Need help re: Debt Collection

BlueSlush

Hi,

I'll try to keep this brief, but essentially I need some advice on how to proceed.  The back story is i got behind on a credit card with payments, i reached out to them to explain the situation and request if i was able to be put on a payment plan to clear the balance and then was going to close the account.  I didn't get a response so about a week later sent another email, i then had a response from customer services along with a income and expenditure form to complete.  

I completed this and returned it the same day, however never got a response back.  A week and a half later, still no response so i emailed them again.  A couple of weeks later with still no response, i emailed both the customer service team and the complaints team and still no response.

Another week goes by with zero response from them and out of no-where i get an email from a debt recover company advising they have purchased the debt from this company and i need to setup a payment plan with them.  I thought this was strange as the one and only response i had from the credit company was the email with the expenditure form and they advised that a payment plan was fine.  I emailed the credit company to ask why the debt had been sold, despite me sending the form back the same day but zero response.

I continued to setup a payment plan with the debt recovery company, but also raised a complaint via the Ombudsman as i felt that i had tried to get back on track and do the right thing but was ignored by the credit company.

The Ombudsman has come back to me today advising the below - my question is should i accept?  It seems strange to me what they're offering, especially given that the Ombudsman have not complete their investigation:

• Buy back the debt so that the account is with the original credit company
• Remove the default
• Remove the late payment fees (but late payment markers will remain on your credit file)
• Have the customer care team contact you to arrange a suitable repayment plan
• Pay £100 compensation

MattMattMattUK

BlueSlush said:

Hi,

I'll try to keep this brief, but essentially I need some advice on how to proceed.  The back story is i got behind on a credit card with payments, i reached out to them to explain the situation and request if i was able to be put on a payment plan to clear the balance and then was going to close the account.  I didn't get a response so about a week later sent another email, i then had a response from customer services along with a income and expenditure form to complete.  

I completed this and returned it the same day, however never got a response back.  A week and a half later, still no response so i emailed them again.  A couple of weeks later with still no response, i emailed both the customer service team and the complaints team and still no response.

Another week goes by with zero response from them and out of no-where i get an email from a debt recover company advising they have purchased the debt from this company and i need to setup a payment plan with them.  I thought this was strange as the one and only response i had from the credit company was the email with the expenditure form and they advised that a payment plan was fine.  I emailed the credit company to ask why the debt had been sold, despite me sending the form back the same day but zero response.

I continued to setup a payment plan with the debt recovery company, but also raised a complaint via the Ombudsman as i felt that i had tried to get back on track and do the right thing but was ignored by the credit company.

The Ombudsman has come back to me today advising the below - my question is should i accept?  It seems strange to me what they're offering, especially given that the Ombudsman have not complete their investigation:

• Buy back the debt so that the account is with the original credit company
• Remove the default
• Remove the late payment fees (but late payment markers will remain on your credit file)
• Have the customer care team contact you to arrange a suitable repayment plan
• Pay £100 compensation

It seems a reasonable offer. 

The ombudsman does not complete an investigation, they review the evidence submitted by both parties, that is the limit of their remit. They will sometimes try to give an easier outcome than the regulatory one as that might actually be worse for you than what they are offering above. 

molerat

t looks like a good outcome to me with maybe the exception of removing the default, that should possibly stay with no further late payment markers. Why do you think you should not accept it, what outcome do you think should be offered ?

BlueSlush

molerat said:

t looks like a good outcome to me with maybe the exception of removing the default, that should possibly stay with no further late payment markers. Why do you think you should not accept it, what outcome do you think should be offered ?

Honestly i don't know.  I've not dealt with the Ombudsman many times before and where I have the response has always been after the investigation so I guess I got a bit confused/suspicious on the offer so early on.