Prevent Credit?

osaddict

Ok, this is a rather sensitive topic, however, I hope someone here can advise. I have a friend who's partner seems to have a weakness for catalogue shopping - littlewoods etc.

As most of you on this forum, and especially this section know, these firms are only too keen to offer credit to you, even if you're a very unlikely to get any form of credit from anywhere else, ever. You'll also know typical APRs can be astronomical.

Well, it turns out she tends to buy lots of stuff then ignore the bills, so the interest rapidly mounts up, until nasty letters are sent, then my friend has to bail his partner out to prevent bailifts coming round or something.

So, can a person (even if she does this herself) be on some kind of central list where by companies know they cannot offer credit to this person?

This has happened before, in fact I'd say it's been occuring at various intervals and with various amounts over the last 10-15 years. With money being especially tight now for my friend he's woried what will happen if she does not stop and he cannot bail her out (his savings are nearly down to nothing now).

So, can anyone advise? - I know longer term it's about educating the person, but right now I'm thinking short term damage limitation.

Thanks.

RAS

Hi

Does the friend have any bank accounts or a mortgage with their partner?

if not, then the way they are going about things pretty much ensures that the partner will continue to get credit and continue doing the same thing again and again. Why? Because the friend keeps on paying off the debt, so the catalogues will keep on lending until the partner's credit rating is suitably wrecked.

We also need to know whether the friend has actually has bailiffs at the door or wheter there have just been threats of bailiffs and debt collectors (who have NO legal rights at all).

The startig point is s/he has to stop paying off the debts but we need some answers to help effectively.

osaddict

RAS wrote: »

Hi
Does the friend have any bank accounts or a mortgage with their partner?

if not, then the way they are going about things pretty much ensures that the partner will continue to get credit and continue doing the same thing again and again. Why? Because the friend keeps on paying off the debt, so the catalogues will keep on lending until the partner's credit rating is suitably wrecked.

We also need to know whether the friend has actually has bailiffs at the door or wheter there have just been threats of bailiffs and debt collectors (who have NO legal rights at all).

The startig point is s/he has to stop paying off the debts but we need some answers to help effectively.

Thanks for the reply, to my knowledge the morgage is in my friends name only, not joint (I should double check this though), I also don't think they have any joint accounts.

As regards the bailifs thing, again I would have to check this out too.

Not much help at the moment, but when I get more info I'll be sure to post it.

osaddict

Just found out it's as I suspected - no joint account and not on the morgtgage, aparantly her credit rating was too bad to even be on their in a joint effort.

No bailifs to my knowledge have visited the house (yet)

DarkConvict

If it has been on going for 10-15 years i do not believe she is going to learn by asking, but will need the tough love approach. If she does run it up, or even might be a good idea now to get an agreement with her partner before she does. 'I won't bail you out', let her sweat under it and deal with it herself even to the point of bankruptcy.

Sadly some people do not learn, i know someone who has just gone bankrupt for the 3rd time in 20 years.

MrsTinks

I think you can get a marker put on your files - not certain if it would be a CIFAS marker... maybe contacting the credit agencies direct would help on that one - however: The creditors cannot send Bailiffs until the debt has been taken through the CCJ process and she has failed to pay the CCJ. Then they can return to court and get bailiffs involved. SHOULD that happen then they cannot touch her partners possessions - only things in HER name (like if she has a car in her name) although it can be a pain to go through stuff saying "mine mine mine hers mine mine - receipts are handy but it is possible to get round it if they don't have them).
Your friend needs to stop bailing his partner out! She's learnt that there is no consequences to her actions and sees no reason to stop - well now the pot of money has run out and he HAS to stop bailing her out!
Let her deal with her own problems - one day she HAS to learn...

property.advert

Maybe the best advise would be to dump her. If she is dragging him down, as it appears, then that would be best for him and leave her to sort out her own mess as she will never learn.

osaddict

MrsTine wrote: »

I think you can get a marker put on your files - not certain if it would be a CIFAS marker... maybe contacting the credit agencies direct would help on that one - however: The creditors cannot send Bailiffs until the debt has been taken through the CCJ process and she has failed to pay the CCJ. Then they can return to court and get bailiffs involved. SHOULD that happen then they cannot touch her partners possessions - only things in HER name (like if she has a car in her name) although it can be a pain to go through stuff saying "mine mine mine hers mine mine - receipts are handy but it is possible to get round it if they don't have them).
Your friend needs to stop bailing his partner out! She's learnt that there is no consequences to her actions and sees no reason to stop - well now the pot of money has run out and he HAS to stop bailing her out!
Let her deal with her own problems - one day she HAS to learn...

Thanks for the info on the marker thing, I'll look into that further. As far as I know she owns very little in the house bar her clothes.

Bankrupcy 3 times in 20 years, crikey, I just cannot comprehend something like that, I guess I should count myself lucky that I'm fairly financially savvy and disciplined!

osaddict

property.advert wrote: »

Maybe the best advise would be to dump her. If she is dragging him down, as it appears, then that would be best for him and leave her to sort out her own mess as she will never learn.

If it were me in the same situation then yeah, I agree, however, it's not and I know that's not a possibility.

From a technical perspective I think I'll make some changes to her browser settings on her profile on their laptop so online shoping becomes very difficult, sure stuff comes through the post, but not as much these days.

shadydaz

osaddict wrote: »

From a technical perspective I think I'll make some changes to her browser settings on her profile on their laptop so online shoping becomes very difficult, sure stuff comes through the post, but not as much these days.

That is a cracking idea, how do i do it to my wife? She is learning slowly but still suseptable to the lure of Internet Shopping!!:mad:

DarkConvict

shadydaz wrote: »

That is a cracking idea, how do i do it to my wife? She is learning slowly but still suseptable to the lure of Internet Shopping!!:mad:

Its simple to do.

Open the hosts file and add in the lines of shopping sites.

1) Goto C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC

2) Open HOSTS in notepad

3) Start adding to the bottom

# An example HOSTS file.
127.0.0.1 https://www.littlewoods.com
127.0.0.1 https://www.argos.co.uk

Basically what happens is the browser will look to see if it knows the location of https://www.littlewoods.com, you host file says yes here is the IP address. The IP address is the IP of your own machine/network card, not the website so nothing is displayed.

Fromt he above sample, littlewoods and argos can't be accessed on the machine.