Irresponsible Lending Query

Dr_Crypto

Why did you approach them then if you were so impecunious?

bradders1983

Bloody hell, I had to Google that one

Twinkiehq

I had my reasons and don’t feel that divulging these are relevant to my query. 

bradders1983

The arbiters of who decide if it was irresponsible or not will certainly want to hear your "reasons", they probably also would like to know why you didn't chop the cards up once you were with Stepchange so you couldn't spend on them any more.

Like I said, good luck.

Twinkiehq

I was in an abusive relationship. My ex husband used to beat me. One day I decided I had the strength to leave. I took my two children and found a house to rent. I had no money. I took out a credit card to pay for the deposit and first months rent. I was working full time but on a single parents wage, the cost of breakfast clubs and after school clubs as well as monthly bills was more than I was earning. I applied for universal credit and as soon as that was sorted I chopped up my card and started paying small amounts back each month.
Does that help you further? 

I am looking for help and advice on how to handle this, not a lecture or bullying! If you don’t have anything helpful to say, I would much prefer you stopped commenting.  

bradders1983

You still have a job proving it was irresponsible regardless. Final time, good luck.

callum9999

Twinkiehq said:

Considering I was with stepchange at the time and have documents I sent to MBNA outlining my incomings and outgoings and I was in a minus every month - yes I do think it was irresponsible lending! 

While everyone skipping over your question and instead branding you an irresponsible borrower are very clearly correct (and it's a real shame because the more people like yourself do this, the harder it's going to be for others genuinely trying to rebuild their credit after a problem), I don't think it's strictly relevant.

If you genuinely informed them that you were with Stepchange (if you didn't, I'm not sure how they would know?) and that your income was permanently less than your outgoings, I'm not sure how anyone could defend that as not being irresponsible lending?

I also see people regularly saying credit cards are different from other credit products in terms of affordability because "you don't have to go and spend it all" and "MBNA didn't force you to go and spend it". I'm no debt expert, but where are you getting this from? I've just been reading through guidance from the OFT and the FOS and none of them make that distinction. They should be doing affordability checks based on your entire credit limit before giving you the card, not each individual purchase you make using it.

Dr_Crypto

Did they know that your outgoings were so high? 
I really think they have helped you. Without the card you couldn't have got set up oncew you escaped your abusive ex. 

Sandtree

Never should a good deed go unpunished.

(Un)Fortunately you will find that there are those on the forum that promote loopholes and get out clauses that the majority think you should own your decision and pay your fair share.  There are no magic money trees and each person that worms their way out of their responsibilities means those more responsible people end up paying more.

It sounds like you were in a horrible situation but surely you should be thankful that they facilitated your escape rather than saying they should never have given you the money so that you'd still be trapped?

Dr_Crypto

The magic money tree is at Barnard Castle. Dom had to go up there to harvest it, remember?