# AIB Credit Card Debt



## Peter54 (24 Jan 2010)

Wondering is there anyone else out there having problems with the AIB credit card department?

I've racked up quite a substantial amount of credit card debt with them.  (I know, I know) but at the time I was able to pay them back.  I've recently found myself out of work with very little entitlements to social welfare as I was working as a sub contractor most of my life.

I've wrote to them on umpteen occasions explaining the situation and telling them I will make every effort to pay the debt; if they would just hear me out and agree on a payment per month that I can afford and they are happy with.  

I've received no letter from them acknowledging they received the letters I sent.

I rang them the other day to be treated in what I'd call a somewhat hostile manner.

The first person I spoke to on the phone was fine but when I was transferred to another level that's when all communications were lost.

They never told me they received the letters and also said I made a verbal agreement some weeks back that I could pay back a certain figure per month.  I'll admit I did hesitantly    agree to this figure which I still cannot afford.

Obviously this debt is heading to the courts.  I have kept a copy of all letters I sent them and also I've been paying them weekly; not the sum they're looking for but I've still receipt that I've been making small payments.  I've also returned the card.


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## so-crates (24 Jan 2010)

I don't suppose you sent the letter registered? If not, I would send them another, enclosing your original as well as a new letter outlining your current position and your current offer and the fact that they have ignored your previous correspondence (herein enclosed), also state that you are aware that you had verbally agreed an amount but felt under duress to agree to it as you knew you couldn't afford it. The response may be no more positive but at least then they can't say they didn't receive it as it will have been signed for - harder for them to ignore and insist they never received (call me a cynic but I love the way it is so handy to blame the post office!). Oh and do NOT agree to any amount you cannot afford - I know you know this but all the same - it is worth mentioning! If necessary, refuse to discuss amounts on the phone, only the acccount as a whole - always refer to your written correspondence and keep discussions of numbers to that. It is harder to pressure someone who will only talk money in letters.


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## bond-007 (24 Jan 2010)

The phone is the main tool of the bank in the debt collection process. By forcing them only to deal in writing you take away their advantage in trying to pressure you. 

Tell them you will only discuss the matter in writing. Do not phone them again. You may also consider changing your phone number if they are calling you.


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## Peter54 (25 Jan 2010)

Thanks guys.  This morning I'm in receipt of a D/D mandate from the bank.  They have already written on the form the amount they expect me to pay each month.  This is the amount I stupidly agreed to paying.  

It seems at this stage all communication has ceased and this is the final offer on the table.

It will be at least June before I can pay the money they are looking for.

Would it be OK for me to fill out the mandate to commence on June 1st?


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## bond-007 (25 Jan 2010)

> D/D mandate


Are you sure? I hope it is a Standing Order. If it is a Direct Debit mandate I would not fill it in as it allows them to do what they like.


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## Peter54 (25 Jan 2010)

I received one polite letter saying I needed to make a payment.

I contacted them by letter three times in response.

Then got a phone call to say they would accept x amount of money and that's been about it.  

They haven't been inundating me with calls its actually me that's been doing the chasing of them!


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## RealDub (25 Jan 2010)

Hi Peter,

I have managed to deal successfully with AIB and other institutions. Some guidelines:

1. Ok so you made a mistake running up debt but you didnt murder anyone and you don't deserve to suffer the way the bank want you to. You are not your debt and you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as does any other human being. Move on from your guilt and your fear and you will deal with this way more effectively. 

2. Only deal in writing with them. It's much less intimidating and you won't be tempted to make snap decisions under pressure. Tell them in writing you felt intimidated and request they or their agents do not call you again but only deal in writing with you.

3. There is no point in promising to pay something you cannot afford as the wheels will come off again.

4. Do a realistic spending plan for yourself of all your income and expenses and then see what you can actually afford to pay them. Don't forget to allow for all your important necessities including clothes, holidays etc. Don't be a hero for AIB. They wont be happy no matter what you pay per month but you can't help that. Please yourself not the bank. Once you can afford more then pay more.

5. Make them a new offer in writing and send it by registered mail. Tell them in the letter you were unrealistic about your first offer and that you were pressured into it by the heavy handed tactics used by them over the phone. (They won't like that letter being seen in court later on if it comes to that which is very unlikely).

6. Continue to pay them regardless of what happens i.e. honour your offer from now no matter how small the monthly amount is. Make the first payment asap. Don't wait until June.

7. AIB may well pass it on to a collection agency or a solicitor but that is because they are idiots. Don't let that worry you. Keep your story steady and say the very same thing to them and keep paying your small amount. Let them waste money if they want to by moving it on to someone else. I ended up dealing with my original manager, then an internal collection department, then three different collecton agencies.

8. Watch out for all the extras they will try to add on for the fees they pay to their collectors. Refuse to pay these. Keep writing them letters and keep registering them. Stay calm and firm. They tried to add €800 to my balance for this and I wrote asking them for breakdowns and asking how they could justify this considering I was willing to pay as much as I could. They dropped the charges.

9. In my experience they will accept eventually because they dont actually want to go to court where they wont get anything more from you. 

10. Good luck and let us know how you get on.



bond-007 said:


> I doubt they would wait that long. They would surely issue legal proceedings by then.
> 
> Have you received any letters from their solicitors? It is normally Crosskerrys with AIB credit cards.


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## Peter54 (1 Feb 2010)

Thanks for the great advise RealDub.  Well done for negotiating with these guys; by no means any easy task.

Since I last posted I have heard nothing from these people.  Believe me when you owe a substantial debt its more worrying not hearing from the debtor than a debtor bombarding you with phone calls!  The lack of response to letters I have sent them etc is bizarre.

I've been on the MABS website doing everything they advise but still nothing.  I'm still making payments though.

To avoid going to court would it be best if I got a third party involved?  I've been given the name of a reputable debt management company who I've been considering contacting.

MABS seem to have their hands tied and it looks like weeks before they could look at my case.


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## kaplan (2 Feb 2010)

@peter 54

Follow realdub's great advice -you won't need a debt management company unless you have other debts. All they will do is write to AIB making an offer based on what you can afford -you can do this yourself without incurring debt manager fees. 

Write making an offer and pay it even if you don't get a reponse and also ask for interest and fees to be frozen. It would be useful too if you could enclose with your letter an "income and expenditure statement" showing what your income is (social welfare) what your outgoings are and what you have left over to make payments. 

MABS has a letter of offer than should work here:[broken link removed]

Be prepared for more letters and phone calls - each time gently but firmly refer them back to your letter of offer and payment committment being made. 

Best of luck


Kaplan


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## Bronte (2 Feb 2010)

Peter54 do you have any assets?  Also are you addressing the issues that have lead you into this debt?  Would you consider doing the money makeover section on this website to get advice on how to clear your debt.

Further to Realdubs great advice on how to deal with banks chasing you for debt there is a key post on how to write letters to banks, you should have a look at this.


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## Brendan Burgess (2 Feb 2010)

RealDub said:



> Don't forget to allow for all your important necessities including clothes, holidays etc.



RealDub

That was a very good post apart from the above. 

When someone is drowning in debt, they do not need a holiday. 
When someone is drowning in debt, they do not have to keep up with fashion.

"Necessities" like holidays and clothes are probably the main reason people are drowning in credit card debt.

Necessities are food, utilities and transport to work.

You have to make sacrifices to deal with debt. 

Brendan


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## Peter54 (9 Feb 2010)

I'm in receipt this morning of a letter from the bank regarding the CC debt I've accrued.  I think this letter very much proves the banks are not listening and are still eager to throw money at people who are not in a position to pay back.

I returned card to bank, telling them I would be canceling my agreement etc; only this morning to be in receipt of a letter from them giving me 21 days to pay a relatively small sum of money considering the debt I owe.   It also insinuates that if I pay this minimum amount within the time frame they wont cancel my agreement.
  Come on, who would leave a person in my position with a card they cannot afford to pay back


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## bond-007 (9 Feb 2010)

That is shocking behaviour.


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## Papercut (9 Feb 2010)

Peter, when you applied for a started using your credit card you effectively entered into a legal agreement with AIB.

  In order for you to cancel this agreement, you would first need to have paid them any money owed by you to them, otherwise the agreement that you made still stands i.e. you owe them money. 

You have returned the card to them, which is fair enough, but that in itself does not mean that you have terminated the agreement – it just means that you have decided not to use the card anymore. They would cancel the card anyway if you fail to make your repayments, rendering it useless.

  Under the T&Cs of your agreement with the bank, if you fail to make minimum repayments they can terminate the agreement with you. If they do so, as soon as the agreement is terminated you would owe them the full amount of your debt, & the banker/customer relationship that presently exists between you would end, resulting in them eventually going down a legal route to recover their money.

  So, basically what the bank is stating in the letter you received is that they are giving you the opportunity to pay the minimum amount that you refer to above within 21 days, & if you do so they will not cancel your agreement, & therefore not go down a legal route.

  They are not offering you further credit, merely a chance to repay them a minimum amount off what you currently owe them.


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## bond-007 (9 Feb 2010)

I do know that Bank of Ireland and other banks do terminate agreements prior to going to court to recover debts. This is done for legal reasons in that the debt total must be fixed before seeking judgement. To do this they stop charging interest at the credit card rate. 

The money is still owed and the bank will recover it by legal means.


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## bagel (10 Feb 2010)

RealDub said:


> Hi Peter,
> 
> I have managed to deal successfully with AIB and other institutions. Some guidelines:
> 
> ...


Regarding the above_, _it is advisable to assume that your correspondence will some day end up in the hands of a Judge.
Therefore, it is vital that you phrase your letters in such a way that you come across as a reasonable, accommodating & decent person.
This will portray you in a very good light, making it easier for the Judge to appreciate your circumstances and consequently make a Ruling in your favour.
Best of luck anyway.


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## Peter54 (18 Feb 2010)

An update on the above:

Have sent letters by registered post making a monthly offer.  These letters have yet to be addressed by collections.

The previous letters I did send - they are saying they did not receive them.  I also sent back the card and they are also saying they did not receive this either.

Got speaking to an OK guy in collections and he said a lot of information was being held down stairs at customer care so my earlier correspondence could well be there

Why oh why are they not passing information on to the guys who make the decisions  Guy on phone didn't give an explanation.

I received a letter last week stating that they will either give this case to their debt collectors or solicitors.

I've heard some stories about debt collectors so am quite worried to say the least.


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## bond-007 (18 Feb 2010)

> I've heard some stories about debt collectors so am quite worried to say  the least.


AIB will hand it over to Intrum Justitia who will send you 4 letters in total. 2 from them, 1 from a "solicitor" and 1 final one from them. They will not send out the goons to visit you or to break your legs. After the 4th letter they will tell AIB they failed and that is the end of the road for Intrum Justitia.

What stories have you heard about debt collectors? PM by all means.


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## Wishes (11 Mar 2010)

I took the plunge and rang AIB today in connection with the cc debt I have with them.  I actually cried when I got off the phone after dealing with a certain member of staff


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## bond-007 (11 Mar 2010)

*This why you need to do everything in writing.* By doing everything in writing you stay in control of the situation. 
Never give them the chance to corner you on the phone. They prefer to phone people as they can put people on the spot, pressure them to agree to unrealistic terms etc.


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## Alex (12 Mar 2010)

off topic i know but still in relation to aib credit cards... i recently got a new credit card from aib due halifax pulling out of ireland shortly. at the moment i am able to go into an aib branch and lodge money to my current account by them swiping my debit card. can i lodge money to the CREDIT card by them swiping it in the same way as the laser? i'm guessing i can but am still unsure. thank you.


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## bond-007 (12 Mar 2010)

> can i lodge money to the CREDIT card by them swiping it in the same way  as the laser?


No.


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## Papercut (13 Mar 2010)

Your best be would be to transfer the money from your AIB current account to your AIB credit card by either online or telephone banking. You need to register your card once, either online or by telephone, & then transfer the amounts using the 'Pay A Bill' feature.


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## Danielle24 (16 Mar 2010)

Unfortunately the system recognises anything less than 5% or min payment as a missed payment. I know its tough times but blaming the bank for your credit card debt and wanting them to change the rules is ridiculous. If it was a mortgage or a car loan they might be more sympathetic but with credit card debt is 90% of time spent on indulgences and frivilous things and it's not a necessity so the bank give very little sympathy.


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## bond-007 (16 Mar 2010)

AIB are short on sympathy full stop.


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## Tessi (16 Mar 2010)

I'd guess that any of us posting to this thread in relation to credit card debt are looking for genuine constructive advice and nothing else.  I, like thousands before me have fallen into credit card debt which wasn't due to luxury spending.   There has been some excellent advice from good people and I have very much appreciated this advice.  I am now unemployed and will no longer have the minimum payment required each month.  Has anyone managed to arrange to freeze interest charged whilst paying a lesser sum in order to eventually clear the credit card.


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## Danielle24 (18 Mar 2010)

bond-007 said:


> AIB are short on sympathy full stop.


 

they're a bank not a charity.


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## Danielle24 (18 Mar 2010)

Tessi said:


> I'd guess that any of us posting to this thread in relation to credit card debt are looking for genuine constructive advice and nothing else. I, like thousands before me have fallen into credit card debt which wasn't due to luxury spending. There has been some excellent advice from good people and I have very much appreciated this advice. I am now unemployed and will no longer have the minimum payment required each month. Has anyone managed to arrange to freeze interest charged whilst paying a lesser sum in order to eventually clear the credit card.


 
If the bank do agree to a lesser payment the account will still go into arrears every month and will be eventually recognised as a "bad debt". Is there anyway you could get a personal loan to clear this?


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## AlbacoreA (18 Mar 2010)

Danielle24 said:


> they're a bank not a charity.


 
Yeah its not like we've donated billions to them.. oh wait...


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## AlbacoreA (18 Mar 2010)

I wonder would a credit union, allow you take a loan to clear the debt? Perhaps if you went into them an explained the situation? In my experience credit unions, are more flexible like that.


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## Danielle24 (18 Mar 2010)

AlbacoreA said:


> Yeah its not like we've donated billions to them.. oh wait...


 

That's fair enough but the banks never made us take out credit cards etc.


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## bond-007 (18 Mar 2010)

Are you an AIB employee?


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## AlbacoreA (18 Mar 2010)

Danielle24 said:


> That's fair enough but the banks never made us take out credit cards etc.



Thats circular argument, we didn't make the banks do what they did either. 

I don't think the bank can take the higher moral ground on issues like this. They should be able to work out a payment plan. Its not like the these people have done a runner, and the bank is left with a bad debt. At least not yet.


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## Danielle24 (18 Mar 2010)

AlbacoreA said:


> Thats circular argument, we didn't make the banks do what they did either.
> 
> I don't think the bank can take the higher moral ground on issues like this. They should be able to work out a payment plan. Its not like the these people have done a runner, and the bank is left with a bad debt. At least not yet.


 
it's not about taking the moral highground it's about people taking responsibility and stop acting like they've been screwed over or like they didn't realise they'd have to pay this money back. This attitude was alive and well long before the recession. I was trying to advise the OP that he will probably not win on this one and needs to start looking for other options, good advice about the Credit Union that would be the best option.


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## Peter54 (18 Mar 2010)

Tessi said:


> I'd guess that any of us posting to this thread in relation to credit card debt are looking for genuine constructive advice and nothing else.  I, like thousands before me have fallen into credit card debt which wasn't due to luxury spending.   There has been some excellent advice from good people and I have very much appreciated this advice.  I am now unemployed and will no longer have the minimum payment required each month.  Has anyone managed to arrange to freeze interest charged whilst paying a lesser sum in order to eventually clear the credit card.



I second that.  

On another note I had to wait until the card was properly canceled by the bank until I could make the lesser payments per month.  After it was canceled they stopped adding interest charges etc.  

They have still not accepted the amount I offered them per month but at least I know the amount is going off the card and no interest is being added.  I have kept in constant contact with the bank by letter; trying to prove to them I have no intentions of doing a runner but paying off the debt as soon as possible.

I was asked by some wise woman at the card center the other day why I was unemployed?  How do you answer a question like that 

I have still to receive a letter from them stating that the card was canceled.  I enquired about this and was told they hadn't a clue what I was taking about.  Head games or what??


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## Peter54 (18 Mar 2010)

Danielle24 said:


> it's not about taking the moral highground it's about people taking responsibility and stop acting like they've been screwed over or like they didn't realise they'd have to pay this money back. This attitude was alive and well long before the recession. I was trying to advise the OP that he will probably not win on this one and needs to start looking for other options, good advice about the Credit Union that would be the best option.



After months of dealing with these guys I realise now there's probably no chance of winning this argument.

It's probably best that this goes to court because I have full proof that I am paying the maximum payment per month that I can afford.  I have receipts from registered letters proving that I was looking to keep the lines of communication open yet they refused to answer my letters.  I think a Judge will agree to the payments that I have offered.


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## bond-007 (18 Mar 2010)

I am very surprised that they have not shunted your case over to their in house lawyers to take you to court. Normally when they stop adding interest that is the precursor to going to court as they have to have a fixed amount for the court. AIB are generally very quick to take people to court.


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## Peter54 (18 Mar 2010)

Apparently there's a back log of cases.  I know my case is probably     Imminent.  I'm just hoping the Judge on the day accepts the payment plan.  Can people be sent to prison on cases like this?


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## AlbacoreA (18 Mar 2010)

Danielle24 said:


> it's not about taking the moral highground it's about people taking responsibility and stop acting like they've been screwed over or like they didn't realise they'd have to pay this money back. This attitude was alive and well long before the recession. ...



Sorry but I don't see where you are getting that people don't want to take responsibility or have an attitude to anything. People can't pay today what they haven't got today. But they might be able to pay over time. Forcing people to court (I'm guessing) just adds cost, destroys any good will,  and I'm guessing is likely to allow the customer pay at a reduced rate anyway.


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## bond-007 (18 Mar 2010)

Peter54 said:


> Apparently there's a back log of cases.  I know my case is probably     Imminent.  I'm just hoping the Judge on the day accepts the payment plan.  Can people be sent to prison on cases like this?


The only way you can be sent to prison is if you ignore the court process completely and do not pay what is ordered by the judge. If you cannot pay, you cannot pay and you will not be sent to prison for not being able to pay.



AlbacoreA said:


> Sorry but I don't see where you are getting that people don't want to take responsibility or have an attitude to anything. People can't pay today what they haven't got today. But they might be able to pay over time. Forcing people to court (I'm guessing) just adds cost, destroys any good will,  and I'm guessing is likely to allow the customer pay at a reduced rate anyway.


Going to court will add costs. Judges will weigh up each individual situation and decide what the person can afford to pay if anything.


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## Danielle24 (18 Mar 2010)

Peter54 said:


> After months of dealing with these guys I realise now there's probably no chance of winning this argument.
> 
> It's probably best that this goes to court because I have full proof that I am paying the maximum payment per month that I can afford. I have receipts from registered letters proving that I was looking to keep the lines of communication open yet they refused to answer my letters. I think a Judge will agree to the payments that I have offered.


 

If you could get a personal loan it would save so much aggro and you could try and salvage your credit rating.


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## AlbacoreA (18 Mar 2010)

I think the suggestion is to move the existing debt to a more flexible/reasonable institution. Like the credit union. Though I think its too far down the road for this.


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## Elphaba (18 Mar 2010)

kaplan said:


> @peter 54
> 
> Follow realdub's great advice -you won't need a debt management company unless you have other debts. All they will do is write to AIB making an offer based on what you can afford -you can do this yourself without incurring debt manager fees.
> 
> ...



I have been down this painful road and I would like to share my experience with you. The only route is A LETTER OF AUTHORITY FROM MABS accompanied by a financial statement. CREDIT CARD COMPANIES ARE AWARE OF THIS. It may take some time and chasing, but make APPOINTMENT WITH MABS TOMORROW to start the ball rolling. What happens is the interest is frozen, some refunded in my case, then the debt is passed onto a collection agency who are NOT AS SCARY AS YOU THINK!!! They dont come knocking on your door unless you completely ignore them.Good luck


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## Wishes (21 Mar 2010)

Danielle24 said:


> If you could get a personal loan it would save so much aggro and you could try and salvage your credit rating.



How do you suggest this is done?  Taking into account the OP's credit history is no doubt impaired.

From reading this thread I don't see anyone looking for a free lunch or a bailout.  No hold on that's actually the AIB who are being bailed out!  Silly me!


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## Papercut (21 Mar 2010)

Danielle24 said:


> Unfortunately the system recognises anything less than 5% or min payment as a missed payment.


AIB provide the option to pay *3%*, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50% & 100% of the statement balance.

If what you stated were true, anyone who chose the 3% option would be constantly in arrears.



			
				Danielle24 said:
			
		

> If the bank do agree to a lesser payment the account will still go into arrears every month and will be eventually recognised as a "bad debt".


  Obviously if they agree to a lesser payment this would not be the case. The reason for a lesser payment agreement is to avoid the amount becoming a bad debt.



			
				Danielle24 said:
			
		

> it's about people taking responsibility and stop acting like they've been screwed over or like they didn't realise they'd have to pay this money back.


  You seem to have missed the whole point of this thread. Either that or you have not read/cannot comprehend it. It’s painfully obvious that the OP has & is taking responsibility. AIB are acting irresponsibly in this case.

  The OP has never as much as hinted that he didn’t realise he’d have to pay anything back. He has made it perfectly clear that he is doing his best to arrange to pay his debt back in repayments that he can afford. 

  Can you not see this, or are you just blatantly trying to upset someone who is clearly upset enough as it is, & has resorted to posting on this forum for _constructive_ advice?


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## bond-007 (21 Mar 2010)

Excellent post Papercut.


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## Wishes (25 Mar 2010)

I was speaking to a gentleman in the card services who told me there was an enormous list of pending cases so that is probably why the OP has not heard from their legal team.  He also said that it maybe unlikely that they will pursue down the legal route unless you completely ignore them and refuse to make some payment again all down to the amount of cases they have to deal with.


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## daitheflu (25 Mar 2010)

*Does the above advice also refer to standard loans?*? I got letter from AIB asking me to pay of debt in full by next month or they will take ' whatever steps are necessary to obtain payment in full of total debt'. 

I phoned them and recored the conversation( told them i was doing so). The girl explained that I got a call last week from someone in there office last week which I did not return. Now I admit i got a call but it was from someone called Ciara and asking me to return her call. She did not identify herself as being from AIB as this goes against their security policy and thus I argued that I would not return a call to anyone who leaves a random message on my phone looking for a call back. Anyways I have agreed to start making some nominal payments in a few weeks as i am confident that I should have employment soon. When I asked what are the next steps if i cannot afford payments she said it wold be refered to a debt collection agency. I asked her to confirm whether the agency are outsourced and independent of AIB or a subsiduary of AIB and she would not tell me. She said they use several types and I am not entitled to know what egencies they use for debt collection. 

*Surely I am entitled to know who they use to collect my debt should it go that fa*r. I have made all effort to maintain payments as and when I can. I have requestested that all future correspondene be made via mail which they agreed to. 

*Has anyone any other advice for me here*? Sorry about hijacking the thread and for the rant too!!

Daitheflu


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## bond-007 (25 Mar 2010)

> *Surely I am entitled to know who they use to collect my debt  should it go that fa*r.


That is an easy one. 

They use the following:
Intrum Justitia 
Crosskerrys Solicitors
Thomas Flaherty & Co. (These are their in house lawyers)


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## Wishes (25 Mar 2010)

Yes this goes for the standard loans too.  Though you must not ignore them.

I have a lot of financial exposure with AIB.  I've successfully re-scheduled personal loans with them.  I wrote to them explaining my situation and within a couple of weeks the loan payments were lowered; taking into account I already had a three month payment break.  The credit card department are another story though.

As others have mentioned on this thread - keep all your correspondence in writing.


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## Danielle24 (26 Mar 2010)

Papercut said:


> AIB provide the option to pay *3%*, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50% & 100% of the statement balance.
> 
> If what you stated were true, anyone who chose the 3% option would be constantly in arrears.
> 
> ...


 

There min payment used to be 5%

I'm not trying to upset anyone i'm giving him realistic and constructive advice. The bank may say yes pay less but the majority of credit card banking is computerised and if less than the min payment, which you've pointed out is now 3% the system recognises it as a missed payment.


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## searchten (28 Mar 2010)

Thanks for that interesting piece of info about Thomas Laherty and Co. being their in house Lawyers ,i came to an arrangement some weeks back with a person in customer sevices of Visa,i agreed to set up a standing order with them to repay € 200 per month ,she sent me out the forms to set up the DD mandate and i returned the completed forms to them and they were to start the DD on the 8th March,but have not taken anything as of yet,i have recieved 3 threatening type letters in the 3 weeks signed N Flaherty ( Collections Dept ). But following advice recieved on this site i am conducting all correspondance in writing and keeping copies


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## Bronte (29 Mar 2010)

I don't think anyone can go to jail for not paying a debt, wasn't there a case on this about a month or two ago?


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## bond-007 (29 Mar 2010)

There was a case last year which led to the law being changed. 

You can be jailed if you refuse to pay a court ordered amount, not if you can't pay.
Also you are now entitled to free legal aid if a creditor attempts to have you sent to jail for non payment.


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## Peter54 (21 Apr 2010)

After weeks of letter writing and living on my nerves I finally received a letter from the bank saying they would except my payment proposal for three months.


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## bond-007 (21 Apr 2010)

Good stuff.


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## Papercut (21 Apr 2010)

That’s great news Peter, & must be a load off your mind - well done for your perseverance. Hopefully, if your situation has not changed after three months, the review process will be a hell of a lot more streamlined & you won’t have as much hassle getting them to accept the same proposal for a further three or six month period.


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## redbhoy (22 Apr 2010)

Might be some useful information on here should you choose to use it.

http://www.getoutofdebtfree.org/


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## Peter54 (23 Apr 2010)

Guys thanks a million for all your help.  It's been very much appreciated.  The pressure over the past couple of months has been immense but it seems less daunting now that the bank have acknowledged my problem.  I've began making payments plus extra payments per week. 

Redbhoy, thanks a lot for the link.


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