Erudio Student Loans Continued part 3

[erudioed]

I dont know if this is the right way to do it and i apologise if it isn't but this is the continuation of www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/a2057131-Erudio-Student-Loans-Continued

yyyuuu Sounds stupid I know, but I'm slightly relieved that I'm not the only one to have experienced it with signed for.

I hope they didn't leave a card, as I really can't imagine Erudio going to the PO to collect their post.

I'm 45 and took my loan out in 1996, and am now panicking that they will force me into arrears, so they don't have to right-off my loan (not sure how it works if you can prove that you sent the form, but because it's lost/late/whatever, you don't manage to get your deferment sorted in time... surely if you are eligible to defer (I get £332 per month, so ridiculously below their threshold), then you can't fall into arrears, especially if you can prove you took reasonable steps to conform to the deferment process?

@ lithiumfear - I know - I was relieved when I saw your post too! I'm sure there are more people too.... in the end it probably just comes down to carelessness and tech/it problems in the scanning.

I'm in a similar position to you - nowhere near threshold income and probably never will be - but it doesn't stop me panicking

I'm fairly sure that we have up to 3 months after they start taking payments to get the deferment backdated and the payments refunded - so realistically, we shouldn't be going OTT at this stage.

Also, I have a plan...

Have you got copies of everything you sent? You can download the form from a post somebody made on this thread a few days ago...

I don't think Royal Mail will update the tracking between now and Tuesday morning so I'll check it then and again on Wednesday.

If the'signed for' hasn't appeared by Wednesday I'll either post the lot again or scan and email it to Erudio.

They will get that application for deferment - come hell or high water

Also, meant to say I can't imagine Erudio going to PO to collect post either.

I imagine they probably get at least a sackload of 'signed for' every day and there will be a bulk barcode/sign for process which should be assigned to each letter in the sack - I can easily see that going wrong though so not getting the update on the Royal Mail website is no guarantee that Erudio haven't got your post either!

You know I very (stupidly) didn't scan it (we have a new printer, and I don't know how to scan, only print & DH was out at the time).

I sent copies of my bank statement, which I do have copies of.

I wish I had scanned it... I've emailed Erudio, hoping they may email an attachment.

With SLC one form didn't arrive, and they were brilliant. They emailed the form, which I printed, scanned - along with evidence - and emailed back... you'd think that Erudio would be able to manage that too... just seems that they want to make it as difficult as possible.

If I believed they'd received it, and it was just Royal Mail's inefficient PDA procedure at fault, I may feel easier, except that last year I knew they'd received my form, as I had the online proof... and they still tried to deny receiving it - until I gave them the tracking number, and they couldn't deny it further... so without the online proof, they can deny they have it, even if they do.

This is a link to the form which you can download to your computer:

www.dropbox.com/s/a375v9uoleagf02/Erudio%20New%20DAF.pdf?dl=0

This has been posted earlier in the Mumsnet thread and on the MoneySavingExpert thread: forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4923210&page=191

If you click on the link it will take you to a new tab - click on the Download button in top right - ignore/close the register with Dropbox blurb - the form will open

Erudio emailed me a form after about 2/3 days - I had to give them my DoB to 'prove' my ID - huh! - then 2/3 days later they emailed an attachement so about 5 working days total - by which time the snail mail pack arrived.

Just saw this thread in active conversations and it has reminded me that I am yet to hear from erudio this year. Has everyone else been chasing them to send the forms?

I am newly pregnant with dc2 so what with looking after a toddler and early pregnancy grimness this had fallen off my radar, aargh!

Lots of people have chased Erudio for forms as they have been late sending them out.

Your deferral letter from last year will have said Erudio will contact you 8 weeks before your deferment expiry date in 2015.

From my own experience and others I've read here and on Moneysavingexpert:
Erudio did a big bulk mailing of DAF packs on 14th March which for me (and many others), was just over 6 weeks before my deferral expiry date. The packs were sent by slow post bringing it down to 5 weeks before my expiry date before I could send the DAF form back.

So Erudio have effectively cut the 8 week period to 5-6 weeks for lots of people.

Keep in mind, Erudio say allow 28 days for us to process your application.

So, to keep on track your DAF must be with them a full 4 weeks before the deferral expiry date OR they can take a DD from your account!!!

That means they are giving most peole ONE WEEK ONLY to get that form completed and returned.

Is this deliberate or careless? Or just mismanagement? Probably a mix of all three.

I would just say - be aware - and as soon as you reach your 8 weeks before deferment date - email Erudio for a DAF pack

Because it's us that will lose out if we're late applying - No skin off Erudio's nose if we miss our deferment dates - they'll happily take a DD from your account.

I will wait till Tuesday, and see if tracking updates at all.

If not then I will ring them, and ask if they've received my form (not mentioning the tracking at all).

If they haven't I will print off the form (many thanks for the link) and send it by special delivery (willing to pay if it guarantees delivery/full tracking).

Do you think that will be OK?

That sounds like the best approach - I think I'll do that too as I don't really have a lot of faith in Erudio acknowledging receipt of an emailed form.

I think I'll give it to Wednesday morning though and then (if Erudio say they haven't got the form) go for the Royal Mail Guaranteed by 1pm next day -

It says if it's not there before 1pm (tracked all the way online) you get your money back so I'm pretty sure they will deliver that one. They won't want to give a refund. And it will be immediately clear online if they haven't delivered it.
www.royalmail.com/price-finder

It's £6.45 which is bloody expensive! But the anxiety is expensive in life shortening!

I think even with Guaranteed delivery by the Thursday - I will be vulnerable to Erudio's 28 day processing limit but I just want the certainty they've got it. I wish I'd done this in the first place but I'll claim the other postage back if it doesn't apear online.

Just going through the T&Cs of Royal Mail - despite giving a clear cut undertaking - money back if not delivered on time - they still make it nigh on impossible to get clear instructions on their website about how to get your money back.

Don't inspire confidence.

Thanks all, my deferment is at the end of may apparently so in theory I should be getting the letter soon.

The funniest thing has happened, and I'm not sure at all what to do next (even good news can confuse and befuddle me!)

According to Royal Mail my letter is still in their system don't know about yours yyyuuu?

As I said before I'd emailed them, assuming they'd deny all knowledge, and I had no proof of delivery. I had planned to phone them today.

Well I received an email from them today. They say they'd looked into my account and were pleased to confirm that my deferment had been accepted today, and my new deferment runs till May 2016!!!

Great news! But I'm still unsure?

Wow!!! That's amazing! Congrats!

Yup - according to Royal Mail my letter is still in the system - how does that work?

I've emailed Royal Mail with a complaint - but I don't expect any joy from them.

I've also emailed Erudio to check if they have my form - I only did that on Monday though.

Haven't heard back from Erudio or Royal Mail yet.

You've got me all optimistic and excited wondering if they'll have mine too!

It sounds as though your deferment is all kosher - they wouldn't get it wrong on granting deferment.

They seem to be working flat out on deferments - you and IchibodT both processed really fast.

Well done again - I shall be crossing everything today and will post when I hear anything

Hope for the best - be prepared for the worst!!!

ps. you can claim the cost of your 'Signed For' postage back from Royal Mail now.

Because your letter arrived )but no evidence of signing was provided by Royal Mail) - you are able to claim back the difference between normal first class and 'signed for' ... win,win!

Good luck yyyuuu! x

I'm so pleased!!!

Had an email back from Erudio confirming they had my forms and that my deferment was accepted for the next year - amazing!

I have to say - credit where credit is due - that is a pretty good customer service operation in terms of response times.

There's always been a sense of emailing into the ether in the past - not knowing whether or not you would get a reply but, not only have I had a reply - within 48 hours - but they've also processed my application in less than 7 days with a 4 day bank holiday in the middle - to be fair, I can't complain - that's an excellent experience.

Wahey! Excellent news yyyuuu!

Yes I'm impressed this year. Last year they denied receiving the forms until they had the tracking, but this year - I didn't need to chase them!

Big raspberries to Royal Mail though!

Hi everyone, so the joyous time to apply for deferment is here, yay!
Just wondering are we safe to sign the last page of the DAF, re the sharing of information? Or have people adapted it in their own way?

I signed it adding (for what it's worth) I do not consent to any changes in the T&Cs.

Nothing about info sharing.

Thanks :-)

The form this year didn't explicitly mention the sharing of info but it did say that by signing you agreed to the terms of their FPN which could be viewed in their website. This FPN then went on to state that by signing you agreed to the sharing of your deferment with CRAs and it being applied to your credit file as a payment holiday.

For this reason I completely removed the darkened box at the end of the form which referred to the FPN. I then added my own statement in its place. I also removed the last lettered point in the section above where you sign (marked E iirc) and I also added a covering letter stating I didn't agree to any changes from the original terms signed for with SLC.

Hi all.

I have been away from the thread but here is an update. I didn't receive deferment forms and so had to chase Erudio for them. my previous deferments is still out standing more than a year later and I have now instruct ed a solicitor. I am also still awaiting a decision by the Ombudsman, the next step up from an adjudicator. All still a total mess. I don't want to send them another deferment form as I don't want them to have all of my info. This is in relation to my previous deferment period where I queried what the needed and they then rejected my deferment and put me in arrears?!? I then sent all the into and they never acknowledged it and apparently rejected it again in May. I was never told this. None of the information on my old loan statements tallies with what they say. What a mess.

I got my defement. But they ignored my complaint - I complained that a benefit they say must be declared on one page of the 'his to' guide is then referred to later as not to be included and not getting my form

I also learnt my MP was one of the ones who voted for the loans to be sold (was actually on the committee). What's worse is their insistence a year ago they were disgusted such a thing would happen as they had benefitted from the same loan (they were at uni same time as me) [anger]

Oh, and it was confirmed due to how direct payments specifically for a carer/medical needs were set up that erudio can and will include that as income (rather complicated explanation).

Anyway good news is I was deferred 10 days after I sent off the form.

I have had verbal confirmation that I am now deferred. A letter dated 5th May (arrived some days later) asked for confirmation of Third Party support. I am self employed, no employer right now, and received some money from my parents to help me. A letter from my father confirming the support was obtained and received by Erudio on the 13th.

I received a letter today dated 16th May asking for confirmation of third party support and confirmation of income from employment. Gah! They've already accepted I am self employed (sent them my tax return) and that I have no employer.

I called up. A genial fellow spoke to me, looked through my paperwork, then went to talk to the deferment people.

The HOLD music is awful. Truly hideous psychedelic sub-sitar rubbish.

The fellow returned. My deferment is confirmed and will be processed.

Why couldn't they simply do it properly in the first place rather than writing me this ridiculous letter? It really points to them delaying the process unduly and being cackhanded in their administrative processes.

Long term readers will know I've been wandering around here for a while on the Erudio trail. I will be filing a full complaint that takes in the entire duration of my time with them, complaints which go back 15 months.