Help with Freemans Flex Account please - balance xferd without my authority

kimdegsidash

Hi

I've been a customer of Freemans for years and always had an interest free account with them. In October 2008 I got a sales call in which I was offered a Flex account to run alongside my interest free account. The salesperson said I didn't have to do anything, it wouldn't cost me anything blah blah blah so I agreed over the phone. The Flex account is the type that you can take payment holidays, make lower payments etc, but monthly interest would be charged - if you add ordered items to that account, which I HAVE NOT DONE. They sent me a new credit agreement in the post, but I didn't sign it or send it back.

Since then I continued paying the minimum on my interest free account online. Made the mistake of not opening my paper statements as I view and manage my account online. I just clicked on make a payment and sent it off, never the wiser.

However, I have had a difficult couple of months and not paid them the minimum payment of £13 for two months since January 2009. I wrote to them early Feb offering a token payment of £1 until I get back on my feet in March (return to work after maternity). Paid £1 at the bank. Had a reply yesterday flat out refusing and saying they are transferring me to a Group Collection Service.

So, in an effort to understand why they are being so mean, I sat down today and opened my statements since October 2008.

:mad: I am shocked to find that they transferred £36 (the balance outstanding on my interest free account) accross to the Flex account on 20 October 2008 and have been charging me interest on it since then, plus 2 lots of £12 default charges for not making the minimum payments in Jan/Feb 2009. So my balance on the Flex account is now £27.70 when it should be nil.

I know the amounts involved aren't massive, but I have lots of debt elsewhere and a Buy Now Pay Later balance of £403 went onto the interest free account in January.

Obviously I need to call them to get to the bottom of this:

1) Why they transferred a balance without my authority and at a time when I was making regular payments and not in default.

2) Why they won't negotiate with me for this relatively short period of time after having been a long-standing customer.

Any tips on how to deal with this, fellow DFW's?