If you have paid less than a third of the amount payable under the agreement and your creditor is threatening to take the goods back, contact us for advice. If you don’t want to keep the goods, you may be able to return them voluntarily. You must tell the creditor in writing that you want to do this and it is only possible if your creditor hasn’t already ended the agreement. Returning the goods voluntarily is a way of limiting what you owe under the agreement to no more than half of the agreement price, plus reasonable costs if the goods are damaged. Once you have returned the goods, you can treat any remaining debt as a non-priority. See our Hire purchase and conditional sale fact sheet. Do you have a rent-to-own agreement? Rent-to-own agreements are usually a type of hire purchase. If you have a rent-to-own agreement, your creditor may also offer other options that could put you in a better position. For example, your creditor may allow you to return the item and write off the arrears, or return the item and replace it with a cheaper one. Check your agreement. What if my creditor starts court action? The court will send you forms to fill in. You may be able to keep the goods if you agree to make payments set by the court. You can ask the court to allow you to pay less than your normal payment if you can show it’s all you can afford. If you get any court forms, contact us for advice. For more information, see our Hire purchase and conditional sale fact sheet. Page 68