Erudio Student Loans Continued

[halfpricedebt]

Started a new thread following mrsbug's request.

I got an email from Erudio today telling me that an issue I raised with them on 27 March that was then completely ignored even though they asked for confirmation of my details to process the initial email. I gave them the details they requested and seven days later I still hadn't heard anything. So I wrote them a rather threatening complaint telling them if they didn't respond within 7 days I would report them to the relevant financial services. That was on 3 April and today they've told me that my complaint has been forwarded to their Customer Resolutions Team.

I wonder what they do?

@Maccygee - i'm going to nail them to the wall...

Best method is by letter. Recorded delivery, keeping copies of what you sent.

www.erudiostudentloans.co.uk/services/complaints-procedure.htm

In addition to that you can also contact the FOS now, and in many cases they will also be prepared to write to Erudio outlining your complaint.

www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

1st of the those is crucial but if you can get the 2nd done as well it will really put the wind up Erudio.

Also complain to the FCA and make all the people like Martin Lewis etc aware of how you are being treated.

It's the 1998 to 2002 loans that they can only share with the CRAs if you fail to make payments. The 1990 to 1997 one are the ones that they claim don't need your permission.

GET IN!!! @simonpimpernel Count me in

I hate bullies too :)

@simonpimpernel
Erudio is a shell company and only exists in name now the deals have been struck, and serve as a shell through which all the cash moves around...probably via The Wilmington Trust's channel island residence and Arrow Global Guernsey.
We are dealing with a company called Ventura on both the phones to Leeds and by mail to Rotherham. Ventura were purchased by Capita who are the parent company.
Arrow Global provided half the money for the loans (£160 million in total), as did CarVal an American company comprised of 'private investors'. Arrow speak for any of Erudio's problems and are the half of the investors responsible for getting as much of the £890 million in loans as possible, of which we comprise about 40% of that.
As an aside, Honours Student Loans are owned by a similarly named company to that which Erudio changed its name from just before they purchased our loans. The Wilmington Trust were also responsible for setting up that shell company, as they are for Erudio, and is the reason why you read Erudio won the bidding process because of their experience in this field. This is also why teething troubles like Capita are having is a little rich and probably verging on a lie. Thesis is also shell company. This is what the government clearly like as the structure of future student loans. However, our PM, David Cameron, is currently on the war path of shell companies because they are tax avoiders and the people who they deal with (such as us) often dont know who they are dealing with...like us saying Erudio this, Erudio that, when it is actually Ventura/Capita, who were subcontracted by Arrow. Capita are Erudio for our purposes... well they're not, but they are pretending to be, such as sending us mails out with Erudio's starring owl logo and answering the phone deeming themselves to be Erudio, whilst not declaring who they actually are anywhere during correspondences. Interesting that they're try to catch us out on the info we provide and threaten us with fraud checks and publicising our information, whilst they are undertaking just those practices themselves, and is clearly the chosen business model that BIS chose to sell us down the river to.

This is something of a conundrum, They said "we have not received sufficient confirmation to establish your eligibility for deferment". It is a mystery because I have supplied exactly the same proof as I have for the last 12 years, namely 3 months payslips and interest from savings, which is well below the threshold of approximately 28K. It would appear that they are picking and choosing who they will defer in order to set precedent as they do in commercial law by setting a case study. In other words, they are trying to change terms and conditions by the back door.

If they refuse enough people on spurious grounds, then they clearly hope that a large enough fraction of those will not fight hard against it. Resulting in a lot more people not deferred when they could have done, and hence a lot more profit for these money grabbing sods.

Everything single thing they have done so far from the very start of this is either incompetence or a cynical tactic to bounce as many legitimate deferrers out of deferment as possible.

I've no idea what to do about mine at all. I've had nothing at all about my complaint or the information I sent off, I tried phoning but couldn't get through (I don't have a telephone anymore so must use public phone or go to the bank).

My deferrment ends start of next week.

I'm really scared.

I'm already having an awful lot of problems, which i won't bore you with, and this in top is really too much for me.

They've scared me a bit too @Becca19962014 and I'm not easily spooked but I suppose they're well practised in scare tactics. That must be how they make their money (their Mums must be proud)

It's good to know we're not on our own though, lots of others in the same position and great support on here and other forums. People power :)

Hmmm. Ive waited to see where my original complaint would get me.

However, i think that as the 8 week date from my complaint is almost exactly the same as the my deferral end date i suspect they have no intention of providing a reply and just allowing my deferment to elapse. I now have no alternative but to attempt deferral.

Based on the replies I see here its fairly likely they will refuse (as I dont wish to sign their form) and payments will be taken. I will then have to pursue deferment, during which time further payments could be taken.

In fact as far as I can see there's not much to stop them from refusing deferment full stop and just continue taking payments as only 3 months worth can be refunded, thus they get money coming in. Or would the Direct Debit guarantee cover this scenario?

@qubit I had wondered about them taking payments regardless as well. One of the people I spoke to there said it would be refunded, up to 3 months, when I was seen as 'eligible' for deferrment only, so if they decide you aren't, given they seem to be making up rules of who does and doesn't qualify now, my concern is they will just take.

I don't personally see how the direct debit guarantee can help, maybe someone else can.

I've just realised they haven't acknowledged my complaint received by them over 5 days ago. According to their procedures they will always acknowledge receipt.

So, can I now send it to the ombudsman? Anyone know?

The ombudsman has the legally binding power to order them to put you back in the situation you would have been in if they had not behaved unfairly. That includes the backdating of deferment beyond the normal limit.

DD guarantee covered payments taken wrongly. If you have made a valid deferral and had it wrongly refused or delayed then you can use it. Regardless, you do not have to justify reasons to the bank for refunds under the DD guarantee. The bank must refund if requested, and then it's up you deal with the company involved to resolve whatever caused the wrongful payments to be taken.

Ombudsman should write on your behalf now, even if they can't formally take on the complaint yet.

www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

"We can help by contacting the business for you, and telling them about your complaint."

So apparently I've been successfully deferred, though I'm waiting to have this in writing.

I phoned them yesterday to check on the status of what I sent through. Despite them telling me the information was incomplete I repeatedly told them I had provided what they had asked for and what I'm legally obliged to provide. The guy had to speak to his team leader. When he came back on the phone he pointed out that as I hadn't filled out their form they couldn't be sure if my employment was my only income. Regardless I reiterated that I am under the threshold according to my salary and that is all I need to show under legislation. After continually pointing out that they haven't got a leg to stand on regarding refusal of deferral, they said I will be deferred. I insisted I wanted this in writing as soon as possible. I have a record of the phone call - date, time and duration. You can bet this is what they record at their end so they have no room to say that call didn't happen.

I submitted no direct debit mandate details, cancelled the existing one to ensure they didn't "accidentally" help themselves, crossed out everything on their forms with big black marker pen and scrawled do not consent on everything. They didn't say a thing about the DD. I maintain you are breaking an agreement if you are eligible to make payment and cancel your DD. If you're not eligible to pay then you don't need a DD sitting on your account on the off chance you might make a payment.

I remain convinced the DD stuff is scaremongering otherwise why wouldn't they tell me off for not providing details and cancelling the existing one?

Oh and when I got home yesterday I had a letter telling me they need to know my employment status because I didn't submit this with my deferment application (I did and have copies to prove it). They also told me yesterday my employer letter didn't state when I started working for them (it did and I told the guy to read it carefully).

Incompetent doesn't even come close.

Lovely phonecall to erudio this morning. What a fucking joke.. my deferment has been sitting as incomplete since 17th April and they hadnt bothered to contact me.. 1st of all they "couldnt read my payslips" bullshit they were in pdf format then they said it was because I didnt fill in their form..

So I have 9 days to sort it out or they start taking money, though they haven't told me how much.

They girl on the phone logged a complaint and that will be resolved within 24 hours but they can't tell me when my deferment will be resolved

I have the rage!!!!!

Have a good day folks.

It's just one excuse after another with these people isn't it? I wouldn't hold my breath for a complaint being resolved. I've lodged several with them, only one in writing though, which have all been ignored. Thanks for the information regarding the ombudsman I should have looked on the site before asking, sorry.

The reason I'm so worried about mine is my gp is trying to get me to go into hospital (mental health) but with no family/friends I've no way of sorting the mess I'm in, either with erudio or the rest, but at the same time if I don't go in my health will suffer.

I don't feel rage. I'm just terrified.

I think I'll phone FOS at lunchtime and see what my next steps are and write a formal letter of complaint to erudio this evening.. this is taking up so much bloody time!

@powerpooh good idea! I hope it goes well.

What annoys me most is that I completed the form exactly as they wanted it, and I provided proof that I earn £0.00. My wife has even asked me if she should send them her payslips as proof of our financial situation. Yet, despite my form being in their possession since the end of March, I haven't heard anything at all from them. I have a spare two hours tomorrow morning in which I will try to get through to them on the phone.

I read on their own FAQ section that they are challenging those who claim to earn £0.00. Fair enough, they can challenge me all they like, but as my deferment period ends next week, I really wish they would get on with it.

Greed has removed all decency, common sense and dignity from them. They are still holding onto the belief that there is £890million out there to be made.

I still think David Willetts, and for that matter Vince Cable should stop hiding behind a generic response and explain to us all exactly what they were thinking.

Annoying as it is they want as many people as possible not to defer, so they will put every barrier they can in place. You either roll over and let yourself be screwed, or fight. That is the sad reality of this.

I didn't consider my loans being registered with a CRA to be such a large issue compared to having my deferment confirmed in time as I can't afford to pay for even one month. I have never enjoyed a particularly high credit score by virtue of the fact I was always low paid.

I appreciate that it was an issue for you, but I find your "You either roll over and let yourself be screwed, or fight. That is the sad reality of this." to be particularly offensive.

You may well be in a position to fight on the CRA issue - good for you - but some of us aren't. My point is that I have given them no grounds to refuse deferral, you and those who used your template have done.

They seem qute keen for people to sign the form even if the Fair Processing Notice is excluded.

Is the FPN merely a elaborate slight of hand and there something we should be wary of in the box where we sign on the form?

@Dazzydog I was referring to all the spurious reasons in given by Erudio in the last few days, and not specifically anything to do with CRA reporting.

I was not replying to your post in particular. Sorry if the wording in my post made it look like I was.

We all have different concerns and priorities in this, but I don't apologise for highlighting the reality of what Erduio is trying to do.

@Qubit

Could be. Or it could just be that climbing down and admitting that we don't actually have to use their forms is a just one climbdown to far for them and they can't bring themselves to do it? It would after all be the ultimate humiliation and admission of defeat for them, and would would underlie the lie in so much else of what they have done in the most stark fashion.