SOA added :)

CatherineM_3

Thank you so much for the replies....I do feel better already...It is really good to know I am not the only one...
At the time I was speaking to the bank I couldnt think of anything to say...the guy really seemed to be enjoying being mean. It was HSBC by the way. Yesterday I spoke to someone in my local branch and she was lovely but unfortunately the advice I was given by her (phone and ask for a managed loan) was not well received by the person I spoke to. Anyway...I have just found out what a SOA is so will do that next.

dubgirl

Hi and welcome, do please post your SOA as there are plenty of folks here who will be able to give you some great advice, so you can stick to the man, so to speak! Try and put that weasel out of your head and move on, he's not worth it.

didiken

whats an SOA?

MadDogWoman_2

Hi Catherine,

You are not alone in having issues with the HSBC.

I set up a Debt Management Plan with the CCCS last year and they refused the offer and continue to charge me interest each month which is higher than the CCCS payment consequently our debt has increased rather than decreased.

We have no way of increasing the payment at the moment as I am on maternity leave.

They ring every few months demanding more money I tell them to go away as I have a payment plan in place and cannot afford to pay more.

I am getting my own back though as I'm claiming my charges back which will hopefully pay off most of the overdrafts.

MadDogWoman

Seaxwyn

Hi Catherine

you are most certainly not alone. I've got two things in common with you for starters: sole breadwinner in the family AND a loathing of HSBC.

You're right, being in debt sucks, but we can get out of it. There's no problem that can't be beaten and you'll get both practical advice and moral support on this site. Do post your SOA as a start, and stick around and before long you will be the one telling the HSBC where to get off.

raq

I always criedwhen I got off the phone. The worse of them was the women, when I asked to speak to someone else they refused so I put the phone down. Couple of days later I had a final demand letter and I actioned that instead of the phone calls. These people just don't care. I agree they must have training on how to talk to customers nasty.

never_too_late_2

when i was a student i had a student account with HSBC. then when i graduated, i told them i was moving back to parents home and the next thing i heard was a few months down the line for a credit collection agency saying that my account was 15 GBP OVER my agreed 1500 GBP O/D limit and so HSBC had passed the debt to them!

i went to my bank and said this is the 1st i've heard of it and it turns out they'd sent letters to my old uni address during summer when NO ONE was there to forward them on. i explained this and also said i was prob going to be looking at taking out a graduate loan in the next few months etc but they weren't interested so i closed my account there and then and told them to stick it where the sun don't shine!

this of course stayed on my credit report for 6 years, just in time for me trying to get a mortgage, lovely.

thankfully i had an account with the woolwich from a paper round when i was 14 so i upgraded that to my current account and never had any problems with them at all. when i was charged once or twice, a call or a letter meant it was refunded. i loved them, thought they were always polite and helpful and since being forceably moved to barclays a few months ago, tho all is fine, i do miss the woolwich!

Raaaaaaaaaaah EVIL HSBC!

Garnet_Gem

When you get someone nasty on the phone or in a shop, if you can rally enough to ask them (in the middle of their obnoxious speech) "Did you get your money back?" When they say "what?", just sweetly say, "for the charm lessons - they obviously didn't work". Makes them mad. No-one has the right to speak to you like that no matter how much you owe.

justmarried06

Catherine - congrats on posting, these forums and the people on them are amazing, its wonderful the support and advice you will get so please don't ever feel alone. Once your SOA has been posted then there will be loads of suggestions from people to help - its turned me around!

didken - SOA stands for Statement of Affairs, basically a full and comprehensive overview of incomings and outgoings. There's a sticky at the top of the thread page for a cracking outline by southernscouser on how tp put it together and post for others to help you with their suggestions on how to save and change your current spending habits - often its easier for people outside of your situation to help you see things in a different way

HTH

JM xx

peteuk

I once had a horrible conversation with someone in Customer services at my bank. I put the phone down and redialed, only to get the same person.

HOW UNLUCKY IS THAT!!!!!!

Most of the time people are okay with me, and have often been more than helpfully. (It was someone at the bank who told me about this site and said read the letter about getting chargers back)

Today is your light bulb day, tomorrow is another day. But keep calm and try and sort things out. Occassionally you might have a day when you get no where....

Pete