ERUDIO student loans help

Rosskie

Well, DAF arrived today, 14/4... dated 30/3.... with a note saying due to an error, the deferement date detailed on the letter is incorrect, and will be extended "to ensure you have 56 days to apply". There is no further detail of dates.

Also, was their apology on the website is dated 5/4... Seems strange they would have an apology notice in a DAF pack they've dated before the apology actually initially occurred? Evidence of backdating.

anyone wrote to them about the annual statements thing yet?

erudioed

I just got 2 people contact me saying DAFs arrived today. One has a letter dated mid-march and the other the end of March. Others have had letters dated 25th March arriving at the end of last week after erudio's apology.
Kind of hard to prove they are sending out backdated letters. Anyone know of any cases?
None of these apology mails arriving though. I suggest they send out backdated DAFs after last monday, and are waiting to send out the explanation letters so they dont all arrive on the same day with such different dates.
I would say this though, work out when 8wks is before the deferment deadline and see what the date is in the DAF gumpf.If they arent dated 8 weeks before, then there is very strong grounds for a complaint. And if there is no accompanying info about pushing back your deadline, then it is direct proof they have sent out the DAFs late (regardless of erudio's explanation and mitigation plan its currently implementing), and the strongest of grounds for an official complaint!

BorderReiver14

anna2007 wrote: »

Anyone who hasn't received a DAF has reasonable grounds to make an application to defer by letter, with evidence of income attached? It would be impossible for Erudio to reasonably refuse on the basis of a DAF not being used, when no DAF has been sent, borrowers are under no legal obligation to use one, they haven't met the 8 week requirement, and they can't prove to FOS or a court that a DAF was sent!

...and they wouldn't take anyone to court that sent proof of gross income and a bespoke letter! Even if they do stick people in arrears and refuse to authorise deferment (giving ample grounds for breach of contract). The main objective and your only obligation under the regulations and terms and conditions are to 'show' your income and sign a letter to confirm you are who you are, your address and make a statement to say you have taken care to provide accurate information to 'show' your gross income entitles you to defer. Add in that you don't consent to any changes to your original terms and conditions. Job done.
Statements from both Erudio and FOS say they require a DAF to be filled out but your original terms and conditions along with the regulations do not. They will never be drawn on what is legally required because they know that legally they cannot insist on you using a DAF regardless of whenever they can be ar$%d to post them. Again, it is worth emailing them or writing to them to get a full explanation so you have evidence!
If you are waiting for your DAF to land and they do not process it on time even the random FOS can't fudge the fact that Erudio are at fault and you will have arrears removed and no doubt a wee bit of compensation for their incompetence! Even if you went more than three months in arrears the FOS should have no bother in ordering Erudio to wipe them. I was months and months in alleged arrears but once Erudio was dragged to see the errors of their ways these were all wiped.
As irritating as it is, I would not be sweating it if I was in the position of still waiting for their so-called DAF. I appreciate fully that time will have to be spent in correcting their %&@$ ups but they have already held their hands up. I'm more concerned that people think it is fine to use their DAF in the first place!

BaffledByErudio

BorderReiver14 wrote: »

I'm more concerned that people think it is fine to use their DAF in the first place!

Well, I always have in the past because I literally don't have enough patience to try a letter and then fight it out with them for years! One thing though - in the past, I've included a caveat that I agree to no changes in T&Cs and they have always accepted.
I got that idea from the days when the stink was originally kicked up over Erudio in 2013/14. BBC Breakfast had a feature about Erudio, where financial journalist Paul Lewis suggested Erudio customers do just that.
Irritatingly, I've heard of people having DAFs rejected this year for adding that blurb, so I'm probably facing a long drawn out ball ache anyway (when or if I get the form)!

dribblybibbly

Hi,

I have four student loans from 1997 to 1999, which I have always deffered due to not earning enough. When will these loans be finally written off? I was 19 years old when I took the first loan out.

anna2007

erudioed wrote: »

Kind of hard to prove they are sending out backdated letters.

Won't the envelope be date-stamped, showing when it was sent via Royal Mail? Keep the envelope, to show the letter's been backdated!

BorderReiver14

BaffledByErudio wrote: »

Well, I always have in the past because I literally don't have enough patience to try a letter and then fight it out with them for years...
Irritatingly, I've heard of people having DAFs rejected this year for adding that blurb, so I'm probably facing a long drawn out ball ache anyway (when or if I get the form)!

I have not heard of anyone getting an authorisation for deferment this year when their DAF has been altered or modified in anyway. Even if securities were taken out on our loans (and they get money for those of us that get to the write off stage) I'm sure they will have to prove they made an effort to collect (use their expertise). Regardless how any of us play this out, the process of deferment can not be in their interests. They have to turn non-paying customers in to profit.

FuriousFeline

No, the envelopes aren't date stamped because the crafty swine have sent them via UK Mail (the end stage of which is fulfilled by Royal Mail).

FuriousFeline

dribblybibby- the loans are supposed to be written off after 25 years or when you hit 50, whichever happens sooner (http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/may/20/student-loan-erudio-under-fire) If we end up in arrears at any point we supposedly lose the right to have our loans written off, and would then presumably be liable to pay them back until the day we die. Some people commenting on this forum who are approaching the age at which the loans should be written off are concerned that Screwdio are employing delaying tactics to try and force them into arrears, which would mean that they would then become ineligible to have their loans written off.

Rosskie

The arrears only counts if they are outstanding though, don't they?

@Anna - The first letter I had this year says DAFs will be sent out within 14 days of that letter, which was already dated less than 8 weeks before my deferment end date. I put in a formal complaint about this, but nothing back.