Contacting Wonga

sambo_01

Hi Guys,

I'm pretty new to this forum so I hope I'm posting in the right place.

I have used wonga over the last few months without problems, repayments were made on time and all passed well.

However I miscalculated my pay date due to the August Bank Holiday and repaid 3 days late. I understaqnd I'm liable for late charges and don't want to contest this.

I have tried to contact them via email without success and as I'm currently abroad I don't want to call their contact centre as I've read numerous reports of people waiting 1hr20 + without answer.

Have any of you successfully contaced wonga? They have cleared out my bank account and taken me into an unauthorised overdraft AFTER having received payment of all outstanding funds.

To me this amounts to theft.

Can anyone advise? Yes I know payday loans are a bad idea, I knew the risks and am very aware of the media furore. I don't need comments telling me how stupid I was, I get it, I just need to know how to contact wonga.

Kind regards,

FrustratedConsumer

sharp82

I have communicated with Wonga before. Never had a wait on the phone, and emails were usually answered within a couple of days

So they have taken the payment out twice? Or were you in a payment plan with them? If so, and you missed a payment they will take the full amount. You can ask for it back, and continue with the payment plan. However, if this is the case I dont fancy your chances.

Head over to the debt free wannabe forum and take tip on saving money and money management

sambo_01

I miscalculated the date I'd receive my salary due to the baznk holiday and so repaid three days late.

The payment was taken from my account successfuly on 27th but Wonga have attempted to take further payment from my account and have taken me deep into an unauthorised overdraft for which I am incurring daily charges. I am unable to pay for food or transport and all of my emails have been returned with a notice of failed delivery.

I am therefore seeking an explanation and full refund from Wonga as my bank advised me that the amount they have taken is greater than the amount for which the call centre supervisor is allowed to cancel such transactions.

I am disgusted that they have taken further payment AFTER I settled the oustanding balance and to me this appears to be a breaach of contract whuich amounts to theft.

A call to an 08 number from abroad will cost a packet, and an email would be perfectly sufficient.

sharp82

Have you tried contacting your bank? If it was unauthorised they can get the payment back?

Email address I have for Wonga - dmcquery@wonga.com

[Deleted User]

Won't the extra money taken be explained by the extra days interest and charges that passed before you repaid the first amount?

sambo_01

My bank advised that multiple payments have been taken for the total outstanding which includes late fees. 700 pounds is ridiculous for 2 days interested, as I incurrded a charge of 20 pounds on the first day it was late.

I will contact my bank again but wanted to also hear from Wonga.

Cycrow

was 27th the date they were supposed to take out the money, and was there enough in your account to cover it on that day?

also, interest on payday loans is ridiculous

sambo_01

They were supposed to take funds on the 23rd, their website doesnt allow weekends as payment dates as far as im aware, so payment was received two working days late. 350 / day interest seems inconveivable even for these guys.

sharp82

How did you pay them on the 27th?

Heres what I think what happened.....

They tried to take the full payment on the 23rd, this was declined so they started trying to take smaller payments over the weekend. You paid on the 27th, then the payments they asked for over the weekend went though too.

Hopefully nothing more sinister than payments crossing.

When are you back in the UK?

sambo_01

I am here for job interviews and dont have a date planned as yet. I understand that they use this method to recover funds but their system should be deisnged in such a way as to cancel all outstanding payments once the total amount has been recovered.

It has been 72 hours since I received confirmation of payment of all outstanding monies and my account is still overdrawn. I am unable to contact Wonga to request they return my money. Would I be within my legal rights to charge them the same level of interest for each day that passes without me having received my funds?

I understand the contract contains provision for late payments to be recovered in this manner but it doesn't mention anything about taking more than the agreed amount. As such these transactions are unauthorised (amounting to theft in my eyes) and I have incurred penalties and hardship as a result - I cannot access any funds and am unable to buy food, transport home, etc.

I would therefore like to recover at the very least those funds which are not due to Wonga, and would further like to be reimbursed for charges incurred by their actions, as well as interest at the same rate as they saw fair to charge me.

Can anyone offer any perspective on this?

[Deleted User]

sambo_01 wrote: »

I would therefore like to recover at the very least those funds which are not due to Wonga, and would further like to be reimbursed for charges incurred by their actions, as well as interest at the same rate as they saw fair to charge me.

Can anyone offer any perspective on this?

If they have taken money in error, then you will be entitled to their return, and would also have a case for compensation - ie reimbursement of extra expenses.

But if you want to charge them an actual interest rate, you'll need to sort yourself with a credit licence pretty quickly.