My SOA - bitter reading......

happyhaddock_2

Hi Bertman, Halifax is also our biggest creditor and they keep telling us to send a SOA to them but I have been reluctant to do so. I don't think they will look on it as favourably as CCCS and try to pressure us to give more than we can afford, also CCCS advised me that all creditors have to be treated the same and you can't pay one more than the other, which is what we had been doing. If Halifax ask me to send an SOA now I still wouldn't do it as they've been rather difficult to deal with.

bertman

They were the ones that advised me by letter to speak to the CCCS, I am over the card limit by £1000 which is made up of £24.00 x 5 months (£12.00 each for over limit and late payment), the remainder is the difference between what they let me pay as a reduced payment and what the total minimum payment was.

I got the letter off them on Friday and they rang today, they have given me 10 days to get the SOA off to them.

happyhaddock_2

Do you HAVE to do it then?, what have CCCS said, I really don't want to send an SOA to them:(

pure_dead_dopey

Happy and Bertman

Send the Halifax another copy of the CCCS letter and include copies of the paperwork that CCCS supplied, ie the SOA and your creditor list. They've already had this from CCCS, so you aren't giving them anything extra, just what they've had already. Lloyds did this to us, BUT, did phone and accept the DMP after they had received it, they also reduced interest from 26.9% to 6%, got to be worth a stamp?????

happyhaddock_2

Thanks PDD I'll wait and see what I get from them, sorry to hijack your thread Bertman:o

bertman

Hey no problem Happy Haddock (great name!!):j

bertman

So, a letter fell on the mat this morning from my friend at the Halifax. This time telling me that as I hadn't cleared my over limit they had closed my account and passed the whole debt to an agency....

I rang them up and got through to a guy who actually seemed to see my point of view. I have £1000 over my credit limit, they had writtien to me telling me to get hold of an agency like CCCS, I explained I felt like I was getting pushed into a DMP which could mean everyone looses out. He said it would be true, I offered to pay £500 a month for 4 months to them which would get me back within terms. He has set this up on his computer and I have asked him to put the offer in writing which he will.
The trouble I find though with the Halifax is that the different centres or departments don't seem to see the same screen so I end up getting calls asking for money which when I explain they find I have paid and am up to date with what has been agreed. They have twice raided my savings account, once talking money that had been set aside for legal fees!!
So I will see what happens with this, I have transferred some balances off higher rate cards to 0% cards. This will help out.

Also I found a site called Magpie who I have sold old CD's to which pocketed me £30!!

I actually feel a bit more in control

bertman

So - thought it was worth updating my thread.

We have now gone onto an interest only mortgage for 12 months which frees up money to throw at the credit cards, I have come to an agreement at last with the Halifax to pay them £500 a month for 3 months which will get me back within terms.
We have transferred some of the more expensive balances onto a 6% APR for life card which will help.
I have sold a load of CD's to Magpie for £30 which went onto a balance, I have also sold a load of bits and bobs on Ebay which goes off cards.

We feel a bit better now that we are paying things off, we know that there is a long way to go but at least we are heading in the right direction!!

Its actually good overpaying cards with small amounts little and often - each £1 is closer to payin them off for good.

Just a note of thanks to the guys and gals on this forum who have given me advice - you really are great people and helped pull us out of a crap situation.

bertman

So we have got the Halifax card back under the credit limit, which was suspended. We have also managed to get some balances totalling £6k onto interest free options.

But imagine my shock and horror from the biggest pack of to**ers - The Halifax, they have given me a lot of trouble over the last few months due to us paying below the minimum amount - which was agreed by them! We have had phone calls, letters all demanding money when they had actually agreed to the lower payments which we paid without and problems. They have now written to me and told me that after careful consideration they have allowed us to continue with the card - and please accept a higher limit!!! This is after hitting me for 6 months with overlimit fees..... Unbelievable!!
This has made me more determined to pay off all the debts and NEVER go near this pack of fools again....

verystupidwithmoney

zarazara wrote: »

There's over £43,000 available to spend [net income]. This is a huge amount. Its more than double what me and my family have per year and we are not in debt. For goodness sake,cut the cards up ,stop living above your means,save up for things and just dont have it if you dont have the cash. Holidays,TV's,lots of clothes etc are not necessary.

This is a terrible attitude. Let me tell you my story...

I left University into a £67,500 pound a year job working for a Software Development house. I worked for 2.5 years and the company went down (we handled millions of online transactions per day). Sadly, our major clients went under during the very early stages of recession, one being a well known company.

Being young(24) and not short of cash I wasted an awful amount of money. I didn't even bother buying a car but would rent a new model every so month. Audis, BMWs, Range Rovers and in the latter stage a 911. I lived in a beautiful rented apartment over-looking the Mersey and experienced some great moments, which sadly, money can only allow you to see.

I lost the lot. I spent all my money being young, naive and not thinking of my future. I ran into debt so not to end up on the street. Granted, my debt isn't huge, but its large enough for me.

Lucky, I found a small part time job as a chef not long ago while applying for new positions. I am also lucky to have two interviews towards the end of August which would wipe my debt clean in only a few months. But right now things are hard. It's very, very, very hard going from a 911 to the bus, trust me.

I learnt my lesson very, very, very, very hard. Granted, I had some nice things and a nice life but I'll be happy never seeing them again and enjoying my frugal debt free life. The situation has only made me stronger.

BTW, you are in debt. The whole country is and you've helped spend it with us all. I'm sure if we seen your SOA we'd pick things right out.

Please understand people come here for support. It's hard enough admitting the problem and dealing with it without having to read rude comments like that. If he earns £43,000 he probably deserves it.