What should I do if i'm struggling to make payments?
Call us. We have trained advisors who will be able to offer you help and information on paying off your debt, and you may be able to negotiate an agreement which will reflect what you can afford.
If you still need help, get in touch with Payplan or the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. These are free, independent money advisers who will contact the card issuer on your behalf to see whether they can consider reduced payments on your account. They may also be able to negotiate interest being suspended and stop any further charges being made on your account.
Their addresses are:
Payplan
Kempton House
Kempton Way
Dysart Road
Grantham
NG31 7LE
Free phone: 0800 280 2816
www.payplan.com
Consumer Credit Counselling Service
Wade House
Merrion Centre
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS2 8NG
Free phone: 0800 138 1111
www.cccs.co.uk
Security and Fraud
Identity theft can happen when fraudsters get hold of your personal details and use them to either take your money or to apply for credit in your name.
You can reduce the chances of this happening by taking a few steps to protect yourself:
Destroy anything that contains personal information. These are things such as bills, receipts and letters.
If you have open accounts that you don't use anymore then make sure that you close them.
Be aware of the dangers of having your personal mail stolen, there is a greater risk of this happening if you live in shared accommodation.
Is there anything I can do to prevent credit card fraud?
You can greatly reduce the risk of credit card fraud by taking basic precautions:
When you receive your credit card statements be sure to check them for any transactions that you do not recognise, if you do see unfamiliar transactions contact your credit issuer straight away.
Make sure nobody else has access to your credit cards.
Be sure not to keep your PIN written down, when you receive it memorise it then discard of it straight away.
If you lose your credit card contact your issuer immediately so that they can cancel It. Cancelling the card will stop others using it if it has been stolen; your credit card provider will issue you a new one.
To protect you, if we suspects there is fraudulent activity, such as identity theft, taking place on your credit card we will stop it from being used. This often happens when unknown foreign transactions appear on your account.
To prevent your card being stopped on holiday or business abroad, it's a good idea to tell your credit card issuer where you will be travelling to and how long you'll be there.
What should I do if I suspect I am a victim of fraud?
If you suspect you're a victim of credit card fraud contact your credit card issuer straight away. They can investigate the use of your card and if necessary, prevent any further fraudulent activity by cancelling its usage.