The repayments on many loans and car finance are too high to be manageable so people get deeper into debt trying to repay them.
When you applied, a lender should have checked a loan would be affordable for you – often they did not check properly and you should never have been given this loan.
This article describes how to complain, with a template to use.
Many people have won complaints using this. If you win, you get the interest refunded in cash. When you still owe a balance, the interest is removed so you only repay what you borrowed.
These complaints do not hurt your credit record if you carry on making the loan repayments while the complaint goes through.
Contents
A quick overview
What types of loans?
- any personal loans, including high-cost lenders, bank loans, and credit union loans;
- you can complain if you are still paying the loans, it has already been repaid, it has defaulted, or you have a payment arrangement/DMP;
- a consolidation loan may have been cheaper than the credit cards it cleared – but it may still have been unaffordable!
- you can also complain about car finance. But if you are still paying car finance, be careful – read Car finance affordability – what you get if you win a complaint
- the complaints here do not apply to mortgages or business loans.
What is “unaffordable”?
The regulator says “affordable” means:
you can make the repayments without hardship or having to borrow elsewhere.
For large loans, a lender should have made adequate checks at the start. The larger your loan, the worse your credit score and the more other debt you had, the closer a lender should look.
If your loan was fine at the beginning and only caused problems later when you lost your job or your mortgage repayments went up, you are unlikely to win an affordability complaint as this could not have been predicted at the start.
How does this work?
You first make a complaint to the lender saying the loan was unaffordable and ask for a refund of the interest.
There is a template here you can adapt to say what happened to you. Send it by email.
The lender has up to 8 weeks to reply. Lenders reject many good complaints, so you can send a rejection to the Financial Ombudsman.
Complain to the lender
Email addresses for lenders
If your loan has been sold to a debt collector, send your complaint to the original lender not the debt collector.
It’s easiest if all communications are by email – free, instant and you have a copy with a date stamp to show the ombudsman.
For banks, see this list here: email complaint addresses for banks.
For car finance and logbook loans, see this list: email address for car finance lenders
Here are the email addresses for some non-bank lenders. There are a lot of other smaller lenders, including many Credit Unions. If your lender is not listed, ask in the comment below for an email address.
Abound (used to be Fintern) complaints@getabound.com
Admiral loansquality@admiralgroup.co.uk
Anico complaints@anicofinancialservices.com
Avant Credit emailcomplaints@avantcredit.co.uk
Bamboo Loans complaints@bambooloans.com
Better Borrow enquiries@chetwood.co
Castle Community Bank complaints@castlecommunitybank.co.uk
Creation customercare@creation.co.uk
Everyday Loans – for loans after 31 March 2021, see Evlo and use the template in this article. It is no longer possible to make complaints about their loans before that date
Evlo (rebrand of Everyday Loans) chioma.nwachukwu@evlo.co.uk
Fair Finance complaints@fairfinance.org.uk
Finio Loans (rebrand of Likely Loans) complaints@oakbrookfinance.com
Fluro (used to be Lending Works) cx@fluro.co.uk
Koyo loans info@koyoloans.com
Lendable complaint@lendable.co.uk
Lifestyle Loans info@lifestyleloans.co.uk
Likely Loans – see Finio
LiveLend support@livelend.co
Loans by Mal (Monthly Advance Loans) Complaints@loansbymal.co.uk
Loans 2 Go read Loans2Go – how to complain
MBNA mbnaonlinecomplaints@mbna.co.uk
Moneyline headoffice@moneyline-uk.com
My Community Bank complaints@mycommunitybank.co.uk
Novuna (used to be called Hitachi) ComplaintsTeam@NovunaPersonalFinance.co.uk
Plata complaints@plata.com
Plend complaints@plend.co.uk
Progressive Money complaints@progressivemoney.co.uk
Quick Loans customerscare@quickloans.co.uk
Reevo complaints@reevomoney.com
Salary Finance (Neyber) complaints@salaryfinance.com (for loans, not “pay advance”)
Savvy info@savvy.co.uk
Shawbrook Customercare.team@shawbrook.co.uk
Snap Finance customer@snapfinance.co.uk
Tandem pl@tandem.co.uk
TM Advances info@tmadvances.co.uk
Updraft complaints@updraft.com
Vanquis customer.relations@vanquisbank.co.uk
Zopa complaints@zopa.com
118 118 Money complaints@118118money.com
Use this template
Email the lender to begin your complaint. Put AFFORDABILITY COMPLAINT as the subject of your email.
Template for you to adapt:
Please confirm the date this loan started, the amount, the interest rate and the monthly repayments. [don’t include this if you already know the information]
I am asking for a refund of the interest and any charges I paid, plus statutory interest, and to delete any negative information from my credit record. [the refunds for car finance can be a lot more complicated than this, see but this is all you need to put in your complaint]
I also want the CCJ that I have for this debt set aside. [delete this sentence if you don’t have a CCJ!]
I attach copies of my bank statements and credit report from the time I applied for this loan/these loans. [delete if you don’t yet have them yet, but they help your case if you do. Even if they show gambling, that supports your argument the loan was unaffordable.]
I didn’t know that the lender was supposed to check that I could repay the loan without having to borrow more. I only found out in [2024] when I saw a newspaper article in the Sun/an advert on Facebook for refunds/a friend said they had made a complaint/whatever. So I am complaining within 3 years of having found out that I have cause to complain. [only put this paragraph if some of your loans are more than 6 years old. It explains why you haven’t complained before. It’s only an example so change it so it really covers what happened to you!]
Add extra information if you want – see below for some ideas – you don’t have to do this.
Do you need a payment arrangement now?
If you want an affordable payment arrangement now, add a sentence to the complaint saying this. These complaints may take months to sort out – a payment arrangement can get your finances into a safe place:
- a payment arrangement shows on your credit record, but if you win the complaint all negative marks will be deleted
- talk to a debt adviser such as National Debtline if you want to know more about payment arrangements
- but don’t risk a payment arrangement for car finance or a logbook loan – one would put your car at risk.
Other details to add if you want
The template above is fine, you don’t have to add a lot more details.
But you can add extra points if they apply in your case, for example
- my bank statements and credit record (attached) show that I was unable to afford the loan repayments.
- this was a large loan, you knew I had poor credit and may have been in a difficult position so you should have tried to verify my income and expenses. If you had done this, you would have rejected my application.
- during a telephone call, your agent suggested some figures should be lower to get my application accepted.
- if the lender was your bank – you should have seen from my bank account that I was in financial difficulty, I was using my overdraft a lot, I was only making minimum payments to my credit card from you.
And some examples of points about top-ups:
- a credit check would have shown that my finances had got worse since the first loan
- I had said the first loan was to consolidate debt, but you should have seen that this hadn’t happened.
While you are waiting for a reply
Try to get copies of your bank statements from 3 months before a loan to three months afterwards. You can get statements from closed bank accounts, normally going back 6 years.
Also get a statutory credit report now and download it. You can get one from TransUnion. Do this as soon as possible as sometimes the details change, so you want a full one saved to show the Ombudsman later if necessary.
Do not wait until the Ombudsman asks you for credit records or bank statements – you want them ready to hand. They really help your case as they prove your financial situation when you took the loan out.
You should get a response from the lender within 8 weeks. If you don’t, phone them up and ask when you will get it – a couple of days is worth waiting for but many responses are rejections, so don’t wait weeks for one, go to the Ombudsman straight away.
Go to the Ombudsman if you don’t get a good offer
Don’t be put off by a rejection! Or if the lender said it was your fault because your loan application wasn’t accurate – the lender should have made checks.
Sometimes a lender will send a long, complicated reply designed to make you look as though you should give up. If they say the loan was over 6 years ago, see below for “time limits”.
I suggest you rely on your instinct – if the loan caused you a lot of problems, send it to be looked at by the Ombudsman.
If you aren’t sure, ask in the Comments below this article. You only have 6 months to send the complaint to FOS, so it’s best to do this as soon as possible.
It isn’t usually worth trying to negotiate with these lenders, you are just wasting your time.
Send to Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)
It’s easy! Use the “do it online” option to send a complaint to the Ombudsman. It asks you for all the details they need.
The main part of your complaint can be a version of what you sent the lender in your complaint. Add any more details you want, including pointing out mistakes in the lender’s reply. Also attach:
- the reply from the lender
- Trans Union statutory credit record
- bank statements starting 3 months before first loan
- do not worry if you don’t have A copy of your credit or finance agreement – lots of people don’t. The lender will supply a copy if FOS asks for it. Don’t delay sending a complaint to FOS while you try to get this from the lender.
Other information that may help your case
Don’t delay sending a case to the Ombudsman while waiting for this information.
If you don’t have the bank statements from the time of the loan application, get them now. You can get these going back at least 6 years even from closed accounts. And you can often go back a lot further with an account that you are still using.
This is a good point to ask the lender for a Subject Access Request (SAR) if you are missing information that may come in useful at the Ombudsman. This could be your loan applications, all credit and other affordability checks and assessments, and a statement of account for the loans, and – if you think this will help – a record of all phone calls.
Your lender will have details of how to ask for this information on their website – it’s often included in their Privacy Policy, with a link at the bottom of web pages.
“Is there a time limit?”
You can’t complain about a loan that started before April 2007 – that is when the law changed to allow these complaints.
Lenders will often reject a complaint if the loan started more than 6 years ago.
But if your loan was still being repaid within the last 6 years, the Ombudsman may well decide they can look at it. So if your loan started in 2017 and finished in 2021, send this to the Ombudsman if the lender says it’s too old, because it isn’t.
The ombudsman may also look at older loans if you had a continuous stream of borrowing which carried on into the last 6 years. So if you had 2 loans, the first from 2014-17, when it was refinanced into a loan from 2017-2021, the Ombudsman may decide they can look at the earlier loan as well. And if you had two overlapping loans, eg from 2014-2019 and 2017-2022, the Ombudsman may look at both.
But if your loans from this lender ended more than 6 years ago, then it is very unlikely you will win a case at the Ombudsman.
Need some help?
Don’t use a claims management company. They are expensive, often incompetent and use a similar template to the one in this article.
Instead ask a question in the comments below.
Can you get an overdraft refund?
Refunds from cards and catalogues
Get a car finance commission refund?
Danii says
Hi Sara,
I did an affordability complain to PayPal. They declined it and I referred to FOS. The FOS got back to me to say they were contacting Paypal directly as my copy of the letter didn’t show the right to refer to FOS. (It was there I had just missed it on the screenshots)
The contact from FOS seems to have triggered a second complaint with Paypal. They declined it again – but said they would reach out to me to discuss options.
They are offering me a payment plan, freezing all interest and giving me manageable payments. Credit account would be suspended while on plan including my regular PayPal wallet.
I’m thinking the FOS compliant may fail as reading comments here I opened the account before PayPal joined the FCA and had no increases.
Are there any downsides to me taking this offer from PayPal I can’t find much information on this type of agreement with them? I’m a bit worried on the impact on my credit record, but PayPal said that would only happen if I default on a payment. Should I wait till the FOS confirm their position? Thank you!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Have payplan said in writing that this won’t affect your credit record?
Danii says
Hi Sara,
I asked for something in writing explaining what they were offering and this was sent to me.
Below is an explanation of how the Reduced Payment Plan works. For us to look into the reduced plan we would need an Income and Expenditure report done by you. We can send this to you via email to be completed online.
Repayment Adjustments
If you make repayments that are less than your minimum payments due, this will be reported as a missed payment on your PayPal Credit account with the Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs). If you keep your account up to date, we will not report that there are missed payments. We will suspend all interest and fees on your PayPal Credit account while you’re enrolled in the plan.
Notice of Default:
If your arrears accrue, we are required to send you a Notice of Default. This would affect your credit file as you would not be meeting the minimum agreed payments, and after 3 months your account would default, and this can stay on your credit file for up to 6 years.
Usage of Credit Facility:
No further use of your credit facility is permitted while a repayment program is in operation. Additionally, your standard PayPal account will also be limited during this period.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Ok so they are saying that they won’t charge any interest, that reduces the minimum payment and if you make those your credit record will not be affected.
You may well have a problem getting a refund from an old PayPal account – so are you happy with this?
Danii says
I think it would be beneficial to help me clear the debt quicker. I was just a little sceptical as I couldn’t find examples of them offering this to others.
Is there a risk of them defaulting the account and selling the debt on if I enter into this arrangement?
I can see from other commenters winning an affordability complaint success seems low as the account opened in 2019 before Brexit..
Thank you for reviewing this Sara.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t see enough of these “old Paypal complaints” to know if they have offered this to other people.
They have said that they won’t default you if you keep up with the minimum payments. These minimums will be lower because they are stopping charging interest
You are right that many people have found it hard to get a refund of an account opened pre brexit where there hasn’t been a later credit limit increase.
Danii says
Hi Sara, I spoke to PayPal again and they admitted the first advisor has given me slightly incorrect info.
The new advisor said the account would show as an arrangement to pay on my credit record as soon as I enter into the payment plan but the rest still stands only late payments/missed payments or less than minimum would default the account. I don’t know how bad that is? I assume it stays for the full 6 years post me paying off the account?
My only concern is I am a solo home owner and would like to move in 2-3 years which is why I am trying to get on top of the debt!
Should I consider taking this over with someone like citizens advice or a debt charity?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
“I assume it stays for the full 6 years post me paying off the account?”
yes that is correct. This will make it hard for you to get a new mortgage in 2-3 years. But I don’t know how realistic that hope is if you don’t accept this offer to freeze interest.
You can talk to Citizens Advice but I am not sure what else they can add.
Bc says
My complaint regarding AA Bank of Ireland loans is with adjudicator and he’s had the bank statements and is now asking for the credit report, I’ve got one from downloaded from Equifax but it’s not got details of these two loans, when I have checked the other credit reference agencies there not on there either, would this affect my complaint l
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
what other reports did you look at?
Are they the BoI loans you are looking for?
Bc says
I’ve looked on Experian and Trans union, I’ve also checked on clearscore for the AA Bank of Ireland loans X2, not sure if this will make any difference to the adjudicator decision.
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well this is odd, but actually the adjudicator does NOT want to see the debts your are complaining about, but all the other debts you have
Bc says
Thank you for your response, I have another complaint whereby the adjudicator is now registered looking at the two loans from Zopa as he didn’t uphold the larger one but did for the smaller one, so after telling him I wanted it to be looked at by an ombudsman he’s now relooking at both and has requested further information from Zopa, so I’m hoping he comes back in my favour, if not I’ll just ask for it to go to the ombudsman this time.
Peter says
A FO Investigator has ruled in my favour for a £6000 loan with Zopa. Their findings are as follows:
*It’s not fair for Zopa to be able to charge any interest or charges under the credit agreement.
*I should pay back the amount borrowed.
*Zopa should also remove all adverse information regarding this account from my credit file.
*Any capital balance remains outstanding, then Zopa should arrange an affordable and suitable payment plan with me. Once I have cleared the
balance, any adverse information in relation to the account should be removed from my credit file.
I would effectively have a £2.5k balance to settle if the payments made are taken off the capital balance.
Please can I ask, they have until 1st May to respond. Are Zopa likely to agree to this? Is it in their best interests to settle now or let it go to an actual Ombudsman? Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
There is no reason for Zopa to go to the Ombudsman unless they think this is a wrong decision. Banks usually prefer to settle quietly once they think they are going to lose.
Peter says
Thank you. When the loan capital is finally repaid do the loans get removed from your credit file?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This depends on the lender. Some delete the loan straight away. Others just remove the negative marks.
Peter says
Zopa have raised a few points in response to the view the investigator sent them on 17 April 2025. They have responded to the points they raised and are now currently awaiting their further comments.
Should I be worried that they will go against the investigator’s findings? I thought I had a win in the bag but maybe not!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
it’s hard to guess without knowing what the points are
John Paul says
Hi Sara
I sent the template to N Bolton Finance, I had a response from an ex barrister who said he is working on their behalf for the business for compliance matters, he has since responded but has been very intrusive has sent screenshots of my LinkedIn profile and deeds of my family members house and different documents showing the value, I’m not very happy about this and feel it’s a breach of confidentially and concerned he may contact employers or family members, what do you suggest I do here?
Many thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
How many loans and how large have you had from them? How long ago did you complain? And what was the response?
Z says
Hi,
I note you have said an ex-barrister, please check on the BSB website to check his history for example if he’s been banned from the profession etc.
You can also report him to the BSB.
Nate says
Hi,
I had a CCJ on my credit file, back in 2019. Satisfied 2021. Did an affordability claim and won, entry/debt removed from credit file. Do I still need to declare this to a mortgage lenders?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
was the debt cleared or are you still making payments to it?
Megan says
Hi Sara, I just recently found your page (from someone posting on tiktok) I’m just wondering if you know if I can make an affordability complaint in ireland or is this just a UK thing? Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Sorry this is only for the UK
Megan says
No problem thanks for responding
Joanne says
Lenders have knocked us back so wanting to take our case to FOS but we no longer have access to the statements as husband has forgotten his login details for the old account. Is is worth going ahead without the statements?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
he can get statements going back 6 years even from a closed account. Send the cases to FOS now and also ask his old bank for them, so you have them ready when FOS asks for them
James says
Dear Sarah,
Please would you give me an email address to complain to Novaloans Ltd t/a” Cash for now” This debt was passed to BW legal and a CCJ was issued (unpaid). BW Legal now say the case has been closed but the last letter they sent me was November 2021.
I also need to complain to” Uncle Buck” who became insolvent. This debt was passed to Conexus, who last contacted me in Sept 2022, warning of an upcoming doorstep visit to a previous address.
Neither of the above have my current address. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Novaloans has also become insolvent.
Why did BW say the case has been closed?
You have no realistic hope of getting a refund back from either firm.
James says
Thank you for your reply Sara
I tried to register with bwlegal on their website, using my name and entered their reference number and the response was “this case has been closed” I will send them an email and ask for the reason.
Presumably, I will still need to pay back the “Uncle Buck” loan via Conexus, who I will also email.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
As you aren’t being pursued for either, why not just save up some money so you can Make an offer to clear one if it ever gets back in touch?
James says
Thank you Sara. Unfortunately I have many other debts which I have no realistic hope of repaying. I have registered with Stepchange and I am adding all the loans as I manage to find out the current creditors as many of my debts are old and have been sold on to recovery companies and / or solicitors. I’m working on my budget and there won’t be much left available for paying my creditors.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Are you buying or renting?
Do you have any non defaulted debts?
Any loans taken in the last few years?
James says
Thank you Sara
I am renting a property and have no tangible assets.
In the past, I have repaid some debts but currently have no non defaulted debts.
No loans have been taken out in the last few years.
I use a car which was purchased by my Mum although I Insure it. (Not fronted my policy as I am insured as the main driver) I keep this locally as I need it for work.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then insolvency may be a better option for you to get a clean start. I suggest talking to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000
James Hinchliffe says
Thank you. I am concerned to go the insolvency route as this may affect my employment negatively. However, I will reconsider, once I also have recommendations from Step Change.
Marie Barker says
Does anyone please have a complaints address for hitachi loans? Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
they have changed their name to Novuna, see the list in the article above.
Robyn says
Can I do this with Updraft? Only made one payment but they should’ve looked better at my affordability
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes!
But how much difficulty are you in at the moment?
R says
A lot. 1.7k into a 3k overdraft, £25k in loans and £5k credit card. Drowning is the word . All accumulated from trying to consolidate unaffordable debts, not from anything luxurious
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then I think you should also look at a debt management plan with StepChange, see https://www.stepchange.org/setting-expectations.aspx
That is in addition to making affordability complaints. Against all your current debts AND and others that you have cleared in the last few years with a consolidation loan. Winning any will reduce the time it takes to end the DMP and can help improve your credit record sooner.
But affordability complaints take too long and are too uncertain on their own when you are Drowning. A DMP gets you into a safe financial space where you can be less stressed, get out of the endless cycle of using credit to pay credit, and send rejected affordability complaints to the Ombudsman and not mind the time it takes
Robyn says
Can I do an affordability complaint to credit cards as well? And any loans that I paid off but was in a better position when I took them out?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes – slightly different template for credit cards, see https://debtcamel.co.uk/refunds-catalogue-credit-card/
Yes you can complain about loans that have been repaid. But an affordability complaint is a test about the lending at the time the loan started, so it depends what you situation was like then, not what you situation was like a few years later or now.
Claire says
Hi I followed your amazing template letter and sent in to amendable last week and recieved a response today that I think is a positive one the main response was this:
‘On this occasion, whilst I can see that our standard affordability checks were met, I can also see that certain information within your credit file could have warranted us asking for additional information in relation to your financial circumstances at the time the loan was granted. Notably, consistent usage of your overdraft and a high degree of reliance on credit cards, minimum payments and cash advances. These were indications of potential financial distress.
Outcome
We will therefore freeze the interest on your loan moving forward, and will waive the interest and charges that have accrued on your loan so far. Any interest or charges that have accrued to date will be credited to your loan account.
Please be aware that these procedures will require a period of 7 to 10 business days to be finalised.’
I think this is a positive outcome but just wanted to check should I go back and ask for interest on the interest they are crediting to my loan to be added or can I not do this as there is still an amount outstanding? This loan defaulted in 2020 and I have been in a self managed DMP for the last 4 years so the interest accrued would be up to that point.
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Which lender is this? How much did you borrow and how much have you paid them so far, including the normal monthly payments and your current lower ones?
Claire says
This is with Lendable (sorry auto correct in my post!) I borrowed £11,000 and have £4323.91 left to pay.
I was paying £350 repayments from September 2018 until November 2020. I defaulted and began £62 a month repayments from as part of my self managed DMP from December 2020 and am still paying these now.
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So can you check EXACTLY how many payments you have made to them, when you quote months I cant tell if that includes the months or if you took the loan in Sept 18 so the first payment was in Oct 2018 etc.
Also was there no gap between stopping paying the £350 payments and making lower payments in the DMP?
Claire says
Hi Sara so I have just gone through the loan history and I have repaid in total so far £11,425.18
23 x £350.36 (the full repayment)
54 x £62.35 (the reduced payment plan that is still in place)
I didn’t pay for one month and then then accepted the payment plan and defaulted the account.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So you have already paid more than the £11k you borrowed. You should Be expecting a refund of the extra £425=you have paid and for the balance to be cleared.
I suggest you reply Asking them to confirm that this clears the balance and refunds you a small amount in cash.
That would be a full refund. There should be small amount of extra 8% interest added.
Claire says
Amazing thank you for your help I will respond today!
Danii says
Hi Sara, I’ve referred two HSBC loans to the Financial Ombudsman (FO) for affordability complaints. The investigator has now come back with some initial questions.
HSBC has told the FO that I was in arrears on one of the loans in 2020 and 2021. The investigator’s question is along the lines of: “HSBC has confirmed you were in arrears in 2020, so I think it’s likely you were aware then that there was a problem with the lending and that it was causing a loss.” He’s asked the same question in relation to 2021.
This feels like he’s suggesting I should have raised the complaint back in 2020/2021. If that’s the case, would he be considering it out of time (i.e., outside the 6-year or 3-year-from-awareness rule)? The loan started in 2019 and was refinanced into the second loan, which began in 2022.
I don’t agree with HSBC’s characterisation of the arrears. What they are referencing is actually a Covid-19 payment holiday I took at the start of the pandemic due to the global uncertainty. I resumed payments as agreed once the holiday ended, and I have checked; this was never reported as arrears to the credit reference agencies. I personally don’t think this is related to realising the loans were unaffordable as he is suggesting but wanted to get your thoughts before I reply to the FO.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you explain what happened in 2020. Clearly that was caused by covid concerns, something that was happening at that time and there is no reason why you should have leapt to the conclusion that HSBC had made a mistake in lending to you in 2019. You can also point out that HSBC weren’t worried by you taking a payment holiday either as they refinanced the loan in 2022.
Samantha says
Hi,
I made an unaffordable lending complaint to Fund Ourselves, they partially upheld my complaint and stated that money would be in my bank account in up to 10 working days. That was on 31st March, as yet, I have not received any refund. Any emails are being ignored and phone calls being palmed off telling me that they have contacted payments team to chase and can’t give me a timeframe to get back to me.
Has anyone else had this same experience with Fund Ourselves and gotten the refund or am I unlikely to see this?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
What was this “partial uphold”? what did they accept and what didnt they?
Samantha says
Hi Sarah,
This is what they partially upheld:
“Based on our investigation and the information you have provided us with, we are satisfied that the loans were affordable. However, we partially uphold your complaint as we believe additional checks should have been completed to ensure affordability prior to loan 6.
To put things right, we offer to refund the interest paid on loans 6 – 7, totalling £740. 8% statutory interest will also be included for loans 6 – 7, totalling £103.40. Therefore, the total amount to be refunded will be £843.40. In addition to this, we will also remove any adverse information recorded on these loans, if any. If you accept this offer, this will be a full and final settlement of your complaint.
Please find the breakdown of statutory interest on loans 7 – 9 below.
loan 6 – £55.77
loan 7 – £47.63
Please respond to this letter via email by 14 April 2025 if you wish to accept these terms, and we will go ahead and process the refund. Please allow 7 – 10 working days for the refund to be completed.
I appreciate that you may be disappointed with our decision. However, if you wish not to accept my findings, you may pursue this matter by alternative means to The Financial Ombudsman. ”
I accepted the offer, they stated that this would be processed in up to 10 working days, but I have still not received a refund and don’t know what to do now.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Do you think that was a good offer? how large was the 4ht and 5th loan and were there any gpas between repaying the 4th and taking the 5th? and between repaying the 5th and taking the 6th?
Sarah Smith says
Hi, I have several loans/CCS dating back to 2006/7 which we spent a long time paying off in an agreement with payplan (since 2009). However I came out of our repayment plan with payplan in 2022 as felt the balance just wasn’t shifting fast enough and decided to try to sort it myself. I feel strongly that at least one of the loans was irresponsible lending, it was taken at a time when banks were literally throwing money at people and we didn’t have much trouble getting extra money to consolidate other debts. The problem I have is that I have no access to the account as the bank closed my accounts and have no bank statements or paperwork for any of the loans. The debts have all been sold on to collection agencies and I still have people chasing me. I have got as far as complaining to Santander and they have rejected the complaint saying I don’t have a case. I have not yet contacted the FOS as wasn’t sure if there was much point? I’d love some advice as no-one can seem to help me.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Its hard to win a complaint about debts that are so old and likely to be impossible with bank statements to prove they weren’t affordable.
What are the current balances? As there are so old, the current creditors may be unable to produce the Consumer Credit Act agreement for the the debts
Rebecca says
Hi, I complained to abound regarding affordability and they have rejected my claim but advised they can give me a goodwill refund of £450.
The loan was £8k, do you think I should go to the FOS or if I do go to the FOS and they reject it will I lose the £450 offer too?
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
is this loan now settled? If it is, how much have you paid in total to them?
If it isn’t, what is the balance still owing and how much have you paid so far?
Rebecca says
Hi, The loan is now settled from earlier in the year. I took out another loan to cover that one, initial loan was for £8.5k with £500 agreement fee. Just checked my records and I paid roughly £1236 in interest, as I repaid early, then the agreement fee ontop.
Not sure whether to go straight to FOS now or just take the £450 goodwill but also don’t want to end up with zero
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So you would get back £1736 + a pretty small amount of 8% interest
My guess is that Abound don’t think they have a good case, or they wouldn’t have offered you anything. But it’s possible you might lose the £450 offer if you don’t win the FOS case.
Ellie says
Just had confirmation from ombudsman that they’ve upheld my complaint to Zopa. Refund of £3399 coming to my loan making it a shorter time to pay back.
Thanks so much for your letter template and advice to go to ombudsman!
Chris says
Hi Sara,
Was wondering if you could offer some advice, I have unsecured debt across loans and credit cards that I am paying £900 a month to (minimum payments for the cc and contractual payments for the loans). I earn a reasonable good income but with the rent having increase £200 over the past 2 years and the CT, Elec, Water etc all gone up by a total of another £150-£200, I now find that all my disposable income is used up on these debts and I am left with next to nothing to cover food, unplanned expenses etc.
I am unsure if an affordability complaint is the right thing for me to do as when taking out these debts I was probable just okay albeit very tight but with the cost of living increasing it has made it unmanageable. I really want to offer a reduce payment and hope they may freeze some or all of the interest so I can bring down the £900 to around £400 giving me enough breathing space for food/unplanned expenses etc.
Would it be best for me to initially reach out to the lenders and see if they would be prepared to do this, it would not be a short term thing I would likely need it in place until the debt is repaid. Would it be better for me to do this first and then possible put in an affordability complaint on the couple of creditors where I may have a case, or does it not make any different to the likelyhood of them agreeing to an arrangement.
Any advice appreciated.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
As you have several creditors and it is going to take a while to clear the debts, I suggest it’s better to get a Debt Management Plan with StepChange, rather than try to make payments arrangements with each of the creditors. It isn’t a question of “hoping” you can make lower payments, you clearly cannot afford to pay the minimums at the moment.
Here is a link to StepChange: https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/debt-management-plan.aspx. Do not leave any debts out! And do not underestimate your expenses – you want safe amounts in there for groceries, clothes, some entertainment, presents, dentist, car costs, replacing household good etc etc. Say Yes when they ask if you would like to save a small amount each month.
I suggest getting this going now. And in a few weeks making affordability complaints, not because you can’t to this the other weay around but because it’s important to get into the safe financial space of a DMP now, and affordability complaints can take a long while, especially as many have to go to the Ombudsman.
Affordability complaints are then a great way to try to speed up a DMP
Kelley says
I wrote to Updraft 8 weeks ago with an affordability complaint in relation to 2 loans that I took out last year. They responded quickly to outline that they had 8 weeks to respond but that they would probably do so much sooner, or would be in touch within 4 weeks if they needed longer than 8 weeks. They haven’t been in touch since, and also didn’t respond to my email asking where things were up to.
Shall I take it straight to the FOS?
Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
The 8 weeks were up when?
Kelley says
Just yesterday. Do I need to give them longer or can I get it to the FOS?
Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think I would probably wait until Wednesday
Kelley says
As if by magic, they have just replied today. They are upholding the complaints on both loans and removing the original interest, so my overall remaining balance should be reduced from £24k to under £12k. And they are going to set up a repayment plan, so I can reduce the monthly payment if I want. They haven’t mentioned 8% interest – is that potentially due here? I have made payments of £5k across the loans, and the APRs are around 22%.
Thanks for your help.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
excellent!
8% interest is only due here if a loan is cleared, so you are getting a cash refund. That doesn’t sound likely here
Kelley says
Okay, thanks. So each loan balance should be reduced to original loan amount (without interest) minus payments made to date?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
exactly
Warren says
Hi Sara, Is it normal to be rejected at first when making a complaint I have put in multiple complaints over loans and credit cards? Starting to wonder if I should bother sending it off to the FOS all have come back with the same response pretty much all checks were mate ect. Is it still worth it?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Many lenders just seem to reply saying they made all the checks, they know many people will give up.
If you want You can Describe each of the complaints here, or just send them to the Ombudsman
Jane says
Thank you so much for this template. I used it to send a complaint to Lendables for my two loans. They upheld my complaint and waived all interest and fees. So one loan is now fully paid off and a refund of my over payment in my bank and the second loan is reduced greatly and now a manageable loan I will have paid off soon. Without the template I would not have known what to put.
Amy says
Hi,
I sent a complaint to Tesco Bank, they gave me a £25,000 loan in February 2024 when I had lost my job in November. I had not previously defaulted on any payment but the huge monthly repayments have made my life difficult to manage. I didn’t get another job for a couple of months more and the salary which significantly lower and used the money for life expenses etc. We have a big mortgage, two nursery age children.
They have come back and dismissed the claim saying that ‘based on data and statistics’ I was a low risk candidate with a good credit report, even though there had been no income coming into my bank account for the 3 months prior to the loan.
Should I send it to the Ombudsman – they said I misrepresented myself on the form putting my old jobs salary but surely they should have checked I had an income?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Tesco wasn’t your bank?
Do you have other debts at the moment?
What interest rate was this loan?
are you back in work?
Jane says
I was working in Dubai, I am a UK resident but dont pay tax or reside in UK. I was working until the end of April 2024, my salary was being paid into a UAE account. I had 2 overdrafts in my UK banks which I would be in 90% of the month, I barely sent money back home. Anyways I never had a UK salary into my accounts for many years. I applied for one loan of £20,000 with castle bank. I was accepted, but no way of them be able to verify that 1. i was working as I left a month before I applied for the loan 2. no proof of salary into any uk bank. Obviously at the time I didnt question it I thought i would have a job and pay it back as soon as but now the loans in default as I dont work or receive any benefits, I have probably paid like £1500ish of the loan to date and have been threatened with being taken to court. Am I able to complain due to them not doing proper checks in terms of them being allowed to loan to someone that doesnt even live in the country?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Why don’t you receive any benefits? Are you renting or buying?
Jane says
I am living with parents. Also after that I applied for small loans, again being accepted right away I have now paid some off but some are in default and one loan for £1000 wanting to charge me £3700 including interest, I have the one big loan of £20,000. Then some £1000, £1000, £300, £600 all with crazy interest, I applied for the small loans 1-2 months after the large one, my question is should they have also accepted me with no proof of salary and secondly should they have seen on my credit report I had received a large loan and still accepted me knowing I received this.
Thank You.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
One loan for £1000 wanting to charge me £3700 including interest – that sounds like Loans2Go? I have called that the “worst loan in Britain”. See https://debtcamel.co.uk/worst-loan-in-britain/. Definitely complain about that one!
I have the one big loan of £20,000 – who is the lender? Has this loan caused a lot of your subsequest problams? If it has it is probably unaffordable – use the template in the artcile above to complain about it.
Then some £1000, £1000, £300, £600 all with crazy interest,
The £1000 loans, use the template in the article above.
the £300 and £600 – which lenders? had you borrowed from those lenders before?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can still get Universal credit if you are living with your parents if you are job hunting?
Will you be able to carry on living with your parents for quite a while
Jake S says
Hi Sara,
I could use some advice I’m currently in a DMP with stepchange which I had to do in order to get my debt to a more affordable payment. I definitely do not think I should’ve been lended as much as I had been it started with small loans in 2023 I racked up a lot then I took a debt consolidation loan with plata to pay off my credit cards and overdraft I’m still in debt with credit cards I have another with Zopa and then had to get another loan to cover further debts which I took out with reevo now I definitely should never have been approved to take out more money. I’m only 24 living with my parents after my dmp money comes out and PayPal credit comes out my credit cards, car insurance and everything else I’m left with next to nothing to live off for a month. After everything came out this month I literally had £120 to last me till the next pay day I now have less than £5 in my account I just would like some advice on how to navigate this am I in a position to make a complaint to the lenders? If so how do I go about it, will the dept be wiped from my credit history will it be refunded?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
when did the DMP start? Have you got more debts after that?
Can I ask if you have any gambling or other problem?
Rebecca says
I used the above template to submit an affordability complaint to salary finance for a loan of £15,0000 and an additional top up loan of £5000. I was requesting for a refund of interest and they came back to me and offered me £26.45. As advised above I rejected this and took this to the financial ombudsman. I have today received an email informing me that my complaint has been uphold and salary finance have agreed to refund me the interest on both loans as well as well as 8% simple interest, this totalled nearly £5000 worth of refunds so I am absolutely over the moon! I would never of been able to do this without the helpful information from this website! This money is life changing for me as someone who used to rely heavily on loans/ credit cards to get by each month
Thank you debt camel!!
Becky says
Is there an email address to contact moneyboat please? Have gone through the messages sorry if i have missed it!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
In with the payday lender list: https://debtcamel.co.uk/payday-lender-email-addresses/
Michael says
Hi Sara,
Do you have a contact email for the credit union Transave please? Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
try sean.haughian@transaveuk.co.uk
Peter says
Hello Sara,
I feel like I may be a candidate for complaints but my finances have been a mess so I’m not sure where to start I’ve had 5 loans, 3 credit cards a£1200 over draught very account and used klarna my employment history has compiled of full time part time and unemployment. Because of all this I feel I need some help on what is eligible and what isn’t do you have recommendation of someone to talk it all through with?
Thank you so much in advance
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Can you list all your current debt, lender and rough balance
Are you currently Finding the minimum payments a struggle?
And then a list of your other closed loans – lender, amount borrowed
Peter says
I have recently struggled with employment so have missed some payments in previous years I’ve had late payments or returned direct debits and then payed a bit later when I had the money
I’m not sure the last time I was full out of the overdraft apart from occasionally for a week or two after being payed.
Open accounts
Monzo overdraft 250
Halifax over draft 1200
Halifax credit 400 out of 500 (this has been lowered over time)
Virgin credit card 3100 maxed (currently over limit as missed two payments, hopefully being this to Normal end of the month)
Capital one 250 out of 300
Lendable loan 7706 of 8000 opened since 07/24
Closed
Loans:
Omni 5500
Finio 2000
Halifax 1000
Lendable 2405 (2022)
Everyday loans 4500 2023
Very account limits 2000 down to 500
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Affordability complaints:
——————————–
I suggest claims to Omni & Finio for the closed loans
A single complaint to lendable for the closed and the new large open loan
Everyday loans – when was this loan opened? If it was after 31 March 2021 send an affordability complaint about this too
Vanquis – have they increased your credit limit? Have you only been making mainly minimum payments? If yes, then an affordability complaint about this too. use the card template over here: https://debtcamel.co.uk/refunds-catalogue-credit-card/
The Halifax overdraft – how many days of the month are you in this typically? How long has it been like this?
Your current situation
—————————-
I don’t think you can carry on like this, it’s to precarious. You can’t rely on winning affordability complaints to dig you out of this hole, they take too long – I would expect many of these complaints to be rejected by the lender so they will need to go to the Ombudsman and it isn’t certain which may be won in the end.
I suggest you talk now Stepchange about a Debt Management Plan (DMP) for all the current debts. This will get new interest stopped and allow you to pay a lower affordable amount each month. If you lose the job or your hours are cut, you ask StepChange to suspend the DMP for a while.
You should still make these affordability complaints as winning any will really help speed up the DMP. But the DMP gets you into a safe financial space while the complaints and ombudsman cases go through.
https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/debt-management-plan.aspx
Peter says
Thank you so much for all your help I’ve screenshotted the comments and will be sure to follow your advice and contact step change for a dmp
Elornie says
Hi Sara,
I want to say thank you for your help! I just had confirmation from Lloyds that they upheld my complaint and they are refunding me £18,324.18. Your templates are so handy and without it I wouldn’t have gotten this life changing amount!. Thank you
Rhiannon says
I have been awarded two refunds – one from a Zopa Loan of £12,000 which is still active. I’m going to get in the region of £3,500 back, plus clear the remaining balance which leaves me £315 a month better off.
The other is a loan that was setttled in November 2024 with Ratesetter, £20,000 loan and my repayment is going to be about £6,500.
So £10,000 returned in total which is going to pretty much clear the remaining balances on my interest bearing credit cards. I’ll be completely debt free in 8 months – for the first time in 15 years (my entire adult life). I wouldn’t have been able to do it without these templates and guidance. It was genuinely so easy to get these sent off.
Don’t be disheartened when you get the initial no, no company is ever going to agree with you that they shouldn’t have lent you money. If you make sure you provide the ombudsman with your letter, final response, credit agreement and bank statements (I did 3 months before loan and 3 months post loan) and then I had chatgpt help me create a breakdown of what my costs were before the loan and what they were post loan to show that I wasn’t financially better off after taking the consolidation loans.
At first I felt like a faliure having to submit these claims, like I somehow SHOULD have been able to afford the repayments. But now I’m on the other side of this it’s the best thing I have ever done.
Rachel says
Hey, how long did this whole process take if you don’t mind me asking? Also thanks for saying the bit at the end as I feel the same!
Jamie says
Hi, I am placing a complaint to Zopa about unaffordable lending. The loan was for 23500 (37000 with interest) I have statements from my two banks, one shows I was almost always overdrawn and struggling withe debt i consolidated with Zopa and the other shows the extend of my gambling problems. The question I have is should i mention this in the letter? Something to the affect of my bank statements show my overdrawn status before and subsequently after i took this loan to consolidated, further statements show I was servicing debt to facilitate a gambling problem. Or do i just go with the simple template?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I would send statement from them both. And also add that for such a large loan they should have verified your expenses more carefully and then they would have seen the gambling problem
Jamie says
Thanks, I’m a bit concerned I won’t get anywhere as my credit rating was basically immaculate, cycling 0% interest cards and consolidating. I was a gambler and a compulsive spender though and pretty much every month spent more than was coming in. Will that view unfavourably on me?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your overdraft and other lending should have shown that you had A lot of debt.
For a loan this size Zopa should have made serious verification checks, they can’t rely on ONS national averages for anyone with a lot of debt.
Most complaints involving gambling are rejected by the lender, so don’t be put off, send this to the Financial Ombudsman if Zopa turn you down
Jamie says
Thanks Sara, I put my complain in on Friday do they have to acknowledge in a certain time or do they have the full 8 weeks? Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
No set time to acknowledge. If you haven’t heard anything in a month, I suggest phoning them to check
Are you in financial difficulty at the moment?
Rachel says
Hi, just reading the above comment made me feel so not alone. So thanks whoever you are.
I have put in x2 affordability complaints for larger loans that were taken out in Feb 2025 (hastings direct 10,000 with 10% APR) and also April 2025 (7500 18% apr). First question is that too soon?
I have only just seen that this is even a thing and also feel very reluctant to do it, as I know its my fault and the gambling is my problem. I had an gambling issue (in recovery since beginning of April) – and neither monzo or hastings direct checked my bank statements when applying for either loan. I had £0 debt at the beginning of 2024 and have now accumulated around 47k.
At the time of taking out both loans I was already in well over £20,000 worth of debt in a short space of time and relying on credit cards heavily.
I am on a good wage – but like I said neither banks checked my bank statements and would have seen the gambling issue and should have seen the fast accumulated debt before giving me the loans. I believe anyway.
Do you think I have a case? I also realise a lot of these get rejected by banks first of all. Which is fine, I am prepared to wait – just wondered if you thought I had a case or am I doing the wrong thing by making an complaint.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
The second loan was from Monzo? They should have seen your Hastings loan and wondered why you needed to borrow more so quickly, especially with your credit record showing such a massive increase in debts in less than 18 months.
Also look at affordability complaints against any cards that have increased your credit limit way too high
Are you able to make the minimum payments, pay all the bills and essential living costs and not use the cards? If you can’t, then you need to get yourself into a safe financial space immediately with a debt management plan. See https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/debt-management-plan.aspx.
Giving up gambling isn’t easy (have you tried Gamban?) and its essential to have a realistic budget you can live comfortably on.
Rachel says
Hi Sara,
Thanks for the reply. Lloyds did give me a credit card with the limit of £7000 back in October I think it was after I’d had a lot of loans paid them off, had a Tesco loan for 14,000 and also had another credit card with a limit of £9650 of which I was using £6000 of at the time and some of another too. Should I make a complaint with Lloyds too?
I can afford minimum payments essential bills and monthly payments with around £900 left for food petrol and lifestyle a month. So not horrendous although tight some months.
It’s really not easy at all / just trying to my best to recover from this horrible thing.
So do you think I have a case with the Monzo one but not the Hastings one maybe?
Thanks for your advice, it’s invaluable.
Rachel
Sara (Debt Camel) says
i think the Monzo case is probably stronger, but that doesn’t mean the Hasting one isn’t good, because it is often a large early loan that causes a lot of the subsequent problems
Becky says
Hi Sara,
I just wanted to share some positive outcomes from my complaints to Monzo. I held an overdraft with them which had a limit of around £1500. I took a loan of £3000 in 2020 and a top up loan of £8000 in 2022.
Initially I complained about the overdraft. Monzo were unable to provide me with a final response within the time frame so I took the complaint to the FOS. It took 12 months from me complaining to Monzo to the FOS making a decision. They decided that although the overdraft was ok initially, subsequent limit increases were irresponsible. This meant that from the balance of £1100 I still owed, they removed all interest and charges which took the total down to £700.
I then made a complaint about the two loans. I made the complaint in March and I heard back directly from Monzo yesterday. They advised that they don’t accept that the initial loan was irresponsible however they agree that the second loan was.
I am currently in a DMP with stepchange. Monzo sold the loan to debt collection agency a few years ago. They have advised that they’ll be purchasing the loan back from the debt agency and writing it off in full (the balance is £7085) They are also going to send me a £75 compensation payment.
A fantastic outcome and this has almost halved my overall debt.
Thank you so much for your help.
Dani W says
Sent the template to Novuna. Had a loan for £5000 with Hitachi Capital Finance (what they were previously called).
Within a couple of weeks received a response to say they were upholding my complaint, I didn’t even have to follow up with FOS.
Recieved a prompt refund of £4267.43.
Thank you so much Sara! I am very grateful.
Roxy says
Hi Sara
I cannot thank you enough. I am so happy I found your website and Instagram page. I have now made several affordability complaints, which are still awaiting reply.
But Everyday Loans (now Evlo) have replied to my complaint after 2 weeks saying that they are upholding my complaint and refunding all interest from the begining, leaving me with just the original borrowed amount to pay! this is amazing, it has taken a year off my DMP with StepChange, as this meant a refund of just over 5,000 pounds!!!
I have used your template then worked on it to adjust to my situation with the help of AI :)
Sara (Debt Camel) says
great result for you!
Kelley says
I’m interested to know if anyone’s had any success with M&S or Santander regarding loans? I took out loans with both in 2022, but haven’t submitted complaints yet. I’m also waiting to hear back from Zopa regarding 2 loans.
Updraft upheld complaint on 2 loans, adjusted balance on outstanding loan to reflect this, and have offered for me to decrease my payments on the balance (now at 0%) going forward. They were nice to deal with.
Steve says
Hi Sarah
Have you been told anything about expected time scales FOS wise got a complaint in Zopa for a £4000 and £2000 loan chain it went to the FOS on 26.11.2024 was assigned on 03.03.03 just had an email today saving my adjudicator is taken a long time off from 30th so will be reassigned.
My NatWest complaint for 1 stand alone £1500 and 2 rolled up loans of £8800 and £12400 went off on 05.11.2024 picked up 17.02.2025 they asked my fit some extra information early in March and nothing since.
Thanks
Steve
Sara (Debt Camel) says
No.
The Zopa case is simply bad luck, nothing to do with your case of FOS timescales.
The NatWest, I would go back and ask about progress if you have Heard anything by the end of next week
Katie says
I have submitted affordability complaints to lenders. Some are credit accounts I was offered on a pre approval basis that took next to nothing to get and some I applied for. I am going through ADHD checks and my flippant spending and debt accumulation is apparently a resource of that and I was advised to follow your advise to get some return on these funds as I have been in constant debt, using my overdraft monthly and living off credit cards and my Monzo flex to survive – all due to continuously being offered or approved credit. I have on multiple occasions paid off credit either using more credit or through budgeting only to get into debt again. A few lenders have come back asking for bank statements. My question and concern is that whilst I understand the FCA needing them for their due diligence, I feel the lenders should have requested them at the time of the loans if they’d wanted or needed them and seeing them now won’t be any benefit to my complaint (and they don’t show the full extent of my lack of affordability because I was using credit cards elsewhere that don’t show in said statements), but also, that I have seen lenders have used these statements to threaten / make their own complaints of false or misleading applications. So do they have to have these statements or can I refuse until it goes to FCA?
If I don’t give them, what issue could that cause to my complaint?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
The lenders are more likely to uphold your complaint if they can see the unaffordability from your bank statements. But you don’t have to supply them to a lender, you can just send the cases to the Ombudsman (FOS, not the FCA) if the lenders reject them
Charlie says
Hi Sara,
I was hoping you would be able to advise me on whether it is worth me putting in an affordability complaint with HSBC. I originally took a loan out in 2016 to pay for my first car (age 21), I then got into a lot of credit card debt so I took out another loan with HSBC (can’t remember the year but it was pre covid so maybe 2019) to consolidate my debts which included paying off the first loan. Then in 2023, I took out another loan with HSBC to consolidate debts again (all the while paying min. payments on HSBC credit card, min payments to HSBC loan and often dipping into a £950 HSBC overdraft and living in a £250 First Direct overdraft). I have since had to enter a DMP with stepchange as I couldn’t keep up with all my minimum payments and pay my rent/bills. I believe the third loan in 2023 to be irresponsible lending but not sure if they would?
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you make a complaint to HSBA about all three loans. It’s sounds as though each loan hs made your position worse…
What other debts do you have in the DMP?
Charlie says
Ok thank you. Yes it all feels a bit overwhelming when I look back. I’ve banked with HSBC since my first year of high school, which is over 20 years ago, and have had the credit card & overdraft since it was a student account (2012). I’ve never fully paid the credit card off without it being a shift to a 0% credit card which I’ve then taken out a loan to pay off eventually because I haven’t paid the 0% balance off within the time limit. All the while building up the HSBC credit card debt again. It’s been a vicious circle and having to enter the DMP has been the best & worst thing that’s happened to me. It’s not ideal defaulting but it has made me look at my spending habits, mental health etc.
My DMP includes:
HSBC Loan (taken out August 2023) which is just over £12,500
Barclaycard (taken out April 2024) – £3200 (0% balance transfer card originally)
M&S Credit Card (taken out June 2023) – £3180 (0% balance transfer card originally)
HSBC Overdraft – put it up to £2500 the month after taking out the loan in 2023 and I could never get out of it. I’ve changed to a different bank with no overdraft and paying HSBC overdraft off through my DMP.
HSBC Credit Card – £1150
Amex – £850 (opened with a £10,500 limit but I knew the interest was very high so I didn’t spend as much on it and then they restricted the limit when I first missed a payment)
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I would complain about all of those. For the 0% cards, say it should have been clear you would be unable to clear the debt before the 0% ended and would struggle when interest was added, ask for a refund of the 0% fee and any interest charged