"In Dispute"

baby-mechanic

Hi folks

Under what circumstances can an account be put 'in dispute' ?

I know of the 'lack of CCA' circumstances, but can I claim a credit card account 'in dispute' if I feel that the company are being more than unreasonable ?

Thanks for looking in

Tixy

In what way do you think they are being more than unreasonable? are they acting within the T&C or not?

moonrakerz

I am not sure that you can put a whole account "in dispute". You can put individual transactions "in dispute" - then the card issuer will investigate the transactions as to their validity - I would think it highly unlikely that you do that with the whole account.
If you think there is something seriously amiss with the account, why are you using it ?

baby-mechanic

Sorry, realise that I didn't provide enough information.

I am on an agreed repayment scheme, card not in use, that was due review in December and they wanted an up to date income/expenditure assessment. I have recently moved house after separating from my wife, and moved into rented accom, so I'm finding out how much things are for me here, utilities etc.

Realising all this was to happen, I had forewarned them when making my monthly payments in the autumn.

They have sent me three income/expenditure forms since being told I will not have an accurate assessment for a few months.

All their letters, apart from one, go to my old address, yet they phone me at my new one, and even then ask me to complete a new income/expenditure form, after hearing why I can't.

They've told me I am in arrears by £200+, yet won't tell me in writing, after being asked to, why I owe this amount, yet whilst in conversation with one of their telephone operatives when they rang me earlier this month, it's because I've missed 33 payments !

I feel they're being unreasonable because

-they appear not to have listened to why I cannot give an acurate income/expenditure at the moment, but will do by the end of March

-they have not informed me in writing why i have arrears of £200+, and how I have been able to miss 33 payments without being told

-they are still sending post to my old address, yet phoning me here

-all my other creditors have been very helpful about my change in circumstance, accepting my change in address, and that I wil have an up to date income/expediture assessment in March

Tixy

I don't think that is grounds to put the whole account in dispute.

Presumably you have arrears because you have been paying reduced payments. Even if they say they will agree to reduced payments this is an informal agreement and you will still be behind compared to your original contracted payments. When they say you have missed 33 payments it may be their way of recording you have been making payments less than the minimum for 33 months (if you have been doing so for that long).

Have you written a letter to them, sent recorded, which states you new address and that you are no longer living at the old address? If you have and its updated then its an error on their part and some field in your record has not been updated on their systems rather than anything else. A second letter should rectify this.

If you cannot give an accurate income & expenditure then you could either prepare one on a monthly basis until your costs are settled - a pain but what people sometimes do. Or simply over-estimate your costs and come up with a figure.
Or just ignore the forms and continue making the payments you were previously. Obviously if you take this route and they haven't yet issued a default on your account it may cause them to do so.

baby-mechanic

Thanks Tixy

I realise it is an informal agreement, and that I have been making reduced payments, it just comes across as bully-boy attitude.

All of my letters have been recorded, successfully claimed before now, so wouldn't do it any other way!

Suppose it's just me seeing them as bein unreasonable

:mad:

Tixy

Well I wouldn't say they were being totally reasonable but I don't think its something you can dispute the debt over.

The problem is they probably have boxes to tick on their which to carry on your reduced payment plan probably requires a previous box of 'I&E received' to be ticked first.

I would just make sure you are paying them what you can afford each month and then send them the I&E form as soon as you can. If you have to alter in a few months time because your costs have gone up then so be it.