On the wonga bus ... I need some guidance here please Written off by Wonga

Wee gem · August 4, 2013

Hi folks

I have received an email from wonga apologising for the wrong details they have sent me, stating that it was a technical error!??. Yet they have it replied to my repayment proposal.. Please advise me, I really am going out of my mind. I have checked my acc with them and the Interest is still being added and there is a problem with their site and I cannot send proposal.

Any advice would gratefully appreciated.

renegadeimp · August 4, 2013

Makes no odds if it was a technical error. They should have systems in place to stop that. Get those complaints rolling. Think of it this way. If they are doing it to you, how many other people have they done this to?

citizenB · August 4, 2013

Keep those emails where they say there is a "technical error" - I think any interest added whilst they have been phaffing around should be deducted. You should put that suggestion forward to them.

Peterbard · August 4, 2013

They like you to email through their site - I don't know if you get to keep a copy of it then though? I have emailed directly from my Charity email and corresponded with them that way, so I see no reason why a 'normal' person shouldn't do the same.

You've had some excellent advice above (and I love sending the letter recorded delivery - very clever!)

Wee gem · August 9, 2013

Help me please

Thank you for the advice you have offered to me so far,

I have sent them 4 emails and they have only replied with another individuals details and then an apology for the same ... They have yet to respond to my own repayment proposal interest is being accrued for 11 days now.. I feel like I'm whining on the forum but I just cannot understand why they have not contacted me .. My heart sinks when I see the interest growing and know that at this rate I will not be able to pay ... Is there anything more I can do?

Would it help if I posted the emails sent and the ones received so far?

I have already sorted the bank out and sent recorded delivery request for cpa's to be stopped, but nothing from wonga since their apology

Please please help an increasingly nervous wreck

Wee gem · August 9, 2013

I defaulted and

This is the correspondence so far.........

Hi Wee gem

Loan Agreement Ref : xxxxxxxxx

Please pay your Wonga.com loan today to avoid extra costs

We’ve just tried to collect the promised repayment from your chosen debit card. Unfortunately the payment was declined by your bank.

Please pay £xxxxwhich is the original loan amount plus accrued interest, before 5pm today. You can bring your account up to date by logging in to the ‘my account’ area of our site and selecting ‘Repay my loan’. Alternatively, you can call our automated payment line on 0207 183 0063 to repay us with your primary debit card.

If we still haven’t received full repayment by 5pm today, you’ll be charged a £20 missed payment fee towards the cost of a failed collection. You should also be aware that we’ll be making further attempts to collect the money you owe from your debit card during the course of your loan (up to 120 days past your due date). We’ll first try to collect 80% of the outstanding balance and will continue to try and collect decreasing amounts until we successfully collect a payment. If 80% is unsuccessful, we’ll try 60%, then 40% then 20%, then 10%. We’ll never take less than £10. If you’ve given us details of other debit cards and we can’t collect from your primary debit card, we’ll try to collect payment from the most recently saved card in the same decreasing amounts. If you’re experiencing financial difficulties, you can login to the ‘my account’ area of our site and select ‘Repayment arrangements’ to create an affordable repayment schedule

We understand that juggling your finances can be tricky and mistakes happen, but be assured we want to help.

Regards,

Customer Care

www.wonga.com

I SENT THE FOLLOWING

I am writing in reference to the loan I took out from you. Unfortunately after accessing your website I am unable to find neither a customer reference number or a loan reference number.

Since entering into the agreement my financial circumstances have changed and I now find myself in a position where I am unable to meet the full repayment on the deadline.

I am proposing a repayment plan of £XXper calendar month, beginning on 15-08-2013and continuing on the 15th of each month for a period of XX months, with the final payment being on 15-03-2015 the remaining balance.

Please advise of the total amount of this loan being the initial amount borrowed and one months intrest, to enable me to calculate the final payment.

I also request that you provide details of the bank account which I can make my payments into. I cannot make repayments by any other method.

As in line with published guidelines by many regulatory authorities, you are only to contact me regarding this matter via email to this address. I will be able to reply to any emails very rapidly and prefer this as a means of communication. I also revoke any authority, implied or otherwise for you to send a 'doorstep collector' to my residence.

May I remind you that any breaches of the OFT Guidelines on debt collecting will be met with an immediate report to that organisation.

I regret that I cannot make the full repayment of this loan but am doing my best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

I await your reply

wee gem

I RECIEVED THE USUAL :::: "thank you for your email" response AND THEN THE FOLLOWING....

Dear WRONG NAME

Our aim is always to help you settle your loan as quickly as possible. Acknowledging difficulty in repaying is actually half the battle, so we really appreciate you getting in touch to discuss a repayment plan

Although we can’t enter into a new agreement, I’m happy to confirm we’ll accept your payments against the original agreement as per the plan below.

We strongly encourage you to make your first repayment on the agreed date as interest will continue to accrue until we receive it. At that point, all interest will be frozen for as long as the plan is maintained or until the balance is paid in full. If you think you’ll have difficulty making the first repayment, please contact us.

Promise Date Repayment Amount

02 Aug 2013 £35.16

09 Aug 2013 £35.13

16 Aug 2013 £35.13

23 Aug 2013 £35.13

30 Aug 2013 £35.13

06 Sep 2013 £35.13

13 Sep 2013 £35.13

Please Login to the ‘my account’ area of our site to review and verify your plan. Don't worry if you’ve forgotten your password, you can ask for a new one at the login page.

When you’ve logged in and verified the arrangement, you can keep track of your payments at any time. You can also add a debit card or choose your primary card here, where we'll collect payments from unless agreed otherwise.

If you miss a payment under the plan, the full remaining balance under that plan will become due and payable to us and will be automatically collected from your debit card. We’ll also make further attempts to collect the money you owe from your debit card during the course of your loan (up to 120 days past your due date). We will try at first for 80% of the outstanding balance and will continue to attempt to take a payment of decreasing amounts until we successfully collect a payment. If 80% is unsuccessful, we will try 60%, then 40%, then 20%, then 10%. We will never take less than £10. If you have provided us with details of another debit card and we are unable to collect from your primary debit card, we will also attempt to collect payment from the most recently saved card in the same decreasing amounts.

We therefore encourage you to stick to the plan but, if you have a problem or want to discuss the arrangement, please call our friendly team on 0844 842 9109.

We look forward to receiving your first payment.

Customer Services

MY REPLY WAS

Dear Sirs,

I am contacting you to advise that on 29-07-2013 at 11:44 I contacted yourselves via email with reference to a payment plan proposal. At 17:39 on 29-07-2013 I received an email with a payment plan attached. This email was addressed to another individual and their obvious repayment plan.

Could you please respond to my request an per my email communication dated 29-07-2013 and further explain why you are providing another wonga clients details to me.

Can you also confirm/assure me that my details have not been passed on to someone else in breach of data protection.

May i also add In reference to the above account, i hereby withdraw all permissions to you to debit any monies from the associated bank account or debit/credit card. Should you attempt to take any money from the aforementioned account, i will be issuing full and formal complaints to the OFT and will make a comment on your fitness to hold a credit licence. I have already given my bank the legal instruction to decline any and all transactions to your company.

This email will be tracked as proof of receipt.

Sincerely,wee gem

Text message RECIEVED from wonga repayment required!!

Dear sirs

Today at 13:46 I received a text message from yourselves regarding my loan and repayment of the same.

I have attempted to contact yourselves multiple times via email,the 1st being on 29-07-2013,proposing a repayment plan.

I have yet to receive a reply to myself that is not automated.

I have however received the details of another individuals repayment plan including their name.

I trust interest and any other charges will be frozen from the date that I initially made contact with yourselves regarding repaying my loan.

May I also remind you that you are only to contact myself via email.

I await your reply,

Wee gem

SOON AFTER I RECIEVED THE FOLLOWING......

Hi Wee gem

Unfortunately we had a small technical issue and sent you an email with incorrect details. You can check your correct balance anytime by logging into the 'my account' area of our site.

We strive to give our customers accurate information, so please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience. We value your relationship with us and believe our customers deserve the best possible service.

If you have any more questions or you want to check an existing repayment arrangement with us, please email customercare@wonga.com or call 0800 316 6745.

Best wishes,

The Wonga Team

can anyone help me compose an email to get these guys to respond to me

Please?

Wee gem · August 9, 2013

Not quite sure if the above is readable I'm not very good at Copy and paste

Tawnyowl · August 9, 2013

Hi Wee gem,

What a time you are having.

I have read your last post a few times now.

What else is there to do but complain like hell.

What a way to treat you.

Just take a look at this letter.

Letter to complain about a payday loan

1 - Introduction
2 - Write
3 - Preview
4 - Download

For more information about when you should use this letter, see Payday loans - making a complaint.

Trying to help you Wee gem

I believe they must respond to this letter,or off to the F.O.S

Please post if you feel i have not understood your post properly.

A lot to take in.

Edited August 9, 2013 by tawnyowl

Peterbard · August 9, 2013

Try sending an email to:

customercomplaints@wonga.com

In it outline your concern about the lack of communication despite your efforts to act reasonably over the debt, the fact that you have offered a repayment plan and heard absolutely nothing, the fact you've been sent somebody else's details erroneously and the fact they appear more intent on charging the maximum charges possible than resolving your problem.

Wee gem · August 9, 2013

Thank you for responding tawnyowl and davyly, yes I am so sorry about the way in which I have posted above .... I'm not quite sure why that post went so badly wrong ... My goodness I can bearly understand it myself.

Thank you for the letter advice I will compose it tonight, and will post it here tomorrow at some stage ... I'm baffled as to why they have not responded? I started to think it was because of the wrong details/technical issue thing .. I have read here that they usually respond quite promptly

I will wait and see ... Thank you again and apologies for the wiggly post above ... Tawnyowl I'm sure you have migraine now

Tawnyowl · August 9, 2013

Hi Wee gem

I thought you did really well posting them all.

Must have took some time.

I told a slight white lie.

I must have read it six times at least

The C.A.B letter is very interesting.

You can mess about,alter it with it till you feel it is right for you and your circumstances.

Preview it,then download it.

It will be interesting to see the letter.

I will look forward to your post.

Take your time.

Migraine,not yet.

Just chilling,watching Paul McCartney and Wings World Tour..

Look forward to your next post.

They will respond,they will,they will,they will.

Before we are through.

In the way you want them to.

I have strange thoughts at times about the Wongas of this world.

My latest,probably because i have a giant Punch and Judy embroidery on the wall.

Someone sure took some time making it.Made in 1975

A master of the needle and thread,i feel.

I keep getting visions of them in a Cage Fight with Wongas Puppets.

I am affected.Some of you reading this may think,to true you are old owl.

Bye for now.Tawnyowl.

Edited August 10, 2013 by tawnyowl

Peterbard · August 9, 2013

I agree Tawnyowl, they will respond. I've only ever had to use the complaints email address once to get a response - I haven't read your letter yet, so look forward to that.

What I know to be important is that you state about the automated replies, lack of 'real' communication, and the fact that they seem to intentionally delay things while still adding huge amounts of interest to increase the balance. I suspect you don't need telling that though Wee gem! :-)

Wee gem · August 10, 2013

Hi guys ... Could I have your wise old eyes take a wee glance at this and tell me if its suffice.. Do I need to add anything?

Dear Sir/Madam,

On 28-06-2913 I took out a loan of £830 I would like to make a complaint against your company. The details are set out below.

I had problems paying back my loan because I'm now on such a low income. I contacted you to say I was in financial difficulty and offered to repay the loan at a more affordable rate of £50 per calendar month. You did not respond to my proposal and would not acknowledge my offer of repayment.

I have attempted to contact yourselves multiple times via email,the 1st being on 29-07-2013,proposing a repayment plan.

I had yet to receive a reply to myself that is not automated. However At 17:39 on 29-07-2013 I received an email with a payment plan attached. This email was addressed to another individual and their obvious repayment plan. I have received no communication from yourselves regarding my repayment despite several attempts by myself to resolve this issue. You did however take time to quickly respond via email with an apology for your error in sending me private details of another's repayments and you have unnervingly explained this as a small technical issue,I trust you would understand my concern with this peticular issue.Repaying the loan as the requseted lump sum means I can't afford to keep up with my rent payments and my landlord is threatening me with eviction.I regret that I cannot make the full repayment of this loan but am doing my best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Could you please respond to my request an per my email communication dated 29-07-2013 and further explain why you are providing another wonga clients details to me.

Can you also confirm/assure me that my details have not been passed on to someone else in breach of data protection

I trust interest and any other charges will be frozen from the date that I initially made contact with yourselves regarding repaying my loan and accept my offer of repayment of £50 per month

May I also remind you that you are only to contact myself via email.

If you fail to resolve my complaint within 8 weeks, or if matters are not settled to my satisfaction, I will have no alternative but to refer my complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service and your trade association.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Wee gem

Tawnyowl · August 10, 2013

I personally could not have put it better myself.

This must have took some time to put together.

Now,i suppose this now goes to customercomplaints@wonga. com

Where they do not like surprises. :lol:

And see what comes back.

Nice one Wee gem:-)

Edited August 10, 2013 by tawnyowl

Wee gem · August 10, 2013

Ok that's it sent!! ... I will repost the response if I get one

Oh how I love your quirky,kooky posts tawnyowl,

Love the Punch and Judy v Wongaites cage fight image that you so colourfully painted

'twas a great source of evening entertainment for myself

Will stay in touch

By the way ... The apology I received was actually from "the team"@ wonga HQ... The brutes!!

Wee gem

Tawnyowl · August 11, 2013

Hi wee gem

Well done and i like your spirit.

Composing the letter could not have been easy.

Yes the Cage Fight is still haunting me.Punch and Judy v The Wonga Puppets

I also have visions of a payday loan song being made in this country.

Featuring Pinocchio the puppet.Who sings

And has strings

A rival for theirs.

And a nose that grows and grows.

With every tale they tell or have told.

I have many strange ideas.Head is full of them

Trouble is the thoughts are there.

But what actually happens,you could write on the back of a stamp.

Anyway hoped you liked the songs,deleted now.

Did not want anyone else to enjoy.

Besides last night everyone had left the building it seemed.

They missed the party in here on the C.A.G.

Lets wait for the reply.

They may be busy at the moment in the complaints department. :lol:

And if they do not respond in the way you are happy with

we will once again go on the offensive.

Edited August 11, 2013 by tawnyowl

Wee gem · August 13, 2013

Hi folks I recieved the following from wonga ... They sent this to me on the same day as I sent my complaint although I did not see it as it was sent to junk mail and it seems they have sent it at 8.30 pm and I sent the complaint later that night .... So I'm sure I look like a fool now

Any way his is the email ... There is quit a bit on this form they are asking me for ... What do I absolutely need to complete?

I have already asked for their bank details to make payments into yet they at asking for CPA again!? And I have checked my account and the intrest is still rolling!!,

Hi ,

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

Now we know you’re experiencing some level of financial difficulty, we’ll freeze interest and charges on your account for 38 days. We’ll also stop all collections activity during this time.

We now need you to complete and return the attached income and expenditure form within 38 days, and send us reasons for your current financial hardship plus evidence to support your claim.

It’s important we get the completed form quickly, so we can assess your situation and work out the best solution for both of us.

If you don’t return the form and agree a repayment plan within 38 days, collections activity will restart on your account and interest will continue to accrue. To remind yourself how we collect payments using continuous payment authority if you don’t pay on time, click here.

If you need to speak to us in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to call us on 0800 107 8140 or reply to this email with a convenient time for us to call you.

If you feel you’ll benefit from free, independent money advice, you can contact these organisations:

• Step Change Debt Charity on 0800 138 1111 or online at http://www.stepchange.org/

• Payplan on 0800 280 2816 or online at http://www.payplan.com/

• National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 or online at http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/

• Citizens Advice online at http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ or search their website for your local bureau.

Best wishes,

Hardship Team

Tawnyowl · August 14, 2013

Hi folks I recieved the following from wonga ... They sent this to me on the same day as I sent my complaint although I did not see it as it was sent to junk mail and it seems they have sent it at 8.30 pm and I sent the complaint later that night .... So I'm sure I look like a fool now

No you do not look like a fool Wee wem

I have already asked for their bank details to make payments into yet they at asking for CPA again!? And I have checked my account and the interest is still rolling!!,

Nothing seems to have changed yet.

You were right to complain.

And i feel you are still waiting for a reply which deals with the complaint

You worked hard on the letter and deserve a answer to your questions.

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