Vanquis settlement offer

Sagwala

I currently have an outstanding amount of 4k on Vanq CC. Due to Corona and work etc etc I have been unable to uphold payments. A kind relative has offered to gift me 2750 as a settlement offer. I have made the offer which they have accepted but they said they will not formalise or detail the acceptance in writing. I am a little concerned by this and have said I need to take extra advice.

Our current conversations have been over their text messaging service. They have said that the account would be marked as partially settled and closed once the 2750 payment is made, but I am a little concerned if they go back on their agreement and still come after me for the balance ?

Why would an official company be reluctant to send me written agreement offer. 

I would be most grateful of any similar experience and/or advice.

Thankyou 

[Deleted User]

Lack of resource. Official companies have been hit as hard as unofficial ones.

Ask them just to confirm by text that they don't pursue you for the balance.

born_again

I would be worried that they will pass the remaining outstanding balance to a debt co to chase.
Covid is not excuse for not putting it in writing, as they will have a team that deals with situations like this. I'm sure FOS would not be happy about failure to follow debt procedures.
I would be ringing them up and asking to speak to the team that deals with unable to pay. Or have a word with "Stepchange" to get a debt charity take on their stance.

jet01

I would be especially keen to get something in writing given the reputation of both Vanquis and their parent company. 

Fighter1986

Sagwala said:

I currently have an outstanding amount of 4k on Vanq CC. Due to Corona and work etc etc I have been unable to uphold payments. A kind relative has offered to gift me 2750 as a settlement offer. I have made the offer which they have accepted but they said they will not formalise or detail the acceptance in writing. I am a little concerned by this and have said I need to take extra advice.

Our current conversations have been over their text messaging service. They have said that the account would be marked as partially settled and closed once the 2750 payment is made, but I am a little concerned if they go back on their agreement and still come after me for the balance ?

Why would an official company be reluctant to send me written agreement offer. 

I would be most grateful of any similar experience and/or advice.

Thankyou 

If they've confirmed that over the text messaging service then you do have it in writing. 

jet01

When you say text messaging service do you mean that you have a saved text message that confirms their offer? or was this offer made via some kind of instant chat facility online where you can’t save the messages? 

Sagwala

jet01 said:

When you say text messaging service do you mean that you have a saved text message that confirms their offer? or was this offer made via some kind of instant chat facility online where you can’t save the messages? 

It is via an SMS text messaging service tha this conversation has been had and technically saved. So yes, I do have it 'in writing' as it were, just not in the official form of a letter from vanquis, letter headed paper etc etc.
Presumably, then, this would hold up as an official offer that couldn't be changed ?
I will get them to confirm that the outstanding will be written off and not passed onto debt collection for further action.

Sagwala

jet01 said:

I would be especially keen to get something in writing given the reputation of both Vanquis and their parent company. 

jet01 said:

I would be especially keen to get something in writing given the reputation of both Vanquis and their parent company. 

Is that a reputation of going back on their word. Potentially this is what I am worrying about. I've never dealt with a compnay taht won't follow up in return. They have no problem sending me statements, chasing letters and letters with further accrued charges !!

adamp87

Deleted_User said:

Lack of resource. Official companies have been hit as hard as unofficial ones.

Ask them just to confirm by text that they don't pursue you for the balance.

Tosh.

if they have someone who can reply over a text service they can send you a letter or email confirming 

You want confirmation if marked as partially settled they won’t be selling the debt on to a debt collector to chase absolutely 

jet01

Sagwala said:

jet01 said:

I would be especially keen to get something in writing given the reputation of both Vanquis and their parent company. 

jet01 said:

I would be especially keen to get something in writing given the reputation of both Vanquis and their parent company. 

Is that a reputation of going back on their word. Potentially this is what I am worrying about. I've never dealt with a compnay taht won't follow up in return. They have no problem sending me statements, chasing letters and letters with further accrued charges !!

For mis-selling and not following the relevant laws/codes of conduct mostly. Provident group have had more than their fair share of issues over the years. Their car finance arm was forced to close down a few years back after a BBC investigation exposed miss selling of insurance and warranties as a condition of the finance deals for people with bad credit. Seem to remember their sales staff were filmed by a reporter calling customers scum as well. Vanquis themselves have been forced to write off loads of accounts in this last year or so because they hadn’t followed the correct rules, a few threads on here from last summer about it. So, enough history for me not to entirely take what they say at face value. If you have something you have got saved from them I would guess that should count as sufficient proof should you need to take it further at a later date.

Fighter1986

Verified text messages (I.e. handing the judge or adjudicator your phone, rather than a screenshot or printed screenshot) are admissable as evidence in court.

You have what you need to hold Vanquis to their word. 

As with anything in a court, evidence can be challenged, just the same way as a letter or an email can be challenged with the sender claiming not to have sent it - but your phone will clearly show the number from which it was sent, which correlates to the number on Vanquis' website for SMS account queries - which fulfills the "Reasonable doubt" criteria of something being admissable in a court of law.