northernbird

what a sorry world we live in when these questions are being asked. If you don't have the money to either buy it in the first place or pay off the cc bill when it arrives then you shouldn't buy the item. I have just bought a new TV, I could have bought it when I arrived in Oz 12 months ago but I couldn't afford it so I waited a year until I had the money. In the meantime I bought the cheapest TV retravision had that I could afford.

We are sending a message to our children that its OK to buy stuff even if you don't have the money.

tabby

Mally Lass

Not everyone is in the same situation, as one poster already said she was left with loads of debt by her husband, so I thinks it's slightly unfair to tar everyone with the same brush, so to speak, many people aren't in debt on purpose there are many factors, ie, death of spouse, redundancy at an older age, etc

I don't agree with running away from debts but it shouldn't be simplified as though everyone intended to get into debt.

jad n rich

Ray martins gonna love this one

northernbird

Absolutely and I know someone in the same boat as the lady you mention and its crap and beyond her control. However there are also a lot of folk who spend spend spend without a thought for the repayments. Its a buy now pay later society and its not good for the future.

ugez009sumi

Just my understanding:

1) Australia and UK are completely different legal juristications. No company will chase you in Aus for any money outstanding. For example in Europe, the istuation is different.

2) I lived in Los Angeles as grad student, I walked away from credit card bill, only GBP 1k. It is covered by insurance, why do you think you think interest rates so high, portion covers fraud, default on payment etc.

Never heard a dickie bird.

(not proud of what i did, I was young, in my 20s, now 37 and have more morals)

2.1) My buddy in LA who is now back in England (5 yeqars) has severla thousand pounds of parking fines, they impounded his car and sold it. Still hae owes a lto fo cash to stae of california. Never heard a dickie bird.

3) I have a buddy who moved to NYC for 5 years walked away from his debts in London, now back in London, he has some problems with credit ratings etc. However he gets paid a pile of cash for some investment back so he does not seem to care.

3.1) I know someone else who left for Sydney 20 years ago, just moved back. He handed the keys into his bank, had some neagative equity situation He is in process paying this debt off. He did not expect to go back to the UK.

This is your main worry, if you want to go back.

4) I read recebtly their is some guy driving around sydney in some fancy car after defrauding some charity for a lot of money. Apparently they cannot touch him. Extradition is only really an option with murder, terrorism. Due to legal juristiction issue chasing this guy for fraud in UK when in Aus was difficult.

5) I cannot belive their is some interantion debt collecting agency that chases people aroud the world, more importantly some differing legal, juristiction, get real people. Laws of Australia are different to laws of England.

(Application for visa is a diffent issue, this shows u to be of bad character)

6) You start are fresh credit rating in Aus. I have been here 6 months now, I have credit card, bank account, mortage approived, never once have i been asked about my financial situation in UK.

In summary, my personal feeling only, do your own research, is you can walk away and start a new life in Aus, point is you will have problem when you come back to Uk and also can you look your self in the mirror knowing this is what you have done. If you can then go for it. You are probaly only ripping of barclaysbank, their profit is in the millions anyway.

7) I am not condoning what is been suggested, however I am just presenting an honest and alternative opinion to the ones here which in some cases have been, do not do it is wrong. I believe forums should be a place where a person can ask a question and an answer given. We are here to share information, not judge.

(hey sorry about my spelling, in a rush, spring has started in Sydeny, need to get out of my office..would normally spell check)

northernbird

I don't care about the legality of it, morally it is wrong.

wintersgills

just go for it mate leave it all behind i say no one has knoked for me yet :scared:

suebrennan

A new life??? Why start it that way and as for paying off debts from Oz - completely mad idea. It is expensive to go through the visa process, move and to set up here. And then there are those minor details like getting a job and salaries here. Besides all that you will be traced so definitely not worth it. The population here is relatively small and their systems are pretty good so --- pay what you owe and start a new life which may or may not work out and accordingly you may go back to the UK and the rest as they say would be history.

amanda34

I have to say, have studied this myself due to what I see as an injust request for money on my record that I will just not pay out of principle.

I have researched thoroughly and no they cannot come and get you in Oz and they do in fact only have four years to reclaim. Most do not unless it is a substantial amount of money (so 5k outstanding to a mortgage or credit card in most cases don't make to court in the UK, let alone chasing you in Oz).

Just my pennies worth, not here to judge the rights and wrongs of anyone walking away from debt, the stress of that situation must be immense but I would personally say noone will waste the time and effort to look for you in oz.

Also as for passport, when you take out a debt, it isnt linked to passport in any way, its linked to addresses...its only if you filled an application out with your past address in the UK in it, that you would be tied back to the debt at that property under your name and date of birth.

Not 100 percent, but did my research on this subject due to unjust request for money

Newbie_Al

I am sure you can have morals at 20 (not have wait untill you are 37) LOL.

There is help avaialable to you, in the UK, for debt problems (not just Bankruptcy ) - please deal with it or you will be restless. Perhaps this is your motivation for moving to OZ and if it is , you my not be happy there in OZ. Once again you will be trapped by your past debt and unable to come back to the UK but hating you new life down under. Imgaine what that will do to your family life.

Not preaching - just consider dealing with the issue fairly.

Good Luck
Al

maggy

Pay the debt that way you wont have to look over your shoulder and have sleepless nights.

My hubby, son and I arrived here in Perth over 2 years ago with approx 4,000 pounds and a case each of clothing.

Would of had 24,000 pounds if we had not paid our credit card debts ( we liked to holiday often lol ) so had ran up a few debts on cards.

Never considered not paying them off before we emigerated.

Incidentially mother in law phoned a few days ago to say that she had recieved a letter from debt collection agency regarding an outstanding gas bill of 30 pounds for us from our home in UK.

We thought we had been very thorough in making sure all debts had been paid before leaving for OZ but obviously not thorough enough.

The best thing is my hubby and I were not married at the time and the bill was in my name but some how the gas board traced my hubbys mums address and sent the bill there.

I had never lived at that address and when I contacted Gas board they refused to tell me how they got the address.

Moral of the story.

They will find you even if it means harrasing family and friends.

Maggy

CathnPaul

Please refer to my earlier reply...but you can be chased regardless of where you are in the world and be asked to pay. The jurisdiction doesnt always come into effect - it depends which banks are linked with others. Markers can be put on accounts within the same companies regardless of where they are in the world. Therefore international debt collection agencies come into effect.

I work in the industry and you would be surprised how many people are collared in Australia (and elsewhere in the world)... and they pay. Debt collection is one of the biggest fields in Australia and is getting bigger as time goes on. I am one of the people who liase with international debt collection agencies. If you dont believe they exist...erm what am I actually doing when I go to work then???? There is criteria behind banks doing this..which I cant go into. But trust me it is true.

You mentioned you were only in your 20's when you did your bunk...things have changed drastically over the past 5 years and they are getting tighter due to the bad debt in the UK, so whilst you have previous experience it isnt quite as accurate today - sorry about that mate.

I agree with your comment about Barclays bank by the way...lol. Plus I agree with the main problem being when people come back to the UK... you need to be aware of portfolios of debt that are sold on and on and on. These are the ones that catch up with you 10 years on when people come back to the UK.

UGEZ if you have any other queries PM me.

dougggy

but if you have declared yourself bankcrupt (ie. followed all the legally correct proceedures - which cost money! ((never quite worked that one out !!)) , not simply just `ran away - "moved away , no longer at this address" , are you saying that you can still be pursued for debts even though bankrupt

spalen

From what I recall from helping someone through this , If you are declared bankrupt in UK under due process, then there is no further ability for anyone to pursue you. The debts are closed.

You have to list all the debts ,and all your assets, the bankruptcy order deals with those apportioning the assets against the debts. Under the order all debts that you list are written off. If you dont list one then it doesnt get written off and can still be pursued...

Also there are certain classes of debt which are not covered under bankruptcy I have a vague recollection of CSA and certain Tax debts ( of course ) being unable to be written off under bankruptcy. I may be wrong.

A quick google for bankruptcy protection in UK and a converstaion with the citizens advice bureau debt councellors will clear this up .

Do not take advice from a forum - speak to the citizens advice bureau. Its free.

Bankruptcy used to be a last resort - but now that the law changed so that bankrupts are discharged after 12mths in stead of what was previously a few years then the rate of bankruptcy went up. Bankruptcy is an expensive process in itself, there are other ways of dealing with debt which the cit-advice-bureau will help you with. You never know if you have to go back to UK - and credit cards etc wil become hard to get, as will bank accounts and other things. Also you cant be a director of a company I think for some period after.