Problems with CCCS

kaylouise

Don't know how many people on here have used CCCS for a DMP, but wondered if anyone has ever had trouble with creditors not getting the information?
3 out of my 4 creditors have not received any information (soa, etc) after the initial "I'm on a DMP" letter, and so haven't made any move to even consider stopping late charges and interest. Its really getting me down when i think about it, becuase i'm using up stupid amounts of money on the phone to each of them, and then to CCCS, becuase none of them will call and request the information themselves.
CCCS told me they sent the information in July, but how can i be sure?
Really worried about what might happen the if creditors still don't get it when i've requested it sent out a second time - and how will i know if they don't? They don't bother telling me until *after* they've already added charges, or its too late to do anything.
And i started out on this DMP with so much confidence!

mbaz

I am with CCCs and have had no rpoblems at all. You can email them rather than call. They normally respond within 24 hours. Just ask them to send your stuff again or why not print 3 copies and send it off yourself too? Better for them to receive it several times than not at all. I think it did taker about 2 months for the charges and interest to stop (ie. after the first payment) but after that I've never looked back! Good luck!

Donedoingdebt

kaylouise wrote: »

They don't bother telling me until *after* they've already added charges, or its too late to do anything.
quote]

There's your answer! It is not unusual for creditors to do this & use it as an excuse to lump on all sorts of charges.
I know who I would trust in a choice between CCCS & creditors / DCAs.
Stop phoning the creditors. Let them phone or write to you & then pass them onto CCCS.
Also, contact CCCS & let them know what's going on.

kaylouise

I do let them phone, but where i work i can't get any signal on my phone, so they just leave messages. Barclaycard are even worse, and if i answer a call from them, its just an electronic voice telling me they can't speak right now but will call later. They never do call back. Just send text messages instead.
I've started trying to ignore those and wiat until they acutally phone with a real person, but its hard because i know why they're ringing, and its never with good news.
I told Barclaycard that they should ring CCCS if they need more information, but she said,
"No, But we're Telling you, Miss........., that You will have to contact them to send the information again." attitude and all, i wanted to strangle her, it was really upsetting.
But its over now. CCCS have sent the information. And i might send some next week as well, becuase i'm paranoid and i dont want them making excuses later.
Thanks for the advice!

skylight

Change your mobile number? Its easier in the long run and gives you peace of mind.

kaylouise

I would if i didn't rely on it for pretty much everything else. We don't have a landline phone, so that's the only contact we have with family/friends/other.
Might come to that eventually, but i'd rather hold off from letting them bully me into changing things like that. Its unnessecary.
Maybe when my contract ends - since i'm considering moving to PAYG anyway.

thepinkladez_2

i am also with cccs and i do think the are pretty good. I like you had a few teething issues to start with, but everything seems to have settled down now!To be honest if i had to fault them i would say they seem a little slow with sending creditors things but they are a charity and what they do for me is free! i just also send a copy of everything to my creditors too (recorded del) as the way i see it, they are my debts so its my responsibility to keep them updated. also on the same note some of my creditors would say they hadnt got anything even though they had signed for my letters, so i know they were lying!
keep your chin up, it will get easier!i promise! cccs will be there every step of the way. You can also use NDL for help to ( they have been very good with me!) and of course us here on mse, without my fellow mse'ers i would have desended into a very black hole by now!

JES_F1

I've had a DMP with the CCCS since earlier in the year. Some creditors accepted it as good as straight away, freezing interest and charges on the next statement. However, a couple of creditors were really slow, taking two or three months.

If they called or wrote to me, I just advised them of my DMP again, saying that they should already know what the situation was as they'd had the notification that I'd sent them as well as direct contact from the CCCS. Often they were just trying it on to get more money as they would then admit that my DMP with the CCCS was noted on my file.

One creditor (can't remember who it was now) admitted the collections department had quite a backlog of such correspondence to process so my file probably hadn't been updated with the latest information.

From a couple of conversations I've had with the CCCS, I also know that they're really busy at the moment so it may be that they can't process stuff as quickly as they would like.

I do find just mentioning the CCCS to creditors seems to calm the situation as most of them are already used to dealing with the CCCS, and even recommend them to those having difficulties.

Good luck and very best wishes.

Deep_In_Debt

I'm on a DMP with CCCS and I've generally had no problems. Two of my creditors said that they knew nothing about my DMP although CCCS had assured me they did and were negotiating with them at that time and they had all my paperwork (who do I believe..?). The creditors were trying to get me to pay more and both of them did admit that they did know about my DMP after I wrote and complained, and said that their systems had not been updated correctly to reflect this...2 separate creditors saying the same thing...? mmmmm!

I agree with the above poster...2 of my larger creditors recommended CCCS to me when I contacted them at the end of last year. I didn't know about them then or this forum, and those particular 2 creditors told me that if I went with CCCS they would freeze interest and charges on my account. True to their words, they did immediately and I've heard nothing from them since the beginning of the year.

Do give CCCS a call - you'll probably find that the creditors are chancing their arms.

mummytofour

I had a few months of problems at the start, I guess it takes time for things to settle down eh?