Additions / Very / Shop Direct - Unfairly sold Deb t- Complaint?

[BePositive]

I have had an additions catalogue for years and years, last year due to my partner being made redundant I could no longer make the required repayments. I kept up the repayments for a couple of months (hoping that a new job would be found) but then contacted all my creditors and advised them of the situation. They were all pretty understanding and I asked for help from one of the debt management companies, unfortunately due to their huge workload it was going to be several months before I could get an appointment - I again told all my creditors of this, gave them my reference number and told them of the date of my appointment.

 

Additions I have to say were the least pushy of all my creditors, very few letters, no phone calls etc.

 

Meeting took place and after a few weeks, and only when I enquired, was told it would be at 6- 8 weeks before they would even look at my secondary debts, I contacted one of these companies and they advised they had not been written to by the debt management company. So I decided to deal with it myself.

 

I contacted all my secondary debtors (x3 credit card and 2 x catalogues) Put together a top level financial statement (using the initial "gumf" of what a court would class as reasonable each month and to ensure all were treated equally figured out what money I had left to split between them all - this equated to an offer of payment of 0.5 %.

 

All credit cards and the one other catalogue accepted the payment by me over the phone and agreed no charges or interest. On the 19th January when i rang Very / Shop Direct they said they would require an offer of payment and full financial statement in writing and this would be required by 3rd February (giving my 2 weeks and one day).

 

I wrote the statement and letter and posted my next day delivery to ensure it got there for the 3rd, but today received a letter from Lowell's saying the debt had been sold to them on the 27th January. Wanting to know why Very had sold the debt BEFORE the date they told me. I rang up asking if they had received the letter of offer of payment, they said they had but not until the 6th February. I know they would have received it on the 3rd as I sent because I sent by next day delivery and have the proof of this. I was told they receive thousands of letters each day (as far as I am concerned this isn't actually my problem - they should allow for that and not me). When I asked when it was sold I was told the 28th January (so only one week after I phoned them and different to the date both they and Lowells have put in writing). When I asked why it had been sold in January when I was told I had to get the financial statement and letter in by the 3rd - prior to the date I had told it would be sold, I was told "Perhaps they got fed up of the non payment". I put the phone down in disgust at this point.

 

I know it wont make any difference to me now... the debt is with Lowell's but I am absolutely fuming that they did not even give me the opportunity to get a financial statement and offer of payment to them and don't think they should be able to get away with blatantly lying to their customer.

 

My question is: Is this a matter that I can complain about to the FSA for unfair treatment - I know I will have to make a formal complaint to Very about first - but there wont be any point in that unless I can take it further.

 

Thanks for reading.

[BePositive]

For Information they were insisting minimum payment of £230 - way more than what i could afford.

[silverfox1961]

Hi

I feel you should complain first to very and then when you have exhausted their complaints procedure, you go to the FOS

 

As for the Leeds Losers. YOU tell them what you will pay, not them tell you. If they don't like it, ask them to take you to court. that tends to shut them up