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?

@emptycoffers I agree, and i sense your frustration. You have offered some great advice, whilst always making it clear, nothing is set in stone and that we all have to find our own path through this first year. All the important advice has already been offered multiple times on both the key threads.
Repeating myself, for anyone who wont see the deferral form processed before the 1st DD being due, lodge an official complaint with Capita if you have a beef about something because it will result in a) you getting an answer potentially to your problem and b) all collection activity will be suspended for upto 8 weeks, so that 1st DD wont be taken...and if it is, then you have a number of options to follow, which will all result in you definitely being reimbursed and Capita/Arrow, getting a serious nuckle wrapping by the ombudsman and a financial fit. That in turn will alert the ombudsman to the sheer volume of us being toyed with and hopefully lead to more serious things in the coming times.
We're yet to start getting our complaints replied to, so as such, the full complaints procedure is just in its first stage. When Arrow answer most of our concerns with contempt, then the ombudsman will be getting a real work out (if we all follow our problems through after most of us will have been deferred). Then the fun should start...i say fun because how serious can one stay when dealing with these clown before those sleepless nights come back again.
We've already coaxed Zach Lewy from his perch and forced him to spend much more time that he would wish on this issue, and i know for a fact he cant understand why we are all so rattled. As far as im concerned, the stuff he told MSE about changing the form and asking our involvement is hot air until he shows some real concessions. They are firefighting right now, and i suspect the last week has been very favourable for them because their admitting 500+ bank raids has seen little other negative coverage since then in the media.
Also, saying Erudio this, Erudio that i dont think helps much, start using the names Arrow, Capita, Ventura and naming names, because the only thing that rattles their cage is negative brand coverage outside of the forum world, so by only using the name of the shell company (Erudio), we are giving bad brand coverage to something that will die after these loans end. After that, Lewy and Capita will create another shell company, and do exactly the same as they are doing now.
We cant let them off the hook, with emptycoffers being a prime example of someone already standing on the top podium and getting thoroughly under Zach Lewy's wings, even if it does mean his/her own internal thermometer being pushed into the red by repeating the same things over and over again.
We will be entering the next stage soon, so we need to prepare for it and start letting the ombudsman know what kind of an insidious operation we have had forced on us by launching a number of official complaints so this situation does not happen every year.

@ owlbegoing - and others who have sent in a letter from your partner

Any advice on what Erudio are looking for with this letter? Like you, I included a letter from my husband when deferring with SLC, confirming he financially supported the family by paying all the household expenses from his salary, and SLC were fine with that. We've added to Erudio's letter to say that he doesn't pay me an allowance of any sort. Is there anything else I'm missing?

Woo hoo... I've had correspondence from our friends at Erudio. Yay!!..

Now folks don't be getting all excited. Though it was a written letter.

They are simply asking me for proof of income in the form of 3 months payslips and a P60.

Now is this an unreasonable request? No, probably not, but they have been sent all of this information twice!!!!

There are well and truly incompetent. 6 weeks this has taken to get a letter from them.

I give up!

Don't give up Powerpooh, that's what they want!

Would it be worth emailing Erudio, copying in the FOS, and pointing out that you've already provided the requested evidence (twice)? And how long it's taken to get no further forward with your application?

If everyone having to deal with these crooks did the same, it wouldn't take long for the FOS to realise the extent of the problem.

Hi Guys,

I posted originally back on the first Erudio thread. And listed my sample letter which I sent to Erudio back at the start of April, I did not send a P60 and sent them a copy of the original terms as linked by someone in that thread, to "remind" them, that the P60 is irrelevant.

Just to let you know, yesterday, I got my deferment letter from them, they did accept it, and they have set up a Direct Debit with a Zero amount...

It seems as if, in my case, they've decided to play fair, I thought I would post just to hopefully put some people's minds at rest. I am still keeping a very cynical eye (As I told "James" one of their call handlers, the only time I phoned to chase the update on my deferral) on their progress and expect them to be working hard behind the scenes to find a way to upset the applecart before my loan becomes a write off in four years.

Cheers and good luck everyone

Knave

@minimoosh

I've just emailed them another strongly worded email asking how many times they would like me to send the information they already have?

I then pointed out again that they have failed to notify me what my repayments will be and they will be breaking the DD gurantee. Etc etc.

I then told them the email was a formal complaint and that all collection activity should be suspended until the matter was resolved to my satisfaction. We'll see what happens.

Now I have already reported them to the FOS (did that Tuesday) so they are also contacting Erudio (or whoever they are) on my behalf to raise a formal complaint against them.

Re the DD I was advised by FOS to keep that in place at the moment and see what happens come my renewal date. If they take money it will help the complaint I have againw them re timescales etc as both the FOS and now myself have requested that collection activity be suspended.

I'm not really giving up. I am still maintaining the mantra of:

I am below the income threshold therefore until I earn more money they have no reason not to defer me.

Oh happy days!!!

@ knaveofwands

Thats great news. Well done you.. there's hope for the rest of us.

[Smile]

I am a sahm and didn't list any income other than our v minimal child benefit equivalent (in another country) and have just got a deferral notice. They would obviously realise I couldn't live on that but computer must say yes as it's under their threshold so all is well!

I feel that they may have realised with the mass exposure, complaints, press attacks, etc, that they can't just play hard and fast and not get found out, hence the reports dribbling through of people getting deferred...

However, can I check something with those in the know or from a legal standpoint : As UK law IIRC is based on precedent, if Erudio, next year, refused my deferral because I didn't supply a P60 or use their daftass phishing form, when this year they accepted my corrected version of their form and my payslips as I have always presented, would any complaint or action against them for doing so be more likely to be upheld?

@simonpimpernel - I didn't get their names but I can assure you that erudio are the liars. Cheeky bar stewards. Are you calling them on their 0845 number or the 0113? I have always phoned the 0113 and seem to have had a marginally better experience than some.

Erudio can get upset as much as they like. If you are eligible to defer and prove that under the relevant legislation then they can't say a thing whether you sign their form or not. I'm still waiting to receive the letter though (they say it's been sent out and is on my file) but it remains to be seen about the credit file stuff.

Similarly @knaveofwands

If i have stupidly signed their stupid forms, if I defer next yesr, could i opt out of consent to share my info then?
And also if some of you are getting defered without the forms, do i have any legal clout to get my consent withdrawn now due to fair trading?
I was told i HAD to sign forms and i don't really get this stuff... Call me daft but I obv don't have as much sense as you guys... Seems odd a company can do two different things with customers. Either its compulsory for deferment or its not...

Just a quick comment about the volume of phone call checks wasting call centre time -

OPTION 3 - If you wish to defer or want to check on the progress of an application to defer

OH! The call centre has an option to check progress on applications?! Blow me down with a feather that people dare to use this option and waste call centre staff time. I was under the impression that it was their job to answer calls on each and every option. Silly me.

At the end of the day, this company have not put one second of thought into how this would work other than hoping they get some money out of people.

Let's all stop getting shirty with each other - we're all different and all deal with stress differently.

@KnaveofWands In a strictly legal sense I don't think it would changes things, as the position is the same regarding proof as it is now.

BUT when it comes to circumstances where you might want to take it to the FOS for example, they look at the law but also at whether you have been treated fairly. No matter what stance they may take on the legal side, the fact that they accepted deferment this years on that would make any complaint case with the FOS immeasurably stronger if they decided to plays silly buggers again next year.

@Insanityme

To the best of my knowledge you can't just withdraw that consent willy nilly for the reason that you now decide you don't want it to be given.

BUT if you genuinely think you were mislead into thinking that you HAD to agree to it in order to be deferred, then that could change the game and would be worth making a complaint on that basis. Being coerced into giving consent on a false basis is not something they are likely to be able to make stick.

Whether given the forms or what you were told on the phone means you were forced or led to be believe you had not choice is a matter of interpretation, and can't really comment on that. Your perception of it may be different to the way an adjudicator would see it.

If you think your were mislead then complain and take to the FOS etc. You don't lose anything by doing so.

Thank you very much for the advice throughout mandaki and emptycoffers - it's been a great support! I don't know my outcome yet - wait and see... In the meantime I have contacted the ombudsman, PM, the Guardian journalist who's going to write a piece, the NUS.

Is there anybody else I could lobby???? All the best

Before it assumes the status of fact - to my knowledge - nobody has been deferred without submitting the form with the signed borrower's warranty.

They have blacked out stuff and submitted extra letters and added caveats and disclaimers but everyone I've noted as deferred has - signed and submitted the form

No signature on form = no deferral

Regardless of what else you do

That's my understanding

It looks that way at present @emptycoffers but I personally don't consider that Erudio's final position. I'm still in 'negotiations' with them.

@ theloanranger I have a list of media contacts from a dispute with T-Mobile last year, I've added BIS/FCA/FOC. If enough people fire off their complaint/concerns to the lot of them and their own MP, then something might stick? You should be able to just copy and paste all of the contacts into your email. I've not got time just now to check all the contacts are up-to-date, but will check later:

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected] [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

Came across this on the FCA website, basically a list of principles that businesses regulated by the FCA must follow... seems Erudio have already broken most of their obligations.

www.fca.org.uk/about/what/regulating/principles-for-businesses

The FCA must surely be interested in what Erudio are up to and the more of us who complain, the more chance they'll investigate. What better payback for Erudio's shoddy practice than a hefty fine from the FCA?

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but has anyone asked the FOC and FCA if they'd be willing to give a single point of contact for emailing complaints, or informing them when it's been over a month since sending your deferment application and/or your deferment period has ended? Might have more impact than just using the generic email addresses. I would contact them, but I haven't even sent off my deferment application yet, might be better coming from someone who's already at that stage, or who has already contacted them?

Hmmm. I'm starting to do doubt myself about whether I did sign the form. I'm fairly certain I didn't but then I did also write do not consent on everything so it's possible I did sign but at this point I genuinely can't remember and I didn't take a copy of the form.

Now I feel bad I've confused people but honestly, I am now unsure what I did other than crossing everything out. I remember being pretty adamant about not signing but judging by what people are saying and the knowledge that erudio are allegedly deferring me, then it's possible.

I could phone them to check but that would be silly until I get the written deferment in my hands.

Thanks for that, minimoosh - I'll get some more letters off!

Just wanted to say, in case it helps anyone, I've just had deferment confirmation.

I have basically no income atm. My situation is actually complex-I'm effectively a SAHM, but I'm also a student (full time but distance so generally not accepted as full time) and my actual "job" is getting a chancey business idea off the ground. I do have savings.

I basically filled in the form as a SAHM as that seemed easier than going into my complex doings, so just got a letter of support from dp. I didn't fill in any of the form I didn't previously fill in for the SLC.

The deferment actually took about three-four weeks to come through (not 10 working days!).

Just posting in case that helps someone.

Oh and I didn't lie, to be clear. I am not expecting to have income anywhere near the limit for quite some time.

Also, there's one essential thing that nobody has mentioned - submitting a freedom of information request. FOIs have to be in the public interest so we could ask specific questions relating to the sale or how many people have been deferred. Something to think about because once you submit an FOI they have to answer it or face a big fine.

FOI request only applies to pubic sector, so you can't make one to Erudio.

You can make one to BIS etc though, as they must have had some contractual stuff in place to do with due diligence on the sale and checking to make sure that that they buyers did not misbehave.

BBC journalist looking for info on Erudio

twitter.com/KevCcontact