply. I cant see a complaints dept. email at wonga's site. but they do link to financial ombudsman , etc here - http://help.wonga.com/articles/What_Is_external/What-if-I-have-a-complaint-UK/?l=en_US&c=Topics:About_our_loans

 

but obv i cant complain to ombudsman as i need to give wonga sufficient time. So do i just complain to the same email i sent my plan to - assessments at wonga

[renegadeimp]

Yep. Keep it short and simple.

[kriket1]

ok. thx

[kriket1]

i had emailed them yesterday regarding their delay in responding to the repayment plan email I had sent them ([email protected]). Guess what? Today, I received a reply to an email I had sent them almost 2 weeks ago and to a different dept. [email protected]. In that email I had requested an extension to the loan (that monthly extension everyone here advised me against). This was before i received advise from you here last week about sending a repayment plan.

 

so collection@wonga asked me to call them, even though my extension email requested a written email reply.

On reviewing your email it seems clear the best way to get this matter resolved is over the phone.

 

Please call our team on 0844 842 9109 at any time,24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We look forward to discussing your account and trying to help find a solution for you.

I am going to sit tight and wait for a response to the email I sent them yesterday about their delay in responding to my repayment plan (never mind the continued accrual of interest while they decide not to reply for weeks). Wonga doesnt know its head from its tail it seems. They havent replied to my rpayment plan for over a week and now leaving all my current emails aside, they reply to an email that was much older and not relevant anymore as since then instead of an extension, I have offered a repayment plan.

[kriket1]

One question - they still havent replied to my original assessment plan and the follow up email complaining about the slow response on their part. Do I have to keep contacting them again and again (ie keep sending emails?). Just worried thats all.

[renegadeimp]

No need to be worried. EMail them once a week, send one email to chase them up if you want, and let them make the mistakes. You are attempting to get things sorted, they refuse to respond. Their problem, not yours. Make sure you file a complaint with the OFT as well, and let them know what is going on. Wonga and a few other PDL's are under the OFT's spotlight right now.

[kriket1]

thanks renegade. What sort of a complaint do I need to make to the OFT? I was hoping to wait for wonga and then get me assessment plan agreed to. If they were going to stress on paying the extra "interest" my account is accumulating, I was going to then lodge a complaint with OFT. For now, I havent sent another email requesting their reply. Would you believe it has been 15 days since I proposed my repayment plan.

Edited February 14, 2013 by kriket1

[renegadeimp]

If they are still sending emails texts etc when they havent responded to your previous letters then it is a form of harassment. It also breaches some of oft guidance.

[kriket1]

Not to mention they have cleaned my account to the last penny. I expected them to try taking money from the account - as much as they could - but never expected them to try taking fivers. The little cash I have I am not keeping it in the account as they would take every last penny. I have to pay bills at the end of the month and hoping I can pay it via another account (savings) but it really is tedious since had they replied by now, i would have paid the initial amount without worrying about them taking even pennies from my account. Of course, its all automated on their part so I understand that, but what I dont understand is their two week delay in replying to my repayment plan being a payday loan company who charges interest by the hour.

[kriket1]

For now, I havent sent another email requesting their reply. Would you believe it has been 15 days since I proposed my repayment plan.

 

I meant, I HAVE sent another email (third including original proposal email) compaining about their lack of response.

[kriket1]

@renegadeimp - wonga keeps calling me even though I explicitly asked them for a written reply in each email. They just called me twice withi a few hours and I didnt pick it up cos I was busy with other things and never pick up numbers i dont recognise especially if they are from a different area code. I googled the number and it was wonga. My question is - what do i tell them if they ring again? I would tell them to communicate in writing (email) but their collection team always seems to insist that the best way to deal with the matter is on the phone. They have also been sending multiple letters to my home. Two in the past 4 days or so. So I had sent an email this morning again to two of their departments, assements and collection, stating I would contact OFT if they dont stop sending those letter, automated calls and texts every day as I had already done my part and am waiting for their response. Seems like these phone calls have been a reaction to that email. However, I want to deal with them via email but they keep calling. What to do?

[renegadeimp]

EMail them again and send a formal complaint to them. Inform the OFT as well.

[kriket1]

OFT's site states that as a consumer I have to contact CAB

[renegadeimp]

Nope. Send a general complaint with a comment about their fitness to hold a credit licence. This will have the OFT collect the complaint and add it to their ever growing file that they look over when it comes to renew their licence or take action on it.

 

You can contact the CAB, but wonga seem to be pretty good at stalling tactics lately.

[kriket1]

---------BIG UPDATE--------

 

Bloody mess. Good news and bad. First the good news. Wonga really doesnt know its head from its tail. I was contacted by customercare@wonga and offered a plan of less than what I myself had offered. Not much less but a £100 makes a huge difference to me atm. I emailed back asking for a written email response that my credit record wont be marked, etc (since I have to assume that this dept.) doesnt know anything about my own repayment plan. In any case, I am going to follow with their plan from now on. So while I am still waiting for customercare@wonga reply, collections@wonga keep replying (not automated) and asking me to pay, but the bad news is they keep replying to an email which even predates my own repayment plan (that email where i ask for extension unfortunately). I am ignoring it since I am dealing with customercare@wonga now and also cos collections has my others emails, namely repayment plan one and many complaints mentioning OFT, etc and they havent replied to them at all. Even assessment@wonga has the. Guess its not such a bad news but hopefully, the "new" repayment plans terms are met by all deptartments and I want to pay customercare@wonga plan and that requires me to deposit £120 to my account. But I am afraid that collections@wonga might take it automatically from my account as their recent email indicates as much (that they will keep on trying). So I plan to get the credit record thingy agreed to with customercare@wonga and then plan to ask them to contact collections@wonga and ask them to stop automated withdrawals from my account.

 

Hopefully, all will fall into place and we will reach an agreement (with all depts.).

 

Really, really appreciate your help renegade. Cant stress it enough.

Edited February 16, 2013 by kriket1

[bbfc]

Once the payment plan is set up they should stop contacting you. You might be emailing different address, but its the same company (and probably the same people it goes through to).

 

I set my payment plan up the day before the payment was due and they only took the reduced payment, not a penny more. I have had no emails to say I am in arrears etc, so far so good!