UPDATES:
Do not use the templates on this page for the following lenders, instead see the specific page:
- Amigo has set up a Scheme of Arrangement. The deadline for making a claim has now passed, see Amigo’s Scheme for details.
- Buddy Loans went into administration in September 2021, see Buddy Loans goes into administration.
- George Banco & Trust Two set up Scheme of Arrangement, the deadline to make a claim to this has passed, see Everyday Loan Scheme for details
- TFS Loans went into administration in February 2022, see TFS Loans goes into administration.
Guarantor loans are very expensive. Often the lender didn’t check properly that you will be able to manage the loan repayments without having to borrow more.
If proper checks would have shown that you couldn’t afford the repayments, complain! There is a template letter in this article to help you.
You can get an existing loan reduced so you only repay the amount you borrowed, or get a refund if your loans have been repaid. If your complaint is rejected you can send the case to the Financial Ombudsman (FOS) who is upholding a lot (90%!) of guarantor loan complaints.
If you are the guarantor not the borrower, read Complaining if you are a guarantor which has a different template letter to use.
Contents
What is an affordability complaint?
A loan is not affordable if paying it left you so short of money you had to top up the loan, or borrow more from another lender or get behind with bills.
Does this sound like you? Then make an affordability complaint.
Just making the payments doesn’t prove the loan was affordable! You may have been repaying with difficulty, taking out other loans, because you didn’t want your guarantor to be affected.
You can complain if you are still paying the loan or if you have repaid it all.
If you win your complaint:
- interest is removed from a loan you still owe, so you only repay what you borrowed;
- your guarantor is released from the loan; and
- you can arrange to pay the remaining balance at a reduced rate.
When your loans have been settled, you get a refund of the interest you paid.
What should the lender have checked?
Guarantor lenders should have checked the loan was affordable for you before giving you the money.
The lender should have made sure you were likely to be able to make the repayments for the whole length of the loan.
Guarantor loans are large financial commitments. So I would expect a lender to have asked for evidence of your income, to have checked your credit record, and to have verified your expenses.
Some things a lender may have got wrong:
- It doesn’t matter if your guarantor is well off, the loan has to be affordable for you!
- You may have given said your expenditure was lower than it was, because you were guessing or desperate. The lender should have checked your figures.
- If you were self-employed or had wages that varied, the lender should have looked at how your income went up and down.
- The lender should have checked your credit record to see all your debts. If you had recently taken more loans or missed payments/defaulted, the lender should have been careful as your position was getting worse.
- When you top up a loan, the lender should check the new larger loan is affordable. If the current loan was causing you problems or your finances had got worse you shouldn’t have been given a larger loan.
If you feel there was something else unfair about your case, add that into your complaint as well!
What would a “fair solution” be?
If the lender or the Ombudsman decides the loan wasn’t affordable, this is what happens:
- The loan has been repaid, then any interest you paid should be refunded to you.
- The loan is still outstanding, then interest should be removed from the balance that is owing, so you only repay what you borrowed. Your guarantor should be released from the loan. The lender should accept an affordable monthly payment from you to repay the rest.
- Any payments made by the guarantor are refunded to the guarantor, not to you.
Will a complaint affect your guarantor?
Complaining won’t affect your guarantor if you carry on making the payments. The guarantor shouldn’t be told you have complained unless your complaint is being upheld.
If you stop paying the loan when you make a complaint, the lender may decide to get your guarantor to pay it. If you don’t want this to happen, you have to somehow carry on making the payments even though it’s hard.
If you can’t afford to carry on paying and you don’t want to hurt your guarantor talk to a debt adviser about your options in this difficult situation.
Making an affordability complaint won’t make things worse, and it may help in a few months time, but it isn’t an immediate escape from your problem.
Think about whether your guarantor also had a good reason to complain – see Complaining if you are a guarantor for details. If they win a complaint, they will be removed as a guarantor, which would take a lot of pressure off you.
How to complain to the lender
A template complaint to use
Don’t use this for Amigo of Buddy – see the update at the top of the page.
For all other guarantor lenders, including ones that have stopped lending, send your complaint by email – here is a list of lender’s email addresses.
Use SAR AND COMPLAINT BY BORROWER as the email title.
Here is a template. Change it to describe what happened to you and delete what doesn’t apply.
Only put this in if it applies to you: I took a top up of [£2,500] in [March 2018]
Add a reference number for the loan or give some other details such as your date of birth and your address when you took the loan out.
Please send me a copy of all the personal information that you have about me, including but not limited to all credit record checks, a copy of my loan application(s) and recordings of all phone calls from me. You have 30 days to reply to this Subject Access Request (SAR).
I am making an affordability complaint. This loan was/These loans were unaffordable for me and you would have realised this if you had checked properly before giving me the loan(s).
Delete or change any of the following so they are right for you:
[You would have seen from my credit record that I had recently missed payments/had defaults/was in a DMP/IVA.]
[I was on a low income/My only income was my pension/benefits.]
[You did not ask me for proof of my income or expenses and you did not ask about my expenses in detail.]
[I get ESA/PIP/DLA but you did not ask me if I had any extra expenses because of this.]
[I had a gambling problem which you could have seen from my bank statements.]
If you topped up the original loan: When I topped up the loan you should have seen from my credit record that my financial situation had got worse. [delete if not relevant: You ignored the fact that I had made several payments late to you.]
If you still owe money:[I am asking you to remove the interest from the balance so I only have to repay what I borrowed, release my guarantor and allow me to make lower monthly payments.]
If the loan has been repaid change that to [refund me the interest that I have paid plus 8% statutory interest.]
If you don’t want your guarantor to be told: [I want to carry on making the normal monthly payments because I do not want my guarantor to be affected. Please note I do not want my guarantor to be informed about my complaint unless my complaint is upheld.]
You have 8 weeks to respond to my complaint before I send it to the Financial Ombudsman.
If you would like some help with this, then go to your local Citizens Advice.
Definitely send bank statements!
It’s good if you can attach bank statements to your complaint. Send three months of statements before each loan or top-up and two months afterwards. So if you had a loan in August 2017, send statements for May-September 2017.
These statements will show how unaffordable your loans were. Don’t worry if there is gambling showing on the statements – that helps your case!
Don’t delay starting a complaint if you are trying to get your bank statements – just add them later. But now is a good time to get the statements as they can help your case.
Also get a copy of your credit record if this will show defaults, that your debts were increasing, that you had a large overdraft etc. Download this and keep it.
What to do with your personal information (SAR)
Copies of personal information (SARs) are often sent out by post, so if you have moved, make sure the lender has your new address. You should get the information within 30 days. It is often sent on a CD with a password.
This information is not the lender’s response to your complaint. Most lenders will send that separate from the SAR, usually a few weeks later.
You don’t need to do anything with the SAR, just keep it safe. You have asked for it now so that you have the details in case the lender rejects your complaint or makes a poor offer so your complaint has to go to the Ombudsman.
Taking a complaint to the Ombudsman
If the lender rejects your complaint, go to the Ombudsman
Don’t delay in sending a case to FOS – it has to go within 6 months. And while you have an “open” complaint at FOS, the lender cannot take you to court.
Lenders seem to reject many complaints and hope you give up! So don’t be surprised if a lender says No, the loan was affordable or We based our decision to lend on your application which was inaccurate.
If the lender says No, or you haven’t had a reply 8 weeks after sending your complaint, send your case to the Financial Ombudsman (FOS) the best way to do this is by using the FOS online form.
This is free to do and easy – you don’t have to quote laws or regulations. You can just send FOS the complaint you sent the lender. And if they have replied and said something that’s wrong, mention that as well.
You don’t need to go into details – a short FOS complaint is fine. If you want to add more details, read How Subject Access Request information can help an affordability complaint. But you don’t have to do this.
If only some loans are refunded, is this fair?
Sometimes a lender will say that just a few loans are unaffordable and remove the interest. Which is good, but should it be better?
If the rejected loans caused you difficulties and led to you needing a top-up, send your complaint to FOS and say you think the earlier loans too should be refunded.
Are you likely to win your Ombudsman complaint?
The Financial Ombudsman is agreeing with the customer on 90% of cases!
It is much simpler to win a case at FOS than a court case. If a lender has already started a court case against you, Citizens Advice can help you get the court case “stayed” (that’s legal jargon for put on hold) while you take an affordability complaint to the Ombudsman.
Complicated cases & help with guarantor loan complaints
If you want help with these complaints, Citizens Advice can help. Every Citizens Advice has access to the national Specialist Debt Advice Service if this isn’t something an adviser has come across before.
Leave a comment below this article to discuss what to do or talk to Citizens Advice if:
- your guarantor has made a lot of payments.
- you have been bankrupt, in an IVA or a DRO – read guarantor loans & insolvency .
- you have a CCJ from the guarantor lender – read guarantor loans & CCJs.
- if your debt has been sold to a debt collector.
Do not use a Claims Firm or a solicitor that is acting as a claims firm. There are two good reasons why you should avoid them:
- they will probably do a very poor job. They are not experts. They won’t put time into looking at your personal case.
- if you win a case but still owe a balance, this is usually just reduced. But the claims firm may expect you to pay their high percentage fee immediately even though you have not received any cash refund and still have the rest of the loan to pay.
Can you get an overdraft refund?
Card limit too high? Ask for a refund
Complaints about bank & other large loans
H says
Oh my goodness buddy are awful , we agreed a payment break for myself from last month , got a confirmation email and so did my guarantor.
I’ve woken up today they’ve taken two months worth of payment of over £400 without telling me they were going to do that .
When I’ve emailed them they said it was because they haven’t spoken to my guarantor but we wasn’t even aware she needed to call in as they sent us the conf email !
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Ask your bank to refund the money under the direct debit guarantee – show them your email saying a payments break has been agreed. And then cancel the DD – they aren’t to be trusted obviously.
Holly says
Thank you I was so mad this morning and my guarantor has lost her job she differs with mental health but she has been answering them by email they are just awful
It shows on my bank account the DD has been stopped ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then ask your bank how come the money was taken? And ask for it to be refunded.
Aiyesha says
They may have your permission to use a CPA (Continuous Payment Authority) Holly, they can take it via your debit card then, even if DD cancelled, I had a similar issue a few years back, had to say my card was lost so bank issued another one, different card number so CPA no longer effective
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your bank can tell you if there is a CPA set up and cancel it – you do not have to get a new card.
H says
Just following on my last comment buddy said my refund for the payment they took would be with me today and it’s not :(
Sara (Debt Camel) says
oh no.
Holly says
Thanks aiyesha xx
Holly says
Ok thank you xx
Colin says
Hi, I borrowed 5000 in August 2013 at a time when I was borrowing from multiple payday loans and got myself into a mess, with your help I’ve managed to settle or close all my payday loans with a few refunds but didn’t realise I could say anything about a amigo loan, because the loan was in 2013 is there anything I can say or do or is this to old now?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Amigo will almost certainly reject your complaint as too old, but send it to FOS who are looking at older loans. It may take a while, but at lease you aren’t under the pressure of having to make unaffordable payments any longer o protect your guarantor.
Colin says
Thanks for the reply Sara, the advice is much appreciated
Anthony says
Hi,
I took out a loan with amigo in august 2015 for 5000 I was paying 197 pound for 60 months I topped up the loan to 7000 in June 2017 paying 276 for 60 months (received £2482.12) on my statements it says the settlement of the old agreement was £4517.88. I’ve since settled the loan through help from a family member as it was causing me great stress. At the time I was on low income and received working tax credits they didn’t ask for proof of income or anything do you think I have a case?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If the loans caused you difficulty because the repayments were higher than you could really manage, then send in an affordability complaint. Someone on a low enough income to get working tax credit would often find it hard to manage these expensive loans.
Anthony says
Thanks Sara could you tell how much I would be entitled to get back off those figures?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
do you know how many payment you made to the first loan? to the top up loan?
Anthony says
22 payments of 197, the top up loan was settled last month the final settlement was £5518.96
And the top up I recurved in June 2017 I recieved £2482.12
Sara (Debt Camel) says
how many payments had you made to the top up?
Anthony says
32, 33 if you include the settlement payment
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so the interest paid on each loan looks like roughly (and remember you may have typed in numbers wrong or I may have, this is just a guess)
loan 1 £3852
loan 2 £7350
Anthony says
Thanks Sara so it’s definitely worth doing I’ll start the process now thank you for your help
Nikki says
Hi Sara
I submitted my complaint to amigo on 20/03/2020 and I have just reached the 8 week mark so I have forwarded to the FOS.
Should amigo have lent to me as I had gambling transactions which is clear on my bank account before the loan was taken and after the loan was taken out??
Was just wondering how successful my complaint will be! May I add the gambling transactions where very high amounts will this make my complaint more likely to be upheld? As really they should not be lending to someone who has been gambling!!
Thanks
Nikki
Sara (Debt Camel) says
FOS typically says that Amigo should have looked at your bank statements and should not have loaned if there was a lot of gambling showing on those statements.
Did you send your bank statements to Amigo with the complaint?
Nikki says
Okay that’s good that I possibly have a good case!
Yes I sent them all my bank statements 2 months before loan and 2 months after :)
Can amigo reject a case saying that your outgoings were incorrect? As at the time of applying I was so desperate for the loan I don’t think my outgoings were accurate!
Thanks
Nikki
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Amigo may, but the Ombudsman usually says that Amigo should have verified what you put.
Aiyesha says
Hi Nikki,
Im around same stage as you, how did you download your statutory credit report to send to the FOS from Transunion?
Nikki says
Hi aiyesha!
I didn’t send FOS my credit report I don’t think it is really needed. As long as you have all your bank statements submitted to them! I don’t think Credit report is needed unless they ask for it :)
Nikki
Aiyesha says
Ok, Great Thanks!
Sam says
Hello all! Finally after 16 weeks!
Amigo have just emailed me the complaint outcome and they are upholding it and refunding all interest paid!
Thank you so much Sara and this site!
Amazin
People please do not give up!
Gemma says
Hi Sam can I just ask how many loans you had and what were your circumstances as I’m at 20 weeks still waiting for a final outcome. Well done to you
Sam says
Hi Gemma
I took out initially £2500. Topped up To £7500 with 5 different top ups. I was in a mess with all sorts of payday loans which have all refunded redress.
I have pestered and pestered with emails and advised that it was stressing me out and that its not good for peoples mental health this delay and anxious wait!
After a week of pestering everyday since last monday they emailed me today!
Please dont give up! Keep going and email email email
Gemma says
Thanks Sam I have emailed quite a few times over the last few weeks but being ignored! Il keep trying thank you and Excellent news for you.
Nikki says
Hi sam
Did you have to refer to FOS or did amigo directly reply with the outcoMe??
Sam says
I went to FOS on week 8 but still with them and Amigo sent the decision before FOS had got involved
Aiyesha says
Aaah congratulations Sam!…that’s great news!, I was told today it would be looked into by mid-June latest too, do think they may have changed the way they are dealing with complaints now in a positive way, they have changed their lending practices so thats good news, will prevent others from falling into the same negative situations…so happy for you!! :-)
Sam says
Hi all
Fyi – i also emailed BBC watchdog on Sunday with amigo cc’d in.
Complaining about the length of time they have taken. Failed the 4 week extension deadline. Stated its bad for peoples mental health especially in this climate etc. Worrying times.
Day later i have an outcome. Maybe a coincidence but worth a go
Watchdog@bbc.co.uk
Good luck
Alfie says
Sam it looks like Amigo over all have started to settle some claims – i’ve had mine in since December.
Curious did they refund all 5 loans? Any of your loans very old / pre deadline?
Sam says
Hi Alfies mine were from 2017-2019.
All interest paid for each loan being refunded.
Cheers
Steve says
Hi there. I have had a response from amigo and wondering if should just go to the FOS now anyway. See below and could you please advise. Thanks.
Dear Steve,
We write further to our recent correspondence to let you know that we are continuing with our investigation into your concerns.
I am sorry to say that we have not yet been able to issue a response to your complaint. We are presently experiencing a large number of customer enquiries and the Covid-19 crisis has impacted our ability to respond as quickly as we would like. I am sorry about this delay, but want to assure you that we have not forgotten about your concerns and we will be issuing a full response as soon as we can.
As you may be aware, now that eight weeks have passed since you referred your complaint to us, you do now have the option to refer your complaint directly to the Financial Ombudsman Service without waiting for our final response to your case. Their details are set out below. But please rest assured that we will progress your case as soon as we can and once you have seen and considered our full response you will still have the opportunity to refer your case on to the Ombudsman.
Thank you for your ongoing patience whilst we deal with your complaint. If we are not able to get our response to you sooner, we will write to you again within a month to update you on the position.
Yours sincerely,
Customer Relations Department
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Steve,
A few people have had cases settled in the last week and some people have been told “all cases” will be dealt with by the end of June. Of course that would be great, but it’s not clear if it is accurate or if it is, if it will continue as Amigo have changed their complaints handling policy frequently in the last year… Some people have been waiting 17+ weeks with no response so far…
Are you still paying the last loan and is this causing your problems?
If it isn’t, then you could choose to wait a few weeks if you want. But if you are in difficulty and you don’t want your guarantor affected, then it may be best to send the case to FOS now to get that kicked off as soon as possible.
Liam says
Hi Steve,
I got this exact same response yesterday. So I don’t hold much hope of it being sorted within the next month although there has been som positive news from people on here lately. I sent to FOS last week before I received this email.
Sara, can they still demand payment if I have complained to FOS? What would happen if I just cancelled my direct debit with them?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
if you just cancel your DD they will go after your guarantor.
Unless you have a Coronavirus payment break agreed, then they can’t during that time.
If your guarantor has also complained and has cancelled their DD, then you may decide to cancel yours if the payments are causing you hardship.
Liam says
Ok thank you for the advice.
Steve says
Thank you so much.
Yes at the moment this is causing me problems because myself and partner have been put on reduced wages. She works as a support worker so does not get much money anyway :-( so as you can imagine this is a massive dent in our circumstances. They have placed my account on hold until the end of July. So I am ok for now.
Another question I have about my guarantor which I think may have to be taken up a a second matter. What do I need to do if i can do anything. To get them removed or changed in the meantime. They have recently been diagnosed with dementia which is obviously effecting all sorts of things but don’t know if anything can be done about this?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Sorry to hear about your guarantor. Has anyone been appointed with Power of Attorney for their finances? If not, then this is something that should be looked into asap as it is possible your relative still has the mental capacity to set up a PoA now but may not later on. there are ways round problems if there is no PoA but it is usually a lot simpler if one is set up.
If you win your complaint, they should be released as guarantor.
Steve says
We have someone who is supposed to be reviewing what is needed around the house and what benefits etc would be needed not sure if this is what will be discussed so will definitely get this discussed when they come to visit as I am not sure if this will be mentioned.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention though. Fingers crossed I win my case anyway and I can treat them if there are any returns.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
See https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/legal-financial/lasting-power-attorney which has more info. Probably best to talk to other family members about who should be Power of Attorney – this can be two of you.
Julia says
Yes I had this. To give you an idea of time scales .. I First issued my complaint in mid October 2019. No response and was passed to FOS end of December.
Eventually had response from amigo refusing to uphold. ( I’ve already paid 17k in interest another 7.5k to go! For a 10k loan)
Assigned to a FOS adjudicator on 21 April 2020.. and on 7 May I received his findings and amigo had 2 weeks to respond…
Their time is up on 21st May.. and of course I know they won’t respond in any way.. so then it’s back to the FOS! Very lengthy process.. and I’m now utterly convinced they are going to go under before I get anything back…
AUDREY says
How long can you wait after the 8 weeks are up.can you inform the for?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Audrey,
not sure quite what you are asking?
If you haven’t had a response from the lender after 8 weeks you can send the complaint to the Ombudsman. Or you can choose to wait – how long is up to you.
Lauren says
Complained to Amigo in october 2019. After extending their response deadline Did not uphold. Sent to FOS in january 2020 and got an email yesterday to say an adjudicator has picked up my complaint. Got all they need from me just waiting for Amigo to send over my business file. Hoping i get a decision in the next couple of weeks :)
Only had 2 loans, one for £1750 which after 3 months I paid off and got out another one for £2500. I was only 19 at the time but heavily gambling and had an awful lot of payday loans. Works out on that £2500 they had £6873.42 in repayments from me as I recently managed to pay it off. Amazes me how they get away with such high interest rates. Hoping I am successful.
AUDREY says
Thanks meant the fos. Amigo gave my husband a 3 week breathing space asked for 2month one
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yes you can send the complaint to FOS now.
Why did Amigo only give 3 weeks? If at the end of it your husband’s finances are still suffering because of coronavirus ask for a longer payments break. the regulator’s rules say up to 3 months.
Vanessa Enticknap says
My guarantor case has been been upheld by the FOS thet have to the 21st May to pay her etc which is great news but she noticed yesterday amigo have took a pending payment of 0.1p on her bank account has anybody else had this before? Many thanks
Aiyesha says
Hi Vanessa,
Yes I had that a few weeks ago, they don’t actually take the 0.01p, think they just test the debit card on the account is still active so they can take from it if necessary as opposed to a DD
Jay says
I currently have an open complaint with them that is 16 weeks old. No response as yet. My account is on hold for three months due to Covid however, I also have a pending payment showing on my account for 1p. Very odd ??
AUDREY says
Thanks is their a link to the fos?Amigo just keep saying it’s getting investigated
Paul says
AMIGO UPDATE – Ive spoken to Amigo again ( Annoying thing is their complaints department team are actually very nice people and do undertand but as we all know have their hands tied) I have been informed that they have finally had in increase in the staff whom are dealing with the complaints, They are still workin chronologically throught the complaints, Im on week 17 and he suggested couldnt confirm that I would now get a response over the next week as they seem to be getting through the complaints a lot quicker as they have a new system /process set up,
Fingers crossed guys – I know quite a lot of you are at the same stage as me 16 – 20weeks – I think we may get a response very soon
Gemma says
Hi Paul I can’t see how they are dealing with them in chronological order as I seen three complaints now had their final response and have been upheld before me even though their complaints went in after mine! Don’t get me wrong I’m pleased that they have got the result they were after but it’s terribly frustrating for me and others that are still waiting.
Paul says
Hi Gemma, Im as frustrated as you – I truley think though the longer the response the better chance you may have of winning your claim
Belive me Im ripping my hair out here calling them, waiting for a response – After 10 weeks of calling them – this is the 1st time they have hinted a response should be comingin next week – Before this they stated they could not give me any updates on when the response will happen – I really hope you win your case as well – Amigo have robbed us all of stupid interest – OK we should not have signed the dotted line – But if you was in the situation I was you had no option
Gemma says
Well i called and they said my complaint had been reviewed And because my account is lengthy with my borrowing being from 10years ago till now it’s taken longer then expected but couldn’t give me any more information and to expect my final response by the end of next week! We will see..
David Lonsdale says
Here’s hoping I put my information request in on the 22nd Jan haven’t heard anything for a while
Scott says
I’m looking for a bit of advice, I had my complaint with Amigo upheld and the balance reduced by over £3k. I current have £198 left to pay, however my outstanding balance is still reflecting the initial amount that I owed (including the £3k). It has been this way on my credit report for the last 4 months. Am I right in thinking that this should have been updated by the lender?
Kind Regards,
Sara (Debt Camel) says
How much are you repaying a month? Isn’t it easier just to wait and get it set to zero?
Scott says
£41 per month.
Kind Regards
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So it will all be gone in 5 months. Getting this changed now isn’t going to improve your credit score and Amigo are busy trying to sort out other people’s complaints, so is this worth the hassle?
Rob Williams says
My daughter is registered as suffering from a bipolar disorder and anxiety and when she took out her original amigo Loan she lied in regards to her income.
This was topped up again and I later found out that my wife had made many of the monthly payments and the final payment to clear the outstanding amount.
How does the complaint procedure work in light of my wife making some of these payments
Regards
Rob
Sara (Debt Camel) says
was your wife the guarantor?
If she was, did Amigo get her to make the payments? Or did your daughter just ask her for help and she paid Amigo but Amigo thought it was your daughter paying?
Rob Williams says
My wife was the guarantor
On a few occasions amigo took the money from her account and there were a couple of times that she paid as amigo where phoning her all the time.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
OK, so does your daughter want to complain? or your wife? what is the rest of your daughter’s financial situation like?
Bi-polar is a horrible condition, is she OK at the moment? Has she found ways to manage it?
Rob Williams says
Amigo is no longer an issue as my wife paid the outstanding amount. This was about 18 months ago.
But both my daughter and my wife believe that she should never have been given this loan at the outset, and certainly not the top up.
So who is best to complain.?
My daughter has good and bad days but is on medication for it as well as her anxiety.
Financially my daughter is now living with us after been evicted from her rented home following a break up and still trying to get on her feet financially
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Will you be happy if all the money is returned to your daughter, who can then repay your wife?
Rob Williams says
Yes, that’s fine with my wife and myself, it’s about getting my daughter on her feet.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your daughter can puts in a complaint using the template in the article above – perhaps you can help her draft it? It’s not hard but this can feel overwhelming sometimes to people with menatl health problems.
And your wife could also email Amigo saying that she knows your daughter has complained, she supports her daughter’s complaint and she would like any money refunded to go to her daughter, including any money that she might have been owed as she made some payments as guarantor and settled the last loan.
rachel says
Sara seen a lot of rumblings online that Amigo have recently started settling claims with a new process.
Do you think this is the case? Or a bit of PR on their part?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think something is going on. How widespread it is and whether it will continue or if Amigo will do yet another volte-face, who knows?
Antony says
I am at week 21 now and had a conversation with amigo today over the phone. I told them it is causing me anxiety and they said they had more people working on the backlog, so maybe this is why people are getting final decisions. I told them I sent my complaint at 8 weeks too, I’m thinking I might ring FOS too for an update
Julia says
Help! Amazing news.
Complaint submitted October 2019.
Amigo rejected.
FOS took on, Amigo accepted their outcome TODAY.
I am getting back the interest and all negativITY off my credit file. Plus o/S balance paid off. They haven’t issued the figures yet.. BUT…
I paid 4 months against initial 2250 loan 231.88 x 4
Paid off 2250 loan and upgraded to
7000£
I then paid 30 months of 276.76 until 2/10/17 and new loan /,paid off last one and upgraded to 10k
And have since paid 31 months x 395.25
Plus 8% interest.
I think this could be life changing ??
I am crying.. I’m a single mum working part time and I can’t even believe it. Even though I have it in writing I’m scared to believe what I might get back?!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
great news. If you haven’t done so already, cancel your DD – if you make another payment to them now they have to rework the figures!
I can make an estimate on the amount of interest you paid if you want if you know how much cash you received for each of the top up loans.
There will not be a lot of 8% interest added on
Julia says
Yes please. Any rough idea would be great.
My guarantor received payments
2250 then 5211.99 then 4300
And I’ve made payments to the value of £21479
Thank you so much for your help.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so the interest you have paid on each loan looks like roughly (remember you may have typed in numbers wrong or I may have, this is just a guess):
loan 1 – £462
loan 2 – £6980
loan 3 – £2245
Julia says
Oh my goodness. It might be around 10k then… plus no more payments of £400 per month which were killing Me.
If this happens I will be debt free.
Thank you so much for this page, I used your template and would never have approached Amigo without having read all the information on here. I’ll let you know if / when I receive it so others can stay positive !
VH says
That’s great news Julia
I’m in a similar
Position.
First to Amigo Oct 2019. But rejected very quickly. Sent straight to FOS, waited til end Jan2020 for investigator to be assigned to my case.
They been so good at FOS. My case upheld last week , deadline for Amigo to reply is 25th May.
I’m hoping they will accept and refund based on investigator decision.
If not will have to wait further for ombudsman to make decision. How far did your complaint get Before Amigo accepted
A refund
VH
Julia says
Well the FOS gave amigo 2 weeks (until 21st May) this coming Thursday .. however AMIGO had apparently responded to thE FOS accepting their outcome 6 days ago!!
Needless to say no one had let me know this!
So it might be worth you checking with FOS to see if they have heard back?
I’ve officially accepted today and it’s looking like around 10k… which is beyond my wildest dreams. Not to mention no longer having to pay 400 per month. It’s nearly a years rent for me and my daughter. I hope you too have a positive outcome., it’s been a long time coming!
VH says
Julia
So please for you.
I hope i will hear soon.
VH
VH says
Julia
I could just ask, did Amigo accept the Investigator at FOS decision. Or did it have to go further for an Ombudsmen decision. I only ask because that’s what my investigator has said, if Amigo turn down her decision she will then escalate it, which could take months.
VH
Julia says
Yes amigo accepted the investigator findings after less than a week.
So It didn’t have to go to the ombudsman for further decision.. which I was worried about !
Good luck. Hoping I hear more about mine today. I don’t think I’ll believe it’s true until that Amigo account is closed.
Claire says
I first started my complaint last july 8 weeks no response so sent to ombusman with final response C.D. adjudicator upheld end of april, amigos had a dead line which has pasted now so will go onto ombusman waiting list.
I’m not expecting to hear anything for months.
I think if you ring amigos every few days it just makes them put you back even further!!
10 months I’ve been trying to sort this out so I dont think they have any kind of order to all these complaints they’ve had!
Sam says
Hi Julia. Great news. I am trying to find information on my old amigo loan. I have one at the minute that I can log into and see the details of. That’s fine. But an old loan I had. I originally borrowed 7k and then topped It up to 10k. When I log into that account I see the 10k information like when that started and ended etc but I can’t see the information on the original 7k loan. I’m looking to find out when I took it, and how many payments etc were made before it was turned into the 10k loan from top up. Any advice on how I can get this info
For my claim? Thanks
htrj says
seeing someone else mention bipolar disorder, i currently have a loan out with amigo,which i could “manage” not so much afford at the time, it involved getting a cash in hand job and between that and my regular job, i burnt myself out and fell into a depressive episode. i’ve ended up living out of my overdraft and relying on ordering take away a lot over the last year or so(i moved house in this time also) i then topped up my loan when it was offered . now it is massively un affordable for me. i’m in arrears with rent and i’m signed off sick with work while i sort myself out. my dad is my guarantor, he thought he was helping me out at the time, he thought i was coping because i hadn’t missed payments, how do i add this detail into the email template . i’m honestly on the verge of doing something drastic but i know that if anything happens to me then the burden is still on my dad . i don’t know how to handle this from the affordability and mental health side
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You owe them your money, not your life. You are what matters to your dad, not the debt. If you need to talk to someone, then the Samaritans are there 24 hours a day https://www.samaritans.org/.
Send Amigo your complaint today. Don’t worry about the exact words, you can just use the words you have written here. For example:
“Both my loans from Amigo have been unaffordable. I currently have a loan out with amigo,which i could “manage” not so much afford at the time, it involved getting a cash in hand job and between that and my regular job, i burnt myself out and fell into a depressive episode. i’ve ended up living out of my overdraft and relying on ordering take away a lot over the last year or so(i moved house in this time also) i then topped up my loan when it was offered . now it is massively un affordable for me. i’m in arrears with rent and i’m signed off sick with work while i sort myself out. i’m honestly on the verge of doing something drastic but i know that if anything happens to me then the burden is still on my dad .”
If you have anything from your doctor that mentions your mental health problems (a sick note? medication?) attach a picture of that to your complaint email.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Sorry I meant to say, put those words into the template latter at the top of this article.
Have you talked to a debt adviser about your rent arrears? Your local Citizens Advice would be good. Or you can talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000.
Htrj says
Hi, I sent off the email 2 days ago ( I’ve had a bad week and had referrals to mental health team rather than just my GP)
But anyway, today I had a missed call from 0161 233 6917
It says [name of claims company].
Do I need to correspond with these ?
I wasn’t expecting any calls so haven’t answered to them
Thanks x
Sara (Debt Camel) says
The name you gave was the name of a claims company whose website only refers to PPI and packaged bank accounts. Have you had any contact with one in the past about PPI? Have to responded to any adverts about refunds from Amigo?
htrj says
Nope only thing I have done is sent out the email of the template from above with the added bit about my bipolar :/
Amigo did reply with a bunch of questions about if it’s okay to record my mental health details etc but that’s it . Then this missed call this morning, it’s the only thing I could link it to ? Unless it’s just a coincidence as they didn’t leave a voicemail … who knows :/
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then I don’t see why it has anything to do with your Amigo compliant.
Stacey says
Hi i was wondering if anyone who put their complaint in end of january or around this time has heard anything back?
I keep getting told its being looked into but no dates giving. I have passed it onto fos anyways now as its 16 weeks now.
They still keep hassling me for payment i have not been able to make a payment in a year and threatning court action . Amazing how they can respond daily to that but not to my complaint which really shouldnt take long. They didnt do correct checks which I know and i have more than overpaid on all top ups .
Any suggestions? I sent another email off today again clarifying my personal circumstances and the shabby responses i keep getting
frogman says
My Guarantor sent hers in on 28th of January. Exactly 16 weeks today and nothing yet. You are not alone.
Stacey says
Thanks makes me feel a bit better im going to follow up with a call again tomorrow or reply back once again to their emails pestering for payment . Funny how they can write stories then but cant work out anything for you
Julia says
Well the FOS gave amigo 2 weeks (until 21st May) this coming Thursday .. however AMIGO had apparently responded to thE FOS accepting their outcome 6 days ago!!
Needless to say no one had let me know this!
So it might be worth you checking with FOS to see if they have heard back?
I’ve officially accepted today and it’s looking like around 10k… which is beyond my wildest dreams. Not to mention no longer having to pay 400 per month. It’s nearly a years rent for me and my daughter. I hope you too have a positive outcome., it’s been a long time coming!
Stacey says
Hi julia good news for u. I email them pretty much every day . Funny enough most them they respond to but i feel like i am being fobbed off . They just keep saying their looking into it. I do keep logging in and seeing if any updates on fos but nothing yet i assume they are busy. Great news that you have . I keep dreaming they would just look and uphold my
Complaint and my living nightmare would almost be over .
Helen says
Hi Stacey. How do you login and check updates with FOS? Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think she probably means she checks her emails.
Stacey says
Fobbed off once again
Going to give them a call today
Dear Stacey,
Thank you for your email, normally 8 weeks is more than adequate time for us to fully investigate and respond to a complaint, however, we are currently experiencing unprecedented complaint volumes.
I understand this is frustrating and I can assure you we are just as frustrated as you are that we’re needing more time.
To reassure you, it’s nothing specific to your complaint that’s causing the delay, it’s simply down to the volume of complaints and obviously we work through these chronologically as this is the only fair way to do it.
We still have a number of complaints which pre-date yours which are awaiting investigation.
You may now approach the Financial Ombudsman Service with your complaint as we’ve breached the 8 week deadline, however, either way we will investigate and respond as soon as possible.
If you are struggling with your loan, please email hello@amigo.me and they should be able to assist you.
Thank you for your continued patience.
kind regards
Natalie
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your case is already at FOS? If it is, have you told FOS about your mental health problems and the fact that Amigo has refused to help you even though your finances are affected by Coronavirus because you were in difficulty before?
Stacey says
Yes sara i explained all that in my initial complaint to fos but heard nothing what so ever back either. I dont seem to be getting anywhere with amigo , even though in my email i asked them to escalate it they just say pass it to fos and wont give me a date. At a stand still at the minute. I guess just have to have patience and keep asking them for a hold although they have said now their taking it further eg guarantor and then possible court action
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Phone FOS up and explain.
Stacey says
Yeah i am going to i said al give it this week then if heard nothing ring FOS. They couldnt put me through to complaints department. She put me on hold for 20 minutes and came back with no answers . Said they had a new system in place to do this whatever that means and was done chronligical. Then she contradicted herself and said someone would be looking at it . Could have response a week or 3 weeks and to pass it to fos. Which i have. No definite dates again
Nick says
Hi,
Has anyone had any experience dealing with EverydayLoans? I borrwed £3,000 in September 2019 and have been paying £357 p/m since. (Totalling £3,200 so far). I’ve asked them for an early settlment figure, in which they’re quoting £2,800! This means i’m paying £3,000 interest for a 7 month loan…
I logged an irresponsible lending complaint back in December, which they rejected and then sent onto FOS (who are yet to look at this). I’ve offered EDL to pay back another £500 to settle early and cancel the FOS complaint but they rejected that also. Has anyone had any success with Every Day Loans? They seem extortionate and quite hard to deal with
Sara (Debt Camel) says
this is a normal loan not a guarantor loan? The best page for this is https://debtcamel.co.uk/refunds-large-high-cost-loans/. You will see lots of comments about EL there. People are winning these cases at the Ombudsman.
carole says
Anyone had any response from George Banco guarantor loans? I am at week 9 now andno email or letter extending the time frame, nothing. Called up Friday, Monday and Tuesday to be told cant speak to that department however they will pass on that i called about my complaint and get them to call me. I’m still waiting that call.
Stacey says
Hi carole yes they upheld mine and i put it in around the 31st january. They sent a final response last friday and money was in today. Didnt even need to go to FOS either .
Had loan then two top ups
Refunded all interest on second two and subtracted what was left on first one for some reason
They added 8% interest on but however got to pay HMRC some as well
Hope u hear soon
Carole says
Thanks Stacey. I only put mine in on 21st March so I guess I have a long wait. Delighted for you though. Well done.
Victoria says
Hi Sara,
I wondered if you could if I am lucky and her anything back how much i would possibly get back.
1st loan – £3000 ( paid 13 payments of £151 )
Top up to £5000 ( paid 49 payments of £213 )
2nd loan £6000 ( paid 9 payments of £237 ) this is still being paid off so wondering taking into account my current loan how much could I possibly get back. Thank you
Also what if Amigo collapse does that mean we still have to continue to pay high interest until loan is paid back and no redress.
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Victoria,
so you had three loans, the second one was a top up but was repaid completely before you took the third loan?
Can you say how much cash you received for the second top-up loan?
Victoria says
Hi top up was £2409 on first loan.
Victoria says
Yes was repaid before the third loan..thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so the interest paid on each loan looks like roughly (please remember you may have typed in numbers wrong or I may have, this is just a guess):
loan 1 £1554
loan 2 £5437
loan 3 no interest paid so far, still £3867 to pay until the amount borrowed has been repaid
If all three loans are decided to have been unaffordable, the interest paid on loans 1 & 2 would be used to clear the balance on the last loan and you would get a refund of about £3124.
Victoria says
Thays great thank you. According to my statement though on my current loan I still owe £5737 and I’ve paid 9 payments of £237 so I have paid a lot on interest and I borrowed £6000 in the first place. I thought if upheld what I’ve paid would go straight off the balance as the interest is removed?
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
There are several different ways to work out how much interest you have paid. The one I use is the simplest as it automatically takes into account not just interest but any other charges Amigo made.
I ignore everything Amigo says about how much interest you have paid and just follow the cash… For the last loan you received £6000, if that loan is decided to be unaffordable that is the total amount you need to repay. So far you have only paid £2133 – that is less than £6000 so you have no paid any interest so far and would still have £3867 to pay off the loan.
frogman says
I think loan 1 calculation is wrong because she didn’t pay the loan in full.
Loan 1 (3000) Total paid = 1963
Loan 2 (5000) – Total paid = 10437
Loan 3 (6000) – Total paid = 2133
Total loan = 14,000
Total paid to date = 14,533
If all loans were deemed unaffordable, refund would be £533
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You haven’t taken into account the fact that loan 1 was settled with money from the top up loan. That’s why I ask people how much cash they received, as that lets you work out what the settlement amount was.
Aiyesha says
I get same, calculated as funds actually received and had use of offset against money paid:
Loan 1 (3000) Total paid = 1963
Loan 2 (2409) – Total paid = 10437
Loan 3 (6000) – Total paid = 2133
Total loan = 11,409
Total paid to date = 14,533
If all loans were deemed unaffordable, refund would be £3124
Sara (Debt Camel) says
These are uncertain times and the Amigo board and shareholders are having a fight about who runs the company. But there is no particular sign that it is about to go under.
If it did go into administration, then anyone with an affordability complaint has a Claim against the company which would need to be assessed by the administrators. For payday loan administration, the administrators have done their best to try to mimic the decision that the ombudsman would take. Then you have the right of set-off between the amount the company owes you for your affordability complaint and the amount you still owe the company for the outstanding loan.
Victoria says
Thank you all 3 of you for your input. Let’s see if I win my case. I will let you know.
Thanks
T says
Just an update from my end.
Submitted my affordability claim 2nd Dec 2019 amigo took about 16 weeks to reply and they rejected my claim. I did send to the FOS in January when the 8 weeks were up.
I’ve just rang the FOS and I finally my case has been allocated.
Guess I wait to see how long this process is now. They said they requested my file from amigo and give them 2 weeks. That 2 weeks is now up and they have not received as yet. Im guessing the current covid situation is not helping.
I will try to keep you updated.
Beth says
Hi Julia, congratulations on your success.
I too have had an email from FOS today saying Amigo are going repay all interest & charges on both my loans. I have accepted their offer I was just wondering if you had received any communication from Amigo directly as I believe that is the next step with regards to receiving redress?
For those of you still waiting for a response, my complaint was first sent to Amigo on 6th November 2019, No response from Amigo, so sent to FOS on 2nd January 2020, Response from Amigo on 2nd February rejecting my claim. FOS adjudicator picked up on 2nd May 2020, final response in my favour today (21/05/20) Hang on in there!
T says
thanks for sharing this. Mine went in on 2/12/19. Rejected in March by amigo. Sent to fos Jan 20 and today I spoke to a love gentleman who has been assigned my case from the fos.
He’s asked me for my bank statements which I believe I have.
I really hope i get a positive outcome from this. Congratulations on your settlement.
Julia says
Hi – no I’ve not had any breakdown or final refund in writing from
Amigo yet.
I’m very wary.. but I guess the FOS have had it in writing and they have today closed my complaint due to settling direct with Amigo.
Amigo told me on the phone today that they are 2-3 days behind with emails so my acceptance issued by the FOS has likely not been logged as yet….
I’ll keep you posted…
Julia says
News just in ! Amigo result !!
Received email at 6.55pm tonight
Total interest paid to be refunded – £16,929.30
8% statutory interest awarded – £1000.27
20% tax already deducted from 8% award – £250.07
Fees paid to be refunded – £225
Total interest refund due – £18,154.57
My daughter and I are crying . I literally have no words other than thank you to this site for providing me with the information to approach amigo and get this phenomenal result. Thank you.
T says
Wow Julia. Thats amazing news. So pleased for you.
Neve says
So happy for you both! I got an amigo refund almost six months ago now and it was such a relief, they were truly the hardest company to deal with when I was trying to set up payment plan etc, they always just flatly refused with no reasoning.
Delighted for you!
Davie says
Well done on your need,if u don’t mind me asking ,how long did u pay amigo for and your payments to receive that much ,ive payed 243 for a year and 320 for 4 year so hoping for a decent amount back if upheld ,well done again
Stacey says
Julia thats great news when did you put your complaint in ?
andrew says
well done julia!!
There better be some money left for my claim lol.
Jay says
That’s amazing. So, so pleased for you. Do you mind me asking how long you’ve been waiting for a response to your complaint ?
Dillon says
Has anyone ever dealt with lendfair? Put complaint in 2 weeks ago got back sharp to me and have now asked for 2 month bank statements to finalize my complaint , statements have gambling and other payday loans, here’s hoping its upheld
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t remember them being mentioned.
Dean says
Hi Sara,
I’ve had a complaint on with amigo from the 27th jan2020, I put through to the FOS and now have a adjudicator they have all correspondences from amigo to myself and my bank statements.
Basically I borrowed 10k and have paid back £9875.00. Still outstanding I owe is £7900 roughly. only had one loan.
My bank statements show huge amount of gambling and a lot of payday loans. If I did win what do you think will happen with the outstanding amount I owe.
I don’t even care about getting money back I just want amigo gone.
Thanks for everything on here Sara your helping so many people take back control and giving us all hope.
Claire says
Mine was submitted to Amigo on the same day also and was sent to the FOS at week 8 so I’m hoping mine also gets picked up by an adjudicator soon :)
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If this loan is decided to be unaffordable interest will be removed so you only have to repay what you borrowed. So far you have repaid £9875 so you haven’t yet paid back the £10k – still £125 to go!
Dean says
Oh sorry I just worked out I have paid total back £10207.80
Fingers crossed thanks so much Sara your a ledge!!
👍
Martin says
Hi sara
I see a very varied amount of messages re communication with amigo,
Its 5 weeks since submitting my complaint, yesterday I received an email and txt confirming my SAR request gas been completed and posted to me, and today I received an email confirming my bank statements are being looked at,
I paid my last loan off in 2018, is it easier for amigo todeal with as i dont have an open loan and my loans are closed paid in full?
I also stated in an email i would be open to offers should they wish without having to go financial ombudsman,
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I paid my last loan off in 2018, is it easier for amigo to deal with as i don’t have an open loan and my loans are closed paid in full?
No, I don’t think so.
I also stated in an email i would be open to offers should they wish without having to go financial ombudsman.
I haven’t seen any sign they are doing that at the moment. Although a few months ago they would often make an offer to refund some loans but not all.
Martin says
Hi sara
Thanks for the reply and was just wondering why some people hear nothing but after 5 weeks my case appears to be getting somewhere?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I get the impression that Amigo has now got more staff in their complaints department and are working through a lot of complaints. It is possible that you won’t hear anything more for a while.
Claire says
Hi
Mine is also closed and paid off and I am on week 13 and Amigo can not give me any idea when I will receive my final decision I have already sent mine to FOS. I do not think Amigo have any sort of System and just advise people different things, hopefully your complaint is getting looked into.
Pennie says
Hi Sara
Thankyou for this site I have finally received acknowledgement from FOS my complaint has been fully upheld for all loans. Could you help with calculations please as very confused.
8 loans
Loan 1: borrow 2000, 2 payments 97.58 1 card 1000 and 1 card 1011.38
Loan 2 : 1000 2 payments 48.78
Loan 3 :top up to 2000, payout 988.68 3 payments 97.58
Loan 4 : top up to 5750 payout 3837.2 5 payments 227.27 1 card payment 2000 1 card payment 1682.57
Loan 5: top up 4250 payout 2159.4 2 payments 207.35 1 card payment 3000 1 card payment 947.78
Loan 6: 4000 4 payments 195.16
Loan 7:top up 5250 payout 1463 2 payments 207.51 1 card payment 420 1 card payment 4764.41
Loan 8: 6750 13 payments 266.79 remaining balance 6527.01
Thanks for the help
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so loans 3,4,5 and 7 were top ups – correct? All the rest were simple loans as the previous one had been settled?
were all the settlement amounts from you? if any were paid by your guarantor, is Amigo proposing to refund you or your guarantor?
Pennie says
Hi yes correct and all from me thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok, well I will say that with a lot of loans and odd settlement amounts it is confusing and easy to have missed someting or just mistyped it… but with that as a warning, here are my estimates. You paid the following interest on each loan:
1 – 205
2 – 108
3 – 204
4 – 1158
5 – 111
6 – 567
7 – 348
8 not yet paid any interest, still 3292 to be paid.
So when the interest on the first 7 loans is used to offset the loan balance, I think you will still have to pay £591.
Stacey says
Well after complaining to bamboo loans which I used the email address here, they said they didn’t receive it on February 12,2020.i screenshot the original email showing them the address was indeed correct in March and they accepted it was sent. They quickly rejected the complaint by the beginning of April. I then sent it to FOS. Who picked it up fairly quickly. Bamboo loans have got back to me today saying after being contacted by fos and looked again they agree with the complaint. Guarantor removed, interest removed, only paying back what was borrowed and negative reports removed from my file. Satsuma and everyday loans to go.
Beth says
Hi Sarah
I too would also like an estimate of redress I can expect please.
Loan 1 – £4,000 paid 4 x 247.27 then topped up & received £6450.08 (settlement of first loan was £3549.92)
Loan 2 £10,000 paid 27 £489.27
Total still to pay of outstanding loan = £3774.33
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
hi Beth,
well done on winning your complaint. Do you know if Amigo accepted your adjudicator decisions or if they just offered to settle it before the adjudicator had decided?
On those numbers I think you paid £537 interest on the first loan and have paid £13,203 to the current loan, which is £3203 more than you borrowed.
So the last loan should be cleared and you should get c £3740 refund, plus a bit of 8% interest but it won’t be huge.
Beth says
Hi Sara (sorry I spelt your name wrong initially!)
This is what the FOS said;
“We’ve been speaking to Amigo about the cases we’ve been seeing with issues similar to those you told us about in your complaint. In particular, how Amigo looked into your financial position and whether you could afford the repayments before it agreed to lend.
Amigo has now told us it would like to make an offer in full and final settlement of your complaint. And we wanted to let you know about this offer so that you can decide whether or not you want to accept it.
Amigo’s offer
Amigo will write to confirm the full detail of its offer including any amounts due – however, they have told us that they will follow our general approach. This includes:
Amigo refunding all of the interest and charges (if any) that you’ve paid on all the loans you’ve had with them;
As you’re still repaying your loan, Amigo will be reducing the amount you owe on your loan by the refund amount and no future interest will be applied to it. If the total you’ve paid in interest and charges is more than the amount you still owe, you’ll get the amount leftover once your loan is cleared;
Amigo removing any negative information that has been recorded on your credit file concerning the loan.”
Gill says
I’m on week 17 with Amigo and had no response. Today my case was finally assigned to an investigator at FOS ! Can anyone tell me roughly how long they waited between the case being assigned and having their claim accepted? Thank you
VH says
Unfortunately it’s a long time but each case seems individual. I heard from my Adjudicator on 13th May saying upheld complaint and sent report to Amigo. That was from January when first assigned adjudicator.
I’m still waiting to date for Amigo to respond to their decision to refund me the interest.
It causes a lot of anxiety. I just want Amigo to acknowledge and offer the refund. I called Amigo today And was told will hear soon. Not sure what that means. Still trying to be positive, great to see others have received a refund this week keeping hopeful.
A says
What information did you send to the ombudsman if you don’t mind me asking? Did u send any bank statements or credit reports xxx
Vanessa howes says
Yes sent bank statements. That’s all
VH
Gill says
They haven’t asked for anything yet. I offered to send them and they said to wait and see what amigo come back with . I just filled in the form on their website
VH says
Hi
They delayed in asking for my bank statements but eventually wanted them.
I’ve still not heard from Amigo and investigator upheld complaint and sent their recommendations to them on 13 May. I called them yesterday and still say will reply as soon as can. Causing me so much anxiety, wondering why They not replied to FOS.
VH
Adele says
Hey Julia,
I to received an email today after i emailed my adjudicator asking for an update, i sent my complaint to amigo in Oct, after 14 weeks amigo rejected it, i had sent it to FOC on week 8, my complaint was for 3 loans, 1st was taken out early 2011, topped up Aug 2011 and topped up Sept 2012 and they have upheld them all.
I excepted straight away of course so just waiting for an email from Amigo to tell me figures.
Good luck to everyone one who’s still waiting.
Don’t give up.
Thanks,
Adele
Julia says
I got the figures within 24 hours and within accepting the offer via FOS they have issued the payment already.
It’s quite the result and I hope that it brings hope to others. I’m a single mum, part time child psychologist and I’m finally free of mistakes I made at a truly shocking time in my life. My life went to crap and basically amigo just dug me In to deeper dept.
A says
Hi Sarah,
I had an amigo loan that was for 1,500 then I topped it up to 5,000 then I topped it up again to 7.500.
Not once did they ask for any bank statements and I had multiple lenders on my credit file with multiple in payment arrangements and some also had been sold to debt management companies, in the end I couldn’t make a payment and I rang up to see if they could give me some time but they were so u helpful I was crying on the phone begging for help but they were having none of it, in the end I had to borrow between 600-800 pounds a month from a family member to pay the loan early so I was absolutely stuck. I sent a complaint to amigo but it’s been 17 weeks and heard nothing so I have sent it to FOS. What do you think my chances are?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
How long were there between the loans / top-ups? Was your credit record getting worse or showing more borrowing for the top-ups?
A says
They were around 6 months apart the top ups, and I was taking out and paying back more payday lenders during each time. On my first loan I was planning to pay back all my lenders but after borrowing I realised I didn’t have enough money so I then had the amigo loan plus some leftover paydays so then I was in same position and then I took out a bamboo loan and when I had a top up they could see some of the loans that I was supposed to pay with my first loan still on my credit file but I still got the second loan and then I still had the bamboo loan for the 3rd top up X
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That sounds like a good affordability complaint to me.
A says
Thank you!! Xxx
Audrey says
Hi Sara my complaint is with amigo been 6 weeks .they said it’s getting investigated. I haven’t done this before .does amigo investigate it or do they send it to someone.they also said it might take a while as it’s one to be further investigated
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Amigo have been very slow but they seem to be looking at more cases now. You should hear by 8 weeks but it may well take longer. You can’t send your case to the ombudsman now – not until it has been more than 8 weeks.
Johnny Young says
Still nothing from amigo 21 weeks in, but ombudsman mailed today to say they’ve got my complaint and will be looking at it soon.
John says
I’m 14 weeks in and had nothing back from Amigo. Also had email of FOS to say looking at it soon.
Luucy says
Hi Sara
I took a loan out with Amigo and Avant the same day in August 2018 ( I’m ashamed to say)
£3000 with Amigo £2800 with Avant.
I’ve been paying the monthly instalments ever since totalling about £300 per month . Coming across your site and adding up what I’ve paid so far , the loans have been paid in full but I’ve still got another 2 years to go on them !! Shall I put in a complaint ? I am struggling ..
Thankyou
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If you are just struggling now because of Coronavirus, talk to both lenders about taking a payment holiday.
But if £300 a month has always been too much and you think the lenders should have realised this if they had looked properly assessed your situation, look at making affordability complaints to both lenders. The article above has a template letter for Amigo. For Avant, use the one on this page: https://debtcamel.co.uk/refunds-large-high-cost-loans/.
Of course neither lender could have been expected to guess you were making two applications on the same day… So Amigo should have been looking at your previous loan commitments, your expenses etc and assessed if the Amigo repayments would be affordable, but they couldn’t take into account the Avant repayments. And vice versa.
But if you were in a complete mess at the time it is possible that the lenders shopuld have seen this even without knowing about the other new loan.
What is your current financial position? What is your guarantor’s financial position?
Luucy says
Thanks Sara.
My current financial position is not good, I finished the DMP , but have 2 credit card debts and a catalogue debt too.
I’ve gone self employed since November last year, and left my other job around April 2018 due to having a mini breakdown due to bullying by the manager there.
Mentally I’m in a great place now thank goodness but my actions at the time of it all has left me in a financial mess tbh
Sara (Debt Camel) says
what DMP? were you in a DMP when you applied for these loans? If you were, that is a good indication that they were unaffordable.
Luucy says
Yes Sara I was in a DMP through Stepchange, which finished in around April 2019 !
Shelby says
Hey me again ,
I’ve just realised that when I amigo gave me the loan I was in a debt management plan with stepchange for £15,000 all defualted debt i had the DMP 3 months before I got amigo , is that better for me winning my case ? I have sent it to them now ,
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If Amigo had looked at your bank statements, they would have seen the payments to StepChange. Send copies of your bank statements to Amigo for your complaint.
Shelby says
I have got the document confirming the date and the
Amount have sent from stepchange , my debt got so bad in 2018 I entered into IVA but couldn’t include amigo because they would go after my guarantor ,
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It is better to show Amigo your bank statements showing the payment to StepChange as this is what they should have noticed if they had asked for statements.
This may seem an odd argument to you but what matters is not that you were in a DMP but that Amigo should have realised that you were if they had checked properly.
andrew says
received a decision from the adjudicator on 21/05/20. amigo have been given till the 2/06/20 to accept the decision or move it over to an ombudsman. reading the comments a lot of people say that they usually accept the adjudicators recommendation?
how long have people waited for their accounts to be settled and not make anymore payments.
i would like to thank debt camel for this page. i would never have thought to submit a complaint until reading this page. it took a bit of time (maybe 6 months) but it does work.
Andy B says
I submitted my complaint to Amigo which they accepted 05 February 2020.
Still waiting for a final response, to be fair I have not had the patience of most on here and have taken to chasing them almost daily since which doesn’t seem to have expedited anything (I have a feeling I’m now being perpetually pushed to the back of the queue), I also have separate complaints regarding their especially tardy SAR return time and their YouTube advertising video (there are some incredible jumps of arithmetical-logic in some of their videos regarding comparison of interest rates between 90 day loans and 36 month loans).
Everybody I have dealt with at Amigo has been pleasant (albeit, as mentioned several times, their hands are tied) but my patience has been well and truly tested with them. I have gone to the FOS (which they have actively invited now) but still would like a resolution direct with the lender; doubly so as I have made a confidential offer without prejudice to my case to settle without FOS involvement.
Thanks for the great site, I had a tremendous issue with gambling and pay-day loans of which Amigo did not properly investigate leaving me in a desperate financial decision (after total breakdown of familial life) and I only want a fair and reasonable recompense. Not once, but twice did they lend me a substantial sum. I also previously had a loan with FLM which I am urging them to consider as part of a pattern of lending.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I have made a confidential offer without prejudice to my case to settle without FOS involvement
So far I have not seen any evidence that this approach works. But good luck.
Andy B says
Thanks Sara, it’s one of those “would save us all a lot of time and money” things, as said I’m trying the angle of approaching what I think is a fair and reasonable offer (without giving away too much, it saves them about 40% of the total cost they could pay) and they can accept or refuse as they wish – ultimately is is just that: an offer to settle without FOS involvement.
I am not suggesting this should be an approach considered by all, just that’s how I’ve gone about it, it has however ALL been made strictly without prejudice to my case and I have made clear I am most happy to go down the line of an FOS recommendation/adjudication.
I’ll keep you posted should they respond.
K says
How long have people waited for ombudsman to get in touch? I sent my complaint 4 weeks ago – originally complained to Amigo in Feb think I’m on week 14 with them now. Had the usual nonsense like need more time. Should I chase them for an update or wait for FOS to get in touch? Has anyone had their complaints upheld by Amigo themselves? If so how long did you wait?
Michelle says
I sent my complaint to the ombudsman on the 7th March, I haven’t heard a thing from them and I have emailed a couple of times chasing up but had no response what so ever. I am into week 20.
A says
I’ve just had this from amigo
Thank you for your email, your complaint has been logged and is in line to be responded to this means that your complaint has been looked at but no final response has been written yet.
Do you think this means they’ve made a decision but just waiting to write the reply up?
Thank you xx
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t know. It could mean what you say. It may mean someone has proposed some decision but it has had to be sent to some decision maker. It could just be a holding letter and mean no-one has considered your complaint and it has just been logged.
Shelby says
I think it’s being looked at because I had a email just saying thanks for your complaint it’s been logged wait for a response which could take 8 weeks I rung yesterday and it’s still in a que so much different email to mine , do you mind me asking when did you send the complaint in ? Xx
Ted says
Hello all. Amigo were due to make a response yesterday with my case handlers decision. Got a email today to say they were giving amigo another 2 weeks to respond. As no final decision has been made. Any thoughts on this?
A says
FOS are giving companies more time due to Covid
Ted says
Any ideas if they dont reply within the next 2 weeks?
A says
The FOS will escalate internally – but no need to chase the FOS, they’ll contact you if amigo reply.
VH says
Hi
I’m the same was suppose to reply today to the investigators report. They have upheld my complaint and recommend a refund, but Amigo have failed to reply to date. Now been extended until 1st June if they fail to rely by then this will be escalated further for Ombudsman to finalise.
VH
Sara (Debt Camel) says
FOS always give lenders another couple of weeks, even before Covid. It is maddening when it’s your complaint, but it’s actually the quickest way to get the most complaints settled, rather than putting your complaint straight into the Ombudsman queue.
Recently Amigo has often missed even extended deadlines, but sometimes then accepts the adjudicator’s decision.
VH says
Thank you
Sara for information it’s reassuring.
Jordan says
Hi, so Amigo rejected my complaint in January I sent it to FOS at the 8 weeks mark, FOS came back to me on the 21st May to say that they have upheld my complaint and have informed Amigo.
So I contacted Amigo on Friday via email, they came back to me yesterday to say they had not received anything from FOS, now my question is do I pay this months instalment? Or do I cancel the direct debit? As FOS said it could take 4 weeks for Amigo to come back to me with the figures?
Also like to thank this site!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
is this from an adjudicator at FOS or an Ombudsman?
Jordan says
Hi,
I’ve pasted the email I received below
Your complaint about Amigo Loans Ltd
I’m writing to let you know about some news on your complaint.
We’ve been speaking to Amigo about the cases we’ve been seeing with issues similar to those you told us about in your complaint. In particular, how Amigo looked into your financial position and whether you could afford the repayments before it agreed to lend.
Amigo has now told us it would like to make an offer in full and final settlement of your complaint. It says it is making the offer as a gesture of goodwill and without an acceptance of liability. And we wanted to let you know about this offer so that you can decide whether or not you want to accept it.
Amigo’s offer
Amigo will write to confirm the full detail of its offer including any amounts due – however, they have told us that they will follow our general approach. This includes:
Amigo refunding all of the interest and charges (if any) that you’ve paid on all the loans you’ve had with them;
If you’re still repaying your loan, Amigo will be reducing the amount you owe on your loan by the refund amount and no future interest will be applied to it. If the total you’ve paid in interest and charges is more than the amount you still owe, you’ll get the amount leftover once your loan is cleared;
If your loan has been repaid, your refund will include interest at the simple rate of 8% per year (less any tax properly due), from the date you repaid the loan until the date of settlement; and
Amigo removing any negative information that has been recorded on your credit file concerning the loan.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
excellent!
I think you should cancel the next payment – that looks very clear & you have rent arrears which should be your top priority.
What has happened to your guarantor’s complaint?
Your loans were quite recent so you may still owe some money. But when it is sorted how much and your guarantor is released, you can look at a debt management plan or indeed bankruptcy and a DRO to get rid of your other debts including that attachment of earnings.
Jordan says
Thank you!
My guarantor is still awaiting an outcome from FOS sent same time as mine at the 8 weeks mark.
Thank you so much for all help!
Jordan says
Just wanted to let you know I logged into my amigo account this morning and it says loan now closed and settled!
No email from amigo as yet! But I’m happy seeing that!
Thank you so much for your amazing website
sam says
Hi I am looking to put in a complaint for getting an amigo loan. I had a severe gambling problem and shouldnt have got one had they checked my bank statements. i first got a 10k loan a few years back, and made the payments every month then borrowed the money to pay it off – how do i find the loan details for this one? its probably about 5 or 6 years ago. i then took another 10k loan from them about 6 months after i paid the 1st loan off, i have the details for this one as i am still paying it. any help on how to find the original loans details which has been paid?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Do you have old emails? Would your guarantor have a record? Get your old bank statements – they will be helpful to your case so if you don’t have them set about getting them.
If you don’t, just send in the complaint anyway as that asks for a copy of all your personal information, so the details will be sent to you. All you need to know to send in a complaint is that the loan caused your problems in repaying it and that you feel it should not have been given – and that you are clear on. You don’t need to know dates and numbers.
Shelly says
Hi mine has been with amigo since 10th feb went to fos at 8 weeks just keep getting fobbed of by amigo and ive heard nothing from fos
Stevan says
Im the same, keep getting fobbed off by amigo. Only slight positive is that had an email from the FOS with a reference number and saying they busy but will look at it.
Georgina says
Hi, I like many have got an on-going complaint with Amigo Loans, I’ve had one loan with them which I paid off by topping the loan up and the second loan I am still paying and still has a balance outstanding, can you give me an idea as to how much I should receive from them if my claim is upheld?
Loan one was for £3000 over 48 months -Total Paid was 16 x £141.16 £2258.56
Top Up Loan was for £7000, settlement was £3935.28 so amount received was £3064.72
so far I’ve paid £276.67 x 53 (£14,663.51)
Amount left to pay is £3304
Loving this site would have never had the courage to complain had I not read all the comments on here .
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so the interest paid on each loan looks like roughly (remember you may have typed in numbers wrong or I may have, so this is just a guess):
loan 1 – £3192
loan 2 – £7628
so a total of £10,820
plus some 8% added interest.
Are you currently having difficulty paying? are your finances affected by Coronavirus?
Georgina says
Hi Sara,
Thanks for that, yes I like many others have been affected and currently have a 3 month payment hold on my account, although I am trying to pay £100 per month just to show willing.
I have found that when I’m chasing Amigo they are replying to my emails on the same day most of the time but as with others they can’t seem to give an update on when I can expect to hear from them.
Michelle says
Hi Sarah
I work for citizens advice and put in an affordability complaint in with Amigo o behalf of a client – after sending chase letters they finally got back to me – stating they would not accept the form of authority – no reason why and stated that they also wanted photo ID – which we are not allowed to keep due to GDPR.
I feel they are being deliberately obstructive- can you give meany tips on how best to handle this any good concs ?
I have asked the client to contact Amigo herself asking that we can act on her behalf.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Michelle,
Amigo were being unreasonable with Claims Companies, insisting on “wet ink” signatures. I had thought they had now stopped doing this so I am sorry to hear they are also being obstructive with free sector debt advisors – especially at the moment when it is harder to handle id requests.
In this sort of situation I tend to prioritise the needs of the client and get through the process as easily as possible, rather then switch to arguing that the firm is being unreasonable. I think your suggest of the client telling Amigo they want you to act is practical. If your client uses email, I would suggest using this with a cc being sent to you.
You can also inform the FCA (email to consumer.queries@fca.org.uk) that Amigo is not treating your client fairly and is being unreasonable in its id requirements in the current lockdown. And enter a Social Policy in case other CABs are having similar problems. I would stick to PRIN 6 “A firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly.” unless you want to argue that your client is particularly vulnerable, in which case CONC 7.2.1 as well.
Michelle says
Thank You Sara –
I have already done a social policy! I find your page invaluable to the work we are trying to do – Thank you so much!
Jason says
Hi,
My complaint was accepted by the Fos investigator, but amigo have not responded to them so now going to the ombudsman level, has anyone else had this problem or will they accept the investigators decision before it gets up to the ombudsman?,
Sara (Debt Camel) says
A lot of people are close to this point at the moment. See https://debtcamel.co.uk/how-to-complain-guarantor-loan/comment-page-31/#comment-366369 from earlier today. In most cases Amigo does settle before it gets to an ombudsman decision.
Mr s says
Hey guys thanks for all the information you have made my life alot easier amigo have now agreed to refund all interest on loans after going to ombudsman thanks to your great information been easily accessible 👌 now its a wait to see how long it will be before they actually refund me my interest in this current situation it would be really helpful now
Stacey says
Hiya just out of curiosity how long ago did you put ur complaint in? Light at the end of the tunnel for u then. Well done!
Shannon says
Hi Sara,
I was wondering if you could work something out for me. So I made a complaint to amigo and they only upheld the top up loan, now financial ombudsman has upheld first loan.
We currently have £4817 left to pay on top up loan.
The first loan was £10,000 which we paid £7505 then settled it for £8693.33, so we paid £6198.33 in interest. Money paid out for top loan was £1306.23, interest paid back for top up loan was £4592- not sure whether that is relevant.
I can’t work out how they would do the 8% interest. Would they do it after they settled the top up loan or before. So for instance on the £6198.33.
Thankyou,
S
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So if you have 4817 to pay on the top up loan that was the amount of the loan less what you have already paid – correct?
If that is correct, they will use 4817 from the £6198 interest on the first loan so the interest refund is 1381.
The way Amigo calculate the 8% interest – which is not the way anyone else does and, by an amazing coincidence, is always a lot less generous – my guess is that you will get paid the 8% interest only on 1381. And that over the last year or so. So not a lot.
You can object to FOS about this 8% calculation, if you want but so far everyone has been understandably so relieved to see the last of Amigo that that they haven’t bothered. I don’t know what FOS would decide if you did.
Shannon says
Hi Sara,
Thankyou for getting back to me. Yes that is correct. Typical of them. FOS has always told them to pay £250 as a goodwill gesture for what they put us through.
Thankyou,
Shannon
Stuart says
Hi Sarah
I complained to Bamboo that a guarantor loan was unaffordable. They sent back the monthly budget they had created to check affordability. It showed:
Rent £800
‘Living expenses’ £500
Other debt repayments: £1000
Income minus these expenditures is available to make payments to Bamboo for the new loan.
They said they got the Living expenses figure from typical Office for National Statistics figures, as these are often more accurate than if they ask people. However £500/month is ludicrous. I have one child. Our council tax alone is £150/month, car costs (petrol insurance etc) is about £250, energy/water over £100, so nothing would be left for food, clothes etc!
I wondered please, do you know anything about where they get their ONS stats from? I thought it would help my complaint to the FOS if I had actual ONS typical expenditures to support why theirs must be incorrect.
Thanks very much if you have any thoughts
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That is so bad it is worth going back to Bamboo about.
I suggest you go back to Bamboo, and point out “I have one child. Our council tax alone is £150/month, car costs (petrol insurance etc) is about £250, energy/water over £100, so nothing would be left for food, clothes etc!”
Ask them to reconsider their decision and say your case will go to the Financial Ombudsman in a week if they haven’t changed their mind.
You don’t need to give FOS info about what ONS figures are – it’s simpler to argue that Bamboo should not have assumed that any average figures would apply to you and that if they had checked you actual figures they would have seen that …
Markus says
Hi I wanted to thank you for your help. The ombudsman upheld my complaint. The loan I took was 4K over 5 years at 156.80 repayments. So I paid just over 9k. They have told them to repay my interest at the 8% how much would I roughly receive?
C says
My husband has been on furlough since March. He was given a 2 month payment break from Amigo which is due to expire in June. He requested a further month’s payment break as he is still on furlough and so only receiving 80% of his wages but they have refused. Is there anything we can do about this? Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This is not an “optional” things for lenders, the FCA expects people who need a three month holiday should be given one.
I suggest he goes back to them and asks why this has been refused and for this to be looked at again. If they refuse, ask them to put in writing by email why this has been refused and say you will be complaining to the Financial Ombudsman.
Karen says
Hi does Amigo normally turn down all complaints so that it goes to fos? Amigo gave me and my husband loans and we are struggling to pay them 800.00 a month!!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
£800 a month – ouch! Who are your gaurantors? Have your household finances been affected by Cornavirus?
Amigo’s complaint handling changes so often it’s hard to tell.
From about start December to recently they have been turning down all cases. But over the last few weeks there have been several people saying that Amigo has picked up their complaint while it is at the ombudsman and offered to settle it. If this continues it is very good news as it is then likely that Amigo will also be looking properly at new complaints not rejecting them all.
Karen says
When we took out our loans our credit history was really bad we were home owners but lost our home 3 years before due to husband being self employed and falling ill which amigo were aware of. Both our guarantors are on benefits and don’t work we both have been affected with covid 19 and are off work and furloghed. I had put in a complaint 10 weeks ago.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
have you asked Amigo for payment breaks?
Were your guarantors on benefits when the loans were given?
Karen says
Yes we are both on payment breaks but paying 100 a month instead of 400 for 3 months. Both our guarantors were on benefits at time we were applying for loans and they knew this. The loans were unaffordable and we have had to keep changing payment dates to give us time to pay them but we have now maxed the number of times you can do this. 800 a month is a real struggle and we have four children to provide for at the time we tbought they were affordable but realistically not i was also on benefits and not working when i took out loan and topped up twice now working part-time but struggling still to pay them.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Can you ask the guarantors to also send in complaints and ask to be removed as guarantors? How can anyone on benefits be expected to pay c.£400 a month to repay someone else’s loan…
The complaint template for the guarantors is on this other page: https://debtcamel.co.uk/amigo-complaints-by-guarantor/
The advantage of your guarantor complaining too is that if their complaint is upheld more quickly and they are removed as guarantor, you can set up a payment plan while your complaint continues through.