Shopacheck advice needed

[miniba]

Hi everyone.

I am trying to help my mother work her way through various debts, LLoyds, Barclays, catalouges etc.

The most pressing concern is Shopacheck.

I have just found out she owes approx £2500 to them, the weekly repayments are crippling.

What can I do?

Is there anyway to get the amount frozen whilst we try to work something out.

Can the "debt" be disputed.

Is anyone else facing the same issues with them.

 

[IdaInFife]

hI

[miniba]

hi

[IdaInFife]

Don't know what happened above!!!

 

Hi mini, I am not sure but I am sure someone owill be along but I do thisn with shopacheck that an agreement would have been signed and I don't think they add any extra 'charges'. Also i think if you ask to pay reduced payments they will advised you what interest rate will then be used but I can't be sure!!!

 

You could always ask and send an SAR

[miniba]

My mother is not very "financially aware" and doesn't know what she has signed e.g proper regulated credit agreement, she doesn't know the interest rates etc.

 

I am not sure what to do next, write the cca letter to them or the SAR.

[IdaInFife]

Well if you send a CCA you should get a " true copy" of what your mum has agreed to.

[miniba]

Yes, not sure if I really want to read it

One of the first things I want to do is stop the weekly visit by the "salesman/collector".

Much better to pay through the bank than have them round every week pressuring her to take more loans.

[IdaInFife]

Shopacheck only work on a door collector service so I think that may the only option

[miniba]

I was thinking, what is the worst they can do? A CCJ for the debt, which I think the court would allow much easier repayment terms than Shopacheck

 

[gizmo111]

Do an income and expenditure sheet and then only offer them pro rata what your mum can afford,

they will still call round, but I had a friend who did this and she gave them 4 weekly chqs at a time so she only saw the collector once a month.

And if they don't accept the reduced payments then as you the worse that can happen is court and the judge will only order her to pay what she can afford.

[miniba]

Thanks gizmo.

 

I am new to all this, after searching there doesn't seem to be a lot here about Shopacheck, I haven't found any uplifting success stories yet .

 

If anyone can point me in the direction of any threads that you think could help me, it would be appreciated.

[Jacqueline07]

Hi

- for my sins

- I used to work for Provident

- who are a similar bunch.

Write to shopacheck main office and explain the situation and offer a repayment scheme that your mum can afford

- no matter how little.

It is possible to send money in or pay by standing order (the agents don't like it but hey).

As long as your mum is paying something they cannot (and won't) take her to court.

It only becomes a bad debt when you don't pay for six weeks in a row

- it then gets taken off the agents books.

Try to get an arrangement in place as soon as.

They don't normally add interest on

- the interest is so hefty in the first place.

 

Jackie

[miniba]

Hi Jacqueline, its good to hear you have left the dark side and come into the light

That sounds like a good idea, as long as I know there is no extra interest going onto the debt (I dread to think what rate she is paying), I will look into that.

As for the visits, the standing order, or even dropping cheques into their local office myself could be the way to go.

I will read through some more of the Provident threads on here, because as you say, they are similar.

The only document I have seen is a payment book with what look like separate loans for various amounts, with different account numbers for each, a proportion of her weekly payments are allocated to each one.

Would there have to be a separate credit agreement for each of these "accounts"?

And if they are separate agreements, would I have to send a cca request letter with £1.00 for each one.

[Jacqueline07]

Miniba - yes there will be a separate credit agreement for each one.

I'm not sure that you need to send a CCA as you know that Shopacheck already own the debt

- if you want to get copies of the credit agreements

- send a SAR (Subject Access Request) with a £10 cheque or postal order (template in the bank library but adapt it to suit).

You only need one as the request is for all information on the one person.

They should then send back copies of the original credit agreements and any statements, although I doubt there will be extra charges - however, it may have changed since I was "one of them" - interest rate for Provident btw was 177%.

 

Hope this helps. Jackie

[miniba]

Thanks Jackie

 

177% I think Lenny the Leg breaker charges less.

[1stlifeline]

Hi,

A couple of years ago I applied for a job with them.

I didnt know what they did really until I went round training with the collector (he was making a fortune each week) I was taught that as soon as someone has almost paid off a loan offer them some more.

i was also told that if they are struggling with payments offer to lend them more.

For instance, if they owed 100 and had 10 weeks left to pay but they could not afford to pay for a few weeks, offer them another 200, take 100 straight back - therefore finishing the first loan and then put the remaining 100 over the orig 20 weeks so they had longer to pay.

Loads of people fell for this.

They thought they were finishing a loan when in reality they were starting again.

I was also told to make friends with the children at each house and find out when birthdays were. That way, about 3 weeks before a birthday I should casually offer them some cash to get birthday pressies with as no one likes to think of their child going without.

Another trick was to look at the TV or washer and if it looked on its last legs offer them a new one on credit and free delivery.

They would be charged a silly amount when in reality someone was going to Comet and buying a cheapish set and passing it on to them at an inflated price.

They really do prey on those already desperate and pretend to be friends.

the guy I went round with was like a member of the family at practically every house we went to.

Needless to say I left after about 3 weeks, I couldnt live with myself.

[kippy2]

WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! Im gobsmacked at this....these companies really really should be shot down never mind shut down. no wonder this country is in severe debt...got cowboys like that around

[miniba]

I think this has been happening to my mother.

[hedgehog0045]

I have had Provident loans in the past and present. Thankfully my income is such that I no longer have to borrow from these comedians but unfortunately when you fall on desperate times and need cash quickly then they seem like a lifeline. Thankfully I only have £200 left to pay off and then I am clear of them. At one stage though I had £3500 owing which is scary stuff.

Your mum would be best getting these paid of asap even if it means taking a loan from somewere else at a better intrerest rate, anything is better than 177%

[kippy2]

or a credit card at 0% transfer balance for 12 months. its a start and you can get somewhere! its better than paying these crooks the whacko interest!

[s77lna]

im going sound really thick but my friend has just sorted a shopacheck loan, what do they do credit checks? the money seem to come to quick???? i dont understand them never had them knock on my door, only asking cus dont want to ask my mate it just seems weird!!!!