Do you think I have a chance re; store cards

[youshouldnthavetoask]

I got my first store card when I was 18, at university and earning £6 per hour, working 12 hours a week.
Over the years, my bad impulse control, youth and low income meant that I wracked up so much interest. Littlewoods just kept giving me more and more credit. At one point my minimum payment was £500! My mum had to bail me out more than once.
Now I'm older and slowly becoming better with money (although impulse control is still poor) I feel slightly annoyed that these companies were able to lend me so much and that no one ever questioned my eligibility.
I've seen companies which offer to look at these store cards in terms of offering you credit limits you weren't eligible for but I wondered if anyone had any personal experience of getting compensation.
I am not saying that I wasn't too blame but to be fair I was just an 18 year old, living on my own in an unfurnished house. I had never been offered 1000 of free credit before. I feel they should have asked more questions as a lender.

So for ten years, well into your late twenties- and by your own admission even now, you're crap with money. But that's everyone else's fault. I farked up at 18- and significantly. Me. I tried to live outside my means, and I paid a long price for it. As an adult without learning difficulties, I made that choice. To over a decade later want to blame everyone except yourself, will mean you're probably going to continually repeat the same behaviour.

I say YABU as I have also been there with maxed out credit cards that took us years to clear. We had absolutely no one to blame but ourselves.

Everyones fuming that op isn’t taking any responsibility for her actions or showing remorse.

In theory, Compensation payouts can be awarded even if the claimant is partly at fault. In legal terms: partial liability

Op isn’t asking if she “deserves” compensation, just can she claim it on the grounds stated.

I would say that was irresponsible spending. It was a credit limit not a target.
I got myself into serious trouble a few years ago with credit cards but managed to sort it out - the first step to that was admitting what I had done and that it was all my own fault.

Looking for someone to blame I see??? As to why you got more credit when you had missed (recent) payments - it takes a while for things to be recorded on your credit record (to allow for late payments for honest reasons). You obviously kept asking for credit for things, and they leant within the rules.

My advice - you aren't alone, so talk to others for mutual support to kick the credit habit once and forever. Cut up all cards apart from your debit card, write down all your expenditures each month and if necessary leave your card at home and use cash when you are likely to be impulsive.

@gogohmm as stated in previous posts- those were example letters and not related to the specifics of my situation.

And she's been told no, because the products were sold within the financial regulations in force at the time, and nobody made her max out all her credit limits.

I see your point about irresponsible lending.

However, your store card limit kept being increased because your mum was clearing your debts.
On the face of it, you could afford to repay- you had a sponsor.

If the credit company see evidence you can repay, they will increase your credit limit.

But you weren't 18 when they increased your credit limit in 2014, you were 27 by my reckoning!

Another one here who had store cards back in the day. I also once reached a stage that I was at the tipping point of it getting out of control, so I took out a bank loan, paid everything off and never got another one. I spent two years kicking myself each time I paid the loan payment. Lesson learned.

I think part of me is just sick of it. Sick of playing by the rules and being worse off. I went to uni, got a job, worked full time forever, paid tax, saved, taken part time courses to learn additional skills.
And yet here I am, a single mum in a council estate. The daughter of a university educated mum who lived on a council estate. Here I am, at the mercy of UC, the council, my employer, the bank, utility company. Why is it always us that need to doth our cap if we are struggling? Why is it UC or tax credits can just send a bill saying 'we overpaid you, deal with it'? Why can my ex walk out and the system decide that our family losing his 2k a month wage is worth an extra £284 in payments to me, the mother. Why is holiday club £69 a day and my daily wages are less?
But yet I'm unreasonable for asking 'hey, why did they lend me that money, why did I have to pay all those charges?'

All that’s unreasonable and unfair but so is your attitude

A lot of 18 year olds are given store credit and credit cards (I was). Not all of them are irresponsible (I wasn’t).

If you wracked up debt at an early age and hadn’t continued spending long into your 20s I’d say go for it but you admit you’re still bad with money and that’s on you. All of it is.

You can claim but I doubt you’d get far.

I did once put a claim in to a book club that I ordered hundreds of pounds of books from and couldn’t pay and they wiped the debt. But I was 14 and they definitely shouldn’t have been giving a 14 year old credit!

If you look at the FOS website for the big payday loan companies, you will see examples of unfair lending. Have a look at their guidance. If there are companies that will try for you at no risk to you, then give it a go.

I see she’s been told No, not a chance.

Im pointing out that all this sanctimonious finger wagging at op telling her she was an idiot are getting a bit repetitive now.

Martin Lewis answers questions like this and manages to avoid self righteously castigating the person asking. I’ve never seen him shout You idiot how irresponsible! at the end of his show.
Hes great 😂

How is asking for the interest back anything that I'm not entitled to?

Because the T&Cs were there at the time and as an adult you agreed to them

You. Do.Not. Stand. A. Chance.

but go for it

just please update!

@Hoppinggreen so how exactly should my attitude be? Ecstatic that I'm waking up on payday to my account already being £180 overdrawn and there being no help available except whacking yet more essentials on a credit card? Liberated at another 8 hour day where I won't see my kids until 7pm when they'll be too tired to talk to me? Thrilled as I send my withdrawal letter to university to unfortunately turn down the funded place they have offered me as I can't afford to be a student again as I won't meet affordability criteria for my mortgage?
I've been up since 5am looking for ways to make money so give me a bloody break whilst I try to find a solution.

So you are still struggling with impulse spending… correct?

Hate closed minded comments like these. Everyone claiming benefits is making a “lifestyle choice” are they?

Its a rhetoric peddled by Tories and lapped up by people who’ve never experienced a struggle in their lives usually.

I sympathise OP, a lot of people are feeling the same. But you still have time to do something about it - retrain, get a better paid job.

Nothing wrong with council estates, at least you're not at the mercy of bastard private LLs.

@TomatoFrog sorry, could you clarify what choices those were? Was it when my ex threw our son against a radiator and I should have stayed? Or when I chose to work for the NHS instead of a private dentist who charged the mother of a six year old who fell on the kerb outside the practice £80 for seeing to her slightly bruised and bloody face. Was it the choice to be poor that you objected to?

@Villssev not anymore.

What about responsible borrowing? You were legally an adult and still don't seem to be taking responsibility. Nobody put a gun to your head and made you spend it. I once got £17,000 in debt. I spent it and I paid it back. Even at 18 you must have known you didn't have the means to pay it back.

You said you volunteer so do something financially productive with that time instead.

You could easily make up the £180 in your overdraft by doing online surveys in no time.