Negotiating with bank / debt collection agency

pcollins

Hi all!

I wonder if anyone has any experience that they could advise me on my situation...

A few years ago I opened a Spanish bank account which I used for my Spanish wage to go in and out of when I lived there. I remember I used to have a couple of small direct debits each month - nothing very much though.

I moved away and cancelled the direct debits and - as far as I was aware - that was the end of it. However, a while back I received a lone piece of post from the Spanish bank (santander) that had been sent on from an old address, claiming I was over 1000Euros overdrawn! I can't believe how this could have happened, unless it's fees built up over the last three years or so. I emailed the bank to ask for more info but haven't heard back (that was about six weeks or so ago).

Then I recently stayed with my mother in the UK and I had some post there from a UK debt collection agency saying they were pursuing this debt and if I didn't get back to them within a month (that deadline had already past) then Santander would be pursuing me legally in Spain.

My first thought was to contact Santander and ask for a breakdown of costs, to see how on earth I owe them this amount. However, it occurred to me that this might not be the most sensible course of action. Will the bank have sold the debt to the UK debt collector? Might I have more luck negotiating with the debt collector or the bank?

I've no desire to run away from my 'creditors', but I have never got myself into a pickle like this before and it was completely unintentional - if there are any actual outstanding costs then I will happily pay those back with interest but if it's over a 1000Eur in fees, I not only can't afford that but I'm loathed to pay the full amount when it seems so extortionate!

Any advice at all would be gratefully received. I've never got a letter like this before and am keen to get the matter resolved ASAP.

Thanks very much in advance!

pcollins

Cheeky post bump!!

I've been looking at other people's posts and I'm wondering if I made my original post too long and bored people away!

Basically, I'm desperate for any advice from anyone who has experience of negotiating with a debt collection agency, or would have any idea where to start. Should I bother contacting the bank for a breakdown of their charges, or should I skip them, go straight to the debt collection agency and start negotiating? I've heard of people doing that, but has anyone done actually negotiated with one successfully?!

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated! It's nice to find somewhere where I can ask these questions without feeling like I'm going to get a massive telling off for getting in this position in the first place!

Many, many thanks in advance...

27col

Surely the first thing you need to do is to ask them to prove that you actually do owe them some money. They can't just roll up to your door saying that you owe them, without some sort of proof. It does not matter who actually owns the alleged debt. You still have the right to know the exact details before you admit to it.

pcollins

Thanks 27Col - that sounds like a good first step, and suggests I should probably contact the debt collection agency first to dispute the debt in the first place.

My main thing is not knowing who might be most prepared to budge on it. And my understanding of debt collection agencies is that they have bought the debt and so would be more prepared, to some extent, to accept less if it's all I can give, which it would be!

Thanks again 27col for your thoughts on it.