Debt Relief Orders (DRO) - Information & help thread

Dizzymum_3

Hi
Wondered if anyone else has had this problem

My Debt relief order was granted in may, British gas were NOT listed as a creditor, Today i logged into my account to pay elec/gas and saw my accounts have been closed, i telephoned british gas and they say as i am bankrupt they have shut my accounts and will be opening new ones and may want to install pre payment meters.....I explained that it was a DRO and that they were not listed as creditor etc , but they insist that i am bankrupt and this is their policy, i am very confused.

and advice would be very helpful

thanks

Godiva500

Ohhh Dizzy, just when you thought you had sorted it out - what a bummer....

Hope you are well otherwise xxxxxx

fatbelly

Dizzymum wrote: »

My Debt relief order was granted in may, British gas were NOT listed as a creditor, Today i logged into my account to pay elec/gas and saw my accounts have been closed, i telephoned british gas and they say as i am bankrupt they have shut my accounts and will be opening new ones and may want to install pre payment meters.....I explained that it was a DRO and that they were not listed as creditor etc , but they insist that i am bankrupt and this is their policy, i am very confused.

There's a document on the BG website explaining the linking of BG accounts to credit reference agencies, so I guess that is how they uncovered your status.

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/pdf/credit-referencing-guide.pdf

However, I would want to look at the wording of what they say is their policy (if it isn't written down, it's not a policy) to see if it refers to insolvency (which a DRO is) or bankruptcy (which a DRO isn't) .

I had a look at some of their 'terms and conditions' and could find no specific reference to this, though did find:

8.5 We can end this contract in any circumstances by giving you at least 30 days' notice.

Did they do that before closing your existing account?

fatbelly

single_mom_desperate wrote: »

i think DRO Iis my best option but i own a car but worth £2500 so at the moment for that reason i cant qualify for a DRO,

Have you checked on Parkers Guide to get a valuation for your car in poor condition?

You may be closer than you think...

debrag

think we all have the same intermediary at B&E lol even though the lady I spoke to originally told me to phone her back once I'd paid. Can't get through to the phone number on the letter so will phone her back when I get home letter today.

I am now skint.

windsorblue

hi dizzymum after reading your post i rang british gas because electric is in my name i got dro 30 june she checked with billing and said if there were a problem with having a dro they would write to me for details as at the moment my account is okay so watch this space

Dizzymum_3

Thanks for the help fatbelly, I have spoken to them again today, and they say they treat DRO same as bankrupty, whether they are listed on DRO or not. They have confirmed now that they won't be making me have pre-payment meters, and have set me up a new monthly payment scheme on my new accounts, so all ok i think, the good news is they have written of what was owed on my account up to the date of my DRO, very nice of them as they weren't even listed on my DRO, so quite a good day today.

hope things are going well for you Godiva xx

Windsorblue hope all goes well with you and british gas.

fatbelly

Dizzymum wrote: »

They have confirmed now that they won't be making me have pre-payment meters, and have set me up a new monthly payment scheme on my new accounts, so all ok i think, the good news is they have written of what was owed on my account up to the date of my DRO, very nice of them as they weren't even listed on my DRO, so quite a good day today.
.

Well done BG! There was no requirement on them to do that!

andyshrapnel

Hi All,

Just a little curious about how to actually start the ball rolling with regards to a DRO. We have been in touch with CAB and are unable to get an appointment to talk to someone for more information, are there other ways to get started?

Also, one of the things that we have managed to find out is that if you own a car with a value of over a £1000 you are not eligible, however we currently have a vehicle worth more than that but it is on finance/HP is that still classed as owning the vehicle or is there something we can do?

Any help or advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Andy

elfieb

andyshrapnel wrote: »

Hi All,

Just a little curious about how to actually start the ball rolling with regards to a DRO. We have been in touch with CAB and are unable to get an appointment to talk to someone for more information, are there other ways to get started?

Also, one of the things that we have managed to find out is that if you own a car with a value of over a £1000 you are not eligible, however we currently have a vehicle worth more than that but it is on finance/HP is that still classed as owning the vehicle or is there something we can do?

Any help or advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks

Andy

There are other places to seek advice on DROs other than CAB.
Try CCCS or National Debtline, be prepared for a long wait with your finger stuck on redial, but you will get through eventually. They will be able to give you all the advice you need.
Before you ring, it may be worth you having a filled in SOA to hand, that way you have a good idea yourself whether a DRO is the right thing for you. There are plenty of advice regarding SOA on various posts in the forum.

I believe that if your car is worth over £1000 be it on finance or not, you will be ineligable for a DRO. Would you be including the HP on your DRO?