Urgent Help Needed - Hfc/marbles Credit Card Claim

theboylightning

Hello everyone,

Firstly I’d like to say, although I have been using MSE for some time now, this is my first board post. I was hoping that my first post would be of a positive nature (namely some news regarding home insurance – which I will link to when I have chance) but alas no!

The matter instead refers to a credit card I have with HFC/Marbles.

While of late (thanks mainly to the advice on MSE and in Martin’s books) I have took serious control of my finances I, as I’m sure many on here will relate, have previously got myself into a pickle or two.

I have been completely on top of everything recently, which is why this particular issue irritates and worries me!

I have not used the Marbles credit card in question for approx 3 years and whilst previously I might’ve let payments slip and interest build up I know take pride in sorting things out as and when whilst also claiming what is owed to me. Unfortunately, this morning I opened a letter which worried me considerably! The letter was from collections company called Weightmans. One of the reasons it worried me so much was that it was dated back mid-Nov and they were threatening court action! When my parents were coming to visit though I hastily tidied up a load of letters and pushed them to one side and only stumbled across them this morning. What I got when I opened one wasn’t pleasant reading!

While I had been a sloppy before with payments I had sorted out an arrangement with HFC whereby they froze the interest and balance of the account if I paid a set amount each month. I had agreed to pay £60 a month which would be paid by direct debit. Unfortunately for some strange reason they were only ever able to set up a direct debit for three months at which point it would have to be set up again. This was obviously a bit annoying as every few months I’d get a call asking me to set it up again. No problem there, although without thinking I changed my phone number and didn’t inform them, as to be honest I just simply forgot!

This therefore means that I have missed a load of payments, which I’d just not thought about but would’ve rectified if I’d known. Whilst I had thought that the amount I now owed had reduced to under £1,000 (an amount that by the end of 2007 I would’ve easily cleared) when I opened the letter the collections company were claiming I owed £2808.56!!! With this being over three times the amount that I believed (and still do) owed I have obviously had the shock of my life. It would appear to me that whilst HFC had agreed to freeze my account that they haven’t done and that when I’ve been paying money in it has been falling in a abyss where the min payment has not been made and therefore the charges have increased at a ridiculous rate. I am obviously not happy about this as I swear I had this agreement with them and this has not been enforced!

I am in desperate need of advice as I need to get this sorted asap. Please could any of you advise me as to how best go about this. I want to speak to the collections company but first believe I should know the best way to go about this. Also I would like to argue the amount that they say I owe.

Are you able to reclaim charges on credit cards as you are on bank charges? I seriously feel I have been unjustly treated despite my unfortunate slip up. Please any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help

theboylightning

p.s below is a copy of the letter from HFC

3/11/06
Dear Sir

Our client: HFC Bank Limited
Account number: xxxxx
Outstanding balance: £2808.56

We have been instructed by HFC Bank Limited in relation to your account.

We need to speak to you about your account as soon as possible. Please telephone ****** at this office on 0151 ***** so that we can reach a suitable arrangement to avoid Court proceedings.

If you do not contact us you will leave us with no option but to issue County Court proceedings against you. Such action would result in further costs being incurred and could lead to a county court judgment being entered against you. Enforcement of any such judgement may involve your employer being ordered by the court to make payments to us out of your earnings.

If your circumstances have changed since you entered into your agreement with HFC Bank Limited we need to know. Please fill in the attached form and return it to us immediately. Any change that has affected your financial circumstances may have a bearing on how our client approaches your case.

We hope that you will be able to co-operate with us to avoid involving the court. We await hearing from you as soon as possible and no later than seven days after you receive this letter.

Yours faithfully

tom188

Do you have written confirmation of the freezing of interest?
It is quite likely they would have voided your agreement when you defaulted and started charging interest again. After all you were not keeping your half of the bargain and paying.

You will get more advice on the debt free wannabe and reclaiming bank charges board on the debt collection and reclaiming issues.

I suggest you edit your post to remove the collections officers name and telephone number.

theboylightning

tom188 wrote:

Do you have written confirmation of the freezing of interest?
It is quite likely they would have voided your agreement when you defaulted and started charging interest again. After all you were not keeping your half of the bargain and paying.

You will get more advice on the debt free wannabe and reclaiming bank charges board on the debt collection and reclaiming issues.

I suggest you edit your post to remove the collections officers name and telephone number.

I don't have written confirmation but whenever I spoke to someone about resetting my direct debit they always confirmed that it was in effect. I've not deliberately defaulted at all, in fact i really wanted to get it cleared. From believing you've only got £1k to pay to finding out they want nearly £3k off you is frankly astounding though, particularly as the length of non-payment was relatively short.

Is there a way of arguing about fees or even reclaiming them like the bank charges?

Also is there a way you suggest I phone and deal with them?

Thanks for your help. I have removed the person's name and contact that i included without thinking

theboylightning

I really need some advice!