Ask a CCCS counsellor a question

Janjel

CCCS_Amanda wrote: »

Hi Janjel,

With full and final settlements you will probably need to negotiate a bit with your creditors. It could be worth your while to go back to them and reiterate your offer and advise them that you do not have any further money to offer them. See what you get back.

The threat of insolvency is probably just be a threat to try and get you to give them more money. Stand your ground and push them a bit.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
CCCS_Amanda

Thanks amanda

I sent a letter offering them £400 extra and said that was the final offer i could make to them and if they could not accept this then i would have to use money for another creditor. I also said that if they could not accept my offer then I would have to pay them £15 per month as money for them would have to be used for other creditors and i could not afford any more money from my monthly salary - is this ok?

CCCS_Amanda

doyourjobproperly wrote: »

Hiya, hope you can help

About 18 months ago I ended a contract with O2. I had to complain to their complaints department about the 'customer service' I received and about the fact that they were saying I owed money when I didn't. In the end they agreed to wipe my balance of £45.

About 6 months ago my parents started receiving letters addressed to me. (I never gave O2 that address for me as I haven't lived there for five years) It was also adressed to my full name when O2 have always sent letters to my title and surname (although they wrote them to Mr when I'm a Miss) They claimed that I owed them £27 on behalf of O2. I don't know where they got this amount from. They were threatening doorstep collections. My parents ignored the letters and nothing happened.

Next thing they know they're getting letters and phonecalls from another debt collection agency threatening the same thing. My mother called telling them not to ring again, twice, and that was the end of it. Then another debt agency starting sending letters, this time my mother sent them back unopened telling them not to send any more.

Basically this has carried on and it's being passed from one agency to another. The letters keep getting sent back and new ones keep appearing from new companies. Is there anything I can do that's long-term to stop this? Are the letters even genuine as the details are all wrong?

Thanks in advance

Hi doyourjobproperly,

If you are disputing that you owe the money then you will need to contact O2 and take it up with them. This is the only way that the contact with you will stop permanently.

If they are adamant that you owe the money then you could make a request for information to see where the outstanding amount comes from. You can use this letter as a template:

To

Without Prejudice

Dear Sirs

Ref …………………………………….

With reference to the above account:

Please will you send me a true copy of the original signed agreement together with an up to date statement of the account showing all transactions, including interest and charges, and a copy of any other document referred to in the agreement.

I understand I am entitled to this information under ss77-79 of The Consumer Credit Act (CCA) 1974.

I also understand that this information should be sent to me within 12 working days of you receiving this letter. The CCA states that creditors are unable to enforce an agreement until this request is complied with.

I am enclosing the £1:00 fee, payable under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, for each account.


Yours faithfully


If you don’t contact them to correct their records they will probably continue to try to collect the debt by forwarding it to debt collectors and you could end up with a County Court Judgement. Ignoring correspondence will not make them stop trying to contact you.

Always best just to tackle things like this head on.

Regards,
CCCS_Amanda

CCCS_Amanda

spoll wrote: »

I recently spoke to the CCCS via telephone and as my outgoings are more than my income it wasn't possibleo to do a DMP. The CCCS provided me with template letters to send to those I owe money to and so far I've had 1 reply (out of 7) who has said that they will dro the interest rate on a CC to 1.5% but asked that I make a min payment of 35pounds rather than 1pound which I told them I cannot afford. They are dropping the rate regardless which is great. Abbey got in touch and after explaining my debt issue the helpfully suggested I take out another loan with them - can you believe it?!

Anyway, i've also switched my mortgage from repayment to interest only which has knocked 350pounds of monthly mortgage payment. I also plan to switch energy provides in the coming weeks which should save a further 40punds per month.

My question is: now that I have some surplus money at end of month should I get back intouch with CCCS to see if they can arrange a DMP for me so that I can start to clear my debts?

Thanks

Hi spoll,

Absolutely - get in contact with us again and have another appointment with a counsellor. As your circumstances have changed then you may have more options available to you.

Regards,
CCCS_Amanda

going_round_in_circles

hello all,
im am trying to get my head around my debt problem,not sure which way to turn, looking at all my options DMP seems to be the best one in my situation, my only problem at the moment is that i have just changed jobs and i wont get my first pay until april so i have about 6 weeks to go so i cant even work out what my income will be , i can guess but it wont be an accurate amount, i have tried to speak to some of my creditors and some are understanding and others have been down right rude, whats bothering me the most is the thought of having possible court action in the near future as i have buried my head in the sand (as you do) my husband has been very supportive and the debt is mine not his, we are struggling as he has had his hours cut to basic , so he brings home half of what he used to , any help or suggestions would be most appreciated

CCCS_Amanda

s1h wrote: »

Im looking at a debt management plan just a couple of questions.

I have just started a new job so dont have a current wage slip. Can I still do it or do I need to wait till the end of march till i am paid and have a wage slip?

Also with regards to this do the creditors see the wage slip? I would not want them knowing where I work or contacting me at work as this could cause me extreme problems due to the industry I am in.

Hi s1h,

The first step is to contact us – we would then arrange an appointment with one of our debt counsellors. At this appointment they would talk through your financial difficulties and advise you on the best way forward. If the counsellor offers you a DMP then you will need to provide a copy of a wage slip before the plan can be set up. There is nothing to stop you having the appointment – the person you speak to will talk about how to proceed.

The wage slip is never sent to a creditor; we need to verify the income but don’t forward details of employment etc.

All our appointments are pre booked, so you would need to contact our helpline free on 0800 138 1111. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00. It would be helpful that when you call you have details ready regarding your income, expenditure and creditors, as this can help speed up the referral process. If you have this information ready it may be possible to refer you directly to a counsellor if one is available, otherwise we will arrange a time that is convenient for you to be called back for an appointment.

Alternatively you can visit our online debt advice facility called Debt Remedy. Debt Remedy would assist you in completing a financial statement and you would be provided with tailored advice on the best way to deal with your situation. Click here to go directly to Debt Remedy.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
CCCS_Amanda

dont_want_to_be_in_debt

Can anyone help. We are on the second month of our DMP and are doing well. The problem is that our income varies wildly. Sometimes with £1500 difference each month. What we want to do is to keep some money in our account from the good months to keep us going in the bad months. The balance we have over this amount would be paid straight to the cccs to distribute to creditors. We do not want to save money just not have to change our agreement every month. We have been told that creditors will not accept savings any help or advice please?

CCCS_Amanda

ultimatecalm wrote: »

hi everyone, i am with payplan, in the early stages not recieved a pack yet, would it be also possible to phone cccs to see the figure they get when i give the info or should i stay with payplan.

many thanks in advance UC xx

Hi ultimatecalm,

The figures in your budget should reflect what you are spending on a monthly basis. The budget should be sustainable and realistic. If you feel that this is not the case then you should go back to your advisor at payplan and discuss your concerns; however, if you wish there is nothing to stop you from completing our online debt advice facility or having an appointment with one of our counsellors.

The most important thing is that you do not pay any set up fees or any management fees for a DMP.

Regards,
CCCS_Amanda

dogder

Hello all,

first off: thanks for having me..

This month I have recived two letters from Messrs Hall DCA's.
They stem from credit a card debt I aquired round 2002, I was really ill with mental health problems and am only just now starting to take control of my life again. So recalling all the old details is next to impossible.

The first letter from them asking me to contact them urgently regarding a "personal" matter. when looking up their name on google I found your board(thank goodness). Exactly a month later I recieved letter two..

This one demands full payment by noon of Feb 24th 09. I think I shot myself in the foot because I asked experien for a copy of my files after the first letter and the search must have linked all my address's.

I had fully intended to pay this but I've been on IB for some time and probably for the forseeable future, so wanted to wait till I could set up a payment plane I could afford. Plus the DCA has ramped up the ammount owed by 437 pounds, which seems a bit high for simple fee's.

Original debt = 475.52
M, Halls demand = 912.65

Can they do this?

I'm contacting CAB and CCCS tomorrow, rang them tonight but CCCS said they were so busy and to call again tomorrow.

In the meantime any comments would be of great help. and can anyone describe to me the kind of proof and how to make a SOA to present to the courts (if they go that far) or the DCA. please?

thanks for any replies in advance.

Roger.

craigp_2

craigp wrote: »

Hello I have agreed a new payment with all my creditors apart from hsbc.They have said I have to get cccs to make an offer on my behalf for them to accept it.

Is it possible for yourselves to make an offer with out it affecting my other agreements?

Thanks Craig

any help with this please?

CCCS_Amanda

hbos1 wrote: »

hi, hope you can help, my partner heard an advert on the radio for companies who can challenge your credit agreement with a firm who has given you a loan or credit card and its been reported that people have had the debt wiped because of the agreement terms.
we contacted the company, details below, i am wondering if this is a legitimate company and do you have any knowledge of such caes. the reason i am asking is because they are asking for a fee upfront of £225 which £150 will be refunded if they are not successfull.

many thanks for your help


Credit Checker UK

Suite 27, Briggs House,
26 Commercial Road,
Lower Parkstone,
Poole,
Dorset.
BH14 0JR

Hi hbos1,

Unfortunately I can not advise you on any specific company.
There seems to be a lot of organisations offering “wipe-off debt” services for a substantial fee. It’s worth noting that consumer credit debts will only be written off, if there is clear evidence that the creditor in question has breached the guidelines set within the Consumer Credit Act. The commercial companies offering to wipe off debts seem to be advertising this to the wider market, without prior knowledge to the individual’s financial situation.
If you are in a position where you think your creditors have taken unnecessary action which breaches the CCA and have evidence that proves so, then you could consider going down the route of disputing the debt through County Court. I would be very careful of any organisation offering such services, especially when they are charging substantial fees with no guarantee of success, when it’s something that you could do for yourself.
My advice would be that if you do feel you have a case where you feel your creditors have breached the CCA, speak to someone who can offer free independent advice, such as the Office of Fair Trading.
Regards,
CCCS_Amanda