DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 10

Time_to_face_the_music

cmcavon wrote: »

I've just been catching up on this thread and noticed lots of people recommend token payments for a few months.

Stepchange told us not to pay anything for one month as creditors give you 30 days grace once you give them your stepchange ref number.

It's our first month of not meeting minimum payments so I'm completely new to this but thought it worth mentioning.

30 days since your last payment up to your 1st payment with SC is fine but you need to remember that if you pay SC on the 1st of the month, they do not pay your creditors until the 25th. If you are planning on taking any longer to set up your DMP, make a token payment each month.

TTFTM x

Time_to_face_the_music

FuzzyDF wrote: »

Puzzcat, I took your advice and bravely phoned Hellifax and BOS back. As I had made a complaint to the CEO they are defaulting ALL of my accounts, passing them to their DCA and all interest will be frozen, plus they are refunding charges. Didn't think that would happen :T

Brilliant news Fuzzy! :j

I don't have any debt with Hellifax but I may write to their CEO asking would he like to help out with some of my other debt :rotfl:

sunnyskies2

Well done you Fuzzy - super news

Kate_fixing_it

And off the back of FuzzyDF's success I have spent over an hour writing an angry letter to the CEO of HSBC detailing my disgust at the automated response to my bank charges complaint. It was all too generic almost as if they sort their post by type of complaint and anything with the words bank charges gets put in a pile for the standard response.

We shall see what comes of it!

Also sat there and added up all my figures again and they're still right can't seem to stop doing it or grinning at the results

Kate x

FuzzyDF

Thank you all, I couldn't have done it without you (honest). Kate, I emailed all of my complaints directly to the CEO's so that the PA's had to respond. Did the trick. They were desperate to get hold of me a few hours after the email was sent. I wrote down the truth that I would be paying the interest off for over 35 years and that would put me into further financial distress. I also mentioned that I had had a read of the FCA's code of conduct book which pushed me to complain (actually it was you guys).

The chap who I spoke to actually sounded really panicky "If we freeze your interest forever and default you as asked and refund charges will you still be putting in a further complaint?"

Told him to pop everything in writing. That was a lovely call and to think I wouldn't have rung back before getting a little push on here.

Sazzie23

FuzzyDF wrote: »

Thank you all, I couldn't have done it without you (honest). Kate, I emailed all of my complaints directly to the CEO's so that the PA's had to respond. Did the trick. They were desperate to get hold of me a few hours after the email was sent. I wrote down the truth that I would be paying the interest off for over 35 years and that would put me into further financial distress. I also mentioned that I had had a read of the FCA's code of conduct book which pushed me to complain (actually it was you guys).

The chap who I spoke to actually sounded really panicky "If we freeze your interest forever and default you as asked and refund charges will you still be putting in a further complaint?"

Told him to pop everything in writing. That was a lovely call and to think I wouldn't have rung back before getting a little push on here.

Yeah go Fuzz :T:T

And great advice there on how to do it:beer:

Sazzie23

Time_to_face_the_music wrote: »

Brilliant news Fuzzy! :j

I don't have any debt with Hellifax but I may write to their CEO asking would he like to help out with some of my other debt :rotfl:

I shall be smiling about this thought all day :rotfl:

Sazzie23

cmcavon wrote: »

I've just been catching up on this thread and noticed lots of people recommend token payments for a few months.

Stepchange told us not to pay anything for one month as creditors give you 30 days grace once you give them your stepchange ref number.

It's our first month of not meeting minimum payments so I'm completely new to this but thought it worth mentioning.

In reality, if you keep in touch with creditors most will allow you more than 30 days grace as it can take a while to set things up, use this to give yourself a breathing space. Although I wanted to set mine up straight away (because I'd never read mse forums ) mine did take longer because genuinely there were some problems getting account numbers and stuff, so I ended up with a 70+ day break before making payments. I didn't actually do token payments at all (because I was a dimbo and extremely upset and not coping), but when I managed to talk to CC creditors they weren't bothered by the delay at all.

Some creditors may be a bit less relaxed about it, but in the end it doesn't really matter as long as the arrangements you are making to pay will stand up and be manageable.

Hope this helps

sunnyskies2

cmcavon wrote: »

I've just been catching up on this thread and noticed lots of people recommend token payments for a few months.

Stepchange told us not to pay anything for one month as creditors give you 30 days grace once you give them your stepchange ref number.

It's our first month of not meeting minimum payments so I'm completely new to this but thought it worth mentioning.

I obtained initial sc ref mid May and started to make £1 token payments from June onwards - like many I'd never previously missed a payment. I sent with covering explanation letter. I am still making the token payments each month and my sc plan starts in Sept. SC have now also written to creditors - although they all seem to ignore/notice that the proper SC payments don't start till Sept, when I have had the odd conversation with them. Everything has been fine - no problems at all. Following advice here I will also make token payments at the end of Aug (to cover Sept) - to ensure my records show consistent payments - because of SC payment taking about 3 weeks or so to go through to creditors.

Sarah x

Growurown

Hiya, I have been catching up on the thread. I have been away for a few days visiting DS. As usual some sad posts and some happy posts, just part of life's rich tapestry I guess.

Alyxzandra, so sorry to hear about you Mum. Hope you are coping OK.

Well done everyone who has bashed a creditor and got results and good luck to all the newbies just starting out. Yes it's scary, but you won't be sorry when in a few months time and it has all settled down you will have your life back.