Littlewoods / NDR Money - ANNOYING ME!

MusicalLawyer

I got credit of £600 from Littlewoods last year.
I lost my job and was unable to pay it back.

They keep adding £12 charges for late payments / non payments / contacting me. I complained to them about these charges (as they've put about £200 on there in total).

I set up a payment plan of £34.45 every 4 weeks, which I fell into arrears with as I don't get paid every 4 weeks, and I struggled to keep up. It seems every penny I've paid to them has been put back on in charges, so I'm up to £655ish. I posted about this a while back and sent them a letter of complaint about their charges. They said they'd investigate it and just said that these charges are fair!

They're doing my head in. I didn't sign an agreement, it was all done online. I know they cannot enforce this in the courts, however I bought stuff to the value of £600, so I will pay it back.

I just don't know what to do about these charges.
I know that I can pay them a lesser sum each month, but if I do pay a lesser sum, they will just add a £12 charge every time for not paying the full amount per month!

Someone PLEASE help me

My total debts only comes to around £1500, so not much compared to some people on here, but it's really getting me down as I'm trying to pay my debts off.

Tixy

If the account was taken out last year and done online then they certainly can enforce it in court, if you didn't keep up with repayments and they chose to. You no longer have to have a signed agreement a tick box online will do instead. That said if you keep paying what you can afford for a debt of this size its fairly unlikely they would do so.

Have you ever provided them with an income & expenditure statement to show that you cannot afford repayments and that you are paying all you can afford? If not then I would consider doing that and asking them to reconsider freezing interest & charges (if they are stll charging interest).

MusicalLawyer

I spoke to a woman at NDR on the phone and told her I was on a low income as I only work part time, and have other debts which I pay out for. They said that they can only take on payment plans for a prescribed period, which I think they said was 20 months, which was why it was so high. The woman I spoke to said that sending in an expenditure form wouldn't make a difference, as they wouldn't accept a lesser amount each month. I then spoke to someone about this and they informed me that they cannot refuse lesser payments, as I'm at least trying to pay off the money I've spent. I want to start by paying just £15pm - the same as my other debts. Then if I do over time at work I can afford to pay off a little more that particular month. I work in a supermarket part time, and there is going to be quite a bit of overtime coming up, but still don't want to agree to a higher payment plan as overtime is not guaranteed each week.

If I send them a photocopy of my payslip, and an expenditure form, and inform them of how much I can afford, do they have to accept it?

I only get £400 pm for my contracted hours and 1 permanent day of overtime. I spend around £350 of my wages on rent to parents / bills / other debts - so would they allow me to pay just £15pm, or would they want £50pm? Baring in mind that the money left over is what I use for lunch at work etc?

Tixy

They don't have to accept just lower payments - I mean they won't refuse the payment butin theory they could still choose to take further action (ie court) or could still apply the charges & interest as per the original terms & conditions.

Most of these places are not very helpful on the phone but if you set out all your details in writing and send it signed for delivery you will generally find they are more willing to accept reduced payment plans.
They will be most likely to accept if you offer each creditor a fair pro-rata amount (eg if you can afford £30 in total a month and have a debt of £300 and a debt of £600 you should pay £10 to the £300 debt and £20 to the £600 debt).

Your income & expenditure for should detail all your costs, including groceries etc before working out how much you have to split between all your debts.

los72

It might also be worth sending them the harrassment letter. Because, if they don't receive their money every 4 weeks, they will badger you, and they will keep badgering you....:(

I'm having the same problems with them, dispite them saying "we are here to help", phha, yeh, right...:(

timbstoke

I had this situation with Lloyds bank - attempting to pay them just resulted in more charges and the amount owing increasing rather than decreasing. I resolved it by writing them a letter, telling them that until we were able to reach an agreement whereby my attempts to pay the debt would actually result in the outstanding balance being reduced, I would not be making further payments. Furthermore, I would be happy to defend my position in court, and would also be asking that the court consider removing or reducing the unreasonably high charges applied to my account so far (removing them all would actually have left them owing *me* money). Suddenly, they were far more cooperative.

MusicalLawyer

I asked these guys to remove the charges as they are unfair - I mean £12 for them 'trying to contact me' - They don't phone me about missed payments, just one letter a month. Or if I pay late, they send a letter etc. It is ridiculous, how can it cost £12 for them to send me a letter!?

Thanks for the info.
I will send them a letter detailing my financial situation - do I need to enclose a photocopy or original pay slip, if at all?

nottoolate

timbstoke wrote: »

Furthermore, I would be happy to defend my position in court, and would also be asking that the court consider removing or reducing the unreasonably high charges applied to my account so far (removing them all would actually have left them owing *me* money). Suddenly, they were far more cooperative.

via one of these you mean?

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=06_time_orders

heatherks

have you asked for help via CAB or CCCS i find littlewoods group usually take more notice if get help via 3rd party

thechippy

timbstoke wrote: »

I had this situation with Lloyds bank - attempting to pay them just resulted in more charges and the amount owing increasing rather than decreasing. I resolved it by writing them a letter, telling them that until we were able to reach an agreement whereby my attempts to pay the debt would actually result in the outstanding balance being reduced, I would not be making further payments. Furthermore, I would be happy to defend my position in court, and would also be asking that the court consider removing or reducing the unreasonably high charges applied to my account so far (removing them all would actually have left them owing *me* money). Suddenly, they were far more cooperative.

This tact definately works........;)

Wilko567

How can u pay some thing of with out getting more put on it if they put 12pounds on it every time and who do u talk to to sort a payment plan out