Littlewoods Catalogue refusing to change payment date

Getoffmycloud

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the right place to post, but Ihave been sorting out my finances lately and wrote to all my debts and askedfor a reduced payment plan. Littlewoods agreed and it was going fine until Irealised they wanted the payment every 28 days and I could only pay on the 28thof every month as that’s when I get paid. I wrote to them and explained thesituation a couple of times (they ignored my first letter). When they finallyreplied it was a basic no they can’t change the payment date to the 28thof every month as the computer generates the statements every 28 days. Thismeans I sometimes need to pay twice in one month, which I can’t afford to doand consequently I get £12 charges almost every month. Can they do this? Isthere anything I can do about it?

FinanciallyUnsavvy

I'm sure that isn't right. I've had a Littlewoods account a long time and the payment has always been monthly. Perhaps try to call them again and speak to someone else.

The two-payment month should only come round one or twice a year though, so surely you shouldn't be getting the £12 late penalty charge almost every month?

Littlewoods are shysters... so glad my account with them now sits at 0!

Getoffmycloud

I'm getting the charges almost monthly because if I miss one payment then it just goes on to the next month so my minimum payment keeps going up and up and I can't afford to pay it. The debt was £3,324 and I have got it down to £1,495 so I'm doing well. Just frustrated that they wont help me out as I have had six £12 late payment fees since August (I seem to have had a run of them) and those six £12 are almost another payment that's just been wasted

happy_bunny_2

I presume your credit report isn't great?

They can come to a monthly arrangement if they want, but they normally pass the account to collections who only do it if you complain and threaten the FOS for not helping you when in financial trouble and even then they don't always do it. Obviously, this won't do your credit file any good.

Is it an old pre 2007 account or a later one.

You need to do everything in writing with this lot.

Good luck

HB

heatherks

studio were the same ...they also wanted a payment every 28 days it was CAB that told me they were at it and somehow get 13 payments every year instead of 12

littlewoods and studio were the only 2 and they wouldnt even set up a direct debit / standing order for the 28th ( or in my case the 1st every month )

Sazzie23

Getoffmycloud wrote: »

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the right place to post, but Ihave been sorting out my finances lately and wrote to all my debts and askedfor a reduced payment plan. Littlewoods agreed and it was going fine until Irealised they wanted the payment every 28 days and I could only pay on the 28thof every month as that’s when I get paid. I wrote to them and explained thesituation a couple of times (they ignored my first letter). When they finallyreplied it was a basic no they can’t change the payment date to the 28thof every month as the computer generates the statements every 28 days. Thismeans I sometimes need to pay twice in one month, which I can’t afford to doand consequently I get £12 charges almost every month. Can they do this? Isthere anything I can do about it?

I suppose if you added up 12 times your agreed reduced payment, then divided it by 13 and told them that was all they would get every 28 days, they would agree to it ?

I know it could be hard at first to get the money together for the first extra payments but after that might be ok if you can be really motivated to put that extra money to one side.

Well done for facing your financial woes and dealing with them head-on, it takes bottle, and don't be put off by tricky creditors like these.

Getoffmycloud

Thank you all for your replies.

No my credit isn't good I'm working towards paying my debts off at the moment but it's a long and daunting road.


I think (although would have to check to be definite) that it is a pre-2007 one because it started off as a Marshall Ward account and then switched to a Very account and then went over to Littlewoods.



The agreement I had with them was set up back in December 2012 and I have never received any charges until August 2013, but now I seem to have a run of them. I've even being extra ever since September (apart from December) so I don't understand how they can keep charging me.

happy_bunny_2

Getoffmycloud wrote: »

Thank you all for your replies.

No my credit isn't good I'm working towards paying my debts off at the moment but it's a long and daunting road.


I think (although would have to check to be definite) that it is a pre-2007 one because it started off as a Marshall Ward account and then switched to a Very account and then went over to Littlewoods.



The agreement I had with them was set up back in December 2012 and I have never received any charges until August 2013, but now I seem to have a run of them. I've even being extra ever since September (apart from December) so I don't understand how they can keep charging me.

Ok. In that case I would:
1. Send them a CCA request. So you know where you stand if they get threatening.

2. Complain about the charges starting again.

Does it show as an arrangement AP marker on your credit file?

Getoffmycloud

Hi happy_bunny

Thank you for your reply and sorry, but I'm going to sound really thick here. What is a CCA request? and whats an arrangement AP marker?


Sorry, new to all this!

happy_bunny_2

Getoffmycloud wrote: »

Hi happy_bunny

Thank you for your reply and sorry, but I'm going to sound really thick here. What is a CCA request? and whats an arrangement AP marker?


Sorry, new to all this!

CCA request is a request to get a copy of your alleged signed agreement for the account as regulated by the consumer credit act. It costs £1 and they have 14 days to send it to you or they cannot enforce the debt in the courts. They also need the signed original to get a CCJ on debts pre April 2007.

Slightly different if taken out online with a tick box as signature, but they need to still send the agreement when you request it.

An Arrangement to pay marker gets added to your credit file when you come to an arrangement wit a creditor to pay less than minimum. its supposed to be for 6 months max, but creditors abuse them.

If you don't ever pay again and they don't/can't take you to court, the account will be defaulted and gone from your credit report after 6 years.

If you struggle to pay and it takes 3 years of arrangement to pay markers to clear the account, that stays on the account for 6 years from the date paid off. So, it screws your credit file for 3 years longer than a default.

I would check your credit file for this account and others to see what the status is.

HB

Getoffmycloud

Thanks for the tip happy_bunny. I'll check that out!