iQ Student Accommodation
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So , today , as guarantor I received an email from the credit department of IQ, bearing in mind my son has been in constant contact with them because of financial problems due to covid and a student finance mistake. I write in response to your threatening email to myself in which the following section is blatantly untrue... We have made several attempts to get in touch with ****** regarding their outstanding rental payment. As we have been unable to reach them, and because their rent payment remains outstanding, we are contacting you My son has spoken to your representative via telephone on a regular basis reference his inability to accommodate your demands for money, at least twice within my earshot whilst the young woman on the end of the phone was singularly unsympathetic & reduced him to tears. He was given the lowest possible grant from SFE , who have NOT taken our income into consideration, and, due to Covid and other staffing issues, are impossible to contact to have this rectified . I do have to call them, as my online account refuses to allow me access,&, when I finally get to speak to someone, I will then have to wait another 37 days before we are able to get a resolution, all of which you have already been told. He has applied for over 100 jobs in the run up to starting at Salford and during this term, and, again, due to Covid, has only just managed to find one. He is now working at Tescos Part time , and also told you this. He offered to pay some monies, when paid, towards his debt, at which time, he was told, in no uncertain terms, that if the full amount was not forthcoming he would be evicted from the accommodation before Christmas!! Your staff are singularly unhelpful & unsympathetic during these extreme circumstances , I know of other accommodations who have refunded students part of their rent due to the ongoing pandemic & the awful position these young people have found themselves in, through no fault of their own. They are already under a great deal of stress due to the way in which they are having to learn, and the lack of a normal life for them, without having to deal with the bully boy tactics employed by your company & staff. He has since vacated the accommodation on the 6th December ,having been made to feel so uncomfortable that he no longer wished to stay there. He is now living with his brother ,until such a time as he and a friend can afford to rent somewhere together, for the duration of his time at Salford, forgoing one of the most important parts of university life, the friendships created on campus. He will pay you £50 a month until the arrears for this term are covered , no more, as this is all he can afford . This is an offer of payment, which has already been made to one of your representatives, & which you will allow . He will NOT be paying six months rent , as having perused your terms & conditions, nowhere does it mention this , and telling him he will have a CCJ against his name is not an appropriate item to threaten someone who, on finishing university in 5 years time ,will be in debt to the government until such a time as he is earning enough to repay them ! I will be making an official complaint to the University of Salford regarding your behaviour , it smacks of bailiffs and bullying & in this uncertain time, you would be better employed supporting the students paying your wages rather than causing them distress and undue worry . As stated ,he will be happy to pay the rent due to cover the period up to & including until the 6th December and will pay it in monthly instalments of £50 , please make arrangements for a link through which he can make the payment to be sent to him. The first payment will be made on or just after the 31st of December when he will have his first paycheque. Reference your threatening comment regarding a collections agency, & their additional charges & fees (!), you have heard from me well before the 16th of December and will not be referring myself or my son to an agency of any kind. I am also making you aware that a a copy of this letter is being sent to the MP for the Salford area , & the local paper , who I'm sure , will be interested to know that in these unprecedented times , a multi billion pound company is using these sort of tactics on its vulnerable young people, most of whom are living away from home for the first time , & not just in Salford, but all over the country. This may seem a little longwinded as a review goes, but it is a stark warning to any parent whose offspring are considering using this company for their accommodation DONT.... I don't care how nice it is , if you are one of the percentage of students whose parents cannot afford to throw money at you during university, these people will not care , they are not bothered you cant get a job to support yourself due to Covid , or that your finance payment is wrong, they just want the money!