At my wits end with Halifax......UPDATED (and advice wanted)

looby75

Hi everyone, I hope someone can point me in the right direction of what to do next.

5 years ago ex left me suddenly with no warning. I struggled for almost 3 years to keep up with the debts he left me but in Nov 2006 it was clear I wasn't going to be able to keep managing so, after great advice from everyone here, I contacted CCCS and started a DMP, which began in Jan 07. After the normal few months teething period everything settled down, all the letters and phone calls stopped and in my first review I was even able increase my payments slightly.

Then in about Feb/march last year the Halifax wrote to say that they only freeze interest and accept reduced payments for a max of 12 months and that I now needed to resume full payments. I contacted them and told them my circumstances hadn't changed and that I was unable to do that, they basically said tough, we are going to charge you late payment fees and interest every month, and continue to phone every 10 days. I got in contact with CCCS who confirmed they were within their rights to do this but that afer a couple of months Halifax would send my account to a DCA when all interest etc would stop again. So I sat tight, every 10 days the phone calls would come and I would tell them yet again I couldn't pay and asked them to send the account to a DCA, to be told I wasn't far enough in arrears yet. The main reason being that I acted responsibly and contacted them as soon as I realised I was in trouble and had never missed a payment before that.

Anyway by august the calls were getting ridiculous, they were phoning at 8am every day (I had started to refuse to speak to them in the hope that would get them to send the debt to a DCA) then up to 6 times throughout the day both on land line and mobile. So I got the template letter from this board about harassing phone calls, sent it, they said they didn't receive it, so I sent it again by recorded deliver. This time I got a letter back apologising and promising to contact me only in writing when it was time for my case to be reviewed. Just before Christmas I got a letter asking me to contact them with a new SOA. I was due for a review with CCCS anyway so contacted them and did my annual review. My payments have had to slightly decrease so CCCS have contacted all my creditors to inform them of that and to send them a copy of my review.

8am New Years eve my phone rings and it's someone from the Halifax demanding a minimum payment of £146, I told them they shouldn't be calling me as I had asked to be contacted only in writing and they had agreed, to be told that agreement only lasts for 3 months then they start calling again. I told them about the review with cccs and the person I was speaking to just wasn't interested and started talking over me demanding a payment or the calls would keep coming, he also said they hadn't received anything from cccs. I wasn't too worried about this as obviously everything get slowed down over the Christmas period.

Then at 8:20am this morning the phone rings again. I was still in bed, and the phone was on the charger on the other side of the room, so by the time I got out of bed (I have back problems so it takes me a while ) they had rung off. Checked caller display and yep it was the halifax again.

So what do I do now, I can't go back to being hassled every 10 days, they are refusing point blank to send my account to a DCA so I now owe them £300 MORE than I did when I started the DMP despite 2 years worth of payments.

Any ideas, I feel like I'm going round and round in circles and Halifax are just refusing to be constructive or helpful.


(sorry for the long post and thanks if you got this far )

bank_of_slate

Just do not answer their calls!

They are total b@stards
...Linda xx

marfan_not_martian

Sorry to hear of the trouble that you are having looby75

Sorry I cannot offer any advice - I am sure someone will be along soon to help - everyone on here is so friendly.

I owe money to Halifax too and I am about to start a DMP so I will be interested to find out what advice you get regarding your problem.

You could always change your phone number

Good luck

MNM

looby75

bank_of_slate wrote: »

Just do not answer their calls!

They are total b@stards
...Linda xx

tried that, but it gets hard to ignore 6 (well 12 they phone my landline and then my mobile immediately after but i've set my mobile to automatically reject the call) calls a day starting at 8am, and then sometimes my kids will answer the phone before I get chance to tell them not to.

bank_of_slate

Either that or pick up the phone and blow a whistle down it!
...Linda xx

looby75

god no, you can deafen someone doing that :eek:

bank_of_slate

Hmmm, maybe I'm just evil!
...Linda xx

skylight

Halifax are the worst. There are lots of reasons for my BR, and Halifax was a big one. After a year of DMP payments, then flatly refused to accept anymore and reinstated interest and charges etc. Within 3 months, the years worth of payments had been wiped.

My end of the tether moment was when I was almost in tears and yelled "fxxx off and sue me then" down the phone (not my proudest moment) and I hung up. Changed my phone number after that and mixed with the hassle from MBNA pushed me towards BR.


There are numerous posts on here about Halifax. Broken Hearted had real issues with them (I remember and quote her name as it was so mean it really sticks in my mind).

bank_of_slate

They are about to change their charges.
Starting with their new account and then bringing all the other accounts on board with it
...Linda xx

looby75

skylight wrote: »

Halifax are the worst. There are lots of reasons for my BR, and Halifax was a big one. After a year of DMP payments, then flatly refused to accept anymore and reinstated interest and charges etc. Within 3 months, the years worth of payments had been wiped.

My end of the tether moment was when I was almost in tears and yelled "fxxx off and sue me then" down the phone (not my proudest moment) and I hung up. Changed my phone number after that and mixed with the hassle from MBNA pushed me towards BR.


There are numerous posts on here about Halifax. Broken Hearted had real issues with them (I remember and quote her name as it was so mean it really sticks in my mind).

yeah I'm in the same situation, within months every penny I had paid them was wiped out. Each month they charge me interest and a £12 late payment fee, I only can afford to pay them £15 a month.....sometimes I think I would be better just stopping paying full stop and then they would HAVE to take me to court. They are totally unreasonable, where as MBNA have been fantastic with me (after the teething period that is), they stopped interest and have never started it up again, fingers crossed it stays that way.

Elsas_mamma

Hi,
Maybe it would be worth getting in touch with cccs and tell them what is going on again. They might be able to offer some advice.
Failing that ........find out how to sue Halifax for harrasment!!!!!!
I know what you mean about it being tempting to stop all payments, but all the time you do pay you are keeping your end of the agreement up and if it does ever go to court that will be in your favour.