Bank Account Debt from Abroad - Returned to UK

Sian_T

Hello, can anybody help?

My husband and I used to live in Canada (Vancouver) until March 2018. We had a Canadian Bank Account as well as a Credit Card linked to that account. Before leaving Canada we were very much in credit and went into our local branch in Canada to explain we'd be leaving and needed the account closed once we'd transferred all of the money. Upon coming back to the UK we took the money out of our Canadian bank account and thought nothing more of it (I believe the account was left in credit by a few dollars). A few months back we started receiving emails from a collection agency called MetCredit who said they were acting on behalf of our Canadian bank account (CIBC) to reclaim the debt left on the account. They have been unable to give us statements (we need to contact the bank directly to request these) but it turns out our account was never closed. Therefore it has been left open to incur the monthly charges, which have incurred interest, etc. We are now in debt to them for approximately $1.6K.

What should we do? Frustratingly we have no evidence that we requested for our account to be closed - we were told we had to do it at the branch in person. They do not have our forwarding address here in the UK, but they do have our email address and phone number.

I am frustrated because the first we heard of these charges was when the debt collecting agency contacted us, unless the bank emails somehow got sent to our Spam. I am equally frustrated that our account wasn't ever closed, and as a result of that the bank have let the monthly fees and interest roll the account into the negative more and more each month.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Unsure whether to contact them and start paying the debt, whether we should have to pay this debt in the first place (being that it was based on monthly bank fees, not by us taking money from the account) or whether we should hope it goes away! No clue what our rights are, etc!

Thank you all in advance!

antrobus

Sian_T wrote: »

....
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Unsure whether to contact them and start paying the debt, whether we should have to pay this debt in the first place (being that it was based on monthly bank fees, not by us taking money from the account) or whether we should hope it goes away! No clue what our rights are, etc!

I have no idea how things work in Canada, whether is an equivalent of the Financial Ombudsman Service etc.

What I do know is that, should the bank proceed to get a judgement against you in Canada, it would be enforceable in the UK. Whether it's worth doing that for a CAD 1.6K debt, I don't know.

NutWorld

Sian_T wrote: »

Hello, can anybody help?

My husband and I used to live in Canada (Vancouver) until March 2018. We had a Canadian Bank Account as well as a Credit Card linked to that account. Before leaving Canada we were very much in credit and went into our local branch in Canada to explain we'd be leaving and needed the account closed once we'd transferred all of the money. Upon coming back to the UK we took the money out of our Canadian bank account and thought nothing more of it (I believe the account was left in credit by a few dollars). A few months back we started receiving emails from a collection agency called MetCredit who said they were acting on behalf of our Canadian bank account (CIBC) to reclaim the debt left on the account. They have been unable to give us statements (we need to contact the bank directly to request these) but it turns out our account was never closed. Therefore it has been left open to incur the monthly charges, which have incurred interest, etc. We are now in debt to them for approximately $1.6K.

What should we do? Frustratingly we have no evidence that we requested for our account to be closed - we were told we had to do it at the branch in person. They do not have our forwarding address here in the UK, but they do have our email address and phone number.

I am frustrated because the first we heard of these charges was when the debt collecting agency contacted us, unless the bank emails somehow got sent to our Spam. I am equally frustrated that our account wasn't ever closed, and as a result of that the bank have let the monthly fees and interest roll the account into the negative more and more each month.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Unsure whether to contact them and start paying the debt, whether we should have to pay this debt in the first place (being that it was based on monthly bank fees, not by us taking money from the account) or whether we should hope it goes away! No clue what our rights are, etc!

Thank you all in advance!

Unfortunately, debts very rarely just go away if you ignore them.

I would urge you to contact your old bank and discuss the situation with them. Provide them with complete, up to date contact details for yourself, and ask them to provide you with the statements you have not received that shopw you owe them money.

Then you will hopefully see the cause of the debt.

You need to establish this first, and perhaps then return with more clarification, if you continue to need further help

Otherwise, if you agree you owe the money, I would urge you to pay it.

sourcrates

Hi,

You need to utilise the Canadian banks complaints process, put your case to them, question why your account was not closed when you requested it to be.
Challenge the charges on that basis, when you ask a bank to close an account, you expect them to exercise due diligence, and act on your request, ask why this was not done.

Ignore the debt collector, they are just acting on behalf of the bank.

Bum2018

Surely if you left the account in credit by a few dollars it would still be open ?