Provident - again

Drea · 29 March 2009 at 4:27PM

I think this is probably my third thread about Provident :rolleyes: I must be boring you all to tears. My last thread was this one: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1435249&highlight=provident just for a bit of background.

Now, I moved home, I am now staying with my mum while I hunt for a new flat. Someone did come out to me right before I moved and took two weeks payment and told me he would phone me after those two weeks to find out where I was (I was expecting to have moved to my new flat by then). I didn't hear from him.

I am now in the position where I have the rest of the money ready to be paid off. I phoned them all last week just to find out how much I still owed them (as I have paid a couple of times over the phone too) and on Friday I finally got given the amount and the manager for my old area said he would come out to collect the full payment today 'late afternoon', there hasn't been any sign of him yet, which I am a bit pi*sed off about because I have waited in all day.

After my last post I sent them a letter which wasn't acknowledged at all. I have tried to pay over the phone (been successful twice I think) but usually get told that they aren't allowed to take payments over the phone and for this final payment I want proof that it has been paid off which they can't give me unless someone comes out aparantly. I asked about paying by cheque which can only be done if it has been given to my agent. I realise that this manager might still turn up depending on what he regards as 'late afternoon' but I'm not holding out much hope.

What do I do? Where do I go from here? I'm honestly at the stage where I just wonder what the point trying is! I would rather pay it off then be done with it but they won't let me so what alternative do I have but to disappear off their radar! Not morally right but I have tried everything to pay Provident and they just don't seem to want to take my money!

Any help appreciated

Drea · 29 March 2009 at 5:54PM

As I thought, no show :rolleyes:

Treacle1983 · 29 March 2009 at 5:58PM

Perhaps they have an office you could go to - they must have business premises somewhere?

You could pay by cheque or postal order and that would be proof of payment

GeorgeUK · 29 March 2009 at 7:49PM

How about sending a letter making a full and final settlement offer? If you didn't want to make a F&F offer, but instead pay it off in full, i would write requesting a statement of account and where they would like the payment to be sent.

If you don't get anything from that, write to them and request a copy of their official complaints procedure. If you send that to their head office stating that you have been trying to make payments but have been unsuccessful due to their staff not being able to accept payments over the phone or not showing up, that should hopefully get some action out of them.

Cleosmum · 29 March 2009 at 8:48PM

http://www.edinburghonline.co.uk/info/9986/

Go in with your book and get them to take the payment, make sure you keep your book though.

Drea · 29 March 2009 at 9:19PM

Cleosmum wrote: »

http://www.edinburghonline.co.uk/info/9986/

Go in with your book and get them to take the payment, make sure you keep your book though.

If they are only open Mon-Fri, 9-5 then I won't be able to

unless I had a 'doc appointment' or something I suppose

My book says I owe £325 yet I only owe them £274.51 according to the person I spoke to on the phone as I have paid a few times over the phone. It took them a while to be able to tell me this amount so I am a bit worried if I done that they would argue that I owe the £325... oh this thing has become a nightmare, I have to double check on everything they say and then when something does get arranged it all goes pear shaped anyway.

Thanks for the replies everyone

10past6 · 29 March 2009 at 9:33PM

Drea wrote: »

What do I do? Where do I go from here?

You need to send them a SAR letter, send the following, pay attention to point 1

Data Protection Act 1998 Subject Access Request

Dear Sir/Madam

Account number: xxxxxxxx

Please send me the information which I am entitled to under section 7(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to detailed occurrences relating to the account Numbers xxxxxxxx and xxxxxxxx-x

The following is by no means an exhaustive list but in the main this is what I require.

Please supply me with a complete list of transactions and charges relating to ALL accounting history with your organisation.

Additionally, all records you hold on me relevant to the above accounts, including but not limited to:

1. A transcript of all transactions, including charges, fees, interest, repayments and payments and both the original amount of the loan and any repayments made to the account.

2. Transcriptions of all telephone conversations recorded and any notes made in relation to telephone conversations by your company

3. Where there has been any event in my account history over this period which has required manual intervention by any person, I require disclosure of any indication or notes which have either caused or resulted in that manual intervention, or other evidence of that manual intervention in relation to my account. If you are unable to supply this data because there has been no such manual intervention, then please be so kind as to confirm this in your response

4. True copies of any notice of assignment and/or default notice or enforcement notices that you may have sent to me, with a copy of any proof of postage that you hold.

5. Documents relating to any insurance added to the account, including the insurance contract and terms and conditions, date it was added and deleted.

6. Details of any collection charge added to the account; specifically, the date it was levied, the amount of the charge, a detailed financial breakdown of how the charge was calculated, and what the charge covers.

7. Specific details of the fees/charges levied by any other agency in respect of these accounts and a detailed breakdown of said fees/charges and what each charge relates to and on what date said fees/charges were levied.

8. A genuine copy of any deed of assignment, or proof that you have a legal right to this money.

9. A genuine copy of any notice of fair use of my data as required by the Data Protection Act 1998

10. A list of third party agencies to whom you have disclosed my personal data and a summary of the nature of the information you have disclosed.

11. A copy of all account statements for the duration of the agreement.

12. Please would you also advise me of the logic involved in any automated decisions taken by you about me pursuant to section 7(1) (d) of the Data Protection Act 1998.

13.A True copy of the consumer credit agreement section 77-79 of the Consumer Credit Act of 1974.

Any other information relating to the account.

I enclose the statutory maximum fee of £10. You have 40 days in which to comply. Furthermore, if I discover that you have levied disproportionate penalties against me, I shall be reclaiming them, and reclaiming the enclosed £10 Data Protection Act subject access request fee.

If there is specific information which you require in order to satisfy yourself as to my identity, please let me know by return. However, please note that the above address is the one which you normally use to communicate my private business to me and which you have found to be acceptable.

Drea · 29 March 2009 at 10:29PM

10past6 wrote: »

You need to send them a SAR letter, send the following, pay attention to point 1
Data Protection Act 1998 Subject Access Request

Dear Sir/Madam

Account number: xxxxxxxx

Please send me the information which I am entitled to under section 7(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to detailed occurrences relating to the account Numbers xxxxxxxx and xxxxxxxx-x

The following is by no means an exhaustive list but in the main this is what I require.

Please supply me with a complete list of transactions and charges relating to ALL accounting history with your organisation.

Additionally, all records you hold on me relevant to the above accounts, including but not limited to:

1. A transcript of all transactions, including charges, fees, interest, repayments and payments and both the original amount of the loan and any repayments made to the account.

2. Transcriptions of all telephone conversations recorded and any notes made in relation to telephone conversations by your company

3. Where there has been any event in my account history over this period which has required manual intervention by any person, I require disclosure of any indication or notes which have either caused or resulted in that manual intervention, or other evidence of that manual intervention in relation to my account. If you are unable to supply this data because there has been no such manual intervention, then please be so kind as to confirm this in your response

4. True copies of any notice of assignment and/or default notice or enforcement notices that you may have sent to me, with a copy of any proof of postage that you hold.

5. Documents relating to any insurance added to the account, including the insurance contract and terms and conditions, date it was added and deleted.

6. Details of any collection charge added to the account; specifically, the date it was levied, the amount of the charge, a detailed financial breakdown of how the charge was calculated, and what the charge covers.

7. Specific details of the fees/charges levied by any other agency in respect of these accounts and a detailed breakdown of said fees/charges and what each charge relates to and on what date said fees/charges were levied.

8. A genuine copy of any deed of assignment, or proof that you have a legal right to this money.

9. A genuine copy of any notice of fair use of my data as required by the Data Protection Act 1998

10. A list of third party agencies to whom you have disclosed my personal data and a summary of the nature of the information you have disclosed.

11. A copy of all account statements for the duration of the agreement.

12. Please would you also advise me of the logic involved in any automated decisions taken by you about me pursuant to section 7(1) (d) of the Data Protection Act 1998.

13.A True copy of the consumer credit agreement section 77-79 of the Consumer Credit Act of 1974.

Any other information relating to the account.

I enclose the statutory maximum fee of £10. You have 40 days in which to comply. Furthermore, if I discover that you have levied disproportionate penalties against me, I shall be reclaiming them, and reclaiming the enclosed £10 Data Protection Act subject access request fee.

If there is specific information which you require in order to satisfy yourself as to my identity, please let me know by return. However, please note that the above address is the one which you normally use to communicate my private business to me and which you have found to be acceptable.

Thanks for that. At least it would let me know how much I actually owe, and I guess they are obliged to reply to it? How do I pay the £10? Cheque or would I be okay to put a £10 note in?

I don't have an account number, they go through each address I've been at until they find me (they don't seem able to update their records to the address I am actually at!) which also makes the point about 'this is the address you send details to me' a bit off too. Could I just change the letter to add all this in?

Sorry, I haven't a clue about this

Cleosmum · 29 March 2009 at 10:36PM

Hmm someone should have been round to update your book with the phone payments, not good! Do you know anyone else that uses provvy? Would be worth talking to their collector, they may be able to take you on.

Provident are in my baaad books, they recently gave my mum a loan even though they knew she would struggle to repay it - responsible lenders my A***

10past6 · 29 March 2009 at 10:41PM

Drea wrote: »

Thanks for that. At least it would let me know how much I actually owe, and I guess they are obliged to reply to it?

Yes

Drea wrote: »

How do I pay the £10? Cheque or would I be okay to put a £10 note in?

Do not send cash, use either a cheque or postal order.

Drea wrote: »

I don't have an account number, they go through each address I've been at until they find me (they don't seem able to update their records to the address I am actually at!) which also makes the point about 'this is the address you send details to me' a bit off too. Could I just change the letter to add all this in?

Amend the letter to suite your needs