Barclay Sold Off My Credit Card Debt – How to Settle With the Debt Collector
I had a credit card with Barclay Bank for $2503.00 it is due to fall off my credit report in August of 2014 this account has been sold a few times to debt collectors. I just received a court date for a judgement unless I pay the debt. My question since it is due to fall off in 2 years how much should I settle for?
I have read that if the debt is less than 2 years not to bother paying since it will drop off. If it does drop off does the judgement also drop off or stays on for 7 years?
How can I deal with this Barclay credit card debt?
—Barbara
The original negative reporting from Barclay charging off the debt, and any subsequent negative items that may be reporting related to this debt (debt buyers and debt collectors reporting), have the credit reporting shelf life you refer to.
Settling a debt in order to improve credit report or score and avoid more credit damage.
I have a few questions about your debt. I will start there before offering some general feedback.
What state do you live in?
When did you last make a payment on the Barclay credit card?
I want to help you evaluate the statue of limitations (SOL) for legitimately suing you in order to collect.
If the deb is within the SOL, settling would make a whole lot of sense for the following reasons:
- Defending yourself against a debt buyer lawsuit is time consuming and stressful for the lay person in a way I cannot fully prepare you for.
- Defending against junk debt buyer claims has become increasingly successful for consumer law attorneys who specialize in this area. But hiring them costs money. With a smaller balance debt like yours, the cost to hire the attorney to defend you could be more than the cost to settle the Barclay debt with whatever debt buyer has it now.
- Your concern about allowing this to go to judgment and that hurting your credit for another 7 years is a real one. Wherever you read about considering not resolving accounts if within 2 years of if falling off of your credit report may be good for people in states with shorter statute of limitations to sue, but terrible advice for someone who still can be sued.
How much should you try to settle your Barclay credit card debt for?
Targeting the amount you can settle your Barclay credit card for is based on several pieces of information. One of them is the stage of collections you are in. The litigation stage you find yourself in is where debts typically get settled at the highest rates. But that is not always so. I can give you a better target to shoot for with your settlement offer (provided the debt is not past the SOL), if I knew:
Who is the debt buyer that now has the Barclay account and is suing you?
Who is the collection law firm they hired?
If you can answer all of my above questions in a comment reply I will be able to give some additional feedback.
Anyone dealing with unpaid Barclay credit cards, or a similar issue outlined above, is welcome to post questions and concerns below. You can also reach me for a phone consult at 800-939-8357, choose option 2 to ring me.
Lindsay Haynes says
Hello, In 2013 my husband passed away unexpectedly and of course, changed my entire life. I had to make some tough decisions and one was to stop paying on my Barclays card. For a time I received letters and calls but have not received anything from them since at least 2015. Today I received a call from Legal Locator Solutions asking if I want to settle my $4000 debt for $980. I think they are legit but nothing from Barclays is on my credit reports. My credit score is 765 and I have no outstanding debt. Should I ignore these guys, or make the settlement payment?
Michael Bovee says
It is highly likely that your eleven year old Barclays account is passed the SOL to legitimately be sued.
This could be a debt collection scam.
Virginia says
I am being sued by Barclays for $9900.
I live In Pennsylvania. Last payment was May 2022 due to job loss. Many other events happened since then but I am now employed.
Prior to receiving my summons via certified letter mail, I don’t recall seeing any collection letters from agencies or Barclays. The summons says Barclays v. me, assuming that they still own it and have a lawyer rep. (There is just a male name as the individual that filed, no address or esq) That said, at this stage, can I still negotiate w/ Barclays for settlement? If Barclays still owns it, what kind of offer should I start with? I have some money put away, would like to resolve this in the least amount of payments if lump sum is too high for me. As I have 3 other smaller charged-off accounts from around the same time I would like to resolve. If I don’t I imagine they will literally follow suit.
As one would imagine, my credit score isn’t great and I know that settling isn’t great for that either. Nor is settling multiple accounts. What I’ve been learning from all of the content I’ve been reading (which I GREATLY appreciate, thank you!) is if your credit score isn’t so great—the impact will be less. Would you recommend settling the others now as well if I can? Total is ~$8000
Michael Bovee says
You typically have to deal with the law firm suing at this point.
Settlements on Barclays accounts are usually much better before attorneys get involved. Now that you are in the courts you could be looking at a settlement between 50 and 80 percent.
If you have delinquent debts and want to improve your credit, settling and showing paid collections is better than not.
I am a fan of getting all the debt resolved in the quickest way possible if you are already talking the credit hit, but some balances should be kept current when possible.
Chris says
Hello, I have a credit card with Barclays-Last payment made in Oct 2022 due to job loss. Original amount was 8900 with with all the fees that were accumulated I am told it was $11500 at charge off. -I live in Alabama. 1st sold to Capital Management Services then picked up by ERC on July5,2023. Several attempts were made to settle with both Barclays and CMS with no avail. They would not go any lower than $5000. I still do not have a job so this is not possible. This ERC company has gone down to $4600 and said they would have this debt until Dec 2023. What are the chances that this settlement amount will go lower as I still cannot pay that? I did tell her that we were thinking about bankruptcy and she said she could no longer contact me as I would have to contact them. I expalned that nothing had been done yet and that it was just a thought. Hoping that they will lower the settlement amount (as the others have) where I can actually afford it. She said she would send to her supervisor but I would have to call back. What should I do about this debt? Am I saying or doing the right things? She did say that it was unlikely that Barclays would allow them to settle for any less that the %42 offered. If it has been sold why would she say anything about Barclays since they no longer own the debt..correct? SHould I wait until Dec and see what the next collector offers? Will I have to opportunity to settle if it goes to court since noone has given an amount or settlement plan I can afford. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you
Michael Bovee says
Barclays does sell accounts, but they do not sell all accounts. Very few actually, at least the last couple years. None of the companies you mentioned buy debt from Barclays, so they still own it.
You are going about this a little bit wrong, but still effectively. You have them three percent lower than they normally allow.
I do not see the settlement improving much for you in December, and certainly not if you are sued (could double, or close to it, from where you are at now).
I could help you settle and get a good amount of time to pay, and that could help.
Allan E. says
So I owe Barclay $4100. It went to a collection agency years ago. This has been an ongoing issue for close to 6 years. Once it hits the collection agency, can I still try to negotiate with with Barclay? Or do I need to go through the collection agency? Also, do collection agencies typically negotiate? Or is the full amount due once it hits their law firm?
Michael Bovee says
I have settled a Barclays account at every stage of the collection, including what you have going on.
Once Barclays has contracted with a collection agency, or law firm, you typically have to negotiate with that third party.
Has the account gone unpaid for this whole 6 years? What state are you in?
Allan E. says
Yup, unpaid for 6 years. We actually completely forgot about it with life, jobs, kids, etc. It only came to light because we’re refinancing our home, and this came up with the underwriter. We had no idea, as it was so long ago, and completely forgotten about – not to mention, no one even harassed us to get this paid. We’re in FL. Didn’t realize we can negotiate in this phase. Is 50% an unheard of negotiation with a law firm representing Barclays? Or even more?
Michael Bovee says
Had they sued in the past? If so, what was the date you stopped paying and what is the date the suit was filed? There is a 5 year limit for them to file, from when you went delinquent, in Florida.
Who is the law firm involved in the collection? And are they collecting for Barclays, or a debt buyer like Portfolio Recovery or Midland Credit?
How important is it to refinance the home in the next 12 months?
Allan E. says
We got a letter to appear in court many many years ago when Barclay pushed this on to the law firm. The law firm is Hayt, Hayt & Landau out of Miami. This was around 6 years ago. We asked for a change of date for the court date, because we were going to be traveling for a conference. I don’t remember the specifics of that timeline being it was 6-7 years ago, but it got forgotten about. So now it’s all rehashed being we’re refinancing. We’re refinancing to get my ex-wife off the loan, so we need to it within the next few months. Ironically, my credit report says that this issue will fall off my credit report this summer.
Michael Bovee says
Thanks. You are in a sticky situation. They have a court judgment and a lien against the home. That makes for a tough negotiation hill to climb all by itself. On top of that, your credit reports likely now show a recent mortgage credit pull, which adds to the difficulty when negotiating a lower lump sum payoff.
It may be hard to get any reduction from the collection law firm. You should still try, of course, but be real about what you may be able to get approved.
Allan E. says
Is it uncommon that no one has ever reached out to me about this? I find it so odd that over the course of 6 or so years, that no one from the law office, court, etc has ever reached out. I’d assume that they would have been bombarding me with calls and letters to get their money. Which is why we completely forget about this. Over the course of 6-7 years, we’ve had outstanding credit, bought multiple new cars, etc – and this was never brought up, nor does my credit report even show anything in collections. Is that normal?
Michael Bovee says
I agree that a judgment creditor hitting the snooze button on their collection efforts defies a bit of logic, but it can happen, and is more common with judgment creditors in my experience.
Collection law firms with judgments, that have liens on homes, are going to get paid eventually (when you sell or refi). And home lenders that are going to lend will often do a public records search as well as the credit check, and surface an unpaid judgment that an auto lender or credit card issuer might miss.
Judgments are often granted interest. When that happens, the balance is growing daily by a little. That is a bit of an incentive to sit back and wait for someone to become more collectible. Not saying that happened here, but it could be part of the logic to hit the snooze button overly much.
State court judgments like yours were removed from all of our credit reports back in July of 2017. Nobody would see it unless they went looking for it in the records, or unless they subscribe to public record aggregators like Lexisnexis.
Allen E. says
you have been so helpful. I truly appreciate your advice to me. I also watched the video link you poster. Hopefully they’ll negotiate. I’ll let them think that I don’t NEED to refinance, so hopefully they’ll see that there is no urgency on my end.
T says
I had a Barclay’s credit card that I stopped paying Aug 2017 due to unforeseen circumstances. They had sued me and a default judgment was awarded to Oliphant Financial on 3/29/22. I live in Texas. Two questions……#1 If they are able to levy my bank account, would that show up in the court records online that I can view? Would it show additional line items in my court information online, stating that the court has granted them a bank levy? #2, I have been married since that time and have a different last name than on the credit card. They are still using my old last name. Would they be able to levy my bank account if it is now a different last name?
Michael Bovee says
Collection law firms with judgments typically try to match name and social with the bank sweeps they do. Their job may be harder with the name change and a bank levy.
I would talk to an experienced debt collection consumer law attorney in your state about what you should expect with your local court rules and levy filings.
Sara S says
I opened a Barclays card back in 2013 and it was closed and sent to collections in 2015. Now it is just showing as delinquent and not under collections. A job I am trying to get says I need to settle this. Can you guide me on the best steps to do this? I live in Nevada
Michael Bovee says
Does your credit report show the date it is set to be deleted? The 7 year mark has to be close.
Do you recall what month you stopped sending in your payments?
What is the balance owed?
Is a debt buyer, like Midland Credit, or Portfolio Recovery showing for the debt?
Stephanie Carter says
Just received a renewed judgement served by sheriff on a 5k debt to Barclay’s Bank from 2011. I didn’t respond to the first judgement. Are they going to try to levy my bank account now after all this time? I’m in NC. I don’t even know how to “respond” to the judgement. It’s been bought by a law firm here in NC.
Michael Bovee says
They can still levy your bank account with a renewed judgment.
Melody says
do you have any updated info on barclay or choice credit cards, the info here appears to be 3 years old? 2 of mine have been turned over to a levy law firm co lpa and I can find nothing about them or know how to deal with them.
Michael Bovee says
We often do Barclay credit card settlements between 25 and 40 percent.
Once a law firm is involved in the collection, settlements tend to be between 50 and 80 percent.
Jai says
Good evening,
I have a Barclays account that was opened in 10/16. It had 0% interest at the time and I planned to transfer and pay off bal at 5.2k. Then life happened, had a baby and went through an extreme financial hardship (I know I should have contacted them but wasn’t in the mental state for anything). The account closed 9/17, with last pymt being 7/17. It is in c/o status still. I was contacted by a law firm with last notice 6/18 to collect, however at the time I was unemployed. Last year I received a court summons, and then judgment ( judgement doesn’t show on credit report). Also, when I check my credit report it shows only the original creditor as a trade line and that I currently have nothing in collections. I am trying to clean up my credit because before my initial hardship I had excellent credit. My question is there still a possibility to settle even after judgement and if so what would your starting base be, and also does this mean I still have an option to reach out to the original creditor as no collection agency trade line is listed?
Michael Bovee says
It sounds like it was Barclays that sued and got the judgment. You can start off by calling Barclays to try to settle, but if they still have it out with the collection law firm, which is common, they will direct you to negotiate with them.
Settlements on judgments are typically best with a lump sum, and tend to land between 50 and 80 percent, as long as there is no garnishment or bank levy at the time.
Jai says
Thank you so much! There are no garnishments or levies! I checked and debt is still with law firm…today I will be reaching out to try to settle. Thank you again so much!
Dale says
Hi Micheal,
I have a debt with Barclays for $2700 that I haven’t paid on since last October. It is currently with a contingent debt collector. Is offering them $875 a reasonable offer?
Michael Bovee says
That is on the lower side of what I see Barclays settle for right now.
Nice work!
Dawn says
I owe $8600 (1/3 of total is interest) to Barclays and have not made a payment since the first week of March. I have the cash to settle if they will take less. Do I need to offer an amount to settle, or simply ask them to settle? They have not sent me to collections due to covid.
Michael Bovee says
I mostly see the need to make a proactive offer to settle when you call in to Barclays.
There is something to letting them bring it up, but they may not until you are more late on the account.
Sean R says
So I open a barclays account in March 2014 for $1300 and never made a payment… it’s been 6 years and 2 months and the account is closed the balance is at 1650, and I called the other day because I’m working with a debt consultant team and originally had barclays on the payment plan but then I thought I paid them in full and ask them on the phone and found out I never made a payment so maybe I got the account confused …. they called me today asking if I could set up a payment plan for like 20$ and at this point I feel like it’s better to just let it go it’s almost been 7 years… I told the representative from Barclays I was out of a job and called in because I thought I paid the account in full … the account says close … can they take me to court ? At this point If I start to pay won’t it hurt my CC more? Thanks for the help
Michael Bovee says
What state are you in? Your Barclays credit card is likely passed the SOL to sue, and will soon age off your credit reports organically. If that is the case, monthly payments, or any payment, is not something I would do if it were me.
Becca says
Hello! I’m currently saving money to settle for a charged off Barclay account with a balance of approx $4400.00. It is currently with Capital Management Services. They have said $1949 (45%) is the lowest settlement they have permission to accept and cannot present Barclay with a lower offer. I am currently making $20/month payments to buy time to save enough to settle. Is a 45% settlement typical with Barclay, or should I hold out for a better offer when it is passed to another collector?
Michael Bovee says
I tend to see Barclays settlements between 30 and 50 percent. Getting the best outcomes can be situational. You may look more collectable than someone else, or the colelctor may just be holding out.
Barclays still sues just enough to keep people on their toes, and they also sell to one of the largest debt buyers in the country, who sues a ton, and whose settlements may not be this good.
I too would try to work this down some from here, but would weigh those risks as well.
Jen says
Barclay by legal order, took money due to a defaulted credit card out of my joint account. The credit card was in my husbands name and we have the same last name. Will they take funds from a bank account that is just in my name and not a joint account? Thank you.
Michael Bovee says
Probably not.
joseph says
I received a settlement offer from barclay for 30% account is currently about 125 days past due. last payment was june 18th. first missed payment was july 18th. is it worth waiting another month to see if i can get lower?
Juan Carlos Pelaez says
I have an old Barclays debt that is a little less than $7,000. During 2015-2017 I apparently received a summons from Harris & Zide Law firm (collections agency). I didn’t find out about it until I returned to the U.S. in 2017, but I never saw what the result of that summons was. Fast forward to 2019 and I have a bank levy that is holding almost all of the money I had in my bank accounts which is about $2,600. I have filed a claim of exemption. But would you know what are my other options and if I would be able to negotiate a payment plan without taking a $2,600 hit out of the gate? Thanks, much appreciated.
Kelly says
Hi Michael,
Hoping maybe you can help me. I’ve been contacted by a group called the Dawson Webber Group I have searched for the names and numbers thru google and nothing comes up. They indicated that they were trying to collect on debt from Barclay’s Bank US Airways Master Card that i opened back in 2007. They indicated it was a line of credit from usairways, but then later said it was a mastercard that i defaulted on . August 22, 2013. I find this highly unlikely I stopped baying my Credit cards in 2011 because of Financial hardships. I admit i defaulted on my account all before 2012. . I don’t even know where to find the original information. I don’t have the money to pay an attorney to help me with this. I am wondering if you can direct me to somewhere that can help me figure this all out. I see so many things about CC trying to collect old debts wrong debts. I just want to figure this out. I tried to ask for some sort of documentation indicating that i owe the debt as i didn’t recall the Credit card but anything is possible. it’s been a rough few years. .They even insinuated that my ex husband could have opened the account added my name and then filed for bankruptcy and continued to tell me that i am responsible for the debt that they will take a settlement of 4000.today. They were bullies using scare tactics by threatening me with they were going serve me at my job and home.
Joseph says
Ignore them. Scammers. Tell them to stop calling you and any number associated with you. If it was legit, they would not be calling you. They would have sent you a certified letter or had it hand delivered by a law enforcement agent.
Michelle Moreira says
I took out a barclay credit card in 2012 credit limit was 1700, but my balance was 647 which i stopped paying. (was very young)
How can I settle? My balance is now $2532. from all the interest that was build up.
What do you recommend?
Michael Bovee says
If you stopped paying your Barclays card in 2012, it should be off, or close to coming off your credit reports. What is the main motivation you have to settle now?
Ilona says
A while ago a took a loan but now find myself having to move country and can not pay back the loan. Is there anything the bank or a debt recovery agency can do?
Michael Bovee says
If you leave the country, I would tell them that. Barclays typically will not follow you out of the US over debt you took out here. If you have plans to return to the US you may want to think about resolving the debt in advance to improve your credit, rent and lease options.
peter ross says
A company called In House Services called me trying to collect on a Barclays credit card I owe, I’m willing to make monthly payments and they agreed. I only asked if I could have a day to see if they were legit and they hung up on me. Are they? Peter
Michael Bovee says
I would call Barclays direct and ask who they have your account out with for collection, or if they sold your account, who to.
Kim says
I have not been able to pay my Barclay credit card for about 7 months. I have received a collection notice from a third party collection agency. I cannot afford to settle for a percentage of the $1830 I owe, but would it be acceptable or possible to offer a small monthly payment but negotiate zero interest and penalties over the remainder of the loan? Do you think they would be open to updating my credit report to something like, “settled or payments current”? Finally, would I do this negotiation with the third party collection company or through Barclays direct?
Michael Bovee says
You typically have to work through the collection agency your creditor is contracted with to collect. Now that your credit card is charged off, a settlement with payment terms is possible. What collection agency did Barclays send your account to?
Deja says
I recently contacted Barclays and I owe them 2073.00. This is almost half of what I bought the computer for. I haven’t made payments with them for two years and my debt has been sent to TrackAmerica debt agency. I would like to settle, how much could I settle for?
Michael Bovee says
I would target 50% or less at this point.
Frank says
My parents are elderly and struggle to make monthly payments and are now 3 months behind with an oustanding bill of 390.00 can I negotiate a smaller amount for them and smaller monthly payments to avoid any further damages???
Michael Bovee says
After 3 months of non payment Barclay will be showing them as 90 days late on their credit reports. That damage is going to stick. I would look to settle for less at this point if it were me. You may not be able to settle with them now, but can more readily in another 2 to 3 months.
The problem is the balance is going up with late fees, and also much of what I point out in this article about accounts to avoid settling.
Patricia says
Barclay Card US closed account after spouse (separated) filed for bankruptcy. Not a joint account and was current, I have no idea why it was closed other than a joint mortgage account that reflected the bankruptcy but has since been corrected on my credit file as current.
After Chpt 7 was approved for spouse a collection letter was received from Barclay for $10,900 balance. At this point my credit is tanked as It was a zero interest card before, I would like to settle.
The account is 100 days late apx, what is the target settlement amount with Barclays. Also, if it goes to suit without being able to be settled do they typically wage garnish or place a lien on the house?
Michael Bovee says
I would typically target a 35% settlement with Barclay, and at around the 6 to 7 month late mark. Is it possible for you to pull the money needed together by then?
If you were sued for the Barclay account, and a judgment entered, it is your state laws that will govern collection from there. Most states allow wage garnishment to some degree, but a few prevent that. Property liens are common.
What state are you in?
Patricia says
I do have the money, I intended to pay all along. Should I then just wait until I start receiving letters to start offering a settlement? I live in CA
Michael Bovee says
I would wait until you are 6 months of missed payments and then negotiate your settlement with Barclay. If you get a collection notice from an outside third party debt collector, you can settle then too.
If you need help fill in the talk to Michael form in the right column and I will email you to set up a phone consult.
Patricia says
I just discovered they have sold this account to Cohen collection per the Barclay customer service rep. Is this a internal Barclay collector or one that has purchased the debt. Now what should I target for settlement amount?
Michael Bovee says
I would still be targeting 35% settlement.
Rachelle Abrams says
My boyfriend had a card that has been charged off. It is still with the bank. We called to inquire about a settlement. The rep told us that if we settle they don’t take less then 85% and the same applies if he goes through a debt consolidation firm. She also said that if we settle we have 10 days to pay off the card. His balance is about $3,465 I believe. How can we get a lesser settlement amount as well as installment payments?
Michael Bovee says
Is the account with Barclay, or a different bank?
Jimmy says
I opened a Barclays account a few years back to purchase a laptop. My wife and I hit hard times and could not pay the balance, which I think at the time of default was around 1500.00. And if memory serves, I last payed them over a year and a half ago. I just received a letter from Eaton Group Attorneys (out of Baton Rouge, LA) about the debt. The total they have is 2,428.78. Certainly a lot higher than what it should be. Since this is a firm in my home state, I am assuming they are getting ready to sue.
I don’t know whether to be preemptive about it or wait for them to respond a second time. I would certainly be willing to settle but I need monthly payments.
Michael Bovee says
Setting up monthly payments is often better to do before sued. If you wait until you are sued, and still need a monthly agreement, you will most likely have to sign a consent or stipulation to judgment. Avoid that if possible.
If sued, watch this video about how to use the lawsuit to buy time to settle.
charla Stroupe says
I have Barclay credit card account that has been purchased by Midland Funding LLC. I am in court over this. But the 3 year Limitation has passed as of 1-12-16 per Barclay claiming Delaware for it SOL, but I live in Missouri and the Law office of Gamache and Myers, PC states that Missouri 5 yr SOL applies and are trying to use it when it should be time barred.
Michael Bovee says
You have to defend the lawsuit and get the court to agree on the SOL of Delaware. It is not automatic.
Natasha says
, I received the notice of intent to incur court cost by filing suit from Suttell Hammer & White APC. They are intended to file suit in 5 days from the date on the letter, if I won’t pay full amount I owe, on my credit card, which they stating is $6318.24 to Barclays Bank Delaware.
The date on the letter October 12, and I got it yesterday.
I never have been offered any settlement amount, and I’m most certainly don’t have money to pay full amount, I’m unemployed.
Please I need your advise in this situation.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely
Michael Bovee says
Once sued, it can often make sense to defend the lawsuit in order to settle later. Be sure to review the tips and advice in that article.
Tedra says
I was on a barclay 12 month reduced payment plan for a hardship. That just got over this month. I called to see if they could extend it as my situation hasn’t changed. As I coveted they said they couldn’t help me until my payments were late. I will be stopping payments on this account . They also suggested I. CAll a non profit agency to help me negotiate with them a 5 year plan at 5.99%.
I still won’t be able to afford the $250 min payment per month for 5 years. I was going to stop paying and wait 4-6 months and ask for a lump sum payment before it’s charged off. What are the chances they will settle a d what % is the trend for barclay currently?
Thank you in advance.
Michael Bovee says
I am seeing 35% consistently with Barclay settlements. Can you pull that together in the next 6 months?
Tedra says
Yes I can. I have a few thousand saved now. On a $11,400 balance at 35% that’s about $4100?
Michael Bovee says
Close to it.
You will have to fall behind, like you mentioned, and for nearly 6 months (which can look more like 210 days from now). Be sure to read through my article series about settling with your original creditor.
Tedra says
Thank you. Last question. Will they eve tuLly send me a letter with the terms or do I need to be answering their calls each month. I listened to your podcast where it said I should keep in contact with them to let them know my status and that I’m trying to come up with the money eh to pay something. Other articles I read have said to ignore them for a few months. I’m assuming they will send offers to me the closer it gets to 150-180 days.
Michael Bovee says
Calling to let a bank like Barclay know you are in a hardship is fine. If you do call, you can do it before you stop paying, or in the first few months after you stopped. It is not as necessary to make those early calls anymore.
Tedra says
Thank you. And eventually they will send me a settlement letter?
When they call do I request a settlement payoff?
Michael Bovee says
Read through the debt settlement article series I linked you to in our above comment exchange. You will know what is going to happen before it does, and what you need to do along the way. You will understand why I am answering with:
No, they will not likely just send you a settlement letter that you simply act on (though that is possible).
No, you do not request a settlement offer from them when they call. But if you were to do that, it would be after you are 150 days late, but not yet 180.
Tedra says
Thank you I will review. How likely am I to get a settlement offer if I am current in y other credit card payments? They are much lower limits and monthly payments.
Michael Bovee says
That can depend. How many other accounts will you be behind with payments other than Barclay? How many will be current?
Tedra says
I will be late on barclay and 2 chase cards. I have 5 others that are maxed out but have $25-35 min payments.
Jackie says
Hello,
I was just looking at some options for my Barclaycard debt and came across this feed, I originally bought a laptop with this account in college (2010) and have been paying it off ever since, I had some financial hardships and am just now getting back on my feet. The last credit card I need to pay off is my Barclaycard at $900 approx with a near 17% interest rate. Every small payment I make is almost unrecognizable and I cant start saving properly without settling. Should I try to negotiate a smaller settlement (if possible) or will I have to go through another lender to help with this impossible interest? I can’t at this moment save enough to pay of the entire amount (paycheck to paycheck). The account is and has been closed for awhile now.
Thank You!
Jackie
Michael Bovee says
If your account went some time without a payment, or the required minimum payment, your credit reports are already damaged. Paying the full balance owed with the inflated fees and interest is not going to help you any more than settling for half or less. That is one of the reasons I suggest negotiating the lowest lump sum payoff with Barclay.
Accounts that go unpaid are typically sent off to third party debt collectors. You may have to call Barclay and find out who they sent or sold the account to. Post the name of any debt collector Barclay sent your account to and I can help with additional feedback from there.
Jackie says
Sorry, I meant to say that barclay still has my account. I believe it was close to being sold to a collector until I started making payments again. So I still access my semi functional account on their website slowly paying off this debt. I wanted to know if there is a chance Barclay might settle with me for half or so? At this point they are getting payments and at an inflated rate. Sorry if my question doesn’t quite fit this forum.
Michael Bovee says
Thanks for the clarity. You can settle your Barclay account for less than half. You cannot typically do that while you are paying though. If you fall behind a few months the opportunity will come from that.
LAWANNA TURNER says
Hello. I have a 3,500 barclays cc debt that has been sent to law office of Harris and Zide. I just received a letter saying i have 30 days to dispute. I would like to settle this debt. I have not talked to Barclays since I was unable to pay. Approx 1 year. I read earlier in this post that if you had the name of the lawyer you could possibly let the guy if they would accept a settlement I also would like to know that and if you know what would be a reasonable offer and should I get it in writing before paying.
Michael Bovee says
You can negotiate a settlement on your Barclays account with Harris and Zide. You may have to come up with 50%-ish. How soon can you raise that amount?
Always get what you negotiate over the phone sent to you as a settlement agreement in writing before you pay.
Amanda says
I have a notice that Midland is taking me to court now for a Barclay debt. My last payment to Barclay was in 10/2013. My card had been expired and I was just making payments on the balance up to that point. Then, I noticed my balance was higher than it should have been. I had not been using it but only making the minimum payment because I was in school at the time. I called. They said I used it somewhere out of town at a restaurant, which I did not. I explained to them that I did not even have a current card. They claim that someone had a card that was used. It was not me. I don’t even live in or travel to the area. I requested a copy of the receipt. It was clearly a faked squiggle line signature very different from my own. Barclay still would not dispute the charge nor change my account number. I refused to pay any charges after that because of the trouble they had caused me and them being unfair I felt. Time went by, and I eventually threw the papers away and forgot about it. I just ignored anything I received from them. Now I have a civil warrant telling me to show up in court. What do I do? I’m calling Barclay, and they say they can’t even see my account history since it has been sold. They will not let me login to the website where I disputed the charge also. I am willing to settle on this, but I do not feel I should have to pay ANYTHING beyond the date of that charge.
Michael Bovee says
What is the balance owed today? What was the balance on the Barclay account when you stopped paying? How much was the charge that was not yours?
If your main goal is to resolve this debt before any potential judgment can show up on your credit report, you may still need to file an answer with the court, which can also help you pull the resources together to fund a settlement.
Post your answers and lets go from there.
Gail M says
If I was not paying either card for the next 6 months, I would have $3900 to settle Barclay by December or pay them 600 month for 6 months with an additional $200 to get to $3800.
After Barclay was paid in full, I could do $625 to USAA until fully paid.
During the 6 months I’m not paying, does my credit take a hit or would the companies be amendable to not sending the cards into debt collection status?
Michael Bovee says
Your credit will take a hit regardless of whether Barclay sends you to a debt collector. Same goes for USAA. The hit is steep, but you can bounce back quickly once the accounts are settled.
Call me for a consult on the strategy I suggest you use at 800-939-8357, ext 2.
Gail M says
$9440 on Barclay 5,000 cash adv has 22.24% The reminder of balance is 13.49%
$17623.41 on USAA 12.5%
Michael Bovee says
How long ago was the cash advance?
If you were able to consolidate the balances into one lower payment it would likely be somewhere around $540 a month. This is not a consolidation loan. It is a repayment plan that will go no more than 60 months.
Your payments would not be too far off of that as it is were it not for the cash advance.
If you were to settle, assume you would need roughly 3800 to pay off Barclay. Assume you will need about 7500 for USAA (you can spread that out over 12 months when done correctly).
Can you come up with 3800 in the next 6 to 7 months to deal with Barclay? Can you come up with $625 a month after that for 12 months?
Gail M says
I have 2 credit cards to my name that are maxed. I make the minimum every month and have never had a late payment on either. Barclay & USAA. $27,000 total. I’m tired of living month to month. My credit score is high 600. I live in Texas if that makes any difference on your opinion whether I can do something to settle these two cards for less. I’m open to closing them if that helps in any way. Feel a little weird of not paying them every month in order to get the companies to lessen the totals for settlement.
I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck. Single income. Don’t want to be paying for the rest of my life.
What’s my best option?
Michael Bovee says
Break down the balance and interest rate on your Barclay card and USAA account. I can then compare some settling and monthly payment reduction options.
David says
Honestly, I haggled with several credit card companies over similar issues that you have expressed for six months. I finally to heck with it. I found a reputable Chapter 13 Bankruptcy attorney and I am quite happy. I got relief for $40K of credit card and unsecured loan debt as well as a stay on my student loans for the next five years. I have a zero percent unsecured repayment which means the only debt I have to pay in the Chapter 13 are my attorney’s fees and the car loan. Plus, it got my soon to be ex-wife off my back and let her know if she attempted to end-around bankruptcy court’s plan confirmation in Family Court, she would have sanctions imposed on her by the Federal Bankruptcy Court.
Rose says
In 2009 my husband and I were having financial difficulties. I had a few credit cards that I was making payments on but noticed the one cc ( Barclays Bank -Juniper) which had the lowest interest was not budging on the balance no matter how much I paid on it. So I inquired about the balance but all I got was the run around. When I asked for a forbearance they offered help by lowering my interest on new purchases to 9% but then immediately closed my account. Seeing that my payments were not making a dent in my balance I stopped making payment on this card in 2009 and concentrated on my other cards that were producing payment results. Barclays was still harassing me for payments until the second quarter of this year.
I finally went to Trans Union and Equifax and noticed that they have me paying on my card up until July of 2012 when in fact it was around July of 2009. I am thinking that their thinking is this: In the state if Arizona they changed the cc laws in March of 2011 to reflect that cc companies have 6 years rather than 3 years to take someone to court and order a judgment.
I know I have not paid on this cc account and I can prove it through my bank statements. I sent a “drop dead” or cease and desist letter some time back, but unfortunately do not have a copy. When I have received phone calls I have stated that I am not financially obligated for payment and to not bother me, but as I have said the calls continued.
Barclays has since charged off the debt and sold the debt to a collections agency. I just received a letter from the collection agency, Midland Credit Mgmt, Inc., who said that I have until September 7th, 2015 to pay 1,470.77 or they will process a judgement against me. While I scoff at this because I know that Juniper (Barclay’s) fraudulently stated I continued payment until July 2012, I still do not look forward to being hauled into a court room and having that as part of my record.
How can one prove that the cc company fraudulently stated that I made payments in order for it to be inacted under the ARS Credit Card Statutes? Also, Besides disputing this on Equifax and Trans Union, who else can I turn to regarding this matter? And what should my next move be?
Michael Bovee says
You can file a credit reporting complaint with the CFPB about the inappropriate reporting by Barclay.
Let me know what the outcome of that is and we can go from there.
Rose says
I did report Barclay to CFPB and soon after I did, I received a call from a rep of Barclay’s Bank regarding the complaint. Unfortunately I did not answer the call and they left a voicemail. However, it was my understanding from what I read by CFPB, that the company in question (Barclay) had to respond to CFPB and not to me personally.
Especially, one would think, since Barclay has charged off the account and someone else has purchased it.
Michael Bovee says
You do want to be in touch with Barclay about this. That could be how you are going to get this resolved to your satisfaction. Barclay will respond back to the CFPB but you would not want them to report back that they could not reach the consumer to address her concerns.
Rose says
I was in route to the airport at the time of the initial call and I did respond to the voicemail via my voicemail messaging system. However, the number that the representative called me from was not recognized by the messaging system. I am going to my bank and getting copies of my bank statements, as I no longer have them, and I will be more prepared with documentation and dates as to the last payment Barclay (Juniper) received from me. The matter at hand is, Barclay’s is not the only one who is now involved, there is a collection agency who now feels entitled to monies owed since they bought what they saw as a debt.
There in lies my problem. Midland Credit Mgmt., Inc. bought the fraudulent debt from Barclays and has given me until September 7th to pay 1470.77. If I continue to play patty cake with Barclay and do not address the issue with MCMI I will be hauled into court. Something I believe I mentioned in my first comment. Dealing with one does not fore go the other. Does it?
Michael Bovee says
If it were me I would send Midland Credit a dispute letter. You would plainly state the debt was paid and is not owed, and even if it were, the last payment date to Barclay according to your records places the account beyond the SOL to sue. Send any letter certified and keep copies of all that you send.
Your dispute will trigger consumer protections and certain activity on Midland’s part.
Let me know the progress you make with CFPB complaint. You can let Midland know you have filed the complaint against Barclay with the CFPB if you like.
Rose says
Unfortunately I have a new set of problems. It seems that monies have been taken out over the span from 2009 to July of 2012 without my knowledge. I do not get paper statements. I was in school full time and merely looked at the balance to make sure there was enough monies to pay bills. I could not figure out why my account was overdrawn all the time during this period. Barclays was taken monies out but not at specific times. I have my bank investigating these withdraws now. I know I stopped paying them. I had paid off all my other cards during this time. One in particular was Sears. I know I quit paying them in 2009. I will be the first to admit it. I had only had the card for about a year when my husband lost his job. Now I have to not only prove I wasn’t paying on it, but pay my bank to find out where these payments were originating from. The funny thing about these payments are, they stopped when my back issued me a new card in 2012. Why would I continue making payments when I knew the ARS in 2009 and knew they changed in 2011? Just does not make sense.
Michael Bovee says
Please post an update with what you learn.
Dee says
Barclay Card Balance: $11,563
Last Payment: $318.56 on 12/17/14
Hoping to settle on this card. I also have some other credit card debt that I will probably have to stop paying on as well to avoid BK and would like to settle on those as well. I have not had consistent employment since 2008, have had 2 children and received no financial support from the father. I am continuing to use my other credit cards to pay utilities, gas, food, etc since I don’t have enough income to get by.
My other credit card payments have never been late, debt if relevent;
BofA: $ 22,000
Chase: $ 9,000
CITI: $ 11,000 (0% interest until fall)
BECU: $5,500 (Will not try to settle but continue paying)
Discount Tire Card: $840 (just had to get this card so I could buy new tires, hoping to payoff in 6 months no interest)
At 75 days late they offered me settlement of 70% of balance owed or 12 month hardship program APR 5.9%. They said at 91 days they would close my account.
Should I close my account before they do? Not sure if it matters?
Any suggestions for trying to get a settlement down to 20%?
Michael Bovee says
Twenty percent settlements are not typically realistic, and even less so when collectors see you are paying your other accounts, and opening new ones. When do you think you will be able to put your hands on roughly 35%?
It is not going to make much of a difference whether you close your Barclay account or they do.
I got your email question about including a settlement offer in your written request to close the account. I would not send an offer it were me. I would prefer to negotiate on the phone. Things sent in writing can have unintended reactions, so I stay away from that unless totally necessary.
Barclay does sue for collection, but you have some time before that risk escalates.