Debt advice needed please

moosetastic

Hi there,

Firstly Im new to this site, but I hope someone can offer me some advice.

Im writing on behalf of my parents. They have had a lot of debt problems over the years, and now, finally, they have contacted CCCS and have sorted out a debt solution problem.

They now have a "Debt Management System" where they pay 51% back to the creditors of the original monthly payments. They set up a new bank account to do this, and everything was ok.

However, since October 2004, the bank they were with has been claiming the 51% payment from their new bank account and the other 49% from their old bank account, despite my parents protests. Obviously there is no money in this old bank account, so it is racking up charges, at last count the debt was over £700, in charges alone!

The bank had accepted the terms of the CCCS agreement originally, until March this year when they carried on accepting the agreement for my dad's loan, yet they would not accept the agreement for my mum's loan, and have passed the debt to a debt agency, despite the fact that during the 1st 18 months of the agreement, no payment was ever missed.

Can anyone please offer me any advice as my parents are now both in their 60's and really don't need the pressure of an extra £700 debt!!!

Thanks for help in advance

MCBIRNIE25

Best thing to do is shut the old account, then go see the thread on reclaiming charges.

moosetastic

Thank you for your help. I am in the process of getting the letters for reclaiming the charges, will pass on about closing the account down, obviously something they should have done at the beginning

any other advice from anyone? I would totally appreciate it x

tawnyowls

Contact the CCCS again. I'm sure they will be very interested to hear what's happening, and should send the bank a stiff letter.

moosetastic

Thanks Tawnyowls. I mentioned this to my mum tonight when she passed this on to me, she said the CCCS said -
"Oh, they do this all the time, dont worry they will soon get fed up of asking for the money!" , something I didn't think they would say at all to be honest!

I've been to the comsumer advice group and downloaded the template letters for reclaiming the money. To be honest, I'm thinking of doing it myself

moosetastic

anyone else got any advice for me?

moosetastic

could anyone else please help?

moosetastic

right, both me and my parents have sent off letters to our banks to find out about reclaiming our charges back. In realistic terms, how likely is it that we will get a favourable outcome?

Sea78

I think that it is highly likely, from what I've read so far on bank charges claims. I would check with your parents about what exactly CCCS says about the 49% as this is against what was set up. Is their new account with the same bank? Could they change this account to a bank they have no dealings with?

Regarding the charges - have you all written asking for the charges back, or just to find out how to do it? I'm a bit confused...the bank is unlikely to help...

Sea xx

moosetastic

The new bank account they have is with a different bank. All my parents have said about the CCCS is " they will get bored of it eventually". They have even had to arrange a payment plan with this bank of £5 a month to pay it off!!

As for the bank charges, we are claiming them back in general, with the help of the letters on the Consumer website (linked to on the home page here). Have just sent the Data Protection letters off to see exactly how much they do owe us so only at the early stages of that. Sorry for the confusion.

Its just I am so mad with the bank for doing this to my parents, who, like I said, are both in their 60's and it seems the bank are taking them for a ride :mad: