Barclays Partner Finance Charges - Please help!

ChrisGTI

Hi guys,

I need some advice RE Barclays Partner Finance.

Back in 2006 I took out finance through a car parts company to buy an item costing £500 - this was through Barclays Partner Finance (I have account number), was started on 15/09/06 and it was the car parts company who organised it. I guess it was a store card kind of thing.

I have asked for a full statement from Barclays PF and I received it today.

I was a bit of a silly boy at the time and defaulted on it a few times and had a couple of 'unpaid Direct Debit payments'. Anyway I have just totalled this up and the defaults, etc, come to £282.70, excluding the interest!

Also, 11 months after opening the account (28/03/07) up until 24/03/10 there are 'AC Plan 0800 032****' on my statement charging me £7.60 every month. (Twice infact in October 2007) - another £235.60!

That's a total of £518.30 excluding interest for reasons I cannot understand.

Has anybody experienced this before? Any ideas if I can contest the default charges and does anyone one know what the 'AC Plan......' is? Please help!

I owe £96.00 on this now and was looking to clear it this coming week but I feel I should look into this matter first.

Please see below statement. Please ignore the ticks next to the charges - that was me. Since the last default amount on the 15/10/10 everything seems fine (Direct Debit then Interest) up to my latest payment.

Thanks in advance!

Chris

Meatloaf1981

I think for the sake of £96, I'd probably just settle up and move on. Not sure what an AC plan is, sorry.

sourcrates

Hi,
You can always challenge charges, don't know what AC plan is, but a simple phone call to there customer care line will get you the information you need.
I've had dealings with BPF, which I have to say ended very positively.

If you ring them, and ask for an explanation, they will tell you.

Also ask for the charges to be refunded at the same time.

ChrisGTI

I have just called BPF who were the most unhelpful people ever. He tried to explain the default charges but then got himself confused as the default charges changed each time (after the first 4 charges were indentical). He then couldn't explain what the 'AC plan' is, saying it 'might' be some kind of insurance.

He then got himself out of the hole saying he will send me a copy of my credit agreement - any question I asked him afterwards was answered 'wait for you credit agreement to arrive'. It doesn't help that I guess it was an overseas call centre. I don't suppose anybody has a UK phone number for Barclays Partner Finance?

Thanks, Chris

sourcrates

You can call us on 0800 15 22 888.

Alternatively, send us an email or write to us at Barclays Partner Finance, PO Box 2501, Cardiff, CF23 0FP

They are UK based, you need to speak to someone in complaints, ask to be put through to complaints next time, you may find they are more helpful.

ChrisGTI

Well I have called the main Barclays Bank number and got put through to a very helpful lady in their Cardiff office.

Upshot is they admitted they applied duplicate defaults from Jan 2010 up to September 2010 so have refunded these onto my account (£72) - I must be honest I didn't pick up on this until she pointed it out.

They have absolutely no idea what the £7.60 'AC plan' and they can't view my agreement so I will have to wait for it to arrive.

At least I've got somewhere finally! To be continued!

ChrisGTI

I have just phoned the 0800 number that is next to 'AC Plan' and it goes through to a company called Stonebridge International Insurance. The girl I spoke to couldn't find me under any of my details so is getting someone senior to call me back. Looks like it will some kind of PPI, can't understand why it hasn't run the whole duration but will do some more digging and await my credit agreement from Barclays P-F.