How much I saved via this website

DoingItAlone_2

Hi, I've just woken up after a good nights sleep. I had an amazing day yesterday due to this website. I think people must think I am mad when I explain why they need to log on to Money Saving Expert asap.

Basically my partner and I are self employed. My partner gave up work three months ago due to the birth of our first baby, a lovely little girl.

We knew times were going to be tough as we were going from two wages to just mine. We don't have any savings and live in a rented property.

Therefore, when my partner found out she was pregnant I took on all the work I could get, to get everything up to shape financially.

However, a few days after the birth of our daughter I was told by my main client that he did not have the money he was due to pay me. He had been promising me this money for months. This left us with literally nothing!

My partner became ill after the birth and had to go back to hospital for a few days. I decided I wasn't going to worry about money, I was taking some time off to be with my family.

I started working proper a few weeks ago and less than two weeks ago I had EDF engineers knock our door, saying they had a warrant to switch my Electric over to pre-paid meter. I streessed I had been phoning EDF and was told my account was not flagged and someone from EDF would call me to help me arrange a payment plan. They never did. I then offered almost half the money owed but was told that was not good enough.

I started searching the web for advice and found the Money Saving Expert website. I posted on the forum about my situation and got some almost instant advice on how to deal with EDF.

I then started posting about the client who owed me money and likewise got some great advice about how to reclaim the money without having to spend thousands of pounds, which I did not have, on solicitors.

Then I started to read about the PPI claims. I had just finished paying off a loan about 2 months ago. It was a five year loan with the Halifax and I knew I had PPI, which I never wanted.

So I spent one evening reading the website, forum threads and watching the videos. It was late Sunday night, I figured I had nothing to lose. I downloaded the reclaim PPI questionaire and completed it.

I had a few questions about how to complete the form and posted them online, as and when. Within an hour or two my questions were always answered.

The day before yesterday we posted the PPI complaint form to our bank HQ.

I'd also decided, now I had a bit of confidence again, that I would challenge some charges I felt the bank had unfairly applied to the loan. These ammounted to over £760 and were, I felt, completely unfair due to the fact that I had paid the loan off, had had insurarance and now the bank were saying I owed what was a little over 10% of the actual loan ammount.

So I phoned the bank and decided to ask them to wipe the charges. I briefly explained my side of things and was told someone would call me back in due course.

Less than 24 hours later I got a call from the Halifax asking to talk to me about my PPI claim. I was shocked at 1 - How quick they had got back to me and 2 - At them calling me. This was not mentioned on the Money Saving Expert website.

I agreed to talk to them and they said they were phoning to tell me they were upholding my complaint and someone would be contacting me within 14 days to arrange my payment.

I was shocked but stayed cool on the phone.

I then got another call litterally 30 minutes later and it was about my charges complaint. They asked to hear my side of things over the phone. Again, I kept my cool, was honest and told them what had happened. They said they would get back to me.

I then recieved ANOTHER call and it was the Redress team phoning to tell me they had got a final figure on what they were paying me back and asking how I would like the money paid.. by cheque or into my account.

The figure they said they were repaying me back was £3102. I was in complete shock. The loan was for £7500 and the PPI charges ammounted to a little over £1800. They explained it was the PPI charges, plus interest, plus an 8% goodwill ammount.

Whilst I was celebrating with my partner we then got another call from the Halifax and it was the lady I had spoke to about the bank charges and she was phoning to inform me that she was refunding all charges to my account.

I could not believe what I was hearing. I was being given back £3102 and they were wiping £760 charges. I was, within the space of hours, transfered from being in a very worrying financial situation to 100% debt free from the banks.

So.. In under 2 weeks the MSE website has saved me a lot of hassles from EDF. It has helped me get on the road to reclaiming money owed to me from a bad debtor and it has made me 100% debt free with the bank.

Most importantly it has helped me GENERATE some MUCH NEEDED spare CASH, Which is enough for me to pay my outstanding EDF, Water, Council Tax and TV license bills. I will then be 100% debt free.

I have been self employed for 10 years. I have fought adversity to maintain integrity. I am often late at paying my bills, mainly due to people not paying me on time but.. I ALWAYS PAY MY WAY!

I always felt cheated by the fact I work so hard and just one late paying client can put me in financial hardship. For nigh on ten years I've been paying back loans which I have taken on myself, instead of declaring myself bankrupt, in times of cashflow crisis.

I can't stress enough how great it feels to wake up this morning knowing that such a big burden has been lifted from my shoulders and I put it all down to information I got from this website.

I feel it's my duty to post this message and last night I was speaking to my Aunty, who has also been paying for PPI that she did not want, so I am now going to start helping her.

I would also like to thank Di and Amersall for the help they gave in the forums. A genuine, really easy going, pleasure...

Total ammount generated: £3102
Total ammount saved: £760
TOTAL TOTAL AMMOUNT = £3862

A massive thanks!
Doing It Alone

Mrs_Jojo

Well done you!

Danniboi_2

I dont always post on here but I often read the threads to see if Im losing money somewhere, I find its an inspiring place to be, and of all the forums I visit this is the most friendly and focused of them all, becuase at the end of the day we all want the same thing here and thats to save money any which way we can, we are all in it together and reading your story gives other hope. The best tip I can give anyone when it comes to money is this, Its only money, dont stress over it it will get you nowhere, get up and do something about your sisuation feel inpired and know that your not the only one trying to make ends meet. Dont get down, get up.