Sorry old chap, the money has run out!

tony_ack

speshfesh wrote: »

Hi Tony,

Don't worry about the letters:mad:, challenge them on it if you feel the need to and definitely get your cash out of there!;)

May as well carry on to the Ombudsman with the bank charges complaint - the main reason for the rejection was that they didn't feel the bank charges were solely responsible for making my finances worse (they neglected to consider the other reasons I had listed).

They also included a speech about how Barclays would help if I came to them, but they relied on customers to come to them rather than being pro-active. The time I came to them to extend my overdraft a couple of months ago (which they rejected as I was over my overdraft) must have slipped their mind then.

Not really fussed about the Halifax letter - going to wait for the DMP to settle down first then find out whether last months payment has actually been credited or not. Who knows, I may be in line for another 'sorry' payment if they've still not sorted it, but don't want to rock the boat just yet.

[Deleted User]

tony_ack wrote: »

Hi Domino,

Thanks for the feedback, though my SOA is quite a bit out of date now and I have made most of the savings already suggested. Sky is cut to basic package, project car gone, Giffgaff for mobile, £20 per week for shopping (live on my own now), don't buy clothes very often unless I have to!

Thinking of ditching Sky completely now TBH - Game of Thrones has now finished and that and the F1 were pretty much the only things left that I watched on there! If only the F1 was still on BBC...

Sounds like you've been making lots of positive changes - good luck with the debt free journey!

D9

Macca83_2

Tony, I really feel for you. I've been reading your thread off and on from the beginning when you first realised your shortfall, through to having to sell your project car and getting your partner on board. I was really happy for you and the progress you made!
I was gutted when i went back to read the second half of the thread. Things just don't turn out like you'd imagine eh? I just wanted to offer my support. Like many others on here your diary has been an inspiration in perseverance! You've tackled your debt head on and i hope you're proud of what you've achieved so far! I know we all are!

louloufox

Hi Tony
Have been reading your thread with interest and you really have been doing so well. I was really sorry to hear about your problems with your other half and your health. Please look after yourself and get some help from the doctor's. Some anti depressants can really help you get over a very stressful time.

A couple of points came to mind re managing on a tight budget.
Do try to get an emergency fund together asap as surprises do happen!

Also if you don't already do this start a cash book of your bank account and record everything going in and out.
Take out of your book all direct debits at the start of each month. (this will make it easier to know what you have left.
I then built up a little cushion in this account £50 or £100 which I call my float - I also take this out in my book - this should help to stop you going overdrawn and costing money !

Anyway you have my very best wished and I do hope things improve for you - the DMP should definitely help.

tony_ack

louloufox wrote: »

Hi Tony
Have been reading your thread with interest and you really have been doing so well. I was really sorry to hear about your problems with your other half and your health. Please look after yourself and get some help from the doctor's. Some anti depressants can really help you get over a very stressful time.

A couple of points came to mind re managing on a tight budget.
Do try to get an emergency fund together asap as surprises do happen!

Also if you don't already do this start a cash book of your bank account and record everything going in and out.
Take out of your book all direct debits at the start of each month. (this will make it easier to know what you have left.
I then built up a little cushion in this account £50 or £100 which I call my float - I also take this out in my book - this should help to stop you going overdrawn and costing money !

Anyway you have my very best wished and I do hope things improve for you - the DMP should definitely help.

Like this idea too - would be nice to have a £100 buffer in my current account for just in case scenarios. I've also started a spending diary, which records everything I spend OVER my budget (conversely if I spend less on shopping one week, I enter the difference as a negative figure).

I managed to pay my mum back the first £50 today, though she says she needs the rest back before she goes on holiday.

STILL nothing back yet regarding my basic account applications, been a week now. I guess these things take time, but I want to dump my current account ASAP!

Thanks again for the messages of support, life in general is looking a bit better this week!

tony_ack

Got my first response back to the DMP today! MBNA have accepted a reduced payment and reduced the interest to 8% (still a bit high, but better than it was). They also said something about making sure I'd made my last payment, though I only made a token payment so far. Can't afford anything else though, so hope that satisfies!

Good news today - my last gas/electricity bill was £120 in the red . I entered my meter readings today and now it's £110 in credit!

Pay day today, but just like any other day I guess...

STILL no sign of the paperwork for the two basic accounts I've applied for - tried to ring co-op who I applied to by phone but their systems are down, tried to ring RBS who I applied to online but they said they can't find the application GRRRR... but then I found out they were being taken over by Santander, who are one of my creditors, so I told them to leave it.

Any ideas for another basic bank account? Barclays, MBNA, Santander, and Halifax all ruled out as they're my creditors, and already (hopefully) setting one up with co-op.

NeverAgain_2

This lot offer a couple of accounts, it appears the more basic one doesn't require a credit check:

https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/

joedenise

NeverAgain wrote: »

This lot offer a couple of accounts, it appears the more basic one doesn't require a credit check:

https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/

Metrobank only have branches in and around London so unless you can get to one of their branches you won't be able to open an account because you have to go in to a branch and can't open an account on line although once set up everything can be done on line.

Denise

tony_ack

Okay... what's going on? Everyone is being far too nice.

I was expecting the phone to be ringing non-stop by now, and yet today was the first time I got a couple of missed calls from 'Unknown', and an answerphone message. And... it turned out to be the council, to discuss their free cavity wall/loft insulation scheme.

Three official looking letters greeted me today when I got home from work... two were more bumpf about my new basic bank account (finally got the co-op account opened last week), and the third was a letter from Barclaycard, saying that in response to my letter informing them about my DMP, they were freezing all the charges and interest until they heard from CCCS (CCCS are waiting for my instruction to contact Barclays/Barclaycard as my current account is with Barclays).

Why is everyone being so nice?

Still yet to hear from Halifax, who's silence is a little ominous to be honest, compared to their badgering last month before I set up the DMP...

And to cap it all off, today was a NSD because I left my wallet at home (accidentally!)

Planning the old switcheroo on the bank accounts after my direct debits go out on the first - just going to withdraw everything up to my overdraft limit into my new account, and carry on from there, before the Barclays charges are applied on 4th.

speshfesh

tony_ack wrote: »

Okay... what's going on? Everyone is being far too nice.

I was expecting the phone to be ringing non-stop by now, and yet today was the first time I got a couple of missed calls from 'Unknown', and an answerphone message. And... it turned out to be the council, to discuss their free cavity wall/loft insulation scheme.

Three official looking letters greeted me today when I got home from work... two were more bumpf about my new basic bank account (finally got the co-op account opened last week), and the third was a letter from Barclaycard, saying that in response to my letter informing them about my DMP, they were freezing all the charges and interest until they heard from CCCS (CCCS are waiting for my instruction to contact Barclays/Barclaycard as my current account is with Barclays).

Why is everyone being so nice?

Still yet to hear from Halifax, who's silence is a little ominous to be honest, compared to their badgering last month before I set up the DMP...

And to cap it all off, today was a NSD because I left my wallet at home (accidentally!)

Planning the old switcheroo on the bank accounts after my direct debits go out on the first - just going to withdraw everything up to my overdraft limit into my new account, and carry on from there, before the Barclays charges are applied on 4th.

Hi Tony,

A bit disconcerting isn't it?:)
I'm in the same position at the moment. I think you'll find that they'll probably put a time limit on the 'niceness' (probably around 3mths) and then try to push harder.:mad:
The advice I've had from others here if that happens, is to simply get CCCS to push back and re-assert your circumstances haven't changed. Hopefully they'll offer the same concessions again but for a longer period (possibly to a series of 12mth review periods).:)

Stay frosty and dig in for the long haul would be my advice.;)
I know I will be!:D