How bad does it have to be…

[TwoCoffeesPlease]

For you to start getting phone calls from your bank?

I always had the vague impression that my friend is in debt but I am now aware they are getting calls from their bank, which they are ignoring, brushed off as a joke.

On a scale from bad to very very bad, how bad is this?

I’m asking because I want to get an understanding of the situation before I ask them if they need help.

Very very bad.

@KleineDracheKokosnuss 😞 thank you that’s what I was worried about. I think it’s overdraft debt

Yeah thats really bad. The sad thing is, if they keep ringing her, they're obviously trying to help her. Refusing to engage won't get her anywhere.

@tescocreditcard what will happen if she keeps ignoring? Very much a bury head in sand type person and wouldn’t admit easily to having a big problem. Rest of friend group are all in very different situations

Could be scam calls...

It would be bad if it was just bank account, credit card or loan.

It would be scarily bad if they had a mortgage with them.

@Eggseggseverywhere not scam calls, they have been leaving voicemails
@Pixiedust1234 it’s just a bank account. Friend is not a home owner

If it's still with the bank then not too bad. It means the bank has yet to pass the debt onto debt collectors.

@youtwoandme thank you that’s encouraging!

3 months of arrears being in an unarranged overdraft would start calls. If they haven’t contacted the bank and it’s been 6 months they’ll probably start action to close the account. This will result in a default for 6 years. Debt will also still need to be paid and could be passed to outside debt collection agencies.

I think it’s arranged - she has been in it for years at this point

To be fair, they are required to ‘reach out’ a bit earlier than they used to (but since previously they didn’t call you until they were thinking to close your account, that’s not saying much).

she needs to answer the phone.

Banks make calls starting from ones where they are offering financial health checks if they see someone could benefit from having their account reviewed , all the way through to trying to contact customers to set up debt repayment plans .

However what you really need to know is if they are writing to her / sending letters to her via her online banking , as letters will have more detailed explanations if things are bad . Also because the bank will work to certain timescales before escalating debt recovery and will keep details of these contacts attempts .

Please help her to speak to the bank , nothing can get resolved by ignoring them , but it can cause a huge amount of sometimes unnecessary stress .

Hmm, I’d be suspicious of banks calling to discuss debt. Banks aren’t in habit these days of calling anyone to discuss details of accounts. One for security and second for paper trail and auditing.
They will send letters - hard copy, traceable ,
They may well ask person in debt to contact them by phone but that would be secondary and always the person phoning the bank IMHE, again for security

id ignore any call for any bank, government department etc that isn’t prior arranged by letter. Too much scamming.

as much as anything banks know people like me will put phone down immediately on someone saying it’s bank x or y, or even not answer phone if it’s a withheld number. It just doesn’t work as a way to contact customers these days.