Credit Card Debt

bellaboobie

Tigert wrote: »

Hi Bellaboobie

Just wanted to add my support. I've been with Payplan for almost a year now and they've been brilliant (I had a similar amount of debt but mostly self inflicted in my case).

Payplan were quite quick with me. From my first Phonecall they gave me a detailed interview within 4 days and my first payment went to creditors within a month.

I have always found Payplan to be very helpful and quick to respond either by phone or email, so I feel sure you have made the right step.

Hi Tigert

Thank you for your support. I emailed the interview form back to Payplan as they suggested but have not heard from them yet. Not too sure if they have even received it as I have had no acknoledgement. I am beginning to fret and panic even more now as January will be here soon and if I don't have anything in place, what am I going to do. Just don't know at the moment if I should write to my credit card people to say I am talking to Payplan, etc. etc. I have emailed the same question to Payplan but have had no response to this either. I have not got a mobile phone and it is difficult to contact Payplan from my friend's phone except for at specific times when I am on my own - which is not very often and my friend works from home most days.

Thank you for listening.

Regards.

HHH_2

If payplan are not responding ( I expect they are very busy!) you could try the online debt remedy with CCCS that worked very quickly for me and my DMP was set up within a month. If you're worried about your creditors you could always send a token amount even £1 and tell them you are with payplan/CCCS that takes some of the sting out of it because you are doing SOMETHING. that wont stop nasty letters or phone calls but at least you can say you're trying to sort it out with one of those well respected charities.. I still think you should see a solicitor or cab about the whole situation though, I know you said you already had but that was sometime ago another try with a free consultation wont do any harm. when do you think you might be able to go back to work? I only ask because having something else to do usually helps to keep your mind off something which you cant fix straight away if you know what I mean. best of luck.

determinedtodothis

Hey,

Just wanted to say hi, that i think its awful what you are faced with and we are all here if you need to post and get stuff of your chest, its really heartbreaking to read how you have been treated, some times i find it hard to understand why people can be so heartless and selfish to people like you who, like me, would give the shirt off their back to help them if they could but coming on here is the best thing, even just being on here getting such fantastic support off of, people i have never met kinda restores faith

we are all here for you x

bellaboobie

Thank you everyone for you kind words and support. I am really feeling deflated and down in the dumps today. I had an email yesterday from payplan saying they have looked at my completed form and having carefully assessed my financial details, they are pleased to say they can offer options to help with my debt situation. The asked me to contact them. I awoke really early this moraning and got myself all psyched up to make the call whilst my friend was on the school run.

Managed to get through to Payplan and gave details, etc. etc. only to be told that the person dealing with my case was on the specialist team and that they work in a different hence could not put my call through. I could not believe it as their email said "Please can you call me direct on 0800 917 7823 so I can go through them with you and you can decide whether you would like to proceed (give your Case Reference number at the top of this letter and you'll be transferred directly to me)."

I have emailed Payplan back relating the events of this morning and am awaiting their response.

Contacted the CAB for legal advice on the guarantor stuff - can't get back to me until January.

I just do not believe my bad luck - just one thing after another. Just wish it would all go away. I just am a total waste of space who can't get anything right. Utter mess.

Regards

PS Blood transfusion due next week - hope that is not a disaster as well.

smallfish_3

Hi BB, I have read your thread from when you started and can only agree with other posters, it is absolutely reprehensible that a 'friend' has mistreated you so! I rarely post as I'm (currently, never take anything for granted) debt-free and don't feel I should post unelss I could actually help with some practical advice. In this case I'm wondering if the following advice I've seen recently might be applicable to you regarding the possibility of going bankrupt. I apprecaite your concerns about your career and this why the following is relevent but in addtion I have inferred from your posting that you don't 'feel' you should go bankrupt. I understand the concerns on an emotional level but I'm sure few would disagree that is totally justifiable in your case, you are damaging your health and quality of life trying to pay back a massive millstone of debt for someone else who to all intents and purposes has walked away 'scot-free'. So, here's the advice re your contractual obligations at work:

"Whilst dismissal on bankruptcy is a common clause, it doesnt mean that dismissal is mandatory and a lot of employers do not enforce it. It would be standard procedure to dismiss an employee who declares bankrupt, if the employer is governed by the FSA (but that's not applicable to your job.) In most cases the clause isn't defined properly and would be too difficult to define, nor would it actually matter anyway as there is no way a tribunal would accept a sacking for making arrangements with creditors.

The only way that you are going to find out for definite is if you speak to someone in your HR department and put a hypothetical question to them or if you are a member of a Trade Union, you could ask the union to enquire whether the bankruptcy clause would be enforced. Alternatively you could try ACAS."

Hope this is food for thought at least BB. Don't feel useless because you were kind, everyone on here is so kind and definitely not useless and you're now part of that. Try to remember that bankruptcy is a legal option to help people who find themselves in impossible financial situations and that can happen to anyone for all sorts of reasons.

Good luck with the transfusion!

penniesgrowintopounds

Hi, bellaboobie.

No words of advice from me, sorry. But just wanted to say that I'm so glad that you found this forum, and can share your troubles with us. There are some amazing people here, and you will get loads of advice and support ~ no-one will judge you, we are just here to listen and try to help.

Good Luck, Sweetheart ~ keep coming back and sharing with us x

bellaboobie

RAS wrote: »

Hi BB

A few thoughts.

If you were the original signatory of this debt, I would be doing the following.

1. Sending a CCA request to find out if the loan was properly documented. Did you solicitor check this?

2. Reclaim any charges (unfortunately reclaiming interest is not an option), to reduce you liability.

3. Did the original debt include PPI at all?

Hi

Thank you for your words.

1. How do I go about getting this? Would they still have it bearing in mind I paid them in full [using my savings and credit cards] in 2003 as advised by the solicitor I spoke to then?

2. Don't think there were any charges.

3. Not sure - but am trying to find the paperwork with fingers crossed that it did not get destroyed in the fire.

Regards

bellaboobie

HHH wrote: »

If payplan are not responding ( I expect they are very busy!) you could try the online debt remedy with CCCS that worked very quickly for me and my DMP was set up within a month. If you're worried about your creditors you could always send a token amount even £1 and tell them you are with payplan/CCCS that takes some of the sting out of it because you are doing SOMETHING. that wont stop nasty letters or phone calls but at least you can say you're trying to sort it out with one of those well respected charities.. I still think you should see a solicitor or cab about the whole situation though, I know you said you already had but that was sometime ago another try with a free consultation wont do any harm. when do you think you might be able to go back to work? I only ask because having something else to do usually helps to keep your mind off something which you cant fix straight away if you know what I mean. best of luck.

Hi,

Is there a sample letter somewhere I could use to send including the token payments?

Much appreciated.

Thank you so much for you support.

Regards