£7000 debt just reared it's ugly head

[russthedude]

I've just had a letter come through saying I owe £6955 from an old Alliance and Leicester loan I took out years ago (for £5000). I knew this day would come, and knew I'd have to pay it back eventually, but now I just wondered how much they'll want from me.

 

The letetr is from Clarity, on behalf of Arrow Global. Should I call them up and offer them £100 a month? or shall I write to them first and ask for proof that they are indeed the right people I should be paying? The reason I stopped paying was because it was either pay the loan or my rent, so i paid rent. then i had 2 debt companies both saying i woed them the money, but they were both stating different amounts, so i told them (in a grown up fashion) where they could both go. that was about 4 years ago. the accoutn defaulted august 2004 it syas on my credit file.

 

advice on what to do next please?

 

cheers

[MilkTrayMan]

Send them the £1 CCA Request Template Letter...

Remember also the following...

1/ Send it by Recorded Delivery.

2/ Either use a Postal Order, or a Cheque (...a friend/family member's account) for the £1 payment.

3/ State categorically the the £1 is NOT to be Credited to the 'alleged' account in dispute.

4/ Don't use your usual signature on the letter.

5/ Read + re-read the zillions of Threads on the various CAG Forums about other peeps experiences of the process.

...

[stanfranks]

Milktray mans advice is good.

Post the reply from your cca request when you get it and someone will help you further.

Do not panic and read the forum as much as you can.

 

I have had some useful advice and continue to seek help whenever I need it.

 

You are in good hands - good luck

[MilkTrayMan]

Milktray mans advice is good...

Thanks Mum...:oops:

(...soz couldn't resist it:rolleyes:)

...

[KJD]

I headed my CCA letter...

I DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY DEBT TO YOUR COMPANY

 

 

 

[lickthewallfatboy]

..

Edited July 25, 2008 by lickthewallfatboy

[russthedude]

ok, while I wait for them to get back to me, I've dug out the paperwork I have for this, and the loan was taken out in May 2001. I think I defaulted around mid-late 2002 or early 2003? I have a letter from july 2003 from one solicitors asking for £5900. then another letetr from aug 04 from a different solicitors asking for £5600 (I don't recall paying £300 in between) and they offered me a lower figure to settle there and then, of £4800. Then Oct 2004 a letter from Scotcall asking for the £5600. I don't know who had it next, but I think it went to Arrow Global and now it is with Clarity. I called clarity (before reading advice here) and offered them £100 a month. Once i saw advice here I called them back up and told them under no circumstances shoudl they take any money frmo me, until I have proof that I should be paying them anything. I did acknowledge I had a loan with A+L which might not help me out DOH!!! But i didn't say how much for, and neither did she. The lady was really nice the first tiem i called up and seemed like a decent human being, but when i spoke to her to cancel my payment plan she turned nasty lol.

 

i told her why i was doing it, and that I would be writing to them for proof of the debt. she said, and this is funny "well i think you're going about it the totally wrong way. we're going to take you to court now 'cos you haven't paid since 2003. (i did mention that an extra 12 days to wait for their reply on top of the 5 years isn't really a big deal to me lol). She then said (another funny bit) "well, why do you want proof you owe us money? i'm the proof, i'm telling you". my laughter upset her then i think. i did mention that any idiot can say "you owe us money" down a phone. "well, look at our website, it says there that arrow gave us all their work". ok, my problem with that is this.... again, any idiot can make a website and put what they like on it, and arrow never ever wrote to me asking for money, teh last letter i have is dated october 2004 from scotcall, apart fomr the new one from clarity last week who seem to have whacked £1000 on top of the amount. so, whoever passed it to clarity, should i write to them next and ask who passed it to them and so on?

 

like i said up top, as much as i'd LOVE to not have to pay this, i know that i will probably have to, but there's a HUGE case of beer,and I mean huge, hell i'll buy you a pallet of the stuff, if anyone gets this one squashed for me!

[russthedude]

P.S If (IF!!!!!!!!) I end up not having to pay it, I'll donate 10% of the amount to a charity* of someones choice who helps me out with this.

 

*no Donkey charities, no "save the steam trains" charities, and certainly no "help the homeless hedgehogs" or crap like that, lol

[FinancialNinja]

When did you send your CCA? Note that they have 12 working days to respond + 2 for postage!! If no response in this time then they have a further 30 days before the matter enters into criminal default.

 

For clarity when was the last time you made payment? From your thread it seems like your last payment was made in 2003. If that is the case they are probably chasing it now as it will soon be statute barred.

 

Also it is important to not communicate with them via the telephone and conduct your dealings with them in writing.

 

Good luck!!

[russthedude]

yes i think it was 2003 my last payment, well, when i looked on my credit report that's when it defaulted, aug 03 rings a bell.

[KJD]

I called clarity (before reading advice here) and offered them £100 a month

 

That call might not have helped you unfortunately tho

[russthedude]

yeah I'm thinking that, although after a quick look on internet, it's only when you acknowledge a debt in writing they start the clock all over again. As I told them not to take any money it means the last payment was indeed made a long time ago. I've dug out an old credit report, and it says iit was defaulted in Jan 2003. it also says "arrangement to pay" august 2002, then sep 02 i was 2 months late, october it was 3 months late etc til jan when the default went on.

 

but, i also just noticed another thing on this old credit report (almost 2 years old). it says Orange (mobile phone company) seem to want money too. hmmmmmn. it says default balance 300, current balance £1300!!! seems they have been piling charges on. they defauled that in mar 2005, but last payment to them was end of 2003 or start of 2004.

 

and, a loan iwht another bank (i know, I'm terrible!!!!) is showing as settled, but that it has been passed to another company. I have never been contacted by another ocmpany about this one, i'm pretty sure. that one defaulted on november 2003 and was just under £3000 at the time.

 

as you can see, i had a bit of a rough time a few years ago and got into a mess, i know i should have sorted all of this out long time ago because i nkow it's going to cause problems with getting a mortgage which i plan to do in the next 2 or 3 years...

[FinancialNinja]

I agree with KJD on the phone call bit. However, I am prepared to stand corrected on this one but I believe the clock only starts ticking again IF, you pay money not verbally agree that you might pay them something (Only my opinion!!).

 

Also if you tackle all of these issues now, by the time you get to apllying for a mortgage you may be in a much better situation. Most important thing is not to panic and NEVER speak to them.

 

If they write to you send of your CCA requests and await the response!!

[russthedude]

i sent the CCA request off but not heard back yet, however they have taken £100 out of my bank, even though i called and told them not to, over a week ago. I knwo everyone has said not to call them, but I did (and said I do not acknowledge any debt to them) and asked why they ahd taken it. funnily enough they have no record of my second call when i told them not to take any money! i will write to them nw with a SAR and if they reply without including the details of the second call, i will dig out my phone bill which shows I made the call, unless I called from work and it won't be there

Edited August 9, 2008 by russthedude

[russthedude]

ok, update. I had a collections manager call me and they are returning the £100. I had a letetr off them too this morning stating they cannot provide the CCA at this time and are passing the account back to Arrow (who I have had no contact off, ever.). They also said Arrow own the debt now, not the original lender, and that neither arrow or A&L will be able tp provide the CCA. so where does that leave me?

[sillygirl1]

Cal your bank and let them know a fraudulent transaction has taken place. Ask to have the account no changed as the other party have these details. I am doing this with Natwest once a couple of bills are paid. Too many people these days seem to think they can 'help themselves' to your account. They try a £25 or £50 transaction to see how much you have then take the remainder.... it's now been done twice on my account and a third person is threatening to do that.

 

I'd write to their complaints department formally giving them 7 days to return the funds as they have not provided sufficient information for you to identify your ownership and responsibility to the debt.