Barclays - Woolwich -- is there NO BOTTOM to this

[jimbo45]

Hi all

 

I'm currently working in Belgium at the moment and have an arrangement to clear off a backlog on a mortgage of around 100 GBP a month for a few months until cleared.

 

This means that I have to pay 312 GBP pm instead of 212 GBP per month -- payments due on 31 of the month.

 

I requested the bank for a standing order mandate but being in Brussels I haven't been home to be able to see if the Mandate actually arrived.

 

My last payment was on 31 Jul as agreed.

 

 

However guess what

 

I get a message on a Mobile Phone on 07 Sep (OK 1 Week late with the 31 Aug payment -- but is this really a problem in the scheme of things) saying " You Have Broken Your agreement -- please call Barclays Bank on -- some 0800 number).

 

Now how in the world do I call them from Belgium on an 0800 number.

 

The actual outstanding mortgage in any case is only 18,000 GBP on a property still currently valued at over 220,000 GBP.

 

Why are the Banks ganging up on people who seem to owe a really small amount of money whilst allowing the rest to walk away -- and why can't they give a CALLABLE number -- they KNOW I'm in Belgium at the moment.

 

If they recall the mortgage can I do anything. I could probably clear the lot but it would take a few months -- so could I actually spin out any "re-possesion order" if it were to come to that.

 

I really can't believe I'm being HASSLED because I'm actually 7 days late on ONE payment.

 

No wonder the word BANK has 4 letters in it. The've earned HANDSOMELY from me over the lifetime of the mortgage.

 

Cheers

jimbo

Edited September 7, 2009 by jimbo45

[jimbo45]

Hu guys -- any answer to this one.

 

When I attempted to actually call the Bank (looked for a number via the Internet) after being passed from about 12 different departments finally I got some totally incomprehensible person from an overseas call centre which I couldn't understand at all. I was kept waiting for so long that the call probably cost me more than the arrears on the account.

 

Since they asked ME to call THEM can I get them to refund time / cost of call.

 

Cheers

jimbo

[jimbo45]

Hi all

sometimes these banks just go TOO far.

 

I have only around 16,000 GBP outstanding on my mortgage with the woolwich and because a contract ended I am at the moment not working.

 

I fortunately have managed to get a savings plan that I had going to pay out so I can clear some of the arrears until I start working again (hopefully soon).

 

I had an arrangement to pay off arrears at 400 GBP a month (been doing out of savings) due at the end of each month - current arrears is 1200 GBP. House is worth around 240,000 GBP - Mortgage has around another 4 years to run.

 

Guess what -- due to a heavy weekend and waiting for the money to get cleared into my bank from the savings plan I phoned up TODAY (2nd DEC - ONE DAY LATE ) to pay the 400 GBP.

 

I get a really HORRIBLE woman at the other end saying --You've BROKEN your agreement Unfortunately we have to go by the "rules" - so we really should be going to the solicitors now to see if we can get re-possession.

 

What's up with these BANKS.

 

I was only 1 day late, outstanding arrears is fairly small, mortgage outstanding is also fairly trivial and I offered to pay before any phone calls letters etc.

 

I get the feeling that the woman at the other end wasn't interested at all about solving the issue -- I'm sure a judge won't throw someone out of a house for being one day late with a payment but isn't it DREADFUL when these same institutions who have been bailed out themselves with a shed load of taxpayers money seem to have no compunction at all when it comes to people trying to actually PAY back arrears - and want to run into court at the first opportunity.

 

Just warning people here as to some of the measures banks are taking now --totally ignoring the governments request to do everything possible to ensure people don't lose their homes --re-possession should be a LAST resort surely.

 

If they do go for a re-possession order can they actually enforce this at this stage (arrears will be down to around 900 GBP after the current payment is cleared).

 

I seem to be unlucky with all these things --some people have HUGE arrears etc before getting into serious problems -- yet I'm only 1 day late on a fairly small arrears and getting the book thrown at me.

 

What do I do if they go for re-possession.

 

Cheers

jimbo

Edited December 2, 2009 by jimbo45

[zander]

There is no common sense allowed any more within the lending institutions. There's no way they will apply for a repo. Pure scare tactics. The call was recorded? Did she accept your payment?

[jimbo45]

There is no common sense allowed any more within the lending institutions. There's no way they will apply for a repo. Pure scare tactics. The call was recorded? Did she accept your payment?

 

Hi there

Payment was accepted

 

These Banks shouldn't be allowed to get away with this sort of rubbish.

cheers

jimbo.

[opqr748]

thinking about your post, will reply later.

[eagleforms]

I have every sympathy with you Jimbo. I paid off all my arrears with the Woolwich and they charged me interest on the arrears for 5 months after I paid them back. They have also refused to answer any of my letters asking for details of the new balances and new repaymenet figures following repaying the arrears. They have charged me with over £9,000 of "misc charges" that they will not explain.

I complained to the FOS about them in July and they have not replied to their letters either.

The problem is that they are now part of Barclays, who are the most arrogant bank on the high street. Barclays did not get a government handout so they feel that they can raise 2 fingers at the rest of us.

My next course of action will be to take them to court to recover interest that they were not entitled to take.

It would be interesting to hear if any other people are having problems with them, because they do seem to be getting above themselves, and seem to think they are above the law.

Edited December 8, 2009 by eagleforms
typos