mbna round for tea?

looby75

I have a credit card with mbna, it had a balance on it when my soon to be ex left us out of the blue. I had to go on benefits but because of a total balls up by both IS and CTC I had to live on my credit card for almost 4 months, then again for 8 weeks a year later (again because of mistake by ctc) my min payments are £75 a month which I can JUST about afford but with 2 kids in the house and the price of day to day things going up (just had another letter about my gas and electric charges increasing) it's getting harder and harder.

I know there will be a time where I can't afford to pay the min charge, I'm just about treading water now and I'm terrified of having to deal with them when the time comes

jaja_3

£75 per month:eek:

We settled ours through CAB, and now pay £9 per month. Needless to say they would not listen to us (hardly surprising when they were in the process of being done for harrassement) but they listened to the CAB and the I&E form.

Shame I cant sort out the gas n leccy arrears as easy:rolleyes:

jaja

looby75

jaja wrote:

and now pay £9 per month.

I wish I only had to pay that

I know it's my own fault (well partly my kids still had to eat and bills still had to be paid while the stupid jobcenter worked out that Durham is NOT the same place as Newcastle :rolleyes: and the tax credits people lost all my forms 3 times!) and I know I have to pay this money back but it just feels like I will be paying it forever and ever. Getting a job isn't an option for me at the moment, my ds is ill and I don't live near my family so there is noone to help me look after him, so I'm stuck paying the minimum balance off every month

keith_lard

MBNA

---

COMPLETE IDIOTS!!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

Have told many people about them and what they have done to me!:rolleyes:

Cost them minimum 50 customers!!!!:T :T :T :T

AVOID AVIOD AVIOD.:beer: :beer:


k.:o

justheclothesonmyback

mm2000 wrote:

Caan I ask how much your debt to MBNA is. If below £5,000 then the courts would be unlikely to award them interest if it went to court for a CCJ. If this is the case for you send them a letter that unless they cease with the interest charges and accept your offer you will withdraw any further payments or tell them as you are unable to make payments to freeze interest payments you will have to consider declaring yourself Bankrupt. A little bluff can go along way sometimes.

Unfortunately, not below £5000 (and in a letter last month they did in fact offer me a full and final figure of £1000 odd off the balance, which, erm, hello? if i could afford, I don't think I would be in present dire straits!!)

Actually just sent a letter almost two weeks ago now that included most of what you've suggested above, i.e. that my payments aren't anywhere near close to paying off even the charges and interest and so whats the point then of my continuing with making them? I implied that I would withold payments but didn't actually state that (as i read that if it ever goes to court it will be better for me if i can prove that i have been making whatever payments i can afford, so i will continue making them, but not for another week or so to see what their response is).

With my letter I included a copy of the last 6 months statements and highlighted the monthly £50 charge (£25 overlimit - due to charges and compound interest, and £25 late charge - though I never know when the exact due date is because for the last few months there is no due date on the statement, just 'payment is due on your account immediately). The reason I did this is because I thought, 'may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb,' and added this paragraph:
'I have been independently advised that your charges are contrary to the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and may consider the process of reclaiming these charges at a later date.

I've had two letters, one saying they take any complaints seriously, blah, blah, and will get back to me within 28 days - I'm assuming this is in response to the above paragraph.

Then the second letter, two days after the first which seems to totally ignore my letter and is a continuation of their regular warning letters, but this time threatening to send their heavies round for tea...

So will wait another week to see if there's any more letters before making this month's payment - I guess I'm holding out in the hope they realise it's more constructive to freeze interest and charges - for a short time anyway - it would certainly help me towards getting back on my feet...
Anyways, I thought there was supposed to be something in the banking code to the effect that they shouldn't kick you while you were down, i.e. they should offer support when you're in trouble?

Maybe my next step should be your suggestion of telling them I may have to consider bankruptcy - not too much of a bluff there, mate, if things carry on like this...:(

Anyroads, thanks all for your input.

jaja_3

Looby - cant you visit the CAB and tell them you cant afford it, they will help with I&E form and speak with the MBNA crooks on your behalf?

Keith, I would love to know what you did to them?? We only got £50 compo from them and they got a slapped wrist for harrassment, surely if more people did this something could be done?

jaja

justheclothesonmyback

looby75 wrote:

I know there will be a time where I can't afford to pay the min charge, I'm just about treading water now and I'm terrified of having to deal with them when the time comes

Word of advice looby, get in touch with them now, just tell them you anticipate difficulty with payments and explain the situation matter-of-factly - easy said than done I know.:rolleyes: I think I recall out of the squillions of posts here that there was maybe a lonely one out there that say mbna have been OK to deal with - I wish I'd been given the advice to get in touch with them sooner, I think it may have been my prolonged 'head in sand' phase that peed them off when I finally faced the fact that fairy godmother had done a runner and plucked up the courage to phone them.

looby75

justheclothesonmyback wrote:

Word of advice looby, get in touch with them now, just tell them you anticipate difficulty with payments and explain the situation matter-of-factly - easy said than done I know.:rolleyes: I think I recall out of the squillions of posts here that there was maybe a lonely one out there that say mbna have been OK to deal with - I wish I'd been given the advice to get in touch with them sooner, I think it may have been my prolonged 'head in sand' phase that peed them off when I finally faced the fact that fairy godmother had done a runner and plucked up the courage to phone them.

The thing is I have no real reason for anticipating difficulty other than the rising cost of living. I haven't used my card in 7 months, but they keep upping my credit limit. It's gone from 5,000 when I last used the card to 6,000 they obviously believe that I am a good credit risk, so I doubt they would accept my explanation