In writing only-Egg loans

happy_bunny_2

I have been trying to deal with Egg loans in writing only to arrange paying £400 arrears. They failed to respond to any letters, apart from the standard 'your arrears have risen to an unacceptable level' please call us.... computer generated letters.

I know they have received them, as some signed for and some containing a cheque, cashed.

I owe 7k total, 320 pm, due paid by Jan 2013.

I complained to them and received a reply saying that their collections team have no means to deal in writing, and under OFT guidelines only have to do so if they have the means (complaint upheld, they will remove from automated letters that writing is acceptable)

Can they do this?

Are they just taking the P*ss?

I am genuinely trying to negotiate with them, just want a copy for my records as I rang them and it was a waste of time.

Thanks for any and all help.

barbiedoll

I assume that you are trying to repay your arrears by sending them a monthly payment?

Just carry on sending the money at regular intervals. (Try to make sure that the payments are sent at the same time every month.) Keep sending them by recorded delivery, keep a copy off all letters that you send them and also, keep all bank statements that show that the cheques have been cashed. Don't worry that they are not responding, they are obviously receiving the money, they're not going to send it back!

If they start sending threat-o-grams that witter on about taking you to court etc, etc, you can provide proof that you have made regular payments and that you have attempted to engage in a dialogue with Egg to sort this out. A judge would take a dim view of them not responding to your efforts to resolve this and just because they don't want anything on paper, does not mean that they can harass you by phone. I take it that you have sent the "don't call me" letter? There is a really helpful addition to that letter, in this post....

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11571485&postcount=4

which requests that they remove your phone number from their database. May be worth sending this too?

Good luck, and well done for complaining to the OFT!

happy_bunny_2

Thanks Barbiedoll...

Not complained to the OFT yet, just Egg..was wondering whether to go down the FOS and OFT route? Is it fair to do as they do when they can clearly write automated letters?

As for the phone, they only have the number for a Pay as You Go SIM only, that I rarely switch on, so call away

Thanks!

Hannah_10

You what? They don't have to respond in writing? That's dubious. I think they do have to be contactable in writing, but without spending an hour or two re-reading everything I couldn't tell you for sure if/where this appears. I think that you should complain to the FOS and see what they say. Oh and you might as well tell the OFT too. If you really want this finally done and dusted then the next contact after the FOS and OFT would be Trading Standards. Don't forget to send copies of anything you do have in writing (either from you or them). Even if there is no specific rule about this, they are being totally unreasonable, so complaining is still the right thing to do.