Barclaycard CCA's - How are people getting on?

eira

RE Barclaycard

Had BC accounts that I was paying until husband left leaving me with massive debts . Non payment/late payments of 'maintenance' money escalated until the situation became impossible. In meantime had paid out for services of a very crooked 'emigration agency'. Had paid for this with said BC so claimed under Section 75 sending them all the paperwork. In the meantime they passed me on to Mercers who represented themselves as a separate company.BC wouldn't talk to me and neither would Mercers.As I was on my own with 2 young kids (one disabled ) I coughed up

What I think then must have happened is that they sold me on and that their record keeping hasn't been too rigorous. I don't know where they got the account nos from- there are 4 digits correct and the rest just isn't mine either in number or in the alleged sum owned. I don't know where they got it from but it isn't mine. As for the Lowell bit-who knows what's going on-but this has dragged on for nearly 12 years !


And before anyone says it, I am not ducking out of matrimonial debts, but I do resent these debts that were cheerfully engineered to be left in my name. I know I was naive and stupid but I have paid (in all respects) a heavy price for it. I just don't want my kids saddled with the residue of these debts if I peg it before they're paid off

I agree that if you owe you should pay up but the amount of bullying that goes on in the debt industry is dreadful. If more people stood up and demanded that the paperwork was legally correct it would perhaps give these companies pause for thought. It's horrific the number of people on this and other forums who've been frightened and intimidated by 'solicitors' or 'other companies' used as bullying tactics. Whatever the official guidelines they aren't being kept
to .
I know that maybe things have moved on a bit since Dickensian times but there does seem to be a prevailing odour that if you are a debtor you are somehow to blame and deserve what you get. I think that if more people stood up and demanded that the DCA comply with the law it would go some way to them cleaning up their act

Rant over !!

workingmumoftwo_2

Hi Eira
Didn't want to upset anyone-I can see your point, but this CCA business appears to have lots of people on the band wagon who say they are their debts but because a CCA cannot br supplied, it is not enforceable. I would love to tell Bcd to get stuffed especially with the hounding of calls from 8am to 9pm, and I now too have Mercers on my back. I have sent offfer letters which is not enough so I will just have to wave a magic wand and the fairies overnight will leave a bag full of dosh under my door!! I want to pay then back but never will with the amount of interest and charges they are adding. I do hope you get yours sorted out. I have 2 small children too and am trying to keep a roof over my head in the current climate.

gargrave50

Hi all, I appreciate how many people view the CCA requests. Personally, and I can't speak for others on the site, I have a moral obligation to pay the money I owe. I have requested CCA from all creditors purely because if there is no CCA then I am hoping to use this as leverage to make lower F&F offers. Right or wrong, at the rate they are piling on the interest and charges I will otherwise never been able to repay the debt given that I am making reduced payments which don't cover the extras they are bundling on. The only way I can "get rid" of these debts is in the hope they accept a F&F.

If that magic wand works working mum - can I borrow it?:D

eira

No offence taken. Mercers is BC and that's when my nightmare started. If you go on the Consumer Forums you will find an army of people with comnplaints re BC. I contacted Debtline (the charity) . Thanks to them I did get the interest suspended on the accounts which has helped immeasurably. I think they're open today. But I know what it's like-when you've got young children the thought of a collector at the door is horrifying so you pay up. If I'd had these forums when my situation first started it would have saved me immeasurable distress. Coming on here you realise a)it's happened to others b)there is a way out c)people have been there and know what it's like. Until you've run into these debt collectors you can have no idea what they do

Do contact Debtline (I think that's the right name ) and keep everything /do everything in wiriting. I made the mistake of ringing them up-they bully you/deny things have been said/and don't tell the truth. Give what I've been reading re BC in particular-especially when the Mercers bit clicks in- a papertrail is an essential


Hope it works out ok

gargrave50

Thanks Eira, i'm a stickler for doing everything in writing thankfully.

I haven't had the pleasure of Mercers yet but I'm sure its coming:)

workingmumoftwo_2

Thank you. I have spoken to CCCS and to be honest I was trying to do this myself as its difficult to speak to anyone at these agencies and I felt I could do this myself. I work FT and by the time I get home and everything else is done its usally after they close. I am now getting to the stage where I think I should let someone else deal with it then I might stand a chance. I'm the same as gargrave that if they don't stop the interest, then I may never pay them off. I do like the idea of having a hold over them if they cannot produce the CCA so I think I will speak to CCCS about this. Speaking to all of you is so helpfull. I could not speak to my friends about this as I am too proud so I feel I am in good company!! What makes me laugh is that is says on the banks literature that they are here to help. I think this must mean help themselves!!

gargrave50

Hi working mum,

Just to say don't bother speaking to CCCS about requesting CCA's that is something you need to do yourself. I have a template letter I can post if you wish.

workingmumoftwo_2

Just wondered what CCCS thoughts were about the matter.

gargrave50

Sorry I thought you meant getting them to request it on your behalf as part of a DMP.:doh:

BlueIsTheColour

The reason I applied for the CCA was because I wanted to try and get some leverage for them to accept the payments I was offering them. I tried being reasonable and honest with them, but they were sooooo unhelpful it was untrue. Trying to get the CCA meant I could hopefully negotiate the payments I was able to afford to be accepted and similar to as has been said, I hope to be able, at some point in the future, to offer a lower F&F.

For me it wasn't about not paying, it was about taking some of the pressure off, as a friend puts it "Its a shield, not a sword"

I di find it interesting reading peoples BCard tales tho, and for saying they are one of the biggest banks, their customer service is atrocious and their ability to masquerade as many different DCA's etc is terrible and it really should be made a lot more clear, but as has been said too, that's how they scare people into agreeing to things they can't afford, compounding peoples difficulties....