Night Monkey's diary

[Roger]

As far as I can recall they just returned my letter and the postal order with no comment or cover note; everything else I either sent recorded (two HSBC), received a reply stating that that the debt was unenforceable but that I should keep paying anyway (Santander) or was deemed enforceable (MBNA).

THEY can you prove that THEY sent it back?
Was it in their envelope? Anything written on the envelope? Doesn't matter if there was no comment! All that matters is evidence that they received it!
AAD recommend always saving Envelopes by the way and writing the received date on the envelope!!

[Night Monkey]

what did you get back?
as long as you sent it and they returned it with a letter saying why you made the request.
Did they say you had to sent the request to Barclays ?

As far as I can recall they just returned my letter and the postal order with no comment or cover note; everything else I either sent recorded (two HSBC), received a reply stating that that the debt was unenforceable but that I should keep paying anyway (Santander) or was deemed enforceable (MBNA).

[nightwatch]

what did you get back?
as long as you sent it and they returned it with a letter saying why you made the request.
Did they say you had to sent the request to Barclays ?

[Night Monkey]

Type of account - Barclaycard credit card
Date commenced - Approx 2012
Approx balance - £7300
Date last paid - Early 2018
Are you on arrangement or not paying - DMP with StepChange
Status - default
Account owner - PRA Group (UK) Ltd.

17.8.19 Requested CCA details
22.8.19 Returned £1 postal order with above letter, no specific mention of this account
26.3.20 Received statement from PRA, ~£6700 outstanding, ~£650 received.

It occurs to me that this was one of the first CCA requests I made and didn't send it recorded - is it worth doing again to properly document that I've done it?

[Night Monkey]

Well, now seems as good a time as any.

I've informed StepChange that we're going self-managed and have canceled the direct debit. I've also set up a monthly standing order sending the £308 that we've been paying them into savings to give us a fighting fund.

So far of five accounts one (MBNA, ~£8500 currently with PRA) has been deemed enforceable, HSBC has ignored two CCA requests and two others have so far been unable to provide them.

We have so far paid ~£4500 through StepChange and ~£31000 remains.

I like being in control, it's been a while. Long may it continue.

[Night Monkey]

Sent a hand-signed copy, let's see if this cuts it.

[Night Monkey]

The letter of authority you attached from your wife is only a printed signature and we need a handwritten signature that matches the one we have on record.

They're starting to annoy me now.

[nightwatch]

I've just received an email from StepChange saying that they can't supply the requested information without my wife's authorisation as 'some debts are held in joint names'.

I duly provided that authority but it seems odd - are they just erring on the side of caution?

They also posed the question 'Is there some particular information you require so that we can target this for you'?

I ignored that bit.

They do need your wife's permission to send detail's that are in her name, DPA,
It gets quite funny at times as I deal with all our debt's so if we need to send a SAR for Hubbys account's, I send it and I sign it in his name, so much for security

[Night Monkey]

I've just joined AAD+ because I'm in a position to be able to, and frankly you guys deserve it.

Thanks for your help so far, and looking forward to moving on...

[Night Monkey]

I've just received an email from StepChange saying that they can't supply the requested information without my wife's authorisation as 'some debts are held in joint names'.

I duly provided that authority but it seems odd - are they just erring on the side of caution?

They also posed the question 'Is there some particular information you require so that we can target this for you'?

I ignored that bit.

[Night Monkey]

Use them to get it all set up then do it yourself. Use and abuse them.

This, more by luck than judgement, seems to be our current plan .

[Warwick65]

I think many people forget that these so called charities are funded by providers and purchasers. It is part of their due diligence in treating customers fairly which they have to prove to get a licence. So it’s not charity but a cost of doing business.

That said, for some people they be useful particularly if the level of debt is causing mental health problems. Use them to get it all set up then do it yourself. Use and abuse them.

[Night Monkey]

Sent GDPR request to StepChange, let's see what that brings.

I'm quite looking forward to that, actually.

[Night Monkey]

@NW - No questions at all at the moment thanks, I think we just need to bite the bullet.

And sending an SAR to StepChange is a brilliant idea, I'll do that this weekend.

@Di -

DMPs set up by charities are a way of outsourcing their debt collection activities in a seemingly respectable way.

is a sobering insight - thanks for that.


Onwards & upwards ...

[nightwatch]

if you decide to go self managed you normaly stop all payment's, but you would need to ask your DMC for an upto date staement of the account(s).
You will also need to send them a SAR, then you can find out who owns the debts and if they have been passed to any other companys that you haven't been informed of.
when you stop payment's you will be bombarded by phone calls, resist the urge to talk to them on the phone, every thing in writing,
some will contact you as soon as they know you have stopped dealing through a DMC,
others may take a while to notice.
during this time the money you would be paying out can be put to one side, this is a back up fund for any that get stroppy.

as has been said, some DMC's are not as impartial as they seem, some are given donations by the very company's you are in debt with, so it helps them to get a good payment from you.

most of the companys you owe to will eventually send a letter asking for you to make/ set up, a repayment plan,it will give you details of who owns the debt, what is owing, also it may contain the date they took over the debt,
they will send an I&E form, you do not need to fill this in, if you wish to pay them anything, you offer them xx amount stating that is all you can afford at that time.

Any that you have sent a CCA to that have not replied or are UE , can be filed away for now, but please up date your diary so we can keep on top of anything that may need advice.
any still with the original lender, will need nerves of steel at the outset, or they may sell it on ASAP when payment's stop, this is when you can sometimes get a good F&F from the purchaser, but may take awhile.

Any Questions??

NW x