Help Wonga have raided my account :(

Lilmiss_2

I had a payment arrangement with them and things were getting tight so twice this week I have phoned and rearranged it..
I rang them as soon as i knew I couldnt pay the whole payment and they agreed reduced terms.. they then harrassed me.. I rang them back and reminded them I had phoned "yes no problem we will get that sorted straight away"
I wake up this morning and my bank account is empty...:mad: what can I do? I cant pay my rent :eek:
Please please help.. Ive done the responsible thing contacting them and now this

[Deleted User]

would do set up a basic bank account at a different bank (and one that you do not have any debts with), and get any future income paid in to there.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along to advise of if and how you can get access to the money Wonga has taken (I suspect you can't, but do not know for sure!).

Lilmiss_2

if i dont my landlord will give me notice to quit

michael1983l

There has been some regulation changes recently. I hope someone more knowledgeable comes along who can quote it, but I thought that these companies had been told they couldn't do this anymore. Speak to you bank and tell them to reverse the card transaction on the grounds that they have taken an incorrect amount and then cancel the continuous payment authority.

debtfreenewbie

Your bank may be able to help, this has happened to a lot of people before xmas not only Wonga.
You need to change you bank asap, search for a cpa letter and hand in to your bank.
Speak to your landlord, be honest, if you are struggling with debts then get some help.

debtfreenewbie

Wish you luck.

National_Debtline

Hello there,

Sorry to learn about the situation. Wonga have exercised their right to take payment via the 'continuous payment authority' that you agreed with them when you took out the loan. Sadly, this gives them the right to take money from your account without as many formalities of the more traditional direct debit route. You can cancel the authority in writing by contacting both Wonga and your bank - our fact sheet has a sample letter: http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=41_payday_loans

Do consider complaining to Wonga on the grounds of hardship, you may wish to ask for their formal complaints procedure. Further complaints can go via the Financial Ombudsman Service. Whilst it's appreciated that these firms have the right to recover their money they should treat those in genuine financial difficulty with a degree of understanding and fairness.

As regards to your tenancy, are you already in arrears?

Best wishes,

David @ NDL.

Lilmiss_2

No im not in arrears but my landlady is a nightmare... if she has anything to whinge at me about she threatens to kick us out
I have telephoned my bank and wonga.. I said since I rearranged and they agreed they shouldnt have taken anything and the bank have agreed that since i did tell them before that I didnt want Wonga taking the payment they shouldnt have been able to
waiting to see now what I can do to get the money back

fermi

Lilmiss wrote: »

the bank have agreed that since i did tell them before that I didnt want Wonga taking the payment they shouldnt have been able to
waiting to see now what I can do to get the money back

If you had told the bank that, then the payment services regulations say bank is obliged to refund the payments ASAP. No excuses. The bank MUST do that.

Lilmiss_2

they took a different amount though.. does that make a difference?

FireWyrm

Lilmiss wrote: »

they took a different amount though.. does that make a difference?

No. You withdrew the right of continuous payment authority and the bank were informed. They are obliged to refund your money...now, not next week.

As for your LL, the best you can do is mollify her with an explanation and get her the money asap. However, as a side note (this isnt the right forum so I wont go into details), if she wants to 'get you out' or serve 'notice to quit' you have to be out of contract. If you are 'in contract', ie, you have a lease for another few months, she cant do very much about it. She can however, serve you with a section 21 notice at the earliest opportunity, which would be two months prior to the end of your lease. Rules are slightly different in Scotland, so this doesnt cover ever eventuality, but if she does wish to get you out for 'rent overdue', she cant even start until you are 2 months in arrears and even then, the S21 is merely an intention to seek possession, not an eviction where you are out on your ear. I wouldnt worry too much about that, you have bigger problems at the moment. If and when it does happen, go over to the Housebuying and Renting Forum for more advice.

In the meantime, the elephant in the room is why you needed such a loan in the first place and perhaps (once this is sorted) your efforts might be rewarded by examining the reasons why. Come back with a Statement of Affairs and a breakdown of your spending and we'll be able to advise on ways and means to ensure this never happens to you again since you wont need a PDL.