Need Urgent Advice!!!!!

willing2learn_3

Hi there

their name does not appear on the site. I have written to them explaining how the mistake happened and how i thought they were being paid. I have also emailed consumer direct for advice on whether i should have been advised to get credit.

Either way, my biggest concern is keeping my credit file clean - there was a ccj on there that was going to clear in november. I don't want another to put me back to square one for another 6 years.....I'm willing to pay them, but they've turned on me and want the whole amount by friday or face court action. This is after i've been able to pay off gradually over time and it was agreed. It's no longer the student loans company though...

willing2learn_3

Anyone with any more thoughts /advice on this?

I haven't heard back from the company and they will have got my letter....

Who should i contact re the call handler advising me to get credit? The consumer web page is not the correct one for this sort of thing.

A friend suggested setting up a direct debit anyway - i have the details for that...and not wait for a reply. I fear i may not get a reply just a ccj....is there anything else i can do to prevent this?

thanks :-)

willing2learn_3

anyone with any further thoughts on this? I've sent a letter but tonight when i got home the call handler has left a message for me to call them....

the debt helpline i rang suggests you should never engage in phone calls....

wondering why they don't respond to my letter...

willing2learn_3

anyone any thoughts?

I'm going to write to them again with a copy of the letter and ask for a response.

Does anyone know what i might expect?

NorthernLas

In reality, you will not get a CCJ just like that, they have your address, they have to write to you.

In your letter explaining the mistake, did you offer to pay them what you were paying the SLC?

If you have their bank details, can you set up a standing order to do this?

If you are paying what you can afford, then you are much less likely to have any action taken against you. Once it is set up, then write again and ask them for confirmation that it is being paid.

MrsTinks

Right part of the problem is that we don't know who you're dealing with... naming them does help because we can track them and see if they are merely yet another name of a known company skirting on the very edge or over what is legal in debt recovery... that can make it a heck of a lot easier to advise you on what to do.
I would suggest that you start by NOT calling them again and send them the stop calling me letter - requesting they only contact you in writing. All correspondance from you should be sent by recorded letter and you need to keep a copy of the letters.
Write to them explaining the confusion, that you can provide evidence that you sent the money every month but that due to personal circumstances you had not been checking and didn't notice that the money was bouncing back. You can afford to make the payment of £x amount each month to them and will set up a standing order immediately on receipt of their bank details.
You also want to draw their attention to the actions of one fo their agents on x date (and name if you have it) and that he told you to take out additional debt to pay off this debt - it is your understanding that it is against the law for them to suggest that you obtain further credit to repay this debt and look forward to their explanation as to why he suggested it.
Make SURE you send it recorded and keep the slip so you can prove they signed for it.

willing2learn_3

Thankyou Northern Lass and Mrs Tine!

I will do exactly as you guys have suggested. I've been so stressed as there is so much paperwork to do in relation to my parent's issues....and there are my finances to worry about too. This was totally unexpected as i thought it was being dealt with. I will ask them to stop calling me as there is nothing i can say that they want to hear, i don't have the money.

The company is called Thesis Servicing and is linked to Link Financial Outsourcing Ltd. The manager for both these companies appears to be the same person, so i get the impression the latter company is a dept dealing with debt for Thesis.

I can continue to pay them as i thought i was doing and will set up the direct debit - i have their bank details on an old letter.

thanks again :-)

willing2learn_3

Well there was another message on my answer machine yesterday telling me i've failed to respond to previous communications - and it's really clipped and unfriendly. I've called the financial ombudsman and asked if they can help. I have written a third letter to this company asking for a reply.

DarkConvict

What you are seeing is common practice, they use know unethical tactics to apply pressure, because they know it works and they know most people don't know their rights and cave in. Going to the FOS is a good move if you can get into dispute with them.

For general debt collection tactics, see this - http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/consumer_credit/oft664.pdf
Report them to the OFT directly - http://www.oft.gov.uk/about-the-oft/legal-powers/legal/cca/debt-collection#named1

willing2learn_3

Thankyou Dark Convict!

It's something i could normally handle but with everything else going on at the moment i really am finding it hard to cope. (My other threads detail everything else...lol)

I've just got a letter back from this company saying that they have received my 'complaint' via the FOS and will investigate....

Does anyone everfeel that they can never quite finishe stuff or feel that they've sorted everything out? :-(