Debt Advice Network - anyone used them?

Loubie_Loo

Hi,

Has anyone used this organisation before?

Thanks

Louise

Ames

If they're a fee charging company then avoid like the plague. There are other companies that can help you for free - cccs/payplan/cab. Or if it's just information you want then there's national debt line.

fermi

Never heard of them, but the Charity Commission website does list a registered charity by that name.

Personally however, I would stick with the organisations that are well known to be OK.

mesirnosir

Hi Loubie Lou

The Debt Advice Network don't charge fees.

They provide FREE advice to ANYONE AND EVERYONE about ANY money worries - doesn't matter which type, they deal with it all: unsecured loans, credit cards, secured loans, mortgages, rent arrears (even if it's your landlord and not you who's in financial difficulty!), etc.

They will give you advice and options to you and help you to deal.

Angiepange

Hi,

I have experience of using Debt advice Network and im afraid its not good so far. Initially an advisor came round to see us beginning of May and gather all info re our debts. They said they would pass it all on to girls in the office who would start work on our file. Huge relief to us as at last we thought we were getting professional help and advice.

Our new advisor from office got in contact to tell us they would be sending out letters on our behalf to all creditors and all future correspondence would be dealt with by them. This is where things start to get difficult. On their advice we cancelled all DD due at the end of May (we couldnt afford to pay them) and waited for creditors to start ringing etc. Tried ringing and emailing our advisor and left voicemail messages asking if letters had been sent and what was said in them and could we have copies so at least could be prepared for when speaking to creditors.

Basically got 1 call back from her beginning of June saying she thought the letters would be sent in next couple days as girl in office who types them had been off, and she would email us copies. That was 3 wks ago and have heard nothing, no replies to our calls and it has really left us in limbo as creditors want financial details from us and thats what DAN were supposed to be doing for us. I know they are a charity and appreciate they are very busy but feel they shouldnt advertise themselves as giving all this free impartial advice and telling you you are not alone, then never return your calls/emails!!

Good thing to have come out of this experience is I started posting on this site for advice ( had only looked from afar before!) and have found wonderful people :A who have replied with some great advice, its a real lifeline for someone trying to sort out their debts. Thankyou everyone.

Angie x

loobyshorse

Hi Angiepange.

I speak as a volunteer for the above mentioned charity who also visits people in the comfort of their own home (or somewhere else they feel comfortable) If I am honest I was dissappointed with the lack of response from head office until recently, I know that they have been severely understaffed but now have much more help from volunteers and the feedback is so much quicker, I have a client of mine that has had their reposession stopped and now receive regular updates, I would strongly advise you contact your adviser again and you should find the service much quicker. Debt Advice Network genuinely do have the greatest heart and really want to help but people as quickly as they can which now should be much quicker. I can confirm that their advice is completely free and impartial.

LeeSouthEast

Spammed... I'm overwhelmed by the number of "first post"ers here..

Angiepange

loobyshorse wrote: »

Hi Angiepange.

I speak as a volunteer for the above mentioned charity who also visits people in the comfort of their own home (or somewhere else they feel comfortable) If I am honest I was dissappointed with the lack of response from head office until recently, I know that they have been severely understaffed but now have much more help from volunteers and the feedback is so much quicker, I have a client of mine that has had their reposession stopped and now receive regular updates, I would strongly advise you contact your adviser again and you should find the service much quicker. Debt Advice Network genuinely do have the greatest heart and really want to help but people as quickly as they can which now should be much quicker. I can confirm that their advice is completely free and impartial.

I appreciate your reply but now 2 months down the line of dealing with DAN we have no further information from them. I have lost count of the no of phonecalls and emails i have sent to my advisor that have been ignored and not replied to. When they have got in contact by e mail they have promised to ring on a certain day or said they will be in touch shortly and then i have heard nothing. In fact the lack of response and the promises that are then not carried out have caused us so much stress in what is an already very difficult situation. We have deliberately not contacted creditors ourselves on DAN advice because they promised us they would be sending letters out on our behalf. We are now faced with defaults and a build up of arrears and realise that DAN have not contacted our creditors as promised and we feel so angry that we have wasted all this time waiting for their help in sorting our situation out. I fully understand that they are severely under staffed but its the fact that we have been promised countless times by our advisor they would call on a certain day, so i wait in all day for a call which never comes.

On a more positve note I have sought advice from the CCCS and National debtline and various other people that has enabled us to move forward and while i am still extremely upset with DAN i do not have the energy at the moment to make a more formal complaint. They are the least of our worries but i just wanted to let other people in desperate need of debt advice know that there are free impartial organisations such as mentioned above that will advise you.

Angie

obipiekenobi

I signed up to Debt Advice Network as an adviser earlier on this year. They were glad to take my money, book me onto a training course at my expense and order me business cards at my expense. Calling me every day to chase me , see how i am etc. since i got off the course (which was as much use as a chocolate teapot!) i havnt had a single call from them, limited replies to emails, saying i will be contacted by the end of the week.
in my opinion a total sham!

Angiepange

Thanks for reply,

I just feel completely misled by them and having taken their advice to cancel our payments to creditors while they process letters on our behalf (which were never actually done) has caused us more problems. I wish we had never heard of them and we only approached them on the recommendation of a friend of a friend of someone who works for Eurodebt!!

Nightmare!!:mad:

Sorry to hear you have lost money paying for your course etc.

Angie

Tixy

Angie - have you now cancelled your agreement with them? And arranged an appointment with CCCS or Payplan? If not this is your next course of action. In the meantime send your creditors a letter saying you are seeking advice from a debt charity and if you can a £1 token payment - that way they'll know you haven't run from your debts - template letter - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=21654579&postcount=91