Need help with a debt from Santander

downliner

Back in 2014 or thereabouts Santander changed their terms of service to charge any unauthorised overdraft, even if it was £1 over with a £75 penalty fee.

Well my wife would sometimes exceed her own by around that amount owing to a regular Direct Debit that just could not be covered in time for when she was paid.

The problem now is that approximately 4 years, maybe 5 years on, she has only just recently been harassed by a debt collection agency called Wescot Credit Services Ltd in regard to these extortionate charges.

By harassed I mean contacted on anonymous numbers 4 or 5 times a day 7 days a week as well as letters. They always seem to be using a different number each time. My wife works nights so sleeps during the day so you can understand how frustrating that can be for her.

The debt is not insignificant being at around £328 but these are charges in relation to the extortionate fees on a £1 overdraft excess. How to explain that to the vultures at Wescot though?

My wife cannot pay this debt or if she could it would have to be a small sum each month. Surely a bank even if it is a Spanish bank in the UK cannot be permitted to levy such penalties on an excess as small as £1? Can they?

I am contemplating whether to actually contact them as i have no idea when the charges were actually made and its possible it could even be close to the 6 year statute barred mark. She has not had an account with Santander for a long time now.

Any advice would be appreciated because as far as i see it this is an unlawful money grab on behalf of those who purchased the debt from Santander who had no legal rights to charge such ridiculous sums in the first place.

sourcrates

Hi,

Wescot gets mentioned a lot on here, and forgive me, but I always have to start these posts with the same sentence, wescot do not buy debts, they only manage them on behalf of their clients.

So your debt remains with Santander, wescot are just attempting collection on their behalf.

If you have reason to dispute these changes, and from what you’ve said, you may do, then send a formal written complaint to Santander, outlining your concerns and ask for a refund.

You can just ignore wescot, as there is no remedy for them against this debt.

downliner

"You can just ignore wescot, as there is no remedy for them against this debt."

Did i read that last sentence correctly?

I have to take this up with Santander directly then?

sourcrates

downliner wrote: »

"You can just ignore wescot, as there is no remedy for them against this debt."

Did i read that last sentence correctly?

I have to take this up with Santander directly then?

Yes, as said, wescot don’t buy debts any longer.

Use Santander compliants process.