dmp started but all's not well

plumf

After months of trying to get by, using c/c to buy shopping we finally started a dmp 3 months ago. The problem is - SANTANDER! of all the companies we owe these are the only one to refuse the payment. I know it's a big drop, I was paying £168 per month with only one year left to pay, They were offered £28 but they wont accept. They are adding charges to what was owed. I've had letter after letter, call after call, I keep telling them the same thing over and over. The money I borrowed was for a car and they keep reminding me of that but it was a loan not car finance. I traded the car 3 years ago for something I could afford to run(cheaper tax and better fuel consumption) I work shifts so need a car to get to work, without work they'll get nothing but they dont care. I've now had a call from Alliance, a company acting on their behalf. I've told them that I dont have any spare money thats why I'm with Payplan and my mortgage has gone up by £25 since starting our plan. I'm now getting worried because a letter from Alliance said they can call at my home or place of work. Isn't this harrasment? can they do this? my head pounds from thinking about it, have I done the right thing or should I have struggled on. Hopefully debt free in about 6 year if all goes well
Sorry to go on but at least I got it off my chest

sgtbush

creditors do not have to accept a DMP-- not sure where you stand if you dont, their will be someone that understands the process better than me but i think they can get a ccj against you for the debt if they want to
as i say someone with more insite will post in good time

Growurown

Found this on the payplan website, hope it helps.

http://www.payplan.com/debt-library/bailiffs-harassment.php

jules1982

I dont really know where you stand with people not accepting the DMP, but just wanted to say well done! I know its rocky now but you've faced up the the debt and are trying to sort it out. Ive had a dmp for 10 years now and after the rocky start it gets much easier!

Jinx

In your situation I would stop paying them at all for a few months or go to a token 1 quid a month. Normally this has the rather quick effect of them passing the debt to a debt management company who will normally accept a payment plan. This course of action will get you a default on your credit record and trash a previously good credit rating.

There are rules against harassment, but I dont know all the ins and outs - what I DO know is that it is not against the law to be too skint to pay all the monies owed straight away, its only against the law to not intend to pay back money borrowed.

ETA - stick to your guns, do not offer them more money when you cannot afford it. I've sent repeated letters to companies saying I've only got x amount of money therefore if you need to progress my case then you will have to. I got a stack of defaults but no CCJs or visits to the house/work. I did take the precautionary step of changing my phone number and communicated in writing at all times.

Mort

Sorry to hear you are getting a hard time. Unfortunately this is not unusual but in my experience things do eventually settle down.
Creditors can refuse to accept you are on a DMP and are making reduced payments but they cannot refuse the payments you make under it, they may not like it that you are paying less but that's tough.

I had a loan with Abbey National (now Santander) which got passed to Robinson Way. I had no problems with either of them. Halifax were the ones who gave me hassle especially with the phone calls. If you can set your phones to bar unknown numbers and when they do get through tell them you will only deal with them in writing, or if you enjoy it waste their time on the phone.

Good luck and carry on, the whole DMP process is about dealing with your debts in the best possible way for you.

eyeopener2

Wouldn't surpise me if Alliance are just Santanders in house debt colletion arm.

Just keep paying the same amount, ignore the phonecalls and file the letters. It will settle down, the first months are a pain (Santander used to write to me weekly, sometimes twice a week) but as long as you pay via your DMP things should calm down.

I found the best way to deal with the phonecalls was just to say "i'm on a DMP with XXXXXX, my reference number is XXXXXXX, and I wish you a good day, good bye). End of.

The worst thing that could happen is an appliaction for a court judgement but I thinka judge would not look favourably on Santander for bringing this to court when you are actually doing something about your debt.

Relax, its a bank Holiday weekend, file the letters, ignore the phone.

E2

plumf

Thank you for your reply, I feel better already. I've had a few helpul answers and it really does help. So I'm gonna do as you say and relax and enjoy my weekend, having a drink in house with the family

Time_to_face_the_music

plumf wrote: »

After months of trying to get by, using c/c to buy shopping we finally started a dmp 3 months ago. The problem is - SANTANDER! of all the companies we owe these are the only one to refuse the payment. I know it's a big drop, I was paying £168 per month with only one year left to pay, They were offered £28 but they wont accept. They are adding charges to what was owed. I've had letter after letter, call after call, I keep telling them the same thing over and over. The money I borrowed was for a car and they keep reminding me of that but it was a loan not car finance. I traded the car 3 years ago for something I could afford to run(cheaper tax and better fuel consumption) I work shifts so need a car to get to work, without work they'll get nothing but they dont care. I've now had a call from Alliance, a company acting on their behalf. I've told them that I dont have any spare money thats why I'm with Payplan and my mortgage has gone up by £25 since starting our plan. I'm now getting worried because a letter from Alliance said they can call at my home or place of work. Isn't this harrasment? can they do this? my head pounds from thinking about it, have I done the right thing or should I have struggled on. Hopefully debt free in about 6 year if all goes well
Sorry to go on but at least I got it off my chest

Hi plumf

Firstly and most importantly - well done for starting to sort this out. We are 3 months into our DMP too and it's the best thing we have done in years :T

We had a very similar situation with HBOS when we first started our DMP, they refused to accept the plan, said they weren't getting a fair share and they wanted more. They wrote literally every day and sometimes more than once a day, we asked CCCS what to do and they told us they were accepting the payments and just to ignore them. Next thing, they sent a default notice and said as long as kept up the payments, they were stopping interest! We were gobsmacked but delighted :rotfl:

Hopefully this will all calm down soon. We we warned that the first few months of a DMP could be bumpy, maybe you are still in this part and it will soon be a smoother ride. Good luck

plumf

it's nice to know we're not alone and you are all out there and on our side the latest update fromSantander is..I phoned them after the last letter arrived Tue 9th May. (I must speak in a different language on the phone ) I have to repeat myself over and over....anyway, they have agreed to accept our payment for 3 months. they must be hoping I win the lottery....thats my dream too but unless that happens they wont be getting any more I'm afraid. At least we'll be left alone for a while. I'll let you all know how things go, thanks again