User Comments

It’s really sad that things like this happen. It seems like common sense to live within your means and keep on top of your financial situation, but it’s really quite difficult for many people. It’s tempting to ignore your problems and hope they go away, but that’s the worst thing you can do. Late fees and interest pile up so quickly. (I hate late fees!)

I have family members that have had to deal with similar problems, and they have come to the conclusion that it’s best just to give up credit cards altogether.

The best way to have credit cards, in my opinion, is to pay off the balance in full each month, and to simply use them as a more convenient method of payment than cash or checkbook.

I have close to £4000 of credit card debt myself, I bought my car “on finance” and owe another few hundred pounds on store cards, etc. Of all of these debts, it is the credit cards which accumulate the greatest penalties: exhorbitant interest, late payment fees and so on.

There is no doubt that in my mind that the best way to use a credit card is as you describe Jennifer: a means to avoid carrying cash. Then settle the balance when the statement comes in. Then there is no interest and no late-payment fees. Try, try, try not to carry a balance over several months as you end up just paying the bloody interest - the card companies get richer and the debtor gets poorer.

Just common sense really.

i had £8,000 worth of debt, mainly from banks. I was getting very depressed over it all. It started with me being short for a direct debit paymant which the bank charged me for, which put me into an unauthorised overdraft which they charged me for again, 3 days later it was the start of the new month so they charged me again. I was only £1.30 short for the direct debit. but because i couldnt pay the £105 of charges it soon got out of hand.

I have managed to reclaim £4300 in bank charges back now with the help of www.consumercorner.co.uk Another (www.consumercorner.co.uk)Another member has just managed to get over £17,000 from Abbey in small claims thanks to Shaun. Its a great website without them i would not have known where to start or where i would be now.

Isnt it about time the banks stopped wasting peoples time though and the courts, and just pay up. The OFT are just a waste of time on this subject and leaving it to customers to do the dirty work when they could stop it straight away.

well done to consumer corner and the other forums that are helping people.

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