DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 9

NaughtySpot

sandgrounder1987 wrote: »

Afternoon all,

Thought I may be able to get advice from more experienced DMP'ers and those further along in the process. I have recently entered into a DMP. Step Change sent offers on 17th July to First Direct and Barclaycard. Within 2 weeks FD had replied and accepted. By early August i'd heard nothing from Barclaycard so called them to check. They say they had received nothing from Stepchange. They agreed over the phone to freeze interest and charges for 30 days and asked me to chase Stepchange. I chased Stepchange and they re-sent the offer (by letter or electronically or however it is they do it). A couple of weeks have passed since and still Barclaycard say they have not received anything. Each time I speak to Stepchange they blame it on Barclaycard saying they may have missed or skipped me, or that I wont have 'filtered' through their systems yet as it can take a few weeks. Barclaycard on the other hand say any offer from Stepchange would be logged instantly on their system upon receipt as a pending work item and again have asked me to chase StepChange. Each party keeps blowing me off when I call and i'm getting increasingly frustrated. I feel as if I may have been better doing it myself or even using a more sharkish private DMP company as Stepchange just don't seem bothered. My grace period for oustanding payments and interest/fees expires soon and i'm getting worried.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks

Our biggest PITA has been Natwest, and it took them well over 12 months to accept our DMP payments and default us. They denied they had received details etc and it took me complaining to the FOS for them to default us and refund all the bank charges. I agree with the other poster that it is more likely to be BC at fault than SC. Just keep making your payments (which SC will forward on to BC) and it will all be fine.

Please DON'T use a fee-charging debt company, SC have been excellent with us, and if they sound not bothered it's because this does happen often and it all works out in the end.

kylie_smiley

Gosh. Hello guys - it's been a bit of a rollercoaster week! Family and friends I've told have been fabulous - one friend told me they had been in a very similar situation, but a PPI claim helped them out of it. Damn my previous, sound financial advice meaning that I have never paid any PPI!

This is scary stuff though.

I'm about to transfer my first token payment to Virgin/MBNA but am getting in a bit of a tizz about it. Despite building up a fair amount of debt, I've never missed a payment, or paid less than the monthly payment. I know this is a necessary step to start getting things sorted, but still. *gulp*

I have posted a question about the toke payment and correspondence though, so if anybody could take a look, that would be great

Thanks so much. I've subscribed to this thread and it's really helpful!

Larac

I started to delve into the murky world of my credit files:eek:. Have looked at Equifax and Noddle who are showing my debt to Cahoot as 'late payment' with the rest showing a default date. I realise that I should have perhaps done this earlier and awaiting the Experian report.

I believe I will need to challenge Cahoot as otherwise this will never fall off my credit file at the end of six years like the rest. Has anybody else had this problem as I assumed that once in a DMP all my creditors would apply default markers in the credit file?

Also as a slight aside I found my Noddle file was missing one of my debts, so highlights the need to get all the CRA reports but is useful to see who is searching your credit files for free.

Julie67

Having a tough time at the moment, really feel it will take forever to pay off this debt:(
I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel but our debt free day is for away. You all seem so positive.
I think it's difficult with dh being self employed so never quite sure how much money we will have.
Also I can't work due to ill health at the moment although hopefully that will change in the future.
Sorry there is a point to this post. Has anyone given up and gone bankrupt. This really would be a last resort but at this rate we will never pay off the debt.

zenshi

Julie67 wrote: »

I think it's difficult with dh being self employed so never quite sure how much money we will have.
.

This is my problem aswell except its me and I am the only earner. I owe to cards, family and mortgage arrears. Last month was good for me work wise and I had £170 extra to pay off my debts but this month ill be lucky just to scrape by

Debtfree_angel

Hey all,

just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone, you're all so helpful. I know its scary for newbies like me but reading your posts really does help. I haven't really posted much previously and have been more of a reader but I think from now on I might try and join in with the conversation a bit more.

Kylie, I totally agree with you - even though I know I'm in a bit of a pickle I have never paid less than the minimum fee and haven't ever missed a payment so the thought of actually underpaying and getting defalts is really scary! I'm terrified at the thought of all the defaults etc happening but I think what I'm starting to understand is that, actually, thats a good thing! Never thought I would be saying that!

Anyway, my first payment to creditors is due to be paid on 25th September and so far most of them have been really good and have stopped hassling. All except Peachy but I shall keep struggling on.

So good luck to all the newbies like me and thanks to all for support etc.
Angel

catandy

I think it's difficult with dh being self employed so never quite sure how much money we will have.

This is my problem aswell except its me and I am the only earner

ditto to both the above - I've worked out my figures based on my lowest earning months but its still not realistic and still have times when I feel like throwing the towel in with this and doing the bankruptcy route - like this morning when I opened the post to find 4 creditors have reintroduced interest as they had helped me out by stopping it for a period of time 'as a temporary measure'. :mad::mad::mad:

lizzy23

another with a self employed hubby, its a difficult one but we get there, Did my review with Step Change yesterday, its hard to believe that its a year since i started all of this, and for all you newbies it really did give us our life back , we have paid off over 10% of our debt and i've manage to up the payments by £80 so its taken another year and a half off our Debt free date, just hope that all the vultures continue to play ball

Mr_Mink

catandy wrote: »

ditto to both the above - I've worked out my figures based on my lowest earning months but its still not realistic and still have times when I feel like throwing the towel in with this and doing the bankruptcy route - like this morning when I opened the post to find 4 creditors have reintroduced interest as they had helped me out by stopping it for a period of time 'as a temporary measure'. :mad::mad::mad:

Sounds like it's time to get the FOS involved. I don't have any but I'm sure someone has a threatening letter you can send the creditors to try and get them to see sense.

catandy

Sounds like it's time to get the FOS involved. I don't have any but I'm sure someone has a threatening letter you can send the creditors to try and get them to see sense.

at the moment im too angry to speak with them after the first call I made, yes FOS is an option and will be asking for link to letter if I decide to go that route. as I say at the moment im considering throwing in the towel and just going BR - my DFD as it stood was well over 10 years away, Im beginning to think that this just isn't worth it.