Help

[JBR82]

My son moved to Australia in January, he has just told me he has fallen behind on his credit cards and has buried head in sand due to difficulties getting through and time difference.
He owes approx £12,000 and is currently selling his car in UK that will be approx £7,500.
Here are the issues:

1. All post has gone to his old UK address so I have no idea of what stage this is at
2. Step change will not speak to me as my son is overseas
3. same with CAB
4. I can’t live chat with Halifax/Virgin as you need to be logged into online banking to do so
5. My son does not have cards so can not log into online banking

please can someone give me some advice as I honestly don’t know what to do.

Can I kindly ask how old he is please?

25

Very sorry he's got into a mess. Some kind words and a little advice from afar perhaps.
That's about all you can do.

There has to be some way of sorting this he will have £7,500 to pay off and can pay rest in affordable instalments but there is just no way of contacting these people

He is 25, this is his responsibility, be a supportive parent, but he needs to contact them and resolve this. If he needs to stay up late/get up early, he will have to do this. He is 25.

there is just no way of contacting these people

There will be a way of contacting them.

He is 25. Old enough to sort this out.

Stop stressing and take care of your own issues.

Wow ! Came on here for some suggestions and advice - thanks everyone

Is he able to set up a standing order with his bank to pay off more than minimum payment each month?

Or I'm guessing hes run out of funds completely??

When I was travelling one of my companions ran up a credit card bill of 20,000 (!) - she had bought souvenirs and experiences in every country and was away for 18 months.

She thought it was worth it and paid it off when home over 3 years. Not how I did it - hate being in debt - but everyone's different.

I can totally understand why this is worrying for you

Is he able to set up a standing order with his bank to pay off more than minimum payment each month?

Or I'm guessing hes run out of funds completely??

When I was travelling one of my companions ran up a credit card bill of 20,000 (!) - she had bought souvenirs and experiences in every country and was away for 18 months.

She thought it was worth it and paid it off when home over 3 years. Not how I did it - hate being in debt - but everyone's different.

I can totally understand why this is worrying for you

Eeeek. Didn't mean to double post 😅

Get him to contact the banks / CC companies authorising for you to speak with them?

He has to be the one to call them . He is very much an adult and you cannot take over unless he has given you power of attorney already and is incapacitated eg is he having a mental health crisis so he cannot manage?
Do you want to pay his debts for him? You can do that... pay directly to his cards.
But otherwise it is his debt and he has to make the calls.

People on here cannot seem to grasp the concept that some of us actually do offer support to family members when they are going through a difficult time. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to lighten the load for someone you love no matter what their age.
I'm sorry I don't have any useful advice.

He doesn't actually need to speak to them on the phone. He could send emails or use the chat facility in apps, they usually just respond as and when. Saves worrying about time differences.

Are they UK based debts?

My son does not have cards so can not log into online banking

Where are the cards?

It sounds a bit left field but I'd suggest he writes snail mail to the head office of the company(ies) with his full details, an apology and a plan to pay it off, although I'm not sure why he can't email. Even if he doesn't have the account number, he can give full name, DOB, previous addresses so they can trace him.

1. My son does not have cards so can not log into online banking

He must know thecard details or will have received emails etc. Or He needs to call a main number fir each bank find it on website and with his postcode and address they will find his account It isn't hard. But he has to call them

OP- I'm in the UK, but have lived/worked in Aus. Is your son working in Aus? If so, he should have a bank account there. Money can be transferred between a UK bank and Aus one. I have done this. Its not the best exchange rate from memory though, and he'd need (I think) the BACS details or a certain code from the banks- possibly called a HIC number, but this was a few years ago. There is also a limit- usually £10,000 but some banks might have a different limit per month. Martin Lewis might have links to other options for money transfers abroad. Many people around the world don't have bank accounts, so there are lots of money transfer services- western union etc, but he'd need to check the exchange rates, fees etc etc.

I'm not sure what having a bank card has to do with having an online bank account? How is he funding his travels?

Yes, they are a different time zone, but its simply a matter of calling in the morning or evening his time. Most UK banks have call centres open 12hrs a day- if not 24hrs! Some have online chat too- so the time zone excuse is really just an excuse. It isn't like he needs to wake up at 2am and that is the ONLY time he could call and speak to someone!

Edited to say- he should set up a postal re-direction to your address from his old one. Can he contact anyone in the former house or could you go there to collect his post?

You cannot do much apart from support him from afar but HE has to contact the credit card companies himself.
The time difference is an excuse, he needs to get up early or do it later in the evening, it’s roughly a 9 hour difference in most parts of Australia so not impossible.
What is he doing in Australia, working? What are his long term plans on paying his debts off or can you help short term with a view to him paying you back?
Also who is selling his car for him?

Ahh, apologies. I completely read the OP wrong, and thought the son had debt in Aus! Most holds true through- that HE needs to call the banks and IF he has money in Aus, can transfer is back the other way.

People have suggested ways for your adult son to address this.

He has internet therefore he can contact the relevant people even from Australia.

All post has gone to his old UK address so I have no idea of what stage this is at
Has he set up any post redirect at all? If not get him to do it so all his post goes to your house. It's online and very easy to do.

Who is selling his car? Doesn't he need to be here to sign the logbook over etc?

He can email his credit card providers asking them for the best way to clear his debt and how to set up a payment plan. Emails can be sent at any time.

Unless he has told the companies he's given you authority to speak on his behalf then there is nothing you can do except emotionally support him. He has to do it.

Lloyds bank wouldn’t even let me discuss something about my son’s bank account when he was 14 so I don’t think they will let you deal with your son’s money issues. Unfortunately I agree - he needs to stay up late/get up early and deal with this!

Of course we love and wish to support our children. But we are not responsible for sorting out things.

You could consider doing a legal power of attorney - as well as acting if the person is incapacitated can set up to act on their behalf while abroad too.

It isn't quick though, will take a few weeks and you'll need to send docs between you for signatures.