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Hi everyone, I'm new to this site but registered after googling Arden to find out if other people had been having trouble with them, and to share my story and what I'm doing.
I had an arrangement with them (originally Mint loans) to make affordable repayments of £40 per month for 6 months. As soon as six months passed, I was contacted by phone demanding a review of my circumstances to see if the payments could be increased. I said everything was the same and I would continue to make the payments as before, and send out an updated (but very similar) income/expenditure statement because I didnt have all those details in my head, naturally.
From then on every day for about 10 days I got inundated wit phone calls asking for the same information, an average of 10 calls per day. I kept saying the information had been posted, but the calls still came. One staff member asked for a £10 'Holding Fee' which would stop the calls for a time, until my information was processed, and stupidly I paid this fee. I was told later this would not stop the calls.
Eventually the calls did stop, but only after telling them I was going to report them to the police for harrassment. I complained to Arden in writing about my treatment, and the holding fee - and had no reply at all.
After no reply to my written complaints after 8 weeks had passed, (and researching using internet!) I wrote to both the FSA and the OFT to complain about Arden. The FSA have just wrote back saying there is an approx. wait of 8 weeks till I hear from them again due to a large number of complaints. The office of fair trading do not investigate individual complaints, but do look into whether companies are fit an proper to hold a credit licence. So my complaint is now on their files and if there are several complaints they may investigate further.
That's basically my story so far. I would urge others in the same boat as me to complain in writing and hopefully get this disgraceful company closed down.
I had an arrangement with them (originally Mint loans) to make affordable repayments of £40 per month for 6 months. As soon as six months passed, I was contacted by phone demanding a review of my circumstances to see if the payments could be increased. I said everything was the same and I would continue to make the payments as before, and send out an updated (but very similar) income/expenditure statement because I didnt have all those details in my head, naturally.
From then on every day for about 10 days I got inundated wit phone calls asking for the same information, an average of 10 calls per day. I kept saying the information had been posted, but the calls still came. One staff member asked for a £10 'Holding Fee' which would stop the calls for a time, until my information was processed, and stupidly I paid this fee. I was told later this would not stop the calls.
Eventually the calls did stop, but only after telling them I was going to report them to the police for harrassment. I complained to Arden in writing about my treatment, and the holding fee - and had no reply at all.
After no reply to my written complaints after 8 weeks had passed, (and researching using internet!) I wrote to both the FSA and the OFT to complain about Arden. The FSA have just wrote back saying there is an approx. wait of 8 weeks till I hear from them again due to a large number of complaints. The office of fair trading do not investigate individual complaints, but do look into whether companies are fit an proper to hold a credit licence. So my complaint is now on their files and if there are several complaints they may investigate further.
That's basically my story so far. I would urge others in the same boat as me to complain in writing and hopefully get this disgraceful company closed down.
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