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Aqua Card just told me to miss a payment

Hello

So I moved recently and obviously all my bills went up, I was living at home still. Last month I paid extra off my Aqua card only for the balance to go down, not up. I emailed them but nothing so I called them just now. I explained that because of moving the payment is getting tough to make. She said that only making the Min payment is rubbish because it only takes off 1% of the balance. She said to pay £100 per month for example, I explained that is not possible right now. She then told me this...

"The best thing to do is to missed a payment so the collections team will contact you. Tell them you can't pay and they'll put you on a payment plan"

I was shocked to hear to be so blunt but now it sounds like it might be a good idea? Any experience with this? Will it be better? Also what happens if I just ignored them completely, would they send it to one of these collection agencies?

Thanks for any info!
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Comments

  • MallyGirl
    MallyGirl Posts: 7,089 Senior Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    do you want to trash your credit history?
    I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
    & Credit Cards boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Garethw87
    Garethw87 Posts: 6 Forumite
    MallyGirl wrote: »
    do you want to trash your credit history?

    It's not something that bothers me but I don't want to do it intentionally, no. Just if I can't afford to make the payment and they offer this plan, what else is there to do other than ignore them?
  • MallyGirl
    MallyGirl Posts: 7,089 Senior Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I would do everything you can to meet the minimum payment. Arrangements to pay and defaults will live on your file and affect your ability to get future credit, rent a house, get a mortgage, etc for years to come.
    I’m a Senior Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Pensions, Annuities & Retirement Planning, Loans
    & Credit Cards boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Garethw87 wrote: »
    Last month I paid extra off my Aqua card only for the balance to go down, not up.

    You must have been expecting it to go down, surely?

    Continue to make at least the main payment and as much on top as you can.
  • glentoran99
    glentoran99 Posts: 5,825 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    MallyGirl wrote: »
    I would do everything you can to meet the minimum payment. Arrangements to pay and defaults will live on your file and affect your ability to get future credit, rent a house, get a mortgage, etc for years to come.



    theres more to life that credit history, If you can only afford the minimum payments its going to mess up your credit history for a lot longer
  • planteria
    planteria Posts: 5,321 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    MallyGirl wrote: »
    I would do everything you can to meet the minimum payment.

    i agree. even if it might be 'cheaper' to finish up on a payment plan, that can't be the advice you should be given by a card provider, or by experience credit card-users here. cut other expenses, however necessary, to make the minimum payments, ideally by Direct Debit. then throw whatever else you possibly can at the account each month too. long-term, you will want a good credit history.:A
  • shortcrust
    shortcrust Posts: 2,697 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Newshound!
    theres more to life that credit history, If you can only afford the minimum payments its going to mess up your credit history for a lot longer

    Are you saying that making minimum payments is worse than missing payments?! Madness if so.

    There is more to life than a good credit history but this site is full of threads started by people who bitterly regret trashing their history at a time when it didn't seem very important. You have no idea what you might want to do in the future, so keep your options open if you can. Keep paying as much as you can. If you really can't make the minimum payments you will need to go on some sort of repayment plan. I think there are better ways to arrange that than missing a payment and waiting for the collections team to call.
  • The Collections calls happens within 48 hours, whether you are late paying or haven't paid.

    Aqua carries this on their FAQ so there is some importance to the minimum payment and perhaps you should contest what you were told:
    If you don't make at least the minimum payment by the payment due date, as shown on your statement, you will be charged a late fee of £12.
    I fear there maybe different criteria to meet to get a payment plan
  • glentoran99
    glentoran99 Posts: 5,825 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    shortcrust wrote: »
    Are you saying that making minimum payments is worse than missing payments?! Madness if so.

    There is more to life than a good credit history but this site is full of threads started by people who bitterly regret trashing their history at a time when it didn't seem very important. You have no idea what you might want to do in the future, so keep your options open if you can. Keep paying as much as you can. If you really can't make the minimum payments you will need to go on some sort of repayment plan. I think there are better ways to arrange that than missing a payment and waiting for the collections team to call.



    If you have no prospect of ever paying more than the minimum payment then yes I would say its time to bite the bullet and realise you cant afford the debt.


    why would a credit card arrange a payment plan without missing payments? its not in their interest to do so
  • dumpyboy
    dumpyboy Posts: 379 Forumite
    I hit hard times in 2007. Had no money comeing in for 3 months creditors told me to go on a repayment plan , worse thing I ever did still suffering from it now and I think I will for the next 10 to 12 years , I learnt never trust what company's like Aqua tell you ,in my case it would have been better to let them default and sell the debt on like Sevareid of mine did far better then repayment plan that I was put on
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