Some advice please...

S.D.Blake

Hi

So basically Littlewoods added a load of interest on to my account, we are talking about £2,000 worth of interest because their Debt Recovery Department refused to speak to Step Change for several months, despite knowing my Step Change Client Reference Number to get in touch with Step Change and discuss my debt (this was back in 2015/2016).

I thought nothing of this at the time and assumed this was normal. It's not. And nor is the next part.

Last year Littlewoods sold my account to Lowell, the payments from Step Change to Littlewoods stopped because of this. Making Lowell add further interest to my account until they were advised with my Step Change Client Reference Number and to get in touch and talk with Step Change.

I was making regular payments each month, there have been no gaps, but all I can afford is £10.00 per month.

This seems to be a common game for Littlewoods when they don't get what they want, they'll sell on your account and mess up payments which lead to further interest and other problems being added to the original debt.

Littlewood's no longer have my account on their system and say it's down to Lowell's discretion to give me discount, if I take the discount I cannot start a business that I hope to save up and start in 2019 - I require Business Start Up Loans which rely on me to have a very good credit rating which I am working towards.

I have complained to Littlewoods and forwarded my complaints to Ombudsman and BBC Watch Dog on what Littlewoods have done, how they have behaved (childishly, petty, disgraceful) and put me in a position where I cannot pay them off; all my income at the moment is used up until my youngest child is in full time education, I am not entitled to any childcare and I also cannot find a child-friendly job / hours (hence why I'm looking to start my own business, not from home).

I was married when we opened up a Littlewoods account and the majority of the purchases are my ex partners who is in £18,000 worth of debt.

What can I do?
What should I do?

Should I suck it up and pay off £4,000 of Littlewood debt which is mostly interest because they refused to deal with a middle-man/third party aka Step Change? Which currently will take me 31 years to clear at my current income rate (Universal Credit).

Or is there a way that I can be relieved of the interest and pay the original Littlewood balance off without it damaging my credit file?

Thank you for your time in reading this

sourcrates

Hi,


Unfortunately Littlewoods have form for this kind of behavior.

However, it should of been explained to you that a creditor is not obliged to stop charging interest, if you enter debt management, it is entirely at there discretion.

So they may of treated you unfairly, but they could argue the interest added was valid.

Another thing becoming more common is the sale of credit accounts without them defaulting, thus allowing the new owner, in your case Lowell, to continue charging interest to the account.

Lowell do offer good discounts from time to time.

Also you could do a CCA request under sec 77/79 consumer credit act, asking for a copy of your credit agreement, Lowell would have to go back to Littlewoods in order to obtain this, and they were notorious for not getting credit agreements signed in years gone bye.

Suseka97

sourcrates wrote: »

Hi,
..... Also you could do a CCA request under sec 77/79 consumer credit act, asking for a copy of your credit agreement, Lowell would have to go back to Littlewoods in order to obtain this, and they were notorious for not getting credit agreements signed in years gone bye.

To further explain why sourcrates suggest you do a CCA request, in case you are not already aware of this. If they cannot provide you with the paperwork then they cannot 'enforce' the debt. That doesn't mean you don't owe it, they just can't take you to court force you to pay. That puts the ball firmly in your court and would encourage Lowell to look favourably on a decent discount. There's also the choice not to pay anything at all.

So start with the CCA and see how you get on.