Help needed

Marthasdad

My advice would be never speak to a DCA on the phone - do everything in writing and do not sign the letters.

What I would do is send them a token payment of what you can afford for this month (if that's only £1 then so be it) - with the payment send them a letter telling them that your finanacial situation means that you are having to review all your payments to creditirs and that you will be speaking with the CCCS (Consumer Credit Counselling Service) to get assistance with your income and expenditure - when you have done this, you will contact them again with an offer of a regular monthly amount that you can afford, after all your priority debts have been paid each month.

Preferably, give the CCCS a call before writing, they will give you a case number and you can quote this in the letter to show them that you are serious about dealing with the problem.

Finally - is your main account with Halifax? If so - get another account sorted straight away and have your wages etc. paid into that.

nat87

Thanks for your reply. My main account isn't with Halifax. I am really worried that if I don't make this payment today that I will be in deep trouble and they will send someone to my house as the man on the phone said that I need to make this payment today before it goes any further.

Marthasdad

Don't worry - they are only a DCA and they have really limited powers.

If you can't afford to make the payment, then don't - he is only trying to get you to pay so that he can hit his collection targets.

I get really angry when I here of DCAs doing this because I've experienced it and I know how it makes you feel when you're already really worried!

Please, please, phone the CCCS and they will put your mind at ease, they will help you put together a Statement of Affairs and advise you what to do with this idiot! You can then take control and stop worrying!

Fire_Fox

nat87 wrote: »

Hi
I had a text message to ring Albion debt collectors yesterday, so I phoned them and they said I am going to have to pay £40 by today, I haven't got this money. Would you advise me to pay this or speak to them again. Thanks

Neither: don 't ever deal with creditors by phone as they will bully you into paying what you can't afford and lie about what the consequences will be. Can you fill in a Statement of Affairs so we can see what we are dealing with? You will need this to do onto a DMP or to request reduced payments anyway.

Ames

You say they want money that you haven't got and should you pay them. You don't have a choice, you can't pay them. What will you do, not eat? Miss a payment on electric or water and end up in trouble with people who can really make your life difficult?

Ignore the guy on the phone, and if they ring again refuse to answer the security questions.

So what if they send someone round, what do you think they'll do? They can't break your legs or take your things. They can just ask you to let them in and ask you for some money. The best thing to do is leave them on the doorstep and do a rain dance.

RAS

Hi

if you do ANYthing at all by way of contact, write to them with a £1 token payment and tell them that your financial situation will improve in three months time, at which point you hope to increase the monthly payment. Then send £1 for the next two months. Do not phone tell or engage if they phone you.

But we do need to see your SOA if you can bear it, as we can help you more effectively with that information.

nat87

Thanks for your replies, at this moment in time I am doing a live chat with cccs (Im in work at the moment), I worry about things like this really don't want someone coming to my house. I could ask my boyfriends mum to pay this for me and give her the money when I get paid, but feel really cheeky.

Marthasdad

No No No - please don't borrow from family/friends to pay a DCA!

Carry on with the CCCS and take their advice - if you haven't got the £40 to pay the DCA, then please don't borrow it!

RAS

Hi

getting BF mum to help is not a good idea.

Please note that legally, debt collectors can only visit you by prior arrangement, if you agree and you can send them a letter removing this right to visit.

Not that they are likely to visit, just they have picked up from the phone call that this worries you so they are using this to frighten you becuas ethey knwo this threat is effective.

nat87

Thank you for all your advice you have been great, I feel a bit better. Didn't really get much advice from the live chat I will have to speak to them.