DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 8

AmyV_2

Tigsmom wrote: »

Sorry i can't help with the DMP as I'm just starting mine (MOT is due this month though :eek:) but one thing I will say is please don't be as stupid as I was with my first child and think that you need everything on the 'new baby' list and it has to be NEW. Most second hand baby items are a lot cheaper and virtually new as they outgrow everything in just weeks. Babies don't need a fancy bathing unit as a kitchen sink is perfect until they can sit in a big bath. Go straight for a cot/bed which will grow with your child. You don't need baskets, cribs etc as they soon outgrow them. I learnt my lesson with my second child but only after I'd spent a fortune in Mothercare with my first child.:( My daughter had 5 beds and 3 prams before she was 2! My son has had one of each (carefully chosen to grow with him). If you're not sure if you need it or not ask me! Good luck and remember all your little one really needs is milk and love.

Great advice Tigsmom and you are absolutely right. Luckily, being a bit of a skinflint I did borrow a lot of stuff and bought stuff second hand from friends, but I still managed to buy the whole milk-expressing kit though I only used it once, and also a babyfood warmer (!) I mean, why on earth would anyone need a babyfood warmer? what was I thinking?! Oh and I did buy the baby bath/changing table unit which was a complete faff to use as a bath so just got used as a changing table.

Tigsmom

bertman wrote: »

Hey Tigsmom,
I wanted to share this with you. I got a missed call yesterday from HSBC and also an email from them asking me to call them ASAP. I rang them with my statement and got through to the call centre, after going through the usual "security" - inside leg measurement, dogs name etc. I got an apology from the guy on the end of the phone, he said that I shouldn't be getting contacted while they were negotiating with CCCS, they did say though that they hadn't had any contact with them, even though CCCS said they had sent the details twice.
We ended the call with HSBC saying they wouldn't contact me apart from by letter until the end of October!
It would be worth ringing them and stating again that you are on a DMP and see what they say. In my experience they will keep ringing until they do get an answer.
Hope you get some success with this.
Bertman.

Thanks Bertman. I only got one call yesterday, or I think I did - I was out most of the day and they never leave a message. I've asked them to email or write but they've done neither. I've been following the advice on the CCCS website and ignoring them and logging calls but it's just so annoying the phone ringing all hours. Before this we hardly used our home phone and would have got rid of it if we didn't need the line for the internet. Our last quarterly bill had 5 calls on it! You don't happen to have the number you rang do you? It's mostly an 0800 number that calls but sometimes 01142 or 01162.

nfollows1982

Morning all!

Just thought I’d drop by with a quick update now things have settled down a bit.

First payment made to Payplan on 28th July and payments have gone to creditors with the following results:

Capital One – accepted DMP frozen all interest and charges straight away
Barclaycard – ditto
RBS Credit Card – accepted DMP, wrote me a letter to say that they will default me and then all interest and charges will be stopped 28 days after that.
Vanquis – accepted and reduced interest to a nominal £1 a month to begin with, but I contacted them direct and this is now 0%
Barclays Bank – they have accepted although they have added on £44 of charges for going into the emergency reserve whilst things were getting sorted. Online banking is now showing interest on the OD as 0% so that’s all good.

The 4 credit card accounts have been amended online to reflect the minimum payment being as per the offer from Payplan; they have all been brilliant.

Natwest are being a bit of a nightmare though. They still haven’t accepted the proposal even though they have taken the payments sent from Payplan.

Like HSBC are being with Tigsmom I am getting phone calls left right and centre – even though I’ve told them to contact Payplan. One call was from the lending department offering to lend me £35k on Friday morning – they got told where to go!!

Overall I am happy with the results so far – just need to get Natwest on side!

nfollows1982

Tigsmom wrote: »

Thanks Bertman. I only got one call yesterday, or I think I did - I was out most of the day and they never leave a message. I've asked them to email or write but they've done neither. I've been following the advice on the CCCS website and ignoring them and logging calls but it's just so annoying the phone ringing all hours. Before this we hardly used our home phone and would have got rid of it if we didn't need the line for the internet. Our last quarterly bill had 5 calls on it! You don't happen to have the number you rang do you? It's mostly an 0800 number that calls but sometimes 01142 or 01162.

We just unplugged our house phone and it saves getting calls at all times of the day.

You can still use your internet without the phone being plugged in and if you need to ring any 0800 or 0845 numbers then just use saynoto0870 and find an alternative number to ring on your mobile.

If you have an android phone you can download the app and 0800 buster and it automatically generates a landline number to call so you dont run up big mobile bills.

Tigsmom

AmyV wrote: »

Great advice Tigsmom and you are absolutely right. Luckily, being a bit of a skinflint I did borrow a lot of stuff and bought stuff second hand from friends, but I still managed to buy the whole milk-expressing kit though I only used it once, and also a babyfood warmer (!) I mean, why on earth would anyone need a babyfood warmer? what was I thinking?! Oh and I did buy the baby bath/changing table unit which was a complete faff to use as a bath so just got used as a changing table.

I suppose you could say I had a baby LBM with my 2nd child. It occured to me that babies in some countries have none of this stuff and still survive. When you have your first child the pressure is on to have a beautiful nursery and naively you want the best for your child so buy everything you see in the glossy magazines. My bathing unit only got used a couple of times, then I got a bath hammock thingy, then an overbath thingy! (they're all still in the loft!) My daughter had reflux. It broke my heart to hear her cry all the time (plus we hardly slept!) so we moved from basket to rocking crib then an electric rotating crib for reflux, then a rocking swing (this one actually worked!). Eventually she moved into a cot then a toddler bed. All we needed to do was buy some infant gaviscon! It makes me cringe to think how much we spent. My mum told me she was born during the war and slept in the bottom drawer with a blanket in it! :rotfl:

Bleachbird

Hi ,
Just a very big thank you for the advice. Have decided to start the dmp in October to get a bit of cash together as a cushion. Have listed all dd's and dates of them and will need to fork out £20 to NRAM for a statement on unsecured loan balance cheeky blighters! Hope I get the statement soon as the next payment of £179 is due on on 5th sept and I want to cancel the dd.
Looking forward to opening up co-op cashminder tomorrow morning, does anyone know if you can open an instant access savings account alongside it so I can move a tenner now and again as I want to wierdly get into saving again (obv not much!!).
Thanks again,
bb x

Hopelessly_Hopeful

Bleachbird wrote: »

Hi ,
Just a very big thank you for the advice. Have decided to start the dmp in October to get a bit of cash together as a cushion. Have listed all dd's and dates of them and will need to fork out £20 to NRAM for a statement on unsecured loan balance cheeky blighters! Hope I get the statement soon as the next payment of £179 is due on on 5th sept and I want to cancel the dd.
Looking forward to opening up co-op cashminder tomorrow morning, does anyone know if you can open an instant access savings account alongside it so I can move a tenner now and again as I want to wierdly get into saving again (obv not much!!).
Thanks again,
bb x

Hi and Welcome

Please dont pay for the statement. Register with noddle you can see for free. If it hasnt been updated for 2 months you will be able to see the trend so you and CCCS can see the balance. I would lodge a complaint re £20 charge, if they dont play ball it is your right to report them to the FOS.

I would cancel their direct debit and send £1 token.

Good idea to start in October. Can I suggest you try to live off the CCCS budget as a practice run to see if it works etc.


Yes to coop question. Welcome to your new life

HHx

Tigsmom

Bleachbird wrote: »

Hi ,
Just a very big thank you for the advice. Have decided to start the dmp in October to get a bit of cash together as a cushion. Have listed all dd's and dates of them and will need to fork out £20 to NRAM for a statement on unsecured loan balance cheeky blighters! Hope I get the statement soon as the next payment of £179 is due on on 5th sept and I want to cancel the dd.
Looking forward to opening up co-op cashminder tomorrow morning, does anyone know if you can open an instant access savings account alongside it so I can move a tenner now and again as I want to wierdly get into saving again (obv not much!!).
Thanks again,
bb x

I'm not with co-op I'm with Nationwide but as my credit rating was good (I just couldn't afford the min payments anymore) I cheekily opened a current account before I went into default with my payments. I have a £250 overdraft which will be my emergency fund until I can save enough to not need it. Hopefully it will never be used. I have also opened two savings accounts - one with limited access/higher interest to save for car tax and xmas and one with unlimited access/lower interest to put any excess into until I need to use it for hairdressers/ dentist etc. I had no problem opening these online once my account was set up.

I think you made the right decision deferring for a bit. I would go ahead and cancel your DD's. It takes a few weeks before they twig you've not paid and by then you will probably have sent your letter/token payments. I sent £5, some people send £1. Just make sure you set up the dd's you want to keep asap. I found the quickest way was to ring utilities etc with new account number. Some do it over the phone, some send a form. Be prepared to have to make manual payments for any not set up on time. I had 14 dd's and had to manually pay 2 but it's all set up now.

You may get calls/letters/defaults early on. Ignore them just keep quoting your dmp number and tell them to contact your dmp provider. The calls drive me nuts but I'm hanging in there until it settles as most people on here tell me it will. 3 out of 4 of our creditors have been quite understanding. Hold your nerve and best of luck.

Bleachbird

Thanks guys...yes the calls i am dreading. Went into the online accounts over the weekend and deleted all my telephone numbers replacing with made up ones to try and stop them calling!! we will see if that works...going to delete NRAM DD now and will feel much better once that is done- its all really happpening now and I can't wait to get into spreadsheet heaven! what a saddo!!

bertman

Tigsmom wrote: »

Thanks Bertman. I only got one call yesterday, or I think I did - I was out most of the day and they never leave a message. I've asked them to email or write but they've done neither. I've been following the advice on the CCCS website and ignoring them and logging calls but it's just so annoying the phone ringing all hours. Before this we hardly used our home phone and would have got rid of it if we didn't need the line for the internet. Our last quarterly bill had 5 calls on it! You don't happen to have the number you rang do you? It's mostly an 0800 number that calls but sometimes 01142 or 01162.

Hi Tigsmom,

The number was - 0845 850 0656

I know what you mean about the landline, we hardly use it. Times change with Facebook, texts etc. I remember when there were no mobile phones - perhaps I should change my name from Bertman to Dinosaur relic!!