Looking for an IVA IP recommendation.

milliemonster

Agree with Foggy, GT always had a good reputation but a lot of people who have finished their IVA's in the last year have been waiting months and months for their completion certificate........and still waiting, GT have taken on a lot of work and just can't seem to handle their workload at the moment, a lot of disgruntled customers not getting answers to queries in a timely manner etc etc, as Foggy says, they will probably sort themselves out in time, but they are not the only company out there, there are many other reputable ones who do an excellent job and aren't suffering like GT are at the moment.

FoggyBrain_2

oplus wrote: »

I haven't had any problems with them so can't work out why so many people are anti GT.

I think all firms have their good times and bad. Some don't like mine (RSM) but, so far I have found them brilliant.

oplus

I've had no bother getting an answer from GT this year so far.

Other IPs have been absolutely useless, can't cope with even the most basic query.

I started out looking for a solution for my own problems and ended up talking to people with similar issues, in my ever so humble opinion naming and shaming any firm which has a massive client bank of which a small proportion have grievances doesn't bring balance to the debate.

milliemonster

The OP asked for recommendations, so naming and shaming becomes part of that surely?, we can only advise the OP to speak to a few companies, read reviews and get their own feel of who will work for them, rather than direct them soley to payplan or cccs, there are a lot of good companies out there, and a lot of bad ones, we can only go on our own experiences and those of others we have spoken with but at the end of the day the OP has to do what's right for them

williamlyndsey

I have had bad experiences from grant thornton ,they have messed up my figures telling them i owe them one amount then they looked into it and said i owed another amount.I dont think i owe them anything as i payed every penny they said i need to pay including overtime.
They also told me that it was to end in oct 2010 then to my horror when i thought i was paying my last payment i was informed it was 1011 it ended.
I also had paper work with two lots of end dates on .
So in my opinion there messy and un proffessional.
Buts thats just my opinion.

silvdo

My IVA is with Pay plan, my personal experience is that they've been great. so i would recomend them, I've found them supportive and quite easy going.

I've also heard good things about both CCCS and Grant Thornton.

Cody

Thanks Everybody;

I am about to contact a few suggestions this morning. A question is in my head though, why use one of the many IVA firms, when the CCCS IVA is recomended since it is a charity and non-profit? Surly the CCCSIVA would always be the safest bet?

What are the criteria for making a decision, other than how friendly the people sound? : )

thanks again

Cody

FoggyBrain_2

OK --- CCCS are a charity, yes, but in an IVA they get exactly the same fee structure as a private firm. They, along with Payplan, also lean heavily on "donations" from the banking sector .... bit like the fox employing the hounds! That said, they suit some people, so always worth chatting to them.

Lloyds heavily promote Payplan .. one has to ask why.

What you need to do is gen up yourself, so you know the basics and then chat to a few firms. You can then judge if they give the same sort of advice, a lot will rely on gut instinct too. Don't go with a firm who has cold called you and don't use a firm that ask for fees up front ( some will ask for the first payment, but will agree to return it if the proposal isn't accepted). See how thorough / realistic they are working out your income and expenditure. This is very important ... if they are too casual about it, what else will they be casual about ?

Cody

Hello again;

So, I have spoken with Payplan, McCambridge Duffy and have a call planned with Melanie Griffiths.

Call with payplan much better than with mccambridge duffy (seemed much more interested).

I have a question though, Payplan told me they do not charge any fees for a lump sum IVA, since is a charity. So all of my lump sum would be used in the negotiaions. I have spoken with CCCS IVA before, and they indicated that they would charge, probably totalling about £1500.

I found thos odd, since both are charities, and I actually asked payplan what CCCS would charge and they said they would charge zero also, so I am confused.

ALso, I do not understand how for profit IVA companies exist, if there are charities that do the work for free?

Cody

FoggyBrain_2

Because the "charities" do not do the work for free. They do DMP work for free, but charge in the same way as fee paying companies for IVA's. The fee comes out of the repayment, as agreed with the creditors. Other than that they both get "donations" from the banks.

Personally ( and this is no reflection on Payplan ... just my own opinion), I wouldn't use the "free" firms if they paid me!

McCD are an excellent company, but probably not for you, if you didn't "gel". I imagine you will find Mel's firm good to talk to. Let us know how you get on.