At my wits end.. Help 27 February 2015 at 9:31PM in Debt-free wannabe 11 replies 1.8K views

samperry209

Hey guys!

Right basically I need some advice

I currently have a TPP going with stepchange they have been amazing because I got into serious trouble in november I lost my job and was left with 7K debt hanging over my head..

The debt is due to me being too nice and saying yes to various people.. yes yes i know..

However I have been working my butt off to meet my payments anymore.. but i couldnt..

anyway.. One of the debts lowell are chasing me for.. 2200 quid.. it was a debt i didnt actually run up.. however it was in my name because i was stupid enough to take out a phone contract for my brother.. and he did the rest of the damage...

how can i get rid of these morons from my life.. as I feel i shouldnt be paying them..

Im paying them a quid a month atm

sourcrates

Hi,
Oow, familiar story, can't/wont your brother man up and help you out ?
If debt is in your name, it's your responcibility however unfair that may sound.
Lowell are a particularly litigious DCA so unless you report the debt as fraud and drop your brother in it, there's little else I can recommend unfortunately !!!

Sazzie23

Hi Samperry

Sorry to hear about your job, that's more than a bit boo! Any prospects of more work, it can be very disheartening when the prospects look bleak. I have other problems but have found the notion of 'Get up, Get dressed and Show up' very inspiring even on days when the duvet is my friend.

Regards the debt, I'm afraid it will be yours and yours alone until your brother takes responsibility for it. Sadly people who ask others to get contracts for them, or guarantee loans and rent etc don't seem to get a very good very write up on the thread, so I suspect the chance of your brother fessing up is unlikely. However I would make it clear to your brother what has happened, this is not going to be an easy conversation, and will take some prep to ensure you don't barge in the middle of match of the day and blurt it all out etc.

Get your papers together showing the original debt he ran up, the charges you've had from the phone co and the DcA and where you are now and show him. Explain you don't have enough income to make the min repayment and tell him how much stress this is causing you. I know blokes often have trouble with the feelings stuff, but he really needs to know this.

Unless he can stump up the cash for the whole amount it's probably best to continue with the TPP until you can return to some sort of proper payment plan, I say this because what you don't want is for him to,start repayments and then flunk it....more trouble! However he can start making payments to you if he's in a position to do so, but I wouldn't bank on this as he probably wouldn't have needed you to take his contract for him,if he was good with money. It's up to you to decide how much to push him, but I think you both deserve him to know what he's done.

When you get back in work, and I'm sure you will soon, are you thinking of going to a DMP ? Even if it's just until you get back on your feet, you don't want to get a job and find you are just working to pay off your debts.

samperry209

Hey! Well yeah he knows I received the letter back in September 2013 disowned him for a good year and have been paying lowell 40 quid a month as I know he will never pay it and I just want it gone.. However it got to the point I got severely depressed because I was working to pay debts.. earning a grand and paying like 980 in debts I did that for nearly 2 years! I'm tempted by a dmp but I'm worried it will be the same story again

I was tempted to keep doing tpp

xJOJOx_2

Maybe you should revisit the situation with your brother. Give him another chance to man up as said above. Be strict with him, tell him he needs to pay you x amount a month or your going to have to report it as fraud. Tell him your in bad way and can't affoard it, that he's left you with no choice and you've been backed into a corner. Give him the option to suggest any ideas. Ok your feel bad for doing it, but doesn't he deserve it? Hasn't he done bad to you? Xx

samperry209

It tough because its blood.. I never grass on my own however he took 4 phones without me knowing.. pretended to be me on the phone..

Hmm.. Im the type of person who just wants to pay their way in life.. I mean I dont care too much for my credit rating as I much rather just purchase stuff outright.. But yeah it is really fustrating I have paid off 402 quid off myself month by month

[Deleted User]

samperry209 wrote: »

It tough because its blood.. I never grass on my own however he took 4 phones without me knowing.. pretended to be me on the phone..

Hmm.. Im the type of person who just wants to pay their way in life.. I mean I dont care too much for my credit rating as I much rather just purchase stuff outright.. But yeah it is really fustrating I have paid off 402 quid off myself month by month

Right attitude and wrong attitude!

You wanting to pay your way in life is admirable, however you aren't paying your own way, your paying your brothers way because your paying for phones he has taken out in your name.

As an aside, did you not get any bills to you house for the other phones? If you didn't and they are sent to his house, i would probably be having a word with Vodafone and arguing the case that they are fraudulent contracts and they don't even bill to your house (which they have on record!).

However i would be visiting you brother and demanding he sorts something out or you will report it to the police.

The biggest issue (In my eyes) is that people rarely do go the police and that is why people get done over multiple times, because once they get away with it once and know someone else (i.e. you) will take care, they just do it again.


It is a sad state of affairs, and sadly a seemingly very common situation nowadays :-(

sourcrates

I would sorely be tempted to send a letter to Lowell detailing what you have told us, that the accounts were taken out in your name, without your knowledge.
You don't have to say who took them out, but it would help your case massively if you did, you should also report this to the boys in blue.

This would/should relive you of liability, your brother dropped you in this without giving you a second thought, i know what i would do.

xJOJOx_2

You don't necessarily have to go to the police, but make out you are. Convince him.

If you've been paying bills for a while, it may not work saying someone else did it? Not sure, would have to look into it.

And yes he's your blood but remenber your his blood too. Doesn't bother him xx

samperry209

He had the phones sent to his address which is how I never knew

sourcrates

samperry209 wrote: »

He had the phones sent to his address which is how I never knew

There you go then, thats your evidence.