Useful Links
Debt Advice and Information
- Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB)
- CAB gives free, confidential and impartial advice on credit. Details of your nearest bureau can be found in your local telephone directory.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
www.adviceguide.org.uk - Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS)
- A free confidential service to help provide counselling on personal budgeting, advice on the sensible use of credit and, where appropriate, creating achievable plans to repay debts.
Tel: 0800 138 1111
www.cccs.co.uk - Financial Services Authority (FSA) debt test
- Use the FSA debt test to reveal if you might be borrowing too much.
www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk/debt_test - Money Made Clear
- The Financial Services Authority money and debt advice site.
www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk/home.html - Money Advice Trust
- A charity formed in 1991 to increase the quality and availability of money advice in the UK ... working in partnership with government, the private sector and the UK's leading money advice agencies.
Tel: 020 7489 7796
www.moneyadvicetrust.org - Money Advice Scotland
- The umbrella organisation to represent individuals and agencies involved in all areas of money advice (debt advice).
Tel: 0141 572 0237
www.moneyadvicescotland.org.uk - National Debtline
- A free telephone helpline for people with debt problems in England, Scotland and Wales.
Tel: 0808 808 4000
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk - Payplan
- Provides free confidential advice to anyone with a debt problem.
Tel: 0800 085 4298
www.payplan.com
Complaints
If you are unhappy with the service you are getting from your credit card company then you should first approach them to see if they can resolve your complaint. Your credit card company will have a complaints handling procedure to ensure that your problems are dealt with fairly - just contact them to find out the best way to complain.
The Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) provides a free, independent and confidential service for resolving disputes between consumers and financial firms. You must go through your credit card company's complaints procedure before the Ombudsman can look at your case.
The Ombudsman will tell you whether they think your credit card company is being fair to you, and if they think they are not being fair the FOS will tell you how they think your dispute should be resolved. You do not have to accept the Ombudsman's ruling - you are always free to go to court instead. But if you do accept it, it is binding on both you and your credit card company.
For more information visit www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
Other Useful Sites
- APACS
- The UK payments association.
tel: 020 7711 6200
www.apacs.org.uk - Bank Safe Online
- Simple steps you can take to help keep safe online and updates on the latest scams.
www.banksafeonline.org.uk - Building Societies Associations (BSA)
- The trade association for the UK's building societies.
Tel: 020 7437 0655 - ask for BSA Consumer Line
www.bsa.org.uk - British Bankers' Association (BBA)
- A trade association for banks operating in the UK.
www.bba.org.uk - Card Watch
- A UK banking industry initiative that aims to raise awareness of card fraud prevention and that works with police, retailers and organisations such as Crimestoppers to fight plastic card fraud.
www.cardwatch.org.uk - Chip and PIN
- The official UK chip and PIN website.
www.chipandpin.co.uk - Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)
- The trade association for mortgage lenders in the UK.
Tel: 020 7437 0075
www.cml.org.uk - Finance and Leasing Association (FLA)
- UK representative organisation for the UK consumer credit, motor and asset finance sections.
Tel: 020 7836 6511
www.fla.org.uk - Financial Services Authority (FSA)
- An independent non-governmental body, given statutory powers by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Tel: 0845 606 1234
www.fsa.gov.uk - Gamble Aware
- A one-stop shop for information and advice about gambling - helping
consumers manage their gambling, understand how gambling works and find out where to get treatment and advice if they feel that their gambling is getting out of hand.
www.gambleaware.co.uk - Retailers and Cards
- The Retailers and Cards website provides general help and guidance for both new and existing merchants (a retailer or shop) on accepting cards for their businesses. The site has been designed by APACS, the UK trade association for payments and for those institutions that deliver payment services to customers.
www.retailersandcards.org.uk - Shop Safe Online
- Shopsafeonline is designed to provide online retailers, with information on MasterCard SecureCode & Verified by Visa: secure services that make shopping online safer. These services have been developed by Visa and MasterCard to provide extra protection, making the online shopping experience better for everyone - consumers and retailers alike.
www.shopsafeonline.org.uk
