Minicredit Nightmare !!

[Pumpkin1977]

I took out a payday loan with Minicredit in early December to cover some Christmas Expenses. On my December payday I repaid in full . I had given them my card details and they took the repayment as agreed. I only borrowed £150 and knew I would be able to pay it back. I am not in any financial difficulty but cant obtain credit due to past history/relationship breakdown etc but I am or was well on the way to restoring my credit profile and have worked hard to clear my debts over the last two years. I am however a single parent and although I work full time I do rely on a small amount of tax credits and my child maintanance. I'm usually short of cash in January and so I took out a further loan with this company , again I knew I would be able to repay it and once February arrived I'd be ok. I was quite impressed with the fast service and didnt think twice about using them again. Boy do I regret it now.

 

Despite fillling in all the details when I reapplied and entering my payday as 30th January , I received a text message from them around 18th Jan to remind memy loan was due to be repaid on 21st January !!. I was confused not to mention very worried by this as I knew I wouldnt have sufficient funds until payday on 30th Jan. I immediatley contacted them albeit very difficult as you can only contact them via there web message service. All I got was a reply telling me to apply for roll over for which I would have to pay an extra £60. I only needed 9 days to be able to pay , at a cost of £60 ! I could not apply for roll over anyway even if I wanted to as they charge a fee and you have to pay a months interest and I didnt have that available. I sent them a further message telling them they hadnt got the date right and that I couldnt and wouldnt apply for roll over and they said that I will have defaulted and would be charged. I sent a further web message and told them that I wanted tomake a formal complaint and requested a copy of their complaints proceedure - I told them if they did not supply this as a matter of urgency I would contact the OFT and Finacial Ombudsman Service. They replied with a few paragraphs from their contract outlining their fees and told me that I had obvioulsy not moved the slider to choose the correct date when requesting the loan, They said the fact that I had completed their application form with my payday as 30th and that this was contained in my personal details (which they admitted) didnt count. They said they were unable to change the date of repayment under any circumstances and the only option was rollover which I couldnt do anyway. They said if I wanted to complain I must email 'claims@minicredit.co.uk' I have done this several times and received no response. I have copied and pasted all emails and sent them through the web message service and they have replied with the same rubbish or told me to email the complaint email address.

 

They keep texting me and emailing me re non payment and charges but dont respond to my complaint. Since this has happened I have read so many negative posts and am worried and angry. Any funds that have gone into my bank account such as tax credits and child benefit have been swallowed up and I contstantly have a zero balance. They told me they were adding charges tomy account but they actually debited £25 from my card yesterday and although I have a balance of over £100 in my account I still have zero funds available and my bank tell me they have earmarked the funds. Despite this they have emailed me stating the blance due is now £198.50, the original loan was for £150 and the total repayment was £187.50, they have debited at least £129 off my card - I'm worried they are going to just keep helping themselves and meanwhile I have nothing to live on ! In 5 days I can pay them what I owe but I dont know what this is and if they keep adding charges I wont be able topay my bills. I would never have said my payday was 21st and it clearly states 30th in the personal details section - they have served 2 default notices in 4 days and are charging me a fortune - Can they get away with this when it wasnt even my correct date for repayment !??. Help appreciated !

[Pumpkin1977]

Just recieved the following in an email from them . . .

 

The Following Final Response is being sent to You according to the Formal Complaints Procedure described in the pre-Contract and contains answers to all Your e-mails sent to us.

The total outstanding balance £291.50 from the date of issuing (27th of December 2011) until today the 25th of January 2012 consists of the following:

1. Loan principal £150

2. Interest in total £43.50 (1% of the Principal per day)

3. Overdue penalty £25 (was added on the 1st day overdue)

4. Overdue penalty £55 (was added on the 3rd day overdue)

5. Debit Attempt fees in total £18.00 (every unsuccessful attempt to receive the repayment costs up to £3)

Microcredit Ltd has used the contractual right to debit payments from Your debit card towards the outstanding balance in total of £140 on the 23rd and the 25th of January 2012. The mentioned partly payments have not covered the full repayment and the remaining balance that is still outstanding is £ 151.5.

Microcredit Ltd provides short term payday loans. The Customer chooses the due date him/herself and it is also possible to apply for the roll-over latest on the due date and keep the loan for another period of time if the credit check result allows You to. The Loan Agreement was signed by Yourself and sent to the e-mail address You entered on our webpage during the registration. According to the Loan Agreement You have to make all payments with a debit card and the only possibility to make payments is available on Your MiniCredit.co.uk online account.

The due date is always chosen by the customer on the slider on our webpage. Microcredit Ltd does not have the option to change the customer’s due date and is only able to see the due date that the client has chosen. We provide payday loans from 1 to 42 days and the client needs to choose the due date by moving the slider from left to right. The system recognizes the due date that is chosen for the amount You apply for and even if You are offered a lower amount the due date will still be the same that You chose when You sent the first application and You also then need to confirm that You wish to have a lower amount with that specific repayment date. When the loan is issued You will also receive a text message that the loan has been approved and the due date is the following date.

Following information has been taken from Your Loan agreement:

KEY INFORMATION

 

If you break this Agreement, we will charge you if we unsuccessfully attempt to obtain repayment on the due date for repayment. A fee of £25 will be charged on the day that your missed payment was due. If we unsuccessfully attempt to obtain repayment on the due date, we will attempt to obtain repayment a second time 3 days later, and if we unsuccessfully attempt to obtain repayment on this second occasion we will charge you a further amount of £55.

Interest on any sum in arrears will be charged at the contractual rate, both before and after judgment, until payment. Also, you must pay us all other reasonable costs and expenses we incur (including any legal costs on a full indemnity basis) in tracing you, or enforcing, or attempting to enforce, our rights under this Agreement.

Repayment, Default and Recovery

 

8. You agree to make all payments to us under this Agreement at the proper time. We will collect payments by debiting your bank account using the debit card details you have registered with us. You authorise us to debit your bank account to collect payments due under this Agreement. If we are unsuccessful in collecting payment, we may try to debit your bank account again at a later stage until we have successfully collected payment. If you have provided us with details of a second debit card and we are unsuccessful in collecting payment from the first debit card, you authorise us to seek payment via the second debit card in the same way as you authorise us to seek payment via the first debit card. You must give us new valid debit card details when you cancel, lose or your debit card(s) registered with us become(s) invalid when you have unpaid loan with us.

9. If you fail to make any payment by the due date, we may, after serving any default notice required by law and after the period for remedying any default has passed, end this Agreement. In such cases, you must pay any balance of the amount you owe us under this Agreement.

10. Interest on any sum in arrears will be charged at the contractual rate, both before and after judgment, until payment. Also, you must pay us all other reasonable costs and expenses we incur (including any legal costs on a full indemnity basis) in tracing you, or enforcing, or attempting to enforce, our rights under this Agreement.

Following information has been taken from Your pre-Contract:

Complaints

If you want to make a complaint about the Lender you can email claims@minicredit.co.uk with details of your complaint and your account number. Our Customer Service staff will acknowledge your complaint by email within 1 business day. When we acknowledge your complaint, we will provide you with these details, which summarize how we will handle your complaint. They will then investigate and send you an initial response, which should take no longer than five business days.

Where appropriate, the member of staff investigating the complaint will not be any staff

member who was directly involved in the subject matter of the complaint. If you are not satisfied by our response, you can contact the Customer Services Manager, who will respond by email within a further five business days. If you are not satisfied with the response from the Customer Services Manager, you can email claims@minicredit.co.uk, enclosing the responses already given to you. Your email will then be referred to the Chief Executive Officer, who will respond by email within five business days.

If we cannot settle your complaint after going through the above process with you and giving our final response, or after the expiration of 8 weeks from receipt of your complaint (whichever happens first), you may refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Microcredit Ltd considers that all the overdue charges and interest have been rightfully added to the outstanding balance according to the Loan Agreement You accepted. We are willing to consider the possibility of a settlement figure if it is reasonable and paid in full. Please contact our Customer Support on the number 08718903015 when You have funds available to offer as full and final settlement. If the settlement is agreed, the payment has to be made with a debit card immediately.

Kind regards

Minicredit Claims Department

[asmilecostsnothing]

I'd be tempted to take to the Financial Ombudsman as you've now had a 'final response' at least which would be required to go there - using your agreement as proof of correct repayment date (presume right date is on that)I'm not 100% sure how you go about reclaiming charges from these nutters but complain 'shout loudly' and maybe get your bank to do a chargeback?x

[carnival95]

I am in the sme situation with them and a complaint is being dealt with by the FOS, so contact them asap and register your complaiant against Minicredit, its a free service, the more complaints they get the quicker this company will be reovked by the OFT to have a credit license

[Pumpkin1977]

Thanks everyone for your replies - I see from researching this company that they are being investigated and there are a lot of angry customers who have fallen into their trap. Some comfort I'm not alone !They keep debiting from my account, so far 4 payments of £25 and one of £15 and another in the system. I get paid tomorrow (early thank god) so I can get get this paid off - tried calling them but its useless. They have implied in their response I can only contact FOS after going right through their complaints procedure i.e Customer Service Manager then Chief Exec yet they have said this is a final response ?? They never give a name of anyone either. I shall be contacting FOS asap. So frustrating , could have paid them in full tomorrow but now £140 out of pocket and still the original loan balance to pay , will be attempting to get charges back from these idiots and more. They should definatley have their license revoked !

[mjds]

Hi all, does anyone have an email address for minicredit that actually gets a response? I have had a couple from their claims at minicredit but nothing helpful

[asmilecostsnothing]

Hey Pumpkin I know it is no consolution but try think of it 'as soap and a rope' can you speak to your bank? Please approach the FOS and don't be put of with possible waiting time, only other route is issuing your own claim I suppose but this does require a fee paid out to begin the process which is starting at £25.00 - moneyclaimonline website x

Edited January 26, 2012 by asmilecostsnothing
add new info

[Pumpkin1977]

I'll speak to my bank as well thank you

 

mjds I dont have any other email than the claims one either and you dont always get a response from that. They are supposed to acknowledge recipt as per their 'complaints procedure' but they dont.

 

Just attempted to log onto my account as got the dosh to pay them off and our server wont alow it , said its fraudulent website with no security certificate, access denied. I'll try again when I get home as interested to see what the balance is when I log in to my account. They did say I could call them when I had the funds and they may agree a settlement, dont hold out much hope of that, tried calling them on an 0871 number they provided and couldnt get to speak to anyone. I am definatly logging a complaint with the FOS , I'm not letting them get away with this. Also they said that I had agreed to the repayment date but I dont actually have a contract. I didnt get any email from them containing a contract, it just came up on screen , they also said I should have had a text confirming deposit withthe payment date, I didnt get this the only texts I have are reminders re payment and default charge notices

[Pumpkin1977]

Replied to their 'final response' stating I wished to escalate my complaint to the customer service manager as per their complaints procedure, details of which which they had pasted into the final response email and got this reply from them. i actually laughed when I read it !

 

The Following Final Response is being sent to You according to the Formal

Complaints Procedure described in the pre-Contract and contains answers to

all Your e-mails sent to us.

 

 

 

Microcredit Ltd considers that all the overdue charges and interest were

rightfully added to the outstanding balance according to the Loan Agreement

You accepted. Microcredit Ltd is not able to change the due date as this was

chosen by the customer when the application was sent and the only way how to

change the due date is by applying for the roll over.

 

 

 

Kind regards

Minicredit Claims Department

 

I also got a voicemail from them yesterday stating that I had defaulted my loan and must fund my bank account so that they could debit 3 payments. My salary had gone in and at 1.32am this morning I received this email

 

Dear , thank You for Your repayment. For more info http://www.minicredit.co.uk

>

> Minicredit.co.uk

 

Checked bank account and they have had in total a few pence under £300 for a £150 loan 4 days 'overdue'

[asmilecostsnothing]

Hey Pumpkin

 

Off to the Ombudsman you go ! ; ) think you can download form direct from their website or phone in to get them sent out to you. If it were me I'd definately be using all emails with the words final response as back up

 

Just had a random thought to!! did you get an agreement on the first loan you had? (this really is something you should have had) so this again should all work in your favour

 

x

[Pumpkin1977]

thanks for that , I dont believe I have ever actually had a credit agreement sent to me in a confirmation email which is normally the case. I read the agreement on line so I'm not sure.

 

I replied to their email stating that I had requested my complaint be passed to customer service manager for review as per their complaints procedure and as they had not done this I was going to take my case to the FOS. This is the response I got yesterday !!!! unbelievable

 

Dear

 

The Following Final Response is being sent to You according to the Formal Complaints Procedure described in the pre-Contract.

 

 

 

Thank You for the information!

 

 

 

Microcredit Ltd has only acted according to the Loan agreement that was signed between Yourself and our company.

 

 

 

Kind regards

Minicredit Claims Department

 

How rude ! Thats 3 'final' responses ! Claim form downloaded and completed, just got to print off the emails and send it all off !

[Pumpkin1977]

Thanks x

[toptrapper]

Pumpkin,

Get the complaint of to FOS, also get one of to OFT also. This stinks to say the least they way you've been treated.