They said this… · Credit & debt

“You signed the agreement, so affordability cannot be challenged”

Generally incorrect

A consumer agreeing to credit does not automatically answer whether a regulated lender carried out appropriate creditworthiness/affordability assessment or treated the customer fairly.

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Why this answer

What actually matters

  • The complaint should focus on information available at the time and what proportionate checks would have shown.
  • Borrower responsibility and lender responsibility can both be relevant.
  • Outcome depends heavily on facts, product and regulatory context.

What you could say

Keep the response tied to the actual rule.

Evidence

What to have beside you

  • Agreement, statements and full account history
  • Payment records and any repayment arrangement
  • Complaint correspondence and collection letters
  • Any statutory notice relied on by the creditor

If they still refuse

Move the dispute forward.

  1. Put a genuinely disputed balance or process issue to the creditor with precise reasons.
  2. For regulated financial firms, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be an individual-redress route after the complaint stage.
  3. Keep data-accuracy and debt-enforcement issues conceptually separate; different rules may apply.

Read the full rules

Go deeper before escalating.

Primary guideRead the detailed ConsumerWise guidance.Disputed balancesRead the full guide.Consumer Credit ActRead the full guide.Debt collectionRead the full guide.