Self-managed DMPs and Cahoot

Skyblue

Hi Everyone

I've been reading the forums for a while now and have noticed that quite a few people like me are self negotiating with creditors. I just wondered if anyone has any experience of dealing with Cahoot?

I have five creditors and sent National Debtline's budget sheet and a letter explaining my change in circumstances to them at the beginning of December last year. Three of them accepted my pro-rata offers more or less straight away. MBNA took a little longer but also accepted.

Cahoot did not reply until after my fifth letter to them (in which I said that I knew they had received my letters as in the first letter I notified them of my change of address and it had been changed on my account). My offer was turned down. I sent them another letter basically saying that was all I could afford - I also sent copies of my bills and payslips as a gesture of goodwill - and that my other creditors had accepted my offers. My offer was again turned down. National Debtline advised me to make a formal complaint as they said that Cahoot's response hadn't been fair, reasonable, quick or sympathetic. Cahoot then said they would pass me on to a dca - in August I was passed on to DMRS. I sent several letters to DMRS containing my budget sheet and copies of letters that I had sent to Cahoot. DMRS also turned down my offers and passed me back to Cahoot. I have now received a letter from a company called Apex who say they have been asked to chase the debt.

I have continued to send cahoot the pro-rata payments every month as I said I would and have treated all my creditors fairly. My budget is quite tight and I simply do not have the money to pay any more than I am doing.

If anyone is able to share their experiences of dealing with Cahoot, or any other creditor that is refusing pro-rata offers, I would be very grateful. I feel like I am going round in circles and I'm getting quite anxious about it all now!

Thank you for listening xx :hello:

JES_F1

Though my DMP is through the CCCS rather than self-managed, it includes a loan with Cahoot.

I heard nothing from Cahoot until June, four months after being notified of the DMP. That letter advised they'd accepted the reduced payments but would be defaulting the account.

I've been chasing to get statements confirming my payments via the CCCS as it's no longer possible to monitor my account online. So far, I've had no response. I'll be firing off another letter in the next few days.

Hope that helps!

Skyblue

Hi Jes

Thank you for your message - it helps to know others are in the same boat and that cahoot has accepted your offer. I'll keep sending the letters and keep my fingers crossed. Good luck with your dmp xx

haseverynamegone_2

I too have debt to Cahoot. I went through Payplan and offered £1 a month. I sent first payment as a postal order because they would not give me the bank details to pay it into. They refused to accept it over the phone for months and then sent me a default letter, accompanied by my orignal postal order and the accompanying letter and budget sheet etc.

They have now passed it to Apex, who after a few wrangles have finally accepted the £1 a month.

Keep at them!

JES_F1

Skyblue wrote: »

Hi Jes

Thank you for your message - it helps to know others are in the same boat and that cahoot has accepted your offer. I'll keep sending the letters and keep my fingers crossed. Good luck with your dmp xx

Thank you - I hope you get it sorted with Cahoot soon. I've actually found it quite disconcerting to have had received so little from them!

Good luck!

Skyblue

Thank you Jes, I hope so too! xx

Hi haseverynamegone (I felt like that too), thank you for your message. I will keep at them! It just wears you down a bit after a while and it takes a bit of doing to stay motivated but I'm trying to stay positive. Its great that they have accepted your offer now, I hope it all goes ok for you xx