Barclays extortionate loan against Zenith double glazing - Please help!!!

[Kezzy81]

 

Hello
Sorry I am not sure if I am posting this thread in the right category, but I am hoping for some advice or a steer in the right direction.

My 70 year old mother in law was recently taken into hospital with quite severe health complications. Whilst she has been in the hospital myself and her son have been sorting out paperwork etc and have discovered that 5 years ago she had Zenith double glazing (no longer trading) replace some windows and doors, to our astonishment we found the cost to be over £30,000.

 

They never put the orders through as one amount, instead putting them through as smaller loans, but still all adding up to over £30,000 which astronomical as it is a small 2 bed bungalow. I approached the subject with my mother in law and she got very upset saying that they kept pestering her.

 

Unfortunately my mother in law isn’t use to doing these things, as her husband dealt with everything, but I can only assume she didn’t want to bother us and she says she feels embarrassed and ashamed by how bad things are, as she said financially she is struggling she has even taken a couple of little cleaning jobs to be able to buy groceries. 

On further digging We found that Zenith had put all the loans through Barclays, who we feel did not do their due diligence, as my mother in law is paying over £650 a month for these windows and doors, we have found out that this is basically leaving her penniless every month and some essential bills are going unpaid because of it.

So my question really, is how or where do I start with trying to fight this, as surely it is not right that Barclays are taking £650 a month from a pensioner, leaving her nothing to live on. 

Please any advice would be appreciated

 

I am furious with Barclays as I feel they didn't do their due diligence, but also with my mother in law for not telling us!!

[AndyOrch]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

So your starting point would be to send BC a SAR and also a section 77 request CCA with regards the loan/s agreements.Gather all the information then you may be able to unravel this situation.

 

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/332502-cca-request-consumer-credit-act-1974-updated-january-2015/

 

Andy

 

 

[Kezzy81]

Thanks for the advice, sorry to sound a bit dim but what are the abbreviations?

[AndyOrch]

SAR is a Data subject access request...clikc the word above.

Section 77 CCA is re quest for a copy of the  loan/s agreement/s....click the link.

[London1971]

An SAR under the much publicised GDPR regulations, is probably the most powerful piece of legislation in the public realm.

 

It can effectively shine a light under the deepest information that any entity has on you and bring it out in the open.  A request puts Barclays under strict proof to give you every piece of information they have. That includes screen shots, phone conversations, emails, notes etc. 

 

I'd also be sending a note to Barclays explaining the situation, that your MIL is a pensioner and because they are taking £650 per month from her she is unable to buy food. Explain that she's in a high Covid 19 risk group and she's being forced to enter people's houses to clean in order to earn enough money to eat. And you request immediate suspension of payments.

[Kezzy81]

Thank you for the advice, feeling a bit out of my depth with it all. I will contact Barclays now and see where I get.

 

[London1971]

Yup, SAR must go by post,

 

Very important you send the letter also that I mentioned also.

[Kezzy81]

I have found the templates and I am composing them now to be sent, but I will also contact them to let them know the situation they have put her in too.

Honestly I could kill her, as she kept it all a secret and we have only just found out 

[London1971]

Don't be angry at her be angry at Zenith. Chances are if you ring Barclays also and explain the situation your MIL is in.  Please mention she cant buy food, please mention she is working putting herself at huge risk of C19! You may need your MIL to call in, and give you authorisation to speak about this.

[Kezzy81]

Thank you so much, I will get onto it now.

[slick132]

Is your MiL still in hospital ?

 

She's not to blame for signing the sales forms, nor for being too embarassed to tell you about it. The person to blame, the salesman, is no longer part of this scenario so focus on getting the info you need from the bank.

 

You need your MiL to sign the SAR.

 

And you should also ask her to sign a Letter of Authority for you or  her son to act on her behalf because the bank will not communicate with you without your MiL's written consent.

[London1971]

@Kezzy81 Any updates?

[Kezzy81]

Thank you for all your advice, I ended up contacting the financial ombudsman and they have taken on the complaint and Contacted barclays on our behalf. 

[slick132]

Please keep us updated on this.

 

The FOS will first have an Adjudicator investigate and make a decision but this is commonly not a result the Complainant is happy with.

 

But you have the option to appeal and ask an Ombudsman to review and make a ruling.