Hello, advice sought

BlueIsTheColour

Not wishing to through a spanner in the works at all but if you are making token payments on CCCS advise, then they are not officially your representatives, and won't talk to Barclays for you. As others have suggested I would just send your £4 along with the letter and budget from CCCS, put the date on it yourself if you have too.

A lot of the time Barclays et al are like they are as they are wanting to weedle out the chancers who can really afford to pay but dont feel like it, they think that if they apply strong arm tactics people who are blagging will cave in, but when you aren't blagging unfortunately you get treated the same way..... I have also had more than my fair share of problems with Barclays, resulting in currently pending complaint with the FO.

Why not send them the template letter asking them to remove your phone number, so that should cut down the hassle. Take a look at post5 on here... http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=11636295#post11636295 send it recorded delivery though so you can prove it was received, and don't sign the letter, just type it on.

If you keep paying your £4 and it does go to court, the judge will see that you have been doing everything you could and will certainly not make you pay back any more than you can afford.

Try not to get stressed by it, that's what they want you to do, it'll weaken your resolve and then they will strike, don't give in, you are doing the best you can, good luck with everything

10past6

wishface wrote: »

the bank also specifically asked for an up to date budget

You're under No legal obligation to send ANYONE other than a court an I&E.

wishface

I asked the bank what a 'cccs assisted financial statement' was, since that's what they want (presumably a budget). They then said that they wouldn't accept anything sent by me, even if it comes from the cccs, but only if sent directly from the cccs. They claimed that this is how things are done and the only way that things are done.

i feel i'm caught between a rock and a hard place quite frankly, meanwhile the monthly interest charges mount up and up.

wishface

the cccs are now refusing to help; each time i ring them they tell me i need to speak to another department. There i'm told that i've been given the wrong information and need to speak to the first department. I can't believe how incompetent they have become.

justruth

Then go to the CAB or one of the other debt charities. From what you have said you would benefit from a sit down chat with someone which the CAB can do. They also have access to lots of other resources if you are being harrased. Meanwhile continue with the arrangements you have made through the CCCS.

wishface

Continuing with the arrangements will be difficult as the paperwork they have now sent, after making all their system changes, doesn't contain the requisite information (the old paperwork did) and they won't do anything about it.

justruth

You have given Barclays sufficient information that £4 is all you can afford. As these appear to be the only ones who are making it difficult for you it is mostly thses that I am refering to. If you are finding the CCCS is not working for you then go to one of the other charities. If Barclays are threatening to pass your account onto an agency then that could actually work out alright for you as they may be easier to deal with as they buy the debt at a massively reduced rate.

caramia1812

Hang in there Wishface. I had the same trouble with CCCS they sent me stuff to send off and beg my creditors to freeze interest etc. Creditors refused and continued to add interest (£1200 in the 4 months that it took to reach an arrangement with them). I then went to CAB who also wrote on my behalf but STILL HBOS credit cards refused to play ball. I ended up paying what they asked me to pay i.e. a reduced payment equivalent of 1% of the balance each month and did this for a year. I am now back to square one again and have written on numerous occasions and had conflicting information back by letter and phone and I know EXACTLY what you mean about topping yourself but DON'T. I was so close last year it scared the hell out of me. Be strong and as one of the posters stated in the worst case scenario it will go to Court. Well I for one hope mine do take me to Court as I also have no-one to speak out for me and at least it will be dealt with fairly. Keep a record of all correspondence and phone calls from/to Barclays. I have done everything humanly possible and I am so fed up with incompetence I fully intend to take my case all the way to the top and get as much publicity as I possibly can - starting with my local MP if I do not get a satisfactory response! Some days you will feel angry and strong and other days you will feel hopeless and lost. HANG IN THERE and do not let them get to you!

wishface

justruth wrote: »

You have given Barclays sufficient information that £4 is all you can afford. As these appear to be the only ones who are making it difficult for you it is mostly thses that I am refering to. If you are finding the CCCS is not working for you then go to one of the other charities. If Barclays are threatening to pass your account onto an agency then that could actually work out alright for you as they may be easier to deal with as they buy the debt at a massively reduced rate.

According to barclays i haven't given them sufficient information; they've sent all the paperwork i've sent them back asking for stuff the cccs should have given me (a dated budget for starters and a list of creditors with what i can pay each) and won't. the bank may very well be playing games with me, I know that. But it doesn't help that the cccs have decided not to bother to help anymore and simply refuse to send out the proper information. I spent all afternoon getting shunted between departments ringing them up to try and get them to help; the counsellor who filled in this informationcoudln't be othered to return my call and frankly had an attitude when I spekke to him last week.

All i wanted them to do was send the budget with the current date, but isntead i had to go throuh the whoel counselling process afresh. I have nothing good to say about that organisation at all; a complete shambles.

justruth

Juat to add to that, if they carry on like this and take you to court, then the judge will rule that you can only afford to pay so much. They can't argue against that.

How DARE these companies treat anyone in this way!? Just think how they treat you and the number of people that they bully and harrass like this. Make the stand and smile sending £4 a month. Just imagine how much you must be royally pis- upsetting them - for them to try this on you.

No more letters, no more responding by phone, unplug it and get relatives to call a PAYG mobile if they want you. Read all the post they send you and wait for the court date. If it arrives then great, if not then just keep smiling, sneding the £4 and keeping note of every charge before takinging THEM to court to reclaim your bank charges.