Amigo Loans really are an evil company

k3lvc

beckt02s wrote: »

Thanks for your responses. I'm still not any further finding out about my partners car, he says he's going to ask his dad for advice because his Dad works at a car dealership.

This is a big red flag for me - I don't believe for a moment he doesn't know the extent of the car debt

beckt02s

Yes it's all a red flag to me aswell that he's as clueless about our finances. I personally feel he doesn't want to admit he needs debt relief/help. I'm embarrassed about it too but I've finally accepted we need help

dealer_wins

Unfair to call them an evil company, when they helped you out when your family/friends couldnt!

foxy-stoat

beckt02s wrote: »

Loan Number 2 to Amigo - 6,500 outstanding (Due to arrears and default fees, I believe. I've asked for a copy of this info today and will update when it comes) Currently paying £220 a month as they said they could not knock this down for us

Make sure you cancel any direct debit or standing order NOW and pay them £2 a month - pay the rest of the £218 to your council tax as anything more you pay to Amigo will be wasted.

He doesnt need to ask his Dad about how much he owes on his car loan - he is an adult yes, he needs to deal with the situation in an adult way and face the fact that he will be driving an older car for a while.

macman

OP, the above advice is spot on. Start paying Amigo a nominal sum, and in 3m you can clear your Council Tax arrears entirely. Put this in writing to Amigo (do not phone or email) and stop engaging with them by phone.
All you need to do re the car is get the paperwork out and see what sort of loan this is, with the help of your FIL if necessary. You mentioned that he pays the insurance, and that is a red flag to me: who is the owner of the vehicle, who is the registered keeper? Who signed the finance deal?
By all means visit CAB, but you have all the info on here that you need to move this forward once you have resolved the above and completed your SOA.

Owain_Moneysaver

beckt02s wrote: »

My partner is off work on Thursday and we're going to visit the local citizens advice centre, should these people be able to help us?

Only if you are up front and give them all the information.

System

Surprised you had to pay for a funeral. When my nephew died from Duchens MD last year the funeral directors said they did childrens funerals free of charge even though he was 15 and the council run crematorium didn't charge for child cremations either. The only thing my sister in law had to pay for was the buffet for after the service.

andy1988

Hi there,

I can't help you with the debt problems as I have no experience and little knowledge of "bad debt", but there are very knowledgeable members on this forum that are giving sound advice.

In the meantime I would like to recommend a few things:

• Make contact with some specific child bereavement charities, your current situation seems to stem from that unfortunate event and these charities understand that. From my day job I have seen families in similar situations. You may also consider contacting charities that dedicate themselves to the medical reason/reasons relating to why you lost your child. It may be hard to think over those times again but it may lead you to good support.
• You seem to have cable/satellite TV. If you aren't in your original contract period a mere bluff of cancellation can lead to retaining these services and receive a significant discount (50% or more), especially with Sky if you've been a good customer. Of course cancellation saves more, I've been quite happy with a BT YouView box and £7/pm Netflix for 2 years now, I haven't missed Sky for a day.
• The car situation is complicated as you don't seem to have the paperwork to hand. Finding out if the car has equity in it is the first step: what is owed and what is it worth. From there options exist as other forum members have advised.
• For 2 healthy adults it is possible to shop for £100 per month if careful. It's possible to beat this significantly by visiting shops at sale times (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/cheap-supermarket-shopping/#yellowsticker) and don't feel ashamed to visit a food bank.

Whilst debt is currently your biggest worry you can help your situation by looking at all your outgoings as well. Like everyone else has said, look after yourself and your house first: council tax, utilities, food, insurances. You don't want to lose the roof over your head or become ill physically or mentally through malnutrition.

You should also find out if a medical professional (doctor) diagnosed your partner with a "seizure" post panic attack. It was probably a physiological reaction that involved muscle spasms as a result of hyperventilation, a clinically defined seizure following a panic attack is incredibly rare. However if it is true then you need to enquire to see if the DVLA need to be made aware, it opens up another can of worms if a seizure occurs whilst driving and/or car insurance needs to be claimed on.

I hope the above helps. Feel free to PM me if anything is unclear.

Andy

Daniel1971

Please look into applying for a Section 13A for your council tax arrears. Due to the circumstances leading to the debts I believe it’s entirely reasonable to see if the council will consider quashing your debt

fiisch

I am very sorry about your loss - it sounds as if it's been a tough year, and unfortunately some of this has left it's mark on your finances.

I apologise if the following sounds harsh, but...

Stop!! You're all over the place. I've read through this thread and I cannot fathom head nor tail of your finances, and I get the impression you are not fully aware of the extent of the issues.

The best thing I can advise is sit down and analyse your outgoings. Put up an accurate state of affairs up - someone has already mentioned this, but you need to identify who you are due to pay, how much and when.

This is nothing to do with Amigo Loans - they are not an evil company, they are a profit-making organisation, and I can't see how they've acted unscrupulously. You entered into a contract to pay £X per month, then defaulted on said contract and are baffled why they are threatening CCJs....?

Firstly - Fiesta ST. I am a big petrolhead, but it is insane having an expensive car on PCP which is not only uneconomical and more expensive to insure, but is not especially practical either. Get rid. Also, if your partner is having seizures, why on earth is he still driving?!

You need to identify exactly how much you have going out and what you are due in. If money out > money in, you need to either reduce outgoings or increase money in. It is that simple. Do not be taken in by debt management companies or other scams who promise a quick fix - there is no quick fix or silver bullet to debt. You can sort this yourself without the added cost which you can ill-afford, and it'll help you get a grip on your finances going forward.

Do you have any assets you could sell to raise cash? Is there any family that could help clear high interest debt? Is there an opportunity to increase either yours/partner's working hours?

Best of luck - it is not a hopeless situation, but you need to get a clear understanding of what you have going out, and then you can work on getting these outgoings down.