CCA Section 75 Row!

catnamedog

Hi
I paid £2350 to a "career guidance consultant" almost a year ago, as half of his fee. I paid using my Co-Operative Bank Visa Credit Card. The deal was that I would get up to 1 years guidance, and if I got a job paying at least £60K, then I would pay the remaining £2350. If I had not landed such a job, he would refund the £2350 he'd already paid me.
He went bust about 4 weeks after I'd started, made all his consultants redundant, and generally disappeared - no-one could contact him.
When I asked the C-Op Bank for my money refunded under section 75 of the CCA, they faffed about for a long time before telling me that they could no longer help me, and that the debt was mine.
I have no money to sue them and I'm now stuck with this debt, no job, and bleak prospects. Can anyone advise me? I've already complained to the FS Ombudsman, but I don't have any faith in them. Please help.

---lee---

A couple of thoughts:

As the CC company now say the debt is yours (and I'm not saying it is - let's hope they can still be held jointly liable), I guess this means you are entitled to try to recover the money:

1. Is this fraud? Were you conned out of the money - would the police have an interest?

2. Could you make a claim through small claims court? Do you have a contract etc to support the claim?

I'm sure others more knowledge will be along to advice.