Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Jun 5th 2012, 3:17 pm
#16
I said what ?!
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Peterborough, Ontario.
Posts: 1,079
Jun 5th 2012, 3:20 pm
#17
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 15
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
'Almost Canadian'?
Jun 5th 2012, 3:27 pm
#18
Dunroaming back in UK
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Expat in Yorkshire now
Posts: 11,294
Jun 5th 2012, 3:29 pm
#19
I said what ?!
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Peterborough, Ontario.
Posts: 1,079
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Post #10 written by Almost Canadian.
YES - the British credit card companies MAY come for you and it has been known for them to do so. By the sounds of it, it is a case by case basis. It may be that they need to get their figures up one month and you case is reviewed in that month. I've no idea.
I'm not going to get into the moral side of it as I've done some things in the past I'm not proud of (and some I'm very proud of but shouldn't really have done
) and no-one but you can make the judgement or the call to just ignore the UK debt in the hope it'll go away or will you one day get a call, email or letter threatening legal action etc etc. If they want to, they WILL find you.
As Loyd Grossman would say in Through the Keyhole - "Headingforhalifax, It's Over to you".
P.S. Anybody actually remember that show ?!?!
YES - the British credit card companies MAY come for you and it has been known for them to do so. By the sounds of it, it is a case by case basis. It may be that they need to get their figures up one month and you case is reviewed in that month. I've no idea.
I'm not going to get into the moral side of it as I've done some things in the past I'm not proud of (and some I'm very proud of but shouldn't really have done
) and no-one but you can make the judgement or the call to just ignore the UK debt in the hope it'll go away or will you one day get a call, email or letter threatening legal action etc etc. If they want to, they WILL find you.As Loyd Grossman would say in Through the Keyhole - "Headingforhalifax, It's Over to you".
P.S. Anybody actually remember that show ?!?!
Last edited by Animal; Jun 5th 2012 at 3:39 pm.
Jun 5th 2012, 3:49 pm
#22
I said what ?!
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Peterborough, Ontario.
Posts: 1,079
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Good old Wikipedia 
Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman, OBE, FSA (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British television presenter.
Through the keyhole was on air since 3 April 1987. It first aired on ITV from 3 April 1987 to 19 June 1994 with a special that aired on 1 May 1995, then moved to Sky1 from 22 February to 23 December 1996. It was then moved to BBC One from 7 April 1997 to 9 May 2007 and then moved to BBC Two from 6 May to 4 June 2008.
Anyway, I digress. This thread was about not paying a UK credit card debt after moving to Canada.
Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman, OBE, FSA (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British television presenter.
Through the keyhole was on air since 3 April 1987. It first aired on ITV from 3 April 1987 to 19 June 1994 with a special that aired on 1 May 1995, then moved to Sky1 from 22 February to 23 December 1996. It was then moved to BBC One from 7 April 1997 to 9 May 2007 and then moved to BBC Two from 6 May to 4 June 2008.
Anyway, I digress. This thread was about not paying a UK credit card debt after moving to Canada.
Jun 5th 2012, 3:50 pm
#23
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 11,272
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Good old Wikipedia
Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman, OBE, FSA (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British television presenter.
Through the keyhole was on air since 3 April 1987. It first aired on ITV from 3 April 1987 to 19 June 1994 with a special that aired on 1 May 1995, then moved to Sky1 from 22 February to 23 December 1996. It was then moved to BBC One from 7 April 1997 to 9 May 2007 and then moved to BBC Two from 6 May to 4 June 2008.
Anyway, I digress. This thread was about not paying a UK credit card debt after moving to Canada.
Loyd Daniel Gilman Grossman, OBE, FSA (born 16 September 1950) is an American-British television presenter.
Through the keyhole was on air since 3 April 1987. It first aired on ITV from 3 April 1987 to 19 June 1994 with a special that aired on 1 May 1995, then moved to Sky1 from 22 February to 23 December 1996. It was then moved to BBC One from 7 April 1997 to 9 May 2007 and then moved to BBC Two from 6 May to 4 June 2008.
Anyway, I digress. This thread was about not paying a UK credit card debt after moving to Canada.
Jun 5th 2012, 3:54 pm
#24
Seasoned Maritimer
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick CA
Posts: 8,309
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
"Should I ignore my UK credit card debt?"
No. Next.
No. Next.
Jun 5th 2012, 4:36 pm
#27
The Brit is back
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: NS, Canada 2007-2013. Now....England!
Posts: 2,211
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
I left England with just an 800 pounds overdraft debt and it made me feel so guilty 
My parents kept getting statements from the bank as I redirected my post to them. I paid it off even though at that time I thought I would never return to England so I even closed my account once paid.
5 years later I am heading back there to live so glad I did pay it off.
My parents kept getting statements from the bank as I redirected my post to them. I paid it off even though at that time I thought I would never return to England so I even closed my account once paid.
5 years later I am heading back there to live so glad I did pay it off.
Jun 5th 2012, 4:41 pm
#28
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Formally Scotland. Now Bay of Quinte...Ontario
Posts: 2,466
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Um, many thanks all. However, I'm not looking for moral advice (perhaps you should direct that to the banks and politicians, who have colluded to spend billions of your taxes on encouraging the failures of casino capitalism.)
Does anyone actually have any direct (and impartial) experience of this, please?
Does anyone actually have any direct (and impartial) experience of this, please?
I had a debt of 14 quid in the UK when I emigrated to Canada. To be quite honest I was of the opinion I did not owe the money (Cell phone company) and refused to pay it.. They found me quite easily (I wasn't hiding) and chased that princely sum for over a year. Must have cost them much more than the 14 quid! In the end I sent them a cheque to get them off my back.
Now, if a company will spend all that money to recover 14 quid, then your chances of being ignored by your creditors are remote in the extreme. I have known companies sell the debt to agencies here in Canada....then you will have a real problem, not to mention seeing your credit rating disappear like snow off a dyke....
Jun 5th 2012, 5:03 pm
#29
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 214
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Hi all.
I left London, England 20 months ago with my Canadian wife for a new life in Canada. I am a permanent resident here in Nova Scotia.
We are very happy here and will definitely not return to the UK. We have bought a home, etc and have bank accounts and a good credit rating.
We sold our UK flat and besides a few thousand pounds in pension savings, we don't have any assets in the EU.
I left behind about 10,000 in credit card debt, spread across Visa, Amex and Mastercard, with different banks.
My question: What will be the consequences of ignoring this debt?
Given that I'm 100 percent certain the banks I owe to will be able to easily track me down, is it likely they'll bother chasing me? There is a reciprocal agreement in place between the UK and Canada, meaning that in theory a UK bank could obtain a judgement against me and then apply for an order in my province. But are they likely to bother?
And if they do, what protection - if any - does Canadian consumer law offer me against a bailiff et al seizing our belongings?
I've researched this heavily on this website and while many people are saying it's wrong to ignore your debt and that the bank will come after you, I've yet to find even one example of someone saying they know someone who suffered an enforcement after permanently leaving the UK.
Any advice and insight appreciated.
Many thanks.
I left London, England 20 months ago with my Canadian wife for a new life in Canada. I am a permanent resident here in Nova Scotia.
We are very happy here and will definitely not return to the UK. We have bought a home, etc and have bank accounts and a good credit rating.
We sold our UK flat and besides a few thousand pounds in pension savings, we don't have any assets in the EU.
I left behind about 10,000 in credit card debt, spread across Visa, Amex and Mastercard, with different banks.
My question: What will be the consequences of ignoring this debt?
Given that I'm 100 percent certain the banks I owe to will be able to easily track me down, is it likely they'll bother chasing me? There is a reciprocal agreement in place between the UK and Canada, meaning that in theory a UK bank could obtain a judgement against me and then apply for an order in my province. But are they likely to bother?
And if they do, what protection - if any - does Canadian consumer law offer me against a bailiff et al seizing our belongings?
I've researched this heavily on this website and while many people are saying it's wrong to ignore your debt and that the bank will come after you, I've yet to find even one example of someone saying they know someone who suffered an enforcement after permanently leaving the UK.
Any advice and insight appreciated.
Many thanks.
Jun 5th 2012, 5:07 pm
#30
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 12,830
Re: Should I ignore my UK credit card debt? Please advise
Hi all.
I left London, England 20 months ago with my Canadian wife for a new life in Canada. I am a permanent resident here in Nova Scotia.
We are very happy here and will definitely not return to the UK. We have bought a home, etc and have bank accounts and a good credit rating.
We sold our UK flat and besides a few thousand pounds in pension savings, we don't have any assets in the EU.
I left behind about 10,000 in credit card debt, spread across Visa, Amex and Mastercard, with different banks.
My question: What will be the consequences of ignoring this debt?
Given that I'm 100 percent certain the banks I owe to will be able to easily track me down, is it likely they'll bother chasing me? There is a reciprocal agreement in place between the UK and Canada, meaning that in theory a UK bank could obtain a judgement against me and then apply for an order in my province. But are they likely to bother?
And if they do, what protection - if any - does Canadian consumer law offer me against a bailiff et al seizing our belongings?
I've researched this heavily on this website and while many people are saying it's wrong to ignore your debt and that the bank will come after you, I've yet to find even one example of someone saying they know someone who suffered an enforcement after permanently leaving the UK.
Any advice and insight appreciated.
Many thanks.
I left London, England 20 months ago with my Canadian wife for a new life in Canada. I am a permanent resident here in Nova Scotia.
We are very happy here and will definitely not return to the UK. We have bought a home, etc and have bank accounts and a good credit rating.
We sold our UK flat and besides a few thousand pounds in pension savings, we don't have any assets in the EU.
I left behind about 10,000 in credit card debt, spread across Visa, Amex and Mastercard, with different banks.
My question: What will be the consequences of ignoring this debt?
Given that I'm 100 percent certain the banks I owe to will be able to easily track me down, is it likely they'll bother chasing me? There is a reciprocal agreement in place between the UK and Canada, meaning that in theory a UK bank could obtain a judgement against me and then apply for an order in my province. But are they likely to bother?
And if they do, what protection - if any - does Canadian consumer law offer me against a bailiff et al seizing our belongings?
I've researched this heavily on this website and while many people are saying it's wrong to ignore your debt and that the bank will come after you, I've yet to find even one example of someone saying they know someone who suffered an enforcement after permanently leaving the UK.
Any advice and insight appreciated.
Many thanks.
This is one reason interest rates are so high for those that do the right thing and stand up to their responsibilities.
Whether you want anyone to stand on the moral high ground is irrelevant, you come on an open forum ask a question, you have to take what you get. The credit card companies are international organisations. Calculate the interest if they do catch up with you. It is not that hard to find anyone these days.