Query about debt and PRA

discountdude2025

Hi,

I am hoping someone can offer some advice. I have 2 debts from credit cards one with Lowell and one with PRA, Lowell have offered a reduction of 70%. However PRA are not budging so would like some advice on how to approach this.

I am a full time unpaid carer, I tried going back to work but it didn't work. School kept calling to pick one one or other of my kids. There is little chance of circumstances changing any time soon as son has a lot of additional needs (I won't go into details but they are on highest rate DLA for care and mobility). I have been paying £5 monthly as this is all I can afford as I am on UC. I kind family member has offered pay 40% which I went to PRA with, they basically said no we will only take off 30% which my family member can't do, and basically said they will be happy to carry on accepting the £5 a month token payment. Is there any way or advice you can give on how to bring PRA down?

I am thinking of going back to PRA and saying, this is as high as I can go, my circumstances are not going to change due to sons special needs (he has non verbal autism, global developmental delay and hypotonia). If you don't accept it, it will be £5 till I die basically.

Thoughts?

Rob5342

PRA are known for being difficult when it comes to settlements. Have you asked for the CCA for either debt? If not then that will be the first place to start, if they can't provide it then the debt can't be enforced legally so you can simply ignore it. Debt camel has more information:

https://debtcamel.co.uk/ask-cca-agreement-for-debt/

discountdude2025

Yea, I had this fight with them. They provided a terms and conditions which was barely legible along with other items, I tried to argue that it was not legible.

sourcrates

discountdude2025 said:

Yea, I had this fight with them. They provided a terms and conditions which was barely legible along with other items, I tried to argue that it was not legible.

In that case they have not complied with your request, they must provide a copy of a credit agreement, not just the terms and conditions.

Another requirement is that it must be legible, you must be able  to read it, so they have fallen down on both counts there.

I would say that would render that particular debt unenforceable, which one is it PRA?

discountdude2025

yea its PRA the original credit card is opening is pre 2008. They claimed its a reconstituted agreement (my signature is not on any of the documents) I tried to argue it was not legible but they basically said f off. Its basically terms and conditions, variation of terms and conditions that's it. Hence why I have been paying the £5. Is it possible to use this as a means to force them to accept a settlement?

fatbelly

I'm not a big fan of using other people's money. If you don't have a lump sum available then this isn't a suitable strategy.

If you say PRA haven't complied with the CCA, and they say they have, then they must ask a court to rule.

Have you gone through the same process with Lowell?

Would you qualify for a DRO? 

What about asking both of them to write these off because of your circumstances?

discountdude2025

I used kind family member to not share to much, but I recently lost my father who left me some money to help. But because I am on UC it complicates things. I don't really have the energy to drag this into court, with everything in my life I don't need the stress.

No Lowell wrote to me to offer the 70% discount, before my dad passed.

No I don't qualify for a DRO.

I tried that, but they said no straight out.

ManyWays

Do you own your house?

discountdude2025

its mortgaged yes

tigergambit

PR A just don't do big reductions it seems. My circumstances are not good and 5 of 8 creditors accepted around 23%. Not PR A whose best offer was 60%. So they get £1 a month which they seem very happy with. Don't press and all very concerned on the phone but just won't budge. So keep your inheritance and pay nothing until they provide a legible CCA. Then you can go back to paying a token amount.

1stTimer

I have been paying PRA for approx 5 years now and have offered a f&f at least once a year, sometimes twice. They have never gone below 70% for me.

I sent CCA’s and one is now unenforceable so decided to stop paying, the other is enforceable and so I now just pay them minimal every month and forget about it (default drops off in Dec)

they will not budge so understand your frustration but just continue paying the £5 and keep any money for yourself into savings

really sorry to hear about the loss of your father x