Welcome Finance : Welcome refusing payment offer...

[jayandfoo]

Hi all,

 

I hope you can help me.

 

In Aug 2006, we took out a £2,000 unsecured loan over 3 years with Welcome.

 

About 2 years ago, due to redundancy we ewre in a situation where we would not meet the repayments. After much toing and froing and the amount owed increasing daily due to interest and charges, we managed to come to an agreement whereby we would pay £150 per month. We managed to stick to this payment agreement for the past 18 months, paying by Direct Debit on the 1st of each month. In order for us to agree to this repayment amount, Welcome agreed to put the account at 0% interest meaning we would not accrue further interest on the arrears.

 

My husband was made redundnant in November and despite much job searching has not managed to find anything permament although is doing any ad hoc work that his agency can supply him - around 2 days work a week at the most As a result our monthly income has dropped substantially to the point that we had to evaluate all of our outgoings and cancel non essentials such as Sky, mobile phone contrtacts.

 

I wrote a letter to Welcome at the beginning of January explaining our situation and that we would be unable to meet the £150 payment from the end of January due to our change in circumstances and asked for them to contact me to try and find a solution. The letter did not receive a reponse.

 

Yesterday afternoon I cancelled the direct debit to Welcome due to come out on the 1st Feb. Cue a phone call from them first thing this morning wanting to know why the direct debit had been cancelled.

 

I explained about the letter sent to them and our situation and asked if we could arrange to pay £50 for the next couple of months, or hopefully less than this should my husband find a job. The response was no and that if I do not pay the £150 then they will start adding charges and interest back onto my account, which means it building up all over again. I explained I was not refusing to pay, merely asking for a little leniance considering the circumstances. I was told to find the money basically and there was no room for negotiation as any decisions like that have to be made at 'board level'

 

I said I was unwilling to pay anything in that case as the £50 I would be offering to pay would be eaten up by interest and charges, which they agreed with.

 

I just want to know is there anything I can do? Obviously I do not want to get into any myther with them again, as they were contacting me incessantly last time we defaulted - phone calls, letters and home visits. They made life awful

 

I made it clear I am not refusing to pay and told them I would be sending them a letter to advise this. I also said they are not to ring or come to my door, if they will not acceot what I have offered as there is nothing more I can do. I will also be putting this in the letter.

 

Any help and advise is much appreciated.

Additionally, I know our account is made up of a lot of charges and interest - the original loan amount was paid off ages ago, all that is left is us paying for interest and charges - is there any way I could claim any of this back?

[sick of welcomw]

do what i dod go through your statement and compile an excel spreadsheet detailing dates and amounts of fee and charges added to your account and request these back plus 8% also add the letter that you are not refusing to pay and what the sitaution with your office is.

if possible email it to ifo@wfs.co.uk i did this and got a reply within 24 hours with AN OFFER

 

well worth trying

 

good luck

[gullible1]

do what i dod go through your statement and compile an excel spreadsheet detailing dates and amounts of fee and charges added to your account and request these back plus 8% also add the letter that you are not refusing to pay and what the sitaution with your office is.

if possible email it to ifo@wfs.co.uk i did this and got a reply within 24 hours with AN OFFER

 

well worth trying

 

good luck

 

Hiya

when you sent your email did you address it to anyone in particular at that email address? Also is that email for the complaint dept?

Just wondering if i should follow you and email rather then send letters if you get a response that quick

Thanks

[sick of welcomw]

its the complaints department in nottingham the address is actually info@wfs.co.uk not addressed to anyone in particular i just attached my excel spreadsheets and a letter in word docx format and sent it

 

best of luck

 

louise xx

[jayandfoo]

That's really interesting. I do have a statement and a copy of the original agreement. The last statement was from around 18 months ago but I know (or at least I shouldn't have!) accrued further charges since then.

 

Are you claiming the charges back from Welcome on the basis that their are unfair? Would just be interested to know what I should say to them when emailing them.

 

Thanks.

[sick of welcomw]

i said that as far as i was concerned the charges were unfair and disapprotionate to the level of debt, in one month they had added 245 to my account bearing in mind my monthly payment was only 181

this was made up of fees, ad hoc fees, telephone calls, and capitilisation on some days there were 3 different charges

[winston73]

The last statement was from around 18 months ago

 

They have to send you a statement every 12 months by law, you should have received one about 6 months ago.

 

If they didn't, them you are legally entitled to withhold payment.

[winston73]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/14/crossheading/statements-to-be-provided-in-relation-to-regulated-credit-agreements

 

thats only if they have not been giving you statements every 12 months.