Settlement offer from Nationwide

JES_F1

Nationwide is one of my creditors on my DMP with the CCCS. After much battling, my account (for a credit card) was eventually passed to KPR, which is Nationwide's in-house debt collection department, and the DMP finally accepted with interest stopped.

The first agreed 12-month period ends shortly. CCCS has contacted Nationwide/KPR for me to advise my situation remains unchanged.

I've received an interesting letter offering me a "discount on outstanding balance without prejudice" and the "opportunity to settle the debt by paying a one-off discounted sum of 50% of the outstanding balance".

The letter goes on to say that they "could close [my] account on receipt of £X and no further action will be taken" but that I "will not be required to pay back the remaining balance and Nationwide will record this debt as partially satisfied with credit reference agencies".

The letter "urges [me] to take advantage of this offer" as "if the debt remains outstanding [KPR] may refer [my] account to a solicitor to commence legal action or, alternatively, [my] debt maybe [sic] passed to a Debt Collection Agent who will collect [my] debt on Nationwide's behalf".

I'm not in a position to accept the offer so I'm not seeking advice on what to do but guess I just wanted to have a rant about letters from creditors - and the (deliberately) poor and misleading use of words like 'could', 'may', etc, and often contradictions (e.g. "will not be required to pay back debt" but registereing it as only "partially satisfied").

Had I been in a position to accept the offer, I know I would seek clarification and confirmation from them regarding partially satisfied versus fully satisfied - and the very important fact that they could close my account rather than will close my account if I made the payment.

Being an absolute pedant about good grammar, spelling and plain English, I tend to spot these sorts of 'errors' and contradictions at a thousand paces. Despite this, in the panic of receiving letters from creditors, it's so easy to miss the subtle differences in the words used. And that's what makes me mad! :mad:

Anyway, rant over ... I feel better now!

I will write back saying I can't accept the offer, reminding them of my DMP, pointing out the fact that I was recently able to increase my payments slightly, and that CCCS contacted them recently to say my situation remained unchanged.