Bankrupt and struggling to pay mobile contract

Katifer78

Hi all,

I was made bankrupt in March of this year.
I am currently struggling to pay my mobile phone Vodafone contract of £37 a month. My contract runs out in august 2015.
My bank advised me to contact Vodafone see if I could downgrade my package by extending the contact or returning the handset.
I have contacted Vodafone today who advised me that I would need to cancel my existing contract and to do that would cost £400. I could pay in instalments and they could buy back my handset but I still don't think this is a realistically helpful option.
If I contact the official receivers will they be able to help because the £37 a month was listed as part of my monthly outgoings/living expenses when the bankruptcy was drawn up.

Does anyone have any ideas or mega brain waves what I can do here?

K x

egrescrimp

When was the contract for the mobile phone taken out - before or after your bankruptcy petition?

Katifer78

Hi there...

It was before. I cant remember exactly when as I did it all online and cant access 'my Vodafone' online to check but I'm assuming I took out a 24 month contract so it would have started in August 2013 I went bankrupt in March 2014.

K

philnicandevan

I'm suprised to be honest an examiner/OR let a £37 contract continue...as it's an account taken that you had before bankruptcy it can be included in your bankruptcy BUT it'll be difficult to get credit for another contract while bankruptcy is on your credit files for 6yrs..it'll mean PAYG for a bit

all you need to do is contact the receiver office dealing with your case and tell them you need this ammount/creditor adding to your bankruptcy petition they'll not question (they didnt with mine)

MEM62

If the OR allowed for the cost of the phone then you should not be having problems paying it as this cost has been provided for. Therefore, perhaps it is other areas of your spending that need to be looked at. ie Whatever you are spending the money on that should be paying for the phone.

Please don't take this a being critical, I am trying to highlight that it is spending elsewhere that is probably the issue (as you have the allowance for the phone) and that it may be more constructive you for you to actually look at that element of your spending. Perhaps there are other areas where the allowance for your living costs are insufficient and need to be adjusted.

dorothyjeffery

get it included in the bankruptcy. easily done. and i think they can swing for their £400 which would also go into the bankruptcy.

go payg for a while. dead easy.

longtermplanner

It is already included in your bankruptcy. Just stop paying and get yourself a PAYG SIM card.