DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 10

Puzzcat

Well done fuzzy:T

I think we all wish we had done something sooner, but hey we're on the right path now.
Puzz.x

sunnyskies2

Hi all and glad things are looking bright on the work front Kate:)

Great news FuzzyDF with the acceptances - always look for the positives:) -

I've received a few acceptance letters all at 0% interest and fees - Barclaycard, MINT, m&s and Lloyds for bank account and cc - funny we've heard nothing about the 3 loans with them (and biggest debts) still early days I guess as DMP payments don't start until September.

Could anyone say whether 'acceptances' show up anywhere on the SC account - and do SC let us know about any correspondence they receive from creditors?

On the job front here - following re-structuring, the line from management is 'no redundancies' - now being read as 'we are going to change your contract' - just waiting, going with the flow and hoping we are told before going back in September... and that it's not bad news! - I'm so into my DMP I don't want anything to destabilise it.

Sarah

FuzzyDF

Apologies for all of the posts (don't mean to take over just have so many questions).

L1ttlewoods/Very will not accept my DMP.

I have shopped with them (for my stupidity) since 1999. Someone mentioned that I should CCA them. Would that rock the boat and make them even madder?

Obviously I want to pay them back but seeing as they are going to make things difficult for me, I'd like to pay the compliment back.

Advice appreciated as always, lovely people.

Sazzie23

FuzzyDF wrote: »

Welcome back Kate.

Well I did the thing that I was most dreading.....I phoned three of my main creditors to advise them that my payments would be coming from SC and not on their designated dates. I was petrified that they would go mad on the phone. Instead the gentleman on the phone told me to "stop worrying and make yourself a cup of tea".

I'm not phoning L1ttlewoods or Very as I've heard that they are the worst. Growling pittbulls.

So 6 of my 9 creditors have now accepted the plan albeit for 12 months in some cases. Better than nothing.

I wish I had that LBM two or three years ago.

Hi Fuzzy

Keep asking, most times you will be asking what someone else wanted to know but was afraid to ask (hello lurkers:))

Well done on making the phone calls, lots of us didn't have the bottle to do that so early on, it's great that you posted how helpful people have been, gives confidence to others thinking of phoning. You're right about the Very catalogue folk, I've read some pretty grim stories about them, and the fact they have 'rejected' your DMP reinforces it.

Regards CCA, I've not read if anyone has been down that road, hopefully someone else will chip in with ideas.

Sazzie23

sunnyskies2 wrote: »

Hi all and glad things are looking bright on the work front Kate:)

Great news FuzzyDF with the acceptances - always look for the positives:) -

I've received a few acceptance letters all at 0% interest and fees - Barclaycard, MINT, m&s and Lloyds for bank account and cc - funny we've heard nothing about the 3 loans with them (and biggest debts) still early days I guess as DMP payments don't start until September.

Could anyone say whether 'acceptances' show up anywhere on the SC account - and do SC let us know about any correspondence they receive from creditors?

On the job front here - following re-structuring, the line from management is 'no redundancies' - now being read as 'we are going to change your contract' - just waiting, going with the flow and hoping we are told before going back in September... and that it's not bad news! - I'm so into my DMP I don't want anything to destabilise it.

Sarah

Hi Sunny

Re creditors acceptances, I've never seen it on the SC website, unless someone else knows better. Mostly SC seem to just let you know about negative correspondence or anything they have queries with.

Good(ish) news re no redundancies ? Hope the news when it finally comes out is OK. Once your DMP is started though, it's not fixed in stone, many of us have had to reduce payments due to circumstances, me and MB for a start! It's easier to do when you already have a DMP than if you were starting from scratch so don't panic, just roll with those punches:rotfl:

Monkeyballs

Hola Amigos!

Sorry I've been a bit quiet the last few days, things have been a bit manic and I've not been able to get online much so I have a lot to catch up on...

I've just quickly scanned through some of the posts above and wanted to say;

AngelPoppy - Hell yeah leave your paid for provider and either save up or chuck that £25 per month you're saving

Kate - Congratulations!! I'm soooo pleased to hear your news and more than a bit jealous that you've been able to get back to do a bit of work that'll be me soon I hope LOL although 4 or 5 hours does sound pretty exhausting (even when I've no back problems LOL) xxx I'm over the moon about my refund, I've a few ideas in mind but I'm taking my time before I take the leap to make sure I do the best thing with it

Fuzzy - Most creditors are absolutely fine with you once you tell them you're on a DMP but I'm please you've been calling them, it feels great to call and have them tell you it's ok doesn't it? so much better than sitting and waiting and hoping that they don't call you!!! As for Littlewoods, did they reject it over the phone or by letter? If it was over the phone ignore them, if it's a letter then contact SC and they'll tell you to stop paying and pass on details of anything that comes your way... They'll make the payments offered anyway and in the end they'll either accept or pass it to a DCA who will work with you in other words... F 'em LOL

Sunny - Good news about the redundancies, iffy news about changes to contracts... Either way, don't worry about your DMP as SC will help you re-organise as Sazzie mentions above, roll with the punches also, your DMP won't say if the creditor has accepted... Some will write to confirm, some will make mention on your statements, others won't bother to confirm either way... Anyone who is going to be "less helpful" *cough*Barclaycard*cough*Very* will be in touch soon enough and then you can take it from there

The one thing I'd say to everyone is to make sure you get regular balance updates from all of your creditors and update your DMP with them to avoid any nasty surprises! I do this at least every other month, this is how I found out Barclaycard were "never contacted"

Ciao for now me lovers!

MB of G xxx

TimeToDoIt

MB you're back!!!

We've missed you

alyxzandra

Hello, everyone! Well, it has been an interesting last few months. We are nearly in 1.5 years of our DMP with Stepchange. In the meantime, we've paid off 2 creditors with full and final settlements and we made our last payment to a friend in October. At our highest we owed our £60,000! :eek: And we just kept making the minimum payments and swapping credit cards for the low interest.

Our debt was not due to spending on silly items, but to support my elderly, disabled mother and her legal fees. I put £20,000 in one swoop to a solicitor who screwed up the case. The next big one were cowboy builders who left our home open to the elements. Another £30,000 on credit cards to remedy it at the same time as helping my mother. The builders took all of our savings that were being used to build an extension.

In 2008 I had £17000 on credit cards, but with my salary it was nothing. I could have paid it off within a year. My car was paid off and my mortgage payments were low as I put down a large deposit. My husband and I were always careful with our money. So, it was hard when we got into so much debt.

We plodded on for several years and never missed a payment. In 2012 I wanted to do a DMP, but my husband was against it. It took him until 2013 to finally give in to it. And it is the best thing we ever did. We owed out so much money it was scary. We managed to pay off a chunk of it, but it was not enough.

The last 1.5 years has not been easy. We are fine with living within the budget, but it took a long time to say at the end of the month we had some money in the bank, which has been the case for the last few months.

We make extra money by selling off things at car boots. We do clothing swaps with friends and we managed to get one creditor to take off a £100 admin fee on a £500 debt. We are still fighting with K and Co on their £400 interest on a £409 debt and have opened up a case with the financial omnbudsman. As of this month, we managed to pay off two creditors out of the 19 we have with full settlements. And I have closed my accounts with them. Each creditor that gets paid off will have a closed account.

I also brought our phone bill down by £30 a month and we are saving that up to do a full and final settlement with a creditor come November. I lowered all of our outgoings with Sky, our mobile phones, car insurance, house insurance, etc. Our DFD is June 2019, but we are heading towards making it June 2018.

I am not worried about my credit rating any more as I have no intentions of getting into debt again or even having a credit card. I am not saying a DMP is easy, but it is easier than the way we were dealing with things. As we were always careful with money, it was not that difficult to make the transition. However, it has been hard knowing we got into such terrific debt within a few months. I had 7 credit cards with only one having a balance when all this mess started. Each month that goes by I happily look at the total owed coming down. And that gives me a bit of satisfaction.

If you are paying for a DMP, switch to a free one. There is no reason to pay a company to manage it for you. And you can get loads of support here. I got onto a DMP because of this thread! Good luck to everyone.

TimeToDoIt

What a great post!!!
Thank you for the happy news

jubilee14

Hi all sorry not been on since my moan. Work i've just accepted is a means to an end and try not to get me so down for now.

GUO -Antics! Moi!!

Sorry the job is so rubbish J14. Do you want my job? The pay is rubbish but the people are nice:D Oh and the scenery is very pretty too looking out of my office window if you like sheep.

Eeeeenywaaaay, messing around in the garden last night, chewing on some gum (I was staving off the hunger pangs - don't ask) out fell my gold crown. Fortunately I didn't swallow it so I am hoping the dentist can just stick it back in, cos it cost a lot of money when I had it done. So that's a boo, but on the upside the warning light still hasn't come back on in the car so that's a woohoo

thanks for the cheer up all was a bit overwhelmed with work but a read through of this forum brought me back on track. which is why i love it sooo much!


And also i am so close to breaking into my twenties next month will be the month. I feel better already