Advice on CC debt, please

bluenose_ted

Hello

I ran up a credit card debt of £1000 about 3 years ago at a past address and had to leave that address. I have not been back and do not know to what extent I have been chased for the debt.
I handed the keys back to my ex-landlord and have not been back to collect any post.

As far as my bank is concerned, I am still at that address, however, but the local council and DWP do know of my address change. In other words, I imagine that the bank I owe money to, do not know my current address.

Now, however, as my bank card is due to reach its expiry date, I need to inform my bank of my new address.

Will this increase the chance that the bank I owe money to, will catch me up? I imagine my bank would inform credit reference agencies, etc, of my new address.

My bank is not the same bank that I owe money to.

I am not opposed to paying off the debt eventually, but old council tax debts take priority and, in addition, I would not wish to 'invite' debt collectors visiting my new address at my elderly parents' home.

Many thanks for any advice.

Blue

grumbler

bluenose_ted wrote: »

...I imagine my bank would inform credit reference agencies... of my new address.

Sure they will if your account gets reported to CRA(s).

richx45

I did this recently, within a week I had a letter from DWP chasing me for an old debt, the banks to update to CRA's the moment you update it (I did it via online banking) if you want to play it safe, ask for card to be sent/collected at nearest branch, if they ask why, say it's shared accommodation / one mail box for all, or you've got dodgy postman!

bluenose_ted

Hello

Thanks for your replies.

I have asked for the card to be sent to my local branch because of a 'communal mailbox', but they said they didn't do it 'for security reasons', which I thought was very odd.

Does it look as if the only real alternative I have is to visit my old address miles away (shared with a couple of others) and hope I can gain access to the place in order to collect my new bank card?

If I do not tell my bank that I have moved, I am sure they will tell me when the card was dispatched so I may be able to have some idea as to when I could visit my old address?

The only other way I can see is, again, not telling my bank that I have moved and physically living off cash - I don't have any standing orders - though that would be quite inconvenient.

Thanks again.

parksajj

Open a new bank account. You've lived at your new address three years so you're old address won't link. Who is your current bank account with?

parksajj

Oh and who is the credit card debt with?

bluenose_ted

That may be worth thinking about, parksajj. Problem is I have a significant overdraft with my current bank, so they wouldn't like me closing my account. What a mess!

Thanks for your post!

parksajj

You don't need to close your account but who is it with? I ask because of credit linkage. also who was the credit card with?

bouncydog1

Rather than all of this cloak and dagger approach, surely the best way to deal with this would be to be truthful and come to an arrangement to pay back the £1k? At least that way stuff would come to your current address.

PeacefulWaters

bluenose_ted wrote: »

That may be worth thinking about, parksajj. Problem is I have a significant overdraft with my current bank, so they wouldn't like me closing my account. What a mess!

Thanks for your post!

Stop burying your head in the sand and do the decent thing.

Address your overspending. Face into your debts and start paying them off.

Get over to the Debt-free Wannabe part of the forum and seek help there for starters.

BillJones

bluenose_ted wrote: »

Hello

I ran up a credit card debt of £1000 about 3 years ago at a past address and had to leave that address.

The best advice is to do the honest thing, tell your bank where you are, and see how you can go about paying back what you owe.

Hopefully they'll catch up with you soon anyway, but it'd be better if you did not make them waste money by having to track you down.