catalogue debt - don't know where to turn

cherylclarke

Some really good advice above. It is scary but try not to panic, things will get better. There are some really good agencies who can give you free advice and reassure you - Step Change, CAB and CAP for instance. I am on a DMP with CAP at present and it is the best thing I ever did. It is hard to go cap in hand and say ok I have !!!!!!ed up help, but things get easier from that point on. You don't have to get a DMP or IVA or whatever if you don't want to but they can still help you.

I have 2 catalogue accounts and they are the world's worst for bugging you and passing you from pillar to post, but eventually they go away if you can say look I am dealing with this with the help of xyz and this is all I can afford to pay you. Just ignore the phone if they call!

Best of luck to you, things will get better, the help is out there and you will be so glad you took this first step.

happy_bunny_2

You could send them a written complaint, stating they are confusing you as to who you should contact (list all departments that have contacted you) and refusing to accept a reasonable offer of payment.

Refer to FOS if fobbed off.

If taken out before April 2007, send them a CCA request to see what paperwork they hold.

angel85

Is it not also important for me to keep in contact with them via letters?
I will continue to pay the amount I advised in my letter each month but I thought that each time I received any correspondence you have so many days ie 30 in which to send a reply.
Is this correct?

harry06

harveybobbles wrote: »

The Shatalogue company wont refuse an offer, they will just say it isn't acceptable.

Stay off the phone too.

Any refusal of payment, can lawfully erase a debt.
I seriously advise NEVER communicate via telephone. Also record, any calls, and send any offers of payment via recorded delivery. Send them a printed copy, so they dont have a wet ink signature from you.Keep your signed copy for your own records.

Lose the fear.

Anoneemoose

I hope I don't come across as rude but I genuinely do not understand why you are not treating all of your creditors equally? Sort of on a pro rated basis. You said you don't want to contact the others but it honestly sounds like that may be your best option.

At present, it seems like you are paying full amounts to your other creditors but hardly anything to the catalogue. I appreciate their charges may be high and that is contributing to the struggle, but I don't see how you can sustain pretty much paying all but one. Unless the others are due to end soon or something.

Again, I hope this doesn't seem rude, it was a genuine observation.

thewhiteavenger

harry06 wrote: »

Any refusal of payment, can lawfully erase a debt.

If you owed me money, I'd want it repaid in a reasonable timescale.

Otherwise I'm getting a ccj against you, and enforcing it.

Try that logic with the courts.

angel85

happy_bunny wrote: »

You could send them a written complaint, stating they are confusing you as to who you should contact (list all departments that have contacted you) and refusing to accept a reasonable offer of payment.

Refer to FOS if fobbed off.

If taken out before April 2007, send them a CCA request to see what paperwork they hold.

Hi happy_bunny, what would it mean if I took out the catalogue before 2007?
I am 100% sure it was way before 2007 thst I opened this account but couldn't say an exact date.

Thanks

angel85

Anoneemoose wrote: »

I hope I don't come across as rude but I genuinely do not understand why you are not treating all of your creditors equally? Sort of on a pro rated basis. You said you don't want to contact the others but it honestly sounds like that may be your best option.

At present, it seems like you are paying full amounts to your other creditors but hardly anything to the catalogue. I appreciate their charges may be high and that is contributing to the struggle, but I don't see how you can sustain pretty much paying all but one. Unless the others are due to end soon or something.

Again, I hope this doesn't seem rude, it was a genuine observation.

Hi, I don't think you're rude in asking at all.
I have 2 loans and a credit card with my bank and the minimum payments to each of these are much less than the minimum payment to the catalogue. I just feel that the bank is much more important than the catalogue.
I do understand what you are saying and one if ny fears is that they eventually find this out and bring me to court as I'm not paying each creditor fairly I guess.
They can see from my payments though that quite a few were made using a credit card which really they should not allow payment to be made this way.
Again, I know this is my debt, my mess and I am in no way trying to run away from this, I just can't make the almost 400 pound a month minimum payment at the moment.

fermi

For agreements taken out from 6th April 2007 the court has the ability to enforce a credit agreement by making a court order even if there is/was not a signed agreement.

For agreements take out prior to that the court cannot enforce an agreement by making a court order if there is (or was) no signed agreement.

Littlewoods were notorious for not bothering to get people to sign proper agreements back then.

So it could pay to send a request to check.

Letter: https://www.nationaldebtline.org/EW/factsheets/Pages/39%20EW%20Credit%20agreements%20-%20getting%20information/Page-04.aspx

Could pay even if post 2007, as it would be temporarily unenforceable until they comply with the request even then.

Put it this way, should it turn out that Littlewoods know that you know they don't have or never did have the correct paperwork, then that potentially gives you a much stronger bargaining position.

Anoneemoose

angel85 wrote: »

Hi, I don't think you're rude in asking at all.
I have 2 loans and a credit card with my bank and the minimum payments to each of these are much less than the minimum payment to the catalogue. I just feel that the bank is much more important than the catalogue.
I do understand what you are saying and one if ny fears is that they eventually find this out and bring me to court as I'm not paying each creditor fairly I guess.
They can see from my payments though that quite a few were made using a credit card which really they should not allow payment to be made this way.
Again, I know this is my debt, my mess and I am in no way trying to run away from this, I just can't make the almost 400 pound a month minimum payment at the moment.

I understand a bit more now, thank you. I know you are against it and I understand why (as in you don't want to mess up any relationship you have with your bank), but it might be worth looking into a DMP. Especially with one of the free ones (certainly don't pay).

Chances are, your credit records are already showing the lack of payments to the catalogue which will mean you wouldn't get decent credit or anything anyway (which you probably don't even want). It might help you make a fresh start and from what I know, they will deal with the letters and things for you.

I understand though why you are trying the option you are now and I hope it can work out for you that way. It sounds like you may have a potential helpkng hand with the info Fermi has given you.

Good luck.xx