u/Brilliant-Mulberry68

A friend of mine moved from the UK to Australia last year. He's still got around £5k left on a personal loan and another £3k on a UK credit card.

He's keeping up with the repayments for now, but money is getting really tight, and he's not sure how much longer he can afford to keep paying. He has no assets in the UK and doesn't plan on moving back.

For anyone who's been in a similar situation, what actually happened when you stopped paying UK debts while living in Australia?

Did the lenders just sell the debt to collection agencies and keep sending letters, or did anyone actually get taken to court? Has anyone had a UK CCJ followed up in Australia or had their Australian bank account or wages affected?

I'm particularly interested in firsthand experiences with relatively small debts (under £10k in total).

Thanks

A friend of mine moved from the UK to Australia last year. He's still got around £5k left on a personal loan and another £3k on a UK credit card.

He's keeping up with the repayments for now, but money is getting really tight, and he's not sure how much longer he can afford to keep paying. He has no assets in the UK and doesn't plan on moving back.

For anyone who's been in a similar situation, what actually happened when you stopped paying UK debts while living in Australia?

Did the lenders just sell the debt to collection agencies and keep sending letters, or did anyone actually get taken to court? Has anyone had a UK CCJ followed up in Australia or had their Australian bank account or wages affected?

I'm particularly interested in firsthand experiences with relatively small debts (under £10k in total).

Thanks

Oct 2025: bought a car from a licensed used-car dealer in Victoria around 94,000 km, advertised as "Quality Verified."

About 2 months in I got a "low oil level" warning. I topped it up, then brought the service forward when it warned again.

About 6 months in (and ~13,000 km later), the engine blew smoke and lost power on the highway. A mechanic found a misfire and a compression test of 40 PSI on one cylinder (should be ~120) — says it needs a replacement engine.

Turns out this engine has a well-documented oil-consumption/piston-ring design fault, and mine was built in the period commonly affected.

The dealer refused any remedy. Consumer Affairs got involved; still refused. Manufacturer says my VIN isn't in any campaign and won't comment without a paid inspection.

The 3-month statutory used-car warranty had expired, but I'm relying on the ACL (acceptable quality / major failure) and want a refund/remedy.

Anyone run a similar ACL/VCAT claim on a used car? Realistic chances? Refund vs repair-and-claim?

Oct 2025: bought a car from a licensed used-car dealer in Victoria around 94,000 km, advertised as "Quality Verified."

About 2 months in I got a "low oil level" warning. I topped it up, then brought the service forward when it warned again.

About 6 months in (and ~13,000 km later), the engine blew smoke and lost power on the highway. A mechanic found a misfire and a compression test of 40 PSI on one cylinder (should be ~120) — says it needs a replacement engine.

Turns out this engine has a well-documented oil-consumption/piston-ring design fault, and mine was built in the period commonly affected.

The dealer refused any remedy. Consumer Affairs got involved; still refused. Manufacturer says my VIN isn't in any campaign and won't comment without a paid inspection.

The 3-month statutory used-car warranty had expired, but I'm relying on the ACL (acceptable quality / major failure) and want a refund/remedy.

Anyone run a similar ACL/VCAT claim on a used car? Realistic chances? Refund vs repair-and-claim?