Barclaycard HELP ! No contact for 5 years now they want money back!

Chrismac911_2

In 2003 I owed Barclaycard just over £1000. I was not in a position to pay and they froze the account. I had heard nothing for five years until today, (March 2008). I thought they had written off the debt. I can not work because of health reasons. My partner does work but is on a low income. Can they still chase me for this debt after all this time, having made no attempt to contact me until now. i know it doesn't seem like a lot of money, but it is to me. I would be very grateful for any help.

nickmack

Chrismac911 wrote: »

In 2003 I owed Barclaycard just over £1000. I was not in a position to pay and they froze the account. I had heard nothing for five years until today, (March 2008). I thought they had written off the debt. I can not work because of health reasons. My partner does work but is on a low income. Can they still chase me for this debt after all this time, having made no attempt to contact me until now. i know it doesn't seem like a lot of money, but it is to me. I would be very grateful for any help.

Yes, they can still chase this. The statute of limitations is six years.

Why did you think they'd written it off, did they contact you saying so?

GeorgeUK

Is it Barclaycard that are chasing you, or a Debt Collecting Agency?
Are you in Scotland or England? England it is 6 years, Scotland 5.

Do you know the exact date of the last payment you made towards the debt or acknowledged the debt IN WRITING?

NickX

This Debt is close to being unenforceable as being "Statute Barred".

6 years needs to have passed from your last payment or last negotiation with the Creditor.

Check your dates carefully, it may be close. If not after all these years of receiving nothing I would think that they would accept a vastly reduced "Full and Final Settlement" figure, perhaps around 30% of the amount being demanded. Good Luck.

johnllew

Chrismac911 wrote: »

In 2003 I owed Barclaycard just over £1000.

If you owe it, why should you not repay it?

NickX

johnllew wrote: »

If you owe it, why should you not repay it?

Well its not very fair that they should make no efforts to collect the funds for 5 years, then suddenly make demands for the full amount.

They have probably sold the debt to a collection agency for a fraction of the original amount as it is close to being "statute barred".

If the debt doesn't turn out to be already "statute barred" then I am sure that the OP could make a vastly reduced offer for "full and final settlement".

[Deleted User]

NickX wrote: »

Well its not very fair that they should make no efforts to collect the funds for 5 years, then suddenly make demands for the full amount.

They have probably sold the debt to a collection agency for a fraction of the original amount as it is close to being "statute barred".

If the debt doesn't turn out to be already "statute barred" then I am sure that the OP could make a vastly reduced offer for "full and final settlement".

Well to be honest, you should be grateful they put your account on hold for 5 years, rather than pass it on to for legal action. Its not just a case of they cant be bothered.

NickX

Supercharge_Me wrote: »

Well to be honest, you should be grateful they put your account on hold for 5 years, rather than pass it on to for legal action. Its not just a case of they cant be bothered.

Well I wonder why they did leave it for 5 years then ? I very much doubt they had the customer's interests at heart, I suspect it was either incompetence or they thought it would be a better strategy to let the debt escalate.

When these smaller debts become close to being "statute barred" they sell them to Debt Collectors in bulk for a pittance. These Debt Collectors then harass people into making payments that they may not even have a legal right to. Their practices are extremely dubious, they make out they can come round, threaten you, take your belongings away when in actual fact they have no such rights. IMO they are the scourge of society.

The OP has had a difficult time and is suffering health problems, they do not need such harassment from unpleasant people. If the debt is not legal then they should tell them where to go, Debt Collectors do not deserve any sympathy.

[Deleted User]

NickX wrote: »

Debt Collectors do not deserve any sympathy.

Im assuming you mean the third party collectors after it has been passed on from Barclaycard.

Funny thing is, i work for Barclaycard and i also know the company they sell debts to. Barclaycards methods of collecting are quite respectable, however i would agree that once passed on, the third party collectors say some pretty horrible things, the people who work there are quite ruthless.

Back to the account, the most likely reason it was left for 5 years without collection, is because in some cases when a customer says they cannot pay (in this case), the account will frozen (in this case, the debt will not escalate) and held for a period until the company think would be a good time to try again and a date will be set(this is generous, it does not happen anymore), this date may have been entered wrongly.

Do not think Barclaycard have a sinister strategy set in place, for the sake of £1000, do you honestly think they would bother? (profit last year £540mil)

NickX

Thanks for this info - it is interesting to hear from someone who works for Barclaycard. And yes I was referring to Third Party Debt Collectors.

Also, glad to hear you agree about the dishonourable methods utilised by the external Debt Collectors, some Credit Card Company employees who frequent these boards have suggested that the debtor gets all they deserve - I hope that they never get ill or unemployed and start to struggle to make their payments.

I understand what you are saying about putting a freeze on the account and that is generous, but it is the 5 years that seems strange to me especially as it is nearing "statute barred" status. Maybe it was a mistake.

And yes £1000 is nothing to a company like Barclaycard, but if they allowed all their customers to default by £1000 for 5 years then I wouldn't have thought they would not continue to make such profits.

johnllew

NickX wrote: »

Well I wonder why they did leave it for 5 years then ? I very much doubt they had the customer's interests at heart, I suspect it was either incompetence or they thought it would be a better strategy to let the debt escalate.

Are you serious? The poster owed £1000 and knew he owed £1000. He shouldn't have to be chased for him to repay his debt. If I owe someone money, I pay without being asked. Honest people do.