what happens if you just dont pay catalogue/credit card bills.

[kerryk]

a friend of mine has run up loads with next/littlewoods/capital one etc.

she owes a good few thousand but has stopped paying them as she can no longer afford it. i am worried sick for her incase she gets into real trouble.

she says she would rather not be in this position but there is nothing she can do about it and as we are in scotland she thinks that bailiffs cant come to your house to remove goods (no idea if this is right or not).

so what is likley to happen, could she end up in court?

They will write when she defaults and ask for the full amount unless she offers a reduced payment plan first, failing that take her to court to recover the debts. She really needs good advice on how to go forwards as it won't just go away and could have a long term effect. She neds to priritoese her debts as some (like Council Tax) are taken more seriously and dealt with more quickly.

def no council tax involved, she is in a army house like myself so rent and council tax are taken out of her dh's wage then the rest goes into the bank.

is the part about bailifs correct? that is my biggest worry for her, at least she would get some notice about going to court and not have someone banging on her door.

i know this is her own doing but i really think she seems depressed at the moment and this must be adding to it.

afaik they can't come until it has been to court.

please refer here here they are a charity organisation who can help her - they dont take any fees and no loans involved but they will help her budget and wil negotiate with creditors on her behalf.

Then if they can't get the money back, they will put up their prices for the ordinary man on the street to recoup their losses.

She needs to contact them and arrange a repayment. They will take her to court and if it is cleared then they can send in baliffs if she has goods that can be removed, however they cant touch childrens items or used cltohes but everything else is a free for all.

does going to court happen quite quickly or do they try and get a collection agency involved first?

i am hoping that if i can let her know all the facts we may be able to sort something out.

If her husband is in the army then the debts can affect his security clearances and might affect any job he can get afterwards.

They will write asking for the money and tell her if they will pass the debt on or would take her to court themselves . Best not to leave it that long though or any collection/court/bailiff fees will get added onto the debts.

Info here as to how to manage debt and the Scottish recovery system.

She needs to tell her husband, as when he is DVd he'll need to declare all debts, and if he doesn't he'll lose his clearance. Yes, they want details of wife's credit card bills, salary details etc as well.

If you are on a married patch inside a base, bailiffs may have problems gaining access, but otherwise they could turn up. If the bailiffs discover her dh is Army, they can inform the commanding officer and try to get the money back that way. She needs to 'fess up to her dh and get it sorted soonest, as this will impact on his career.

I was messing around on my phone and within 5 mins had 500 credit to spend on my son's Christmas ! I thought this was the answer to my prayers but I ordered 200 odd pounds worth of stuff that didn't arrive in time for Christmas so had to sell my beloved collection of BNIB adidas trainers to get what I've already ordered as this has left me REALLY angry and upset I've decided not to take collection of the stuff what's the worst that can happen if I don't pay ???? THANX

stumaggoo1 , this thread is nearly 9 years old. If you start your own threat you will get helpful,up to date advice

Exactly the same thing for me but i was drunk. where i live everyone is a materialistic freaks so if u dont wear anything trendy then u will 100% get bullied, teased, robbed and/or beat up and with the financle situation my family was in aswell as well fighting social workers for 10 years ( no joke we was gonna get put on the papers over it due to them lying over other things) that put alot of stress on him as hes a single dad looking after 10 kids at the time he was a bright and energetic man everyone had alot of respect for him but then my dad had got diagnosed with dementia witch really killed me (again no joke) and me loosing my job at 17 made me very depressed to the point i would not go out at all or socialise with no one. so i started messing around fake "window shopping" drunk and come was clicking randomly and next min i had 500 put in to my credit or what ever so i tested it out and bought a watch some cloths an what not just what ever i thought people would see trendy. After a few more drinks i fell asleep didnt think nothing of it an then a few days later parcels are getting deliverd left right and center this was a week before december so u could imagin what the state i was in iv also contemplated suicide from time to time and still get my debt forms 3 years in and cant pay them or get a job due to covid amd my dad being vulnerable to it and makes it seem impossible i cant find any help or soloution and my other family are all evil people amd would rather spit on me. I have nothing and no help all helplines say are sort a paymemt plan or what ever but 50-60 a time isnt somethinf i have. Should be against the law this

@Zergsta this is a very old thread and you might get more help if you start your own thread. Can you return the stuff you’ve ordered? If it was this Christmas, most places are accepting returns until after shops re-open.
Unfortunately lenders don’t have any way of knowing if you’re drunk when you apply. You can try contacting them to explain your mental health issues. Instead of contacting a debt charity have you tried contacting a mental health charity? The two are often linked but the MH charity might be able to provide more specific advice/support. If you can’t afford the payment plan that has been suggested to you, get some advice about getting a debt relief order or going bankrupt.