DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 9

MerchantMariner

Yes you can, though make sure you're on the best possible tariff. Some contracts are brilliant, some are scandalous.

Pickle29

janet43 wrote: »

hi sorry if this is a stupid question. Can you have a mobile phone contract while on a DMP??? Just starting out with a DMP and worried about this??

Hi
I still have my contract which was taken out before my DMP and I pay it monthly by dd as normal. Don't know what will happen when my contract runs out - probably go to a sim only or stay with what I have! But I got another year to go yet!

bix1966

Hello, after talking to stepchange today and spending all day sorting out budgets, etc., we are really nervous about committing to the DMP. We have no choice really but it's so scary, the thought that if the car fails its MOT, or the central heating breaks down, there is no way of getting any credit to sort it out!
However, debt free in 2 yrs 4 mths sounds amazing and means our debt would be paid off just before my 50th birthday.
I have one question at the moment - we need to change our bank account and start a new opne, should we tell the new bank why we are moving banks? and tell them about the DMP?

Growurown

janet43 wrote: »

hi sorry if this is a stupid question. Can you have a mobile phone contract while on a DMP??? Just starting out with a DMP and worried about this??

We've still got a phone contract although we didn't tell SC about it because we have a land line as well, and at the time we started our DMP I got the impression both weren't allowed. We got around it by saying we were both smokers so our 'smoking' money pays for it.

Julie67

Evening all,

I have a question, sorry if its been answered before. If you are on DMP and pretty much have been defaulted straight away or within a couple of months of your dmp starting, what happens if your still on a dmp after 6 yrs re your credit file?? are the initial defaults wiped off and what would show on your file? thanks for any help.

Also just thought I would share some good news. Reviewed my DMP checking amounts owed etc. I rang HSBC who have passed our file on to a debt recovery company. These are by far our biggest debt with a managed loan and an overdraft which they have combined. The total owing is £2000 less than i thought:j no idea how this has happened but I've double checked and we owe £15,000 instead of the original £17,050 i thought. Didn't question it too closely but am over the moon. Everything else is running along nicely, all have frozen interest and charges other than Asda who have brought it down to 0.25 but this means we pay hardly any off that debt. I'm going to try a complaint to the FOS, sneakily Tesco had reintroduced there interest charges. when i rang they apologised and will refund all charges and freeze it again.
the up shot is our total is down to £31,561,64 from our initial figure
of £33,694.68 this morning wiping a massive £2133,04 off our total.
Add this to the £650 we've paid off this year and it feels like we have won the lottery. Still a long way to go but feels like a massive victory today .:j:j:j:j:j:j
I suppose the moral of this is check, double check then check again. I will be checking every month to make sure no one is increasing interest and charges.

janet43

bix1966 wrote: »

Hello, after talking to stepchange today and spending all day sorting out budgets, etc., we are really nervous about committing to the DMP. We have no choice really but it's so scary, the thought that if the car fails its MOT, or the central heating breaks down, there is no way of getting any credit to sort it out!
However, debt free in 2 yrs 4 mths sounds amazing and means our debt would be paid off just before my 50th birthday.
I have one question at the moment - we need to change our bank account and start a new opne, should we tell the new bank why we are moving banks? and tell them about the DMP?

hi I opened a new account with NatWest only a basic one but did it online. just waiting for confirmation via email.. I have not told my old bank yet until everything is sorted. You don't have to tell the new bank about your DMP.

Growurown

bix1966 wrote: »

it's so scary, the thought that if the car fails its MOT, or the central heating breaks down, there is no way of getting any credit to sort it out!

This was the most scary thing for me as well. However if you need to you can drop your payment for a month, or even longer if necessary. I've had to do that on several occasions due to my pain in the ar*e car. The creditors don't like it much but I phone the ones who whinge to explain and it has all been fine. It's good to build up an emergency fund too.

alyxzandra

Oh, this is fun. Sent the letter via email to K+Co customer service an hour after I got off the phone with them. I was told they were emailing the relevant department about the interest, but everything had been transferred to NCO. Well, now I was told they are no longer dealing with it, but Debt Managers in Scotland! So, kindly wrote back and asked why I was told within a matter of hours two different collection agencies. And I also informed the person as they were the ones who added the interest and passed it onto the debt agency they should be dealing with the interest.

K+Co also sent a letter saying we need to pay £200 and when we spoke to them today we were told Stepchange should have been paying £11 more per month! Stepchange informed us to ignore them that they made the arrangement last year with them and we have kept to it.

The banks have been fine except one account with the Halifax and that got sorted. JD Williams has been fine and willing to do F+F settlements. The only ones who have been the worst are Creation and K+Co!

alyxzandra

bix1966 wrote: »

Hello, after talking to stepchange today and spending all day sorting out budgets, etc., we are really nervous about committing to the DMP. We have no choice really but it's so scary, the thought that if the car fails its MOT, or the central heating breaks down, there is no way of getting any credit to sort it out!
However, debt free in 2 yrs 4 mths sounds amazing and means our debt would be paid off just before my 50th birthday.
I have one question at the moment - we need to change our bank account and start a new opne, should we tell the new bank why we are moving banks? and tell them about the DMP?

You do not need to tell your bank why you are moving. You just do it. What I did is I took out the AA for my car, an old banger, and pay extra per month. If it breaks down and they are unable to fix it they will tow it to my garage and pay (I think) up to £500 for the repairs.

As for central heating, I went on the full British Gas Homecare 400 with no deductible. I pay a higher amount per month, but they do the servicing once a year and I've had them out 3x this year. I also covered my electrics, plumbing, keys and so on. It is all on my DMP. It gives me peace of mind.

Hopelessly_Hopeful

Morning All


Thought I'd get in early and wish you all a very happy new year.


Managed to pay £18 831 off my debt this year and loose 3 stone 7lb. Very pleased.


Also managed to pick up new DMP pals. Thanks to everyone for the support. We can do it together. Bring on 2014. I love it when we take some time to look at what has been achieved in 2013 and what position we will be in 12 months time.


Hope you all manage a celebration.


HHx