Metropolitan/HSBC advice please

yellowpinky

Hi all, I hope someone can give me some advice.

I've been on a DMP with Payplan since September. HSBC are one of my creditors, and in April they passed my account over to Payment Services Bureau/Metropolitan (which I know is HSBC), who accepted straightaway. They did say in their "acceptance" leter that I had to pay them on the first of the month (as opposed to Payplan's payment date), and set up a standing order to pay them directly, neither of which I was able to do. After a month they started sending me Missed Payment letters, and now I've had a Final Demand saying I "hadn't kept to the terms of the agreement", and a further "pay up or it may go to court" letter, in the last three weeks. I asked Payplan about the Missed Payment and Final Demand letters at the time, and they said it was early days and things would probably settle down. I also asked Payplan to check Metropolitan were getting the payments, which they are. I've asked them about this latest letter, and now they sound a bit confused and want me to send them a copy.

I do understand that a DMP isn't legally binding and a creditor can take you to court at any time if they want to. Has anybody else had dealings with Metropolitan/HSBC like this? So far I've done nothing but now feel I have to give them some response and have written back reiterating I'm on a DMP and that they are getting my payments. I'd be very grateful for any advice/experience - I feel that Payplan can only do so much and I might have to be more proactive about this.

Thank you, YP

suze72

Hi yellowpinky

I too have HSBC debts which were passed to Metropolitan. When something similar happened to us I phoned them up and they were really nice and understanding - not like their other HSBC colleagues at all :cool: - and sorted the problem straight away. I haven't heard a peep since, and this was getting on for 12 months ago.

I would give them a ring, if my experience was anything to go by you should have no problems.

Hope that helps

Sue.

DVardysShadow

This seems to be a common pattern across a few creditors. First they go along with the DMP. Then they insist on a particular payment day. Then they throw a paddy because they don't get the money on 'their' day - and they make it out to be late paymnets.

On the whole, I don't think there is malice, just IT incompetence which leads to 'Computer says No' - basically they put the DMP on some IT system and look for payments coming in, but because it is a low priority system, they never write the bit of software which allows the manual payments they probably received to be taken into account in deciding that the payments are in fact coming in regularly and on time.

On the whole it is quite shoddy.

yellowpinky

Suze72 and DVardysShadow, thank you both for your replies and for shedding light on things. It's a mystery to me what goes on in these places! I feel a bit better now I know what's happening. I really really don't like ringing creditors and prefer to deal with them by letter but if doing that worked for you, Sue, I'll see what Payplan say when they've seen the letter, then I might give it a go later in the week.

YP:)

greytdog_2

i always found metropolitan very easy to deal with. Just explain and be firm and you will be fine.