DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 11

Time_to_face_the_music

carbootcrazy wrote: »

A few of us were talking on here earlier about MBNA.

Today I received separate letters relating to the two accounts I had with them, from LINK Financial Outsourcing. They were basically 6-monthly statements but part way down each letter it says:

The current arrears represents the outstanding balance as you have failed to maintain payments in accordance with the terms of the original agreement so the full amount has become due


Is this anything to worry about please? can I just ignore it or do I need to phone them?

Have any of you had dealings with LINK? What are they like to deal with? Are they one of the fairer/easier ones to deal with?

Sorry about all the questions but I panicked a bit when I read these letters:o. I thought everything was running so smoothly;)

sourcrates wrote: »

No need to do anything, except file it in the recycle bin.

1) I would advise to keep every single piece of communication during your DMP. From experience I know that you never know when you will need something, so buy a filing box from the Pound shop or make one using a cardboard box and dividers. Keep everything until you have that wonderful "your account is zero" letter, then just keep that and have a glorious bonfire with the rest.

2) Don't put letters with confidential information e.g. containing name, address, bank details etc in a recycling bin. It's an invitation to ID theft .... though I wish someone had tried to steal mine during the debt days, they would have been welcome to those accounts! Seriously if you do need to dispose of letters like these, shred or burn them.

Hope all you DMPers are doing well and that 2016 brings much happy debt busting and some new additions to the debt free roll of honour.

TTFTM x

sourcrates

Time_to_face_the_music wrote: »

1) I would advise to keep every single piece of communication during your DMP. From experience I know that you never know when you will need something,

That's actually very sound advice, as I`m terrible for chucking paperwork out, then finding out I need it a week later !!

[Deleted User]

sourcrates wrote: »

That's actually very sound advice, as I`m terrible for chucking paperwork out, then finding out I need it a week later !!

That strikes a chord!

Strangely I tried to start a PPI claim with a major retailer which also has a banking arm. Won't mention which it is as it became very fraught and I know reps of various companies haunt these threads:eek:. Paranoid, moi?

Anyway, the products I had were taken out many years ago but I knew I had PPI on at least 2 of them. They wrote back saying they had no record of me on their database and asked for any other names (maiden name)/addresses etc that I may have used when holding products with them. In all cases my details hadn't changed and they again came back to me pretty much saying that as far as they were concerned I didn't exist:eek:. Of course after all this time all paperwork had long been destroyed my me. How was I ever to know that PPI claims would ever be a big thing?:o

But when sorting through a few boxes of books etc I totally unexpectedly came across an old credit agreement for one of these long closed accounts :j:j:j:j. How that got saved when nothing else was is a miracle. From that though they have now managed to track me down together with all my old accounts with them;), they've sent relevant paperwork at my request and a series of PPI claims are currently being prepared:j.

Watch this space:beer:

Little_Miss_Sunshine

I signed my cca request - as did OH. But we both used a different signature and took pictures of them. Plus I wasn't married when I took out the cards so had a different name. I figure a financial institution would have more than my £25k to worry about if they acted fraudulently.
But the electronic signature is a good idea for peace of mind.

Brogden

sourcrates wrote: »

Hi Sarah,


Depends really, are your debts with the original creditors, or with debt collection agencies ?


Have seen letters from Lowell, today actually, offering 50% discount on a particular account, its that time of year I think, tying up loose ends before the end of the tax year.


You would not get that kind of reduction from an original creditor, so depends on your circumstances really, as to if its a good idea or not.

You will in odd circumstances get that type of discount from the original creditor and better. I settled one cc debt with the original creditor for 24% so one should always ask. It cannot be a problem to be turned down !!

The tax year end has absolutely nothing to do with it. DCA's are companies and their profits are totalled for tax at the end of their own company year. This can be any date in the year. Lowell's was 30th September I believe but they have recently changed it.......think it may be 31st December.......if so they've missed the boat here :rotfl:

I am gutted about David Bowie's passing too........RIP

January2015

Hi everyone

Quick update on the 'at risk' job situation.

Had a meeting with HR today, my job as it stands is going end of March. However, there are a number of vacancies in other departments that are being offered only to 'at risk' staff. Apparently these vacancies have been 'held' pending budget cuts. HR have identified 4 posts I could go for, i.e. similar to my existing role or my qualifications and experience match the requirements of the vacancies.

I know there are others in the same situation at work, but HR seem fairly confident there shouldn't be any forced redundancies. Which is a much nicer message than the one we felt we were getting over Christmas.

I'm not sorted yet, but things are looking much brighter

Little_Miss_Sunshine

That's fantastic news January

Growurown

Good news on the job front January. My job is funded year on year, so every year there is the worry the money won't come through and redundancy will follow. Luckily my job funding has come through for another year so big relief. It is such a worry isn't it?

On another topic now, I kept every bit of paperwork too and still have it all. I like the idea of putting it all on a big bonfire now that it's paid off but I have this nagging worry that I'll get rid of it all and then a creditor will come back asking for more money! Completely irrational I know but somehow I can't quite believe that I've got away with it!

Scaredofdebt_2

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year. I'm in a bit of a rush so I'll keep it brief but my hubby's debt has been sold to Pra Group, firstly does anyone have any experience of what they are like to deal with and secondly, I will ring SC in the morning to let them know the change but do we also need to contact Pra Group separately. Thanks in anticipation.

Jon81

Scaredofdebt wrote: »

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year. I'm in a bit of a rush so I'll keep it brief but my hubby's debt has been sold to Pra Group, firstly does anyone have any experience of what they are like to deal with and secondly, I will ring SC in the morning to let them know the change but do we also need to contact Pra Group separately. Thanks in anticipation.

Two of my debts, mbna and barclaycard are with them, they wrote to me to tell me and had already let stepchange know other than that I haven't heard a peep out of them