Xerxes Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I wondered what people do about credit card debts when they emigrate. We can't afford to pay it off before we go. Can you transfer an outstanding balance on a credit card in the UK to one in Australia? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Just pay it off from Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 If you don't have enough money to pay your credit card can you afford even to emigrate? It's a costly business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 If you don't have enough money to pay your credit card can you afford even to emigrate? It's a costly business. That's a bit of a harsh comment! You don't know the OP's circumstances and maybe they are heading to Australia to get help from family or maybe they can get better paying jobs in Australia than in England. Or maybe even they aren't spending much to move to Australia (not everyone has houses to ship etc). It's a fair question to ask and one I am sure a lot of people probably have experience with. Personally we will have UK credit card debt we can't pay off before leaving but are making plans to transfer a monthly amount (or even a lump sum to cover a few months payment at a time) from Australia to the UK in order to make repayments and eventually pay it off. There are websites (First Contact is one I used previously from UK to Aust but it works both ways) and your bank can do international transfers as well. All cost a fee of course but if you don't have the money to pay it off before leaving then it's a small additional expense you just have to pay. It's not ideal obviously but sometimes it can't be helped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 We are selling our house and will pay it off when the money from the sale comes through. I kind of agree with Gbye Grey Sky though, but it depends on the OP's circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerxes Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 If you don't have enough money to pay your credit card can you afford even to emigrate? It's a costly business. How stupid of us- we didn't think it through! Of course we can't afford to emigrate because we don't want to pay off a bill that can potentially be transferred and paid off monthly, why didn't we think of that?! What would we do without people like you on these forums being so kind and helpful? If you've got nothing to contribute to the discussion please keep your negative opinions to yourself. Everyone else- thanks for your feedback! We do not want to waste the money we have put aside for the move on paying back a credit card that we would just rather carry on paying for monthly. We want to use our lump sum for the move and sipping the pets over and getting established etc. Can you keep a UK bank account open and carry on paying it from Australia if you don't have a UK address? The credit card is with Lloyds who I bank with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Can you keep a UK bank account open and carry on paying it from Australia if you don't have a UK address? The credit card is with Lloyds who I bank with. I don't see why not. If you transfer to online statements they won't be sending you anything in the post so it shouldn't be an issue (not that I know the law/rules I am just going by what we plan to do). You could of course mention to your local bank you will be immigrating but still paying off your debt with monthly transactions etc and therefore ask them not to send anything other than via email. Not sure how they will take the news but it's your call if you want to tell them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tina0101 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 We're going to transfer our UK address to my in-laws. As we pretty much do everything online, they shouldn't get too much and can always open anything while Skyping us if they think it's majorly important!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 We have a dmp that, if we can't pay off in full before we go, plan to pay from Oz. When we spoke to the company they said they have lots of people paying back money after they've moved overseas (specifically Oz). We could make more there so makes better financial sense for both us and the dmp company to keep us on and not force our hand in using what little lump sum we have to pay off only a % of the debt but still have to pay the rest at a possibly small amount. I don't think it should be a problem with ease, but might be worth speaking to your cc company first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) It won't be a problem at all to pay it off from Aus to the UK, just keep an account open that you can put the money in and pay it off from (so not a savings account). Even if you didn't pay it, they can't pursue you anyway (not that I'm condoning this, I am merely making an observation here) and there is plenty of evidence on a well known money saving website and another consumer website that proves this. Edited June 15, 2014 by MovingtoTasmania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Hadn't intended to be negative. Unless you have a UK income to pay it then you may have to convert the payments from $ to £ each month which has a cost; in addition to the interest this could potentially be a costly debt to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerxes Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Thanks so much everyone for the advice! I didn't know if you had to close all of your accounts before you left. We could definitely change our address to the in-laws and keep the bank account open to continue paying it off. I have read elsewhere that you can emigrate and they could never catch up with you to make you pay off UK debts, but I think I would constantly worry that they would find me lol!! Brill, you've made me feel a lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Just bin the debt off,bas7ard bankers have been fleecing us for years,fixing the LIBOR rate we borrow on,besides,"binning the debt off and doing a moonlight flit to aus" threads are great entertainment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Thanks so much everyone for the advice! I didn't know if you had to close all of your accounts before you left. We could definitely change our address to the in-laws and keep the bank account open to continue paying it off. I have read elsewhere that you can emigrate and they could never catch up with you to make you pay off UK debts, but I think I would constantly worry that they would find me lol!! Brill, you've made me feel a lot better. As I said, this is merely an observation but even if they have an address for you, once you have left the UK, any consumer debt (as in not Inland Revenue or Government, but credit card, mortgage, loan) can not be enforced. Of course, you have to remain gone for about 7 to 10 years to ensure that it's wiped clean, but once you've moved, it's gone. They can't even go and get a CCJ against you as you are not a UK resident. They can write to you but even that is something that is dodgy for them because of the Australian harassment laws. There's a lot of evidence out there and if you want the web address of a respected UK consumer group that has dealt with hundreds of cases where "debt fugitives" have gone to Australia, please PM me and I'm more than happy to help you out (confidentially). Oh and the 7-10 year thing doesn't include not coming back for holidays, just means that you shouldn't apply for UK credit in that time or they will find you of course. Customs aren't at the airports and ports with lists of bad debtors ready to phone the debt collection agency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Just bin the debt off,bas7ard bankers have been fleecing us for years,fixing the LIBOR rate we borrow on,besides,"binning the debt off and doing a moonlight flit to aus" threads are great entertainment! There's seriously no need for those threads, I have the info if anyone is interested. And I'm not suggesting that the OP is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 There's seriously no need for those threads, I have the info if anyone is interested. And I'm not suggesting that the OP is. I like them anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I like them anyway Mmmmmmm. That's not nice :sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 :laugh::rolleyes:i just think some of the comments from "outraged of Royal Berkshire" are funny,awwww stfu you anyway:mad::tongue::wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 :laugh::rolleyes:i just think some of the comments from "outraged of Royal Berkshire" are funny,awwww stfu you anyway:mad::tongue::wink: Oi mister, who telling to stfu. Have we fell out then :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Oi mister, who telling to stfu. Have we fell out then :cry: Nah!the opposite,i always talk to mates like that:yes::laugh:,only messing:wubclub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MovingtoTasmania Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Nah!the opposite,i always talk to mates like that:yes::laugh:,only messing:wubclub: I don't like you anymore :cry: Only joking :tongue: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerxes Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Sounds very tempting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Sounds very tempting! #### them say i.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thediggler Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) I'll stick my neck out here and say I agree with Pablo. Put yourself first and worry about the bank later (if at all), they're unlikely to give a monkeys about your situation anyway so i'd stick them bottom of the priority list. Edited June 15, 2014 by thediggler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3FatCats Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Just curious, I'm pure as the driven snow me (:cute:) but has anyone left debt in Australia and returned to the UK? Don't have debt, but am interested to hear if the rules are the same etc. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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