Jim

The best way forward is for your friend to contact the bank and mobile company concerned. As she is leaving the country for good, they may be willing to accept a reduced cancellation fee, rather than the rest of the contract payments. If when she phones them she encounters any difficult, she should ask for details of their customer relations department. The staff that work in customer relations tend to have a lot more authority to agree to things, than they do in customer services.

It is vital that she maintains good relations with the bank. Someone recently posted from Asia, to say that the banks there would not provide a credit card, due to problems with their UK credit record.

Huckster

Hi All,

Would greatly appreciate some advice on the following scenario.

I have a friend who is returning home (abroad) after being a resident here for 2 years - and wants to close 'operations' in this country and leave in the best way possible.

Thoughts:

1. She currently has a mobile phone contract which is only 6 months into a 18 month term. Clearly when she leaves there will be no salary coming in with which to pay the contract (nor could she use the service)

2. She currently has a 'premium' bank account which is 6 months into the 12 month minimum term (12 a month or somesuch)

3. She flies out on the 27th - which is the same day as her final salary payment. (Which she needs!!)

4. She does not have the funds to pay a settlement for either the mobile phone contract or the banking contract

5. She doesn't intend to return to the UK - but would like to avoid a bad credit history / having debts against her name - although clearly she would be unlikely to be chased for UK debts whilst living abroad (given creditors would have no idea of her wherabouts)

I can't see a clean way of sorting things out - clearly if the bank account remains open, with no salary going in and no funds remaining then when the next DD for the mobile contract (only DD set up) tries to take funds it will fail and the bank account will incur charges - which will snowball over the next few years...and I presume make life somewhat complicated if ever she did return...

There is a possibility she may be able to find the funds to settle the bank account contract, thereby enabling her to close the account properly before she leaves - I see this being a slightly better way of doing things - although obviously the mobile contract debt will still roll on and on...

What do people think the best way to play things is?

Cheers

Jim