desperate for help

gettingsorted

Can anyone help me please I have huge debts £49000.00 approx I read your posts and notice you all manage to save huge amounts how do you do this?
I have joined the cccs so have sorted a DMP, my husband works (does not earn alot) and I am a student with another 2 years to go.
I am terrified of answering the phone or door, xmas is coming (I have 3 children) it is my DS and my DH birthdays in dec and I dont know what to do.
I am at the end of my tether it is soul destroying and there are days I just dont want to get up.
I have stopped smoking, I sell regularly on ebay, I dont waste money and dont know what else to do
I am sorry I sound so selfishly miserable but thats how I feel.
Any advice would be gratefully received.

RAS

Hi

There are a number of things you can do.

I would normally suggest an SOA, but at the mo, maybe you need to see the prospect of getting some things coming in first?

Have a look here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/make-money
Things like mystery shopping might give you the opportunity for a family outing or a night ut together? Alternatively you might get vouchers towards your presents.

Also sign up for www.freecycle.org if you are not already a member of your local group - like e-bay but the goods are free to you. You can pick up clothes, household stuff and whitegoods.

You also need a telephone letter, to stop the calls coming in and please remember that apart from Council Tax, anyone calling at the house has limited rights, and often none.

Have you spoken to your University/College about the situation and checked whether there are any hardship funds?

Also double check https://www.entitledto.com

HHH_2

When does your DMP start? before it does you may get some nasty letters and phone calls from creditors but do not despair you can refuse to deal with phone calls or just tell them your CCCS number and put the phone down. once your DMP starts you may find you have a better standard of living as your debt should be much more managable CCCS allow for things like birthday presents in your income and expenditure. I do alot of my birthday and christmas present shopping from charity shops, often new items at a fraction ofthe cost ofthe shops. it's good for children to learn that there is only a certain amount of money to go around so help them with their choices and get them to save for more expensive items. dont worry about sounding selfish you obviously aren't! 49K sounds a lot but my debts were higher and yet ever since I ve been on my DMP Ive steadily seen it reduce and all the worrry of dealing with creditors has gone away.CCCS are only a phone call away and will listen to your worries and put your mind a rest. good luck and Ihope you feel better soon

RAS

You need to send a letter telling all the creditors to stop telephoning you. It may take time to take effect, but it will work.

So send this first letter registered post. If they make any further calls after it is signed for, then send the second letter and copy in the Information Commisioner, the OFT and the Trading Standards office nearest the debtor's office.

No it is guaranteed to stop them but if you

1.Point out it is your right under the OFT Guidelines.
2. refuse to answer security questions.
3.Advise them that you are recoding the call

they will take the hint.


Phone letters from fermi

Something along the lines of:

Quote:
Dear Sir / Madam,

Re accounts ref

I do not acknowledge any debt to your company.

I am writing to you to inform that I request all communications to me in writing. I do not want any further telephone calls made to me ( my mum).

To continue to contact me by telephone after I have requested you not to constitutes harassment. I require all future communications in writing for future Court use. Do not telephone me again – remove any telephone numbers you hold for me from your systems.

Your telephone calls are in breach of the Office of Fair Trading guidelines. If you continue with them after the receipt of this letter, an official complaint, together with a log recording the times and frequency will be passed both to that office and to Trading Standards, For your information, all telephone calls are taped.

This type of debt collection method is contrary to the ‘Administration of Justice Act 1970’. In that it is intended to cause alarm and distress to the recipient. Your methods will not be tolerated. A formal complaint to the relevant authorities will be made.

Take further notice that continued telephone calls after receipt of a request not to call may constitute a criminal offence under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003. Continued phone calls to my mother may also constitute an offence under the Data Protection Act.

Communicate in writing and ONLY in writing. Your telephone calls will not be answered.

HOWEVER, CALLS WILL TRIGGER COMPLAINTS TO THE REGULATORY BODIES.

I trust I have made myself understood on this matter.

Yours,

A list of good contacts to whom you can complain formally if they make a nuisance of themselves.

Here are pipk62's list of websites for the organisations .

These addresses are the ones that I have used to find the information that I required, You may want to research pages other than the ones I have linked to, try clicking on the home page if any of these aren't what you wanted.

Office of Fair Trading, Contact page: http://www.oft.gov.uk/contactus

The Information Commissioners Office, Complaints page: http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx
(note: I chose to complete and download the .pdf form on Data Protection, which I am also sending to the other offices, with an accompanying letter)

Trading Standards, Central office homepage: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/
-Please note, you can search by inserting the postcode in the top right hand corner, remember to use the postcode of the DCA rather than your own-

Consumer Credit Association, enquiries page: http://www.ccauk.org/consenquiries.htm

the Financial Ombudsman Service, Contacts page: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org/contact/index.html

Members of parliament list, (as provided by RAS): http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/clomps.cfm


And then if you get any more calls:

Quote:
Dear Sir/Madam,

Ref. 1234567890

Despite my letters regarding ANY communication from your company, which stated that I require ALL communications in writing, your telephone calls continue.

This behaviour constitutes harassment; the letters stated quite clearly to you that I require ALL communications in writing for future Court use. Do not telephone me again - remove any telephone numbers you hold for me from your systems.

Your telephone calls are in breach of the Office of Fair Trading guidelines. If you continue with them after the receipt of this letter an official complaint, together with a log recording the times and frequency of the calls will be passed both to that office and to the Trading Standards office. For your information note that ALL telephone calls are taped.

This type of debt collection method is contrary to the ‘Administration of Justice Act 1970’ in that it is intended to cause alarm and distress to the recipient. Your methods will not be tolerated. A formal complaint, containing copies of all correspondence including yours, has now been submitted to the relevant authorities. This will be relevant to questions of your fitness to hold a licence under the Consumer Credit Act, whether or not it results in a prosecution.

Take further note that continued telephone calls after the receipt of a request not to call may constitute a criminal offence under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Communicate in writing and ONLY in writing, your telephone calls will NOT be answered.

HOWEVER, CALLS WILL TRIGGER COMPLAINTS TO THE REGULATORY BODIES.

I trust that I have made myself understood on this matter,

Yours faithfully,

churchrat

hi
know that feeling sooooooooooooooo well.

may I ask if you have sorted a dmp why things are still so bad? or have you just started on the dmp??
if you have just started then I promise things will get better, but it does take a little while.
We had debts of £61k about 7yrs ago, now down to just under £6k, most will be gone by next yr. I was where you are, it does get easier.
Ras has made some excellent suggestions, hope you will try some of them. I get the feeling that you might be handling this on your own?? in many relationships, even good ones, one partner is "responsible" for sorting out the money--like how much to spend on food, how to pay the mortgage etc. My OH is great, and will always do whatever I asked, but always left the sorting to me. Very lonely place.
If you feel a bit like this have you seen your gp? sometimes it helps to get it all out in the open with someone not really connected, and they may have some good ideas for you.
I know its not practicle help, but posting on here, just about how you feel, can be the most useful thingto do. WE really do know what this feels like.
good luck

gettingsorted

Ras thanks for all your info you are very knowledgeable I will def use those letters. What is an SOA?

HHH Thankyou for your kind words it makes me feel so much better I will start looking harder in charity shops thats a great idea.

Churchrat Hi thanks for your reply yes I am handling this on my own my DH is completely useless in this dept, he is a fab hubby but useless at money so yes I am in that lonely place.

I have just started my DMP so I am sure it will get better but it just feels at the moment like it will get worse and worse. I know children have to learn about money but I am sick of saying "you cant have it we have no money"
I have been leaving the funds from ebay in my paypal account and thought I would use this for christmas Is that a good idea? or should i be using this for something else?

Finally I cannot thankyou all enough just knowing there are people out there willing to talk to me is great :A

RAS

One way of doing a Statemnent of Affairs, go to www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

There are loads of folk who know odd weezes that can get you money or save you money.

The other place to look is the Money Saving Oldstyle forum on here.

gettingsorted

Where would I find the oldstyle forum?
There are so many threads, links etc I get lost

sammy115

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=33

Don't worry you will soon be an old pro at finding your way round these boards.

mardatha

click on forums, then look right down the list until you see Moneysaving Old Style. its under the Greenfingered one. x

proudmum_3

Just click on the 'Forums Jump' icon on the right hand side of the page. It lista all the forum sites on here and just scroll down until you find what you are looking for.
I know very little about DMP's etc.. although in debt, i am lucky that mine is managable at the moment.
Just wanted to say that there are loads of people on here who can help and even more who can support you. Sometimes knowing that you are not alone is a small step to feeling better in yourself. You have made a start and things can only get better. Try to stay positive. Things will sort themselves out. Maybe have a word with DH.
Good luck and remember that day or night, someone here will always listen. x