Help please, Welcome Finance just called at my house.

miss_bexy

OH is due to start his DMP with CCCS on July 1st. As advised we cancelled this months direct debits and Welcome's payment was missed on June 17th.

A rep from them just called at my house. I am home alone and due to give birth any time now, am already overdue and wouldnt usually even answer the door but he rang the bell 3 times and knocked the window so I thought it was someone I knew.

He said George MUST call them or he will be back at the house this week. He didn't mention CCCS so neither did I.
We have sent them a token payment and a letter about him starting the DMP.
I don't know what to do, the man really scared me.

loupee

I'm sorry I can't really help you, but,
I had a similar thing last week, I pay welcome £20 a week, I missed one weeks payment, the guy phoned saying it was a 'courtesy call' and we agreed I'd pop into the office with the cash when I was next in town. 3 days later there was a knock on the door, we live in a flat and the buzzer hadn't gone, I wouldn't normally have answered it but I was expecting a delivery. Turned out to be an agent from welcome wanting my £20. I paid her and got a receipt, but I was fuming. I rang up my contact at welcome, and told him I wanted full documentation of my outstanding debt with him. I've asked for this before and was told to go to the office. All he did was scribble some stuff on paper and tell me what I owed, but left with nothing official. Should I be able to get a letter detailing what I owe? Am I being really naive.
Sorry for hi-jacking

miss_bexy

I think its disgusting they would call at peoples homes and especially at 7 or 8 pm.

I'm really, really panicking. Is this the start of daily visits from them? I don't know what to do.

miss_bexy

I'm a pain I know but I'm just bumping as this has knocked me for six. I'm due to give birth any day now and can't be coping with this. Is this the start of it all??? I'm so scared now the Bank of Ireland will be next, threatening him with bankrupcy or something.
Is there anything you can do to stop people calling at your home?? Like the letters that ask for no phone calls etc?

Please somebody advise me as to what I can do about this home visit. They aren't due to get a payment from CCCS till the end of July, so he will have missed 2 payments by then.

loupee

:grouphug:
just wanted to give you a hug, please don't be getting stressed out, in my experience this company has strange ways of doing things.
I hope someone wiser will be along soon.
When is you husband home? Does he know its happened?

loupee

bump bump bumpety bump

jo1972

Please ring National Debtline as soon as possible, they are a charity organisation that will be able to give you good advice and tell you where you stand. Do not answer the door to these people, you have rights.

Good luck with the next few weeks, I hope everything works out okay with this and the birth

miss_bexy

I can't ring Debtline as they don't deal with Northern Ireland. But he is already with CCCS. I contacted them and they said he is allowed to call at our home, and we would have to write to complain to ask him to stop.
I really didn't think this would happen and it's really scared me.

I am hoping it is just because Welcome aren't aware of the DMP yet. As the man came from the Belfast office, and we have never dealt with them before. My OH applied for his loan online and we only had an English address for them. So we re sent a letter of notification of a DMP to the Belfast office today.

Still very, very scared. Up until last month OH was making all his payments on time, just having to rob peter to pay paul in order to do so. Now we have collectors calling at the house?!?!

Tixy

Hi Miss-bexy

There is a letter you can send that legally tells them not to visit you - see the part in blue in this post
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=22111051&postcount=2

Suggest you send an amended version of this by recoreded delivery & that may help stop them.

EDIT: Sorry just seen you are not in England. Hmmm don't send this then as the laws quoted won't be valid. Not sure if there is a similar law /template for N Ireland.

mrcow

First of all - don't be scared.

The guy can call at your house, but you don't have to engage with him. If at any time any caller to your house makes you feel threatened or intimidated, call 999 immediately. I suggest that you answer the door with phone in hand.

Write the letter that has been suggested earlier in the thread and send it and fax it - that way, they will get it immediately.

Once the DMP starts, things will calm down. Companies like this use these tactics to try and "eek" money out of people. Don't fall for it. You're with the CCCS and you are doing everything right.

FYI - don't listen to any threats that the guy may make about coming back to your house or being able to take your property etc - he has absolutely no rights whatsoever. If you feel he's harassing you, then tell him so and call the police.

And get his name from his ID if you can and make sure he sees you writing it down.

Do you have a door chain? If so, then use it! It will make you feel less intimidated.

Tixy

The only thing I can find about NI is something about if you are being harrased by your creditrs get legal advice from CAB. I know you are with CCCS but might be worth asking CAB if they can suggest a letter you can send to stop home visits.