Credit Card HELL!

Skiba24

Hi. Just joined the site! I just wondered if anyone could help or has had experience with this dilemma? I have a large debt with Halifax £6300. I had a credit card and built up the debt over 5 years. I wrote to Halifax and asked if I could have reduced payments and they agreed I could pay £20per month. They wrote to me last month and explained I could no longer have this agreement as they only grant this for 12 months max. They suggested other things I could do, I am currently looking at my options. They wrote me the usual demand letter, as I did not send payment last month for the amount required. They assumed I was going to revert back to paying my normal payment. I sent off a letter explaining that my situation was still the same and I couldn't afford to pay the monthly payments. They also asked for a statement of affairs which I sent with the letter. I went to check my Halifax current account on Friday and found that I had a lot less money than I thought. I asked for a print out and £284 had gone out of my current account. Someone internally had taken the payment owed! They can see now they have received my statement of affairs that I can't afford that sort of money to go out of my account! (I am left with £70 to pay debt after all my essentials have been taken out.) I called the collections dept
(which to be fair I suppose I should of called before now and shouldn't of really relied on post correspondence?)I hate talking to them though! They said they couldn't find my details at that moment so I just gave them an idea of what had happened. The guy I spoke to said I might be able to get a refund on the payment that has been taken out of my account? I understand that I owe money to Halifax but they surely can't take money out of my account without letting me know? I have received a letter now informing me they have recovered the money from my active current account. However, the money got taken on the 28th July and the letter arrived on Friday 1st August. I am unable to afford all my essential bills now, so I don't know what to do?!If I hadn't got another Halifax account they wouldn't of been able to do this! I need to call the manager on Monday with my details as I didn't have them when I was panicking on Friday at work! If anyone can let me know how likely it is I will get some or all of the payment back, PLEASE let me know!

Thanks!

bethanyrayne

Similar problem in this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1069805

NickX

Just to re-iterate the Barclaycard thread for anyone else in this position.

If you are struggling paying your Credit Card debt, then make sure your income and any other funds are NOT in a Current Account of a bank within the same group as the debt.

They have clauses in the Terms and Conditions that specify their right to claim their repayments from other accounts that they can access.

If you keep your funds in a non-linked account, they cannot get their hands on your funds and you have control over when you pay them and when.

Skiba24

Hi all! I have contacted Halifax and they were unhelpful at first. A guy kept telling me that I was up to date and he couldn't bring up any info because the collections dept were no longer dealing with it. I know I'm up to date! I just can't afford to be! I rang back through and spoke to another lady who was nice and she informed me that unless I can provide proof that I need the money for a specific bill that needs to be paid, there would be no refund? I said that a lot of the bills are in my partners name as I have quite bad credit. We do have a few joint things to pay (council tax and Swalec electric-gas.)
I have paper proof they need to be paid but I don't generally pay these- it goes out of my partners account! I asked how I can prove I need diesel to get to work and eat food?! I have sent my financial statement and am now waiting a reply? Has anyone had experience with this procedure before? how successful is it? It's not knowing whether I will get any money back that's the pain in the !!!!! I think changing banks has been on the cards for a whole as I have had the old bank charges arguments with them many times! Luckily my Mum has been able to lend me a few pound to keep me going! Don't know what I would do if not?


Any replies, thanks in advance!
Skiba24