DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 11

Sazzie23

LadyMorticia wrote: »

Hey lovelies.

All quiet on the creditor front here. SC advised me to miss my August payment due to washing machine repairs etc so I'm starting again in September.

Housing Association have finally admitted that our water damaged floor is their fault. We've had an industrial-size humidifier for the past month trying to dry out underneath the kitchen vinyl and tomorrow their taking the old vinyl up. Trouble is that the floor needs a good clean (especially down the side of the cooker. Eurgh!) but with the M.E. I don't have the energy to do it, but I don't want the floor guys to think we're slobs. *sigh*

Welcome to all of the newbies. This thread is a godsend. x

Hi LadyM, was going to suggest a bit at a time with the floor, but poss bit late if they are coming tomorrow:eek::eek:

Just bite your lip when they move it and I'm sure they'll have seen worse. Least it's getting sorted, and you can't help being poorly.

Saz

Reset24

New here but was advised by a friend someone would help maybe. I have alot of debt and in DMP with Stepchange. All creditors fine except Barclaycard who are charging mega interest and saying one thing on phone then another in letter. I have phoned and written so many times but no change and the interest is killing me. What else can I do. Step change just tell me to keep asking them to lower interest but been doing that last 3 years and no joy - any advice welcome. Thank you.

sourcrates

Reset24 wrote: »

New here but was advised by a friend someone would help maybe. I have alot of debt and in DMP with Stepchange. All creditors fine except Barclaycard who are charging mega interest and saying one thing on phone then another in letter. I have phoned and written so many times but no change and the interest is killing me. What else can I do. Step change just tell me to keep asking them to lower interest but been doing that last 3 years and no joy - any advice welcome. Thank you.

Hi,

Simple solution, stop paying them.

Within 6/9 months they will of either sold the account or passed to a DCA, either way the account would be frozen and interest stopped.

A stern letter of complaint should also be sent asking for the last 3 years interest to be knocked off your balance.

Only way to deal with Barclaycard is to play hardball.

zenshi

Another very busy month at work for me. Debts coming down nicely. The debt owed to family should be cleared by end of September. Then I'm going to stash for F and Fs as just before Xmas I have a big birthday and my son is getting married, so will have something to dip into if need be. If I don't dip in, to I'll have a nice sum to offer to one of my lucky creditors

January2015

Reset24 wrote: »

New here but was advised by a friend someone would help maybe. I have alot of debt and in DMP with Stepchange. All creditors fine except Barclaycard who are charging mega interest and saying one thing on phone then another in letter. I have phoned and written so many times but no change and the interest is killing me. What else can I do. Step change just tell me to keep asking them to lower interest but been doing that last 3 years and no joy - any advice welcome. Thank you.

sourcrates wrote: »

Hi,

Simple solution, stop paying them.

Within 6/9 months they will of either sold the account or passed to a DCA, either way the account would be frozen and interest stopped.

A stern letter of complaint should also be sent asking for the last 3 years interest to be knocked off your balance.

Only way to deal with Barclaycard is to play hardball.

I can only agree with Sourcrates. I had a massive battle with BC. Gave up with Stepchange and went self managed so that we could force the issue with BC. We didn't stop paying them, but only pay £1 per month. They have now stopped all interest and charges and refunded all interest and charges since we went onto DMP - which reduced the balances quite nicely (2 accounts). Even though they have done this we are still paying £1 per month and will do so until they actually default the accounts. The risk if we increase payments now is that some !!!! in BC will put interest and charges back onto the accounts and we will be back to square one - no way am I going to let that happen.

We have been paying £1 per month since January since year. Nothing bad has happened. Good thing was the refund of interest and charges. BC have confirmed accounts will default in next few months (why it take them that long I have no idea).

You have to be tough with BC - otherwise nothing is going to change.

Sazzie23

Reset24 wrote: »

New here but was advised by a friend someone would help maybe. I have alot of debt and in DMP with Stepchange. All creditors fine except Barclaycard who are charging mega interest and saying one thing on phone then another in letter. I have phoned and written so many times but no change and the interest is killing me. What else can I do. Step change just tell me to keep asking them to lower interest but been doing that last 3 years and no joy - any advice welcome. Thank you.

Hi Reset,

I agree with other OP's the only way to stop the interest and charges is to cut their payments. Two ways of doing this, either go self managed, it's not very traumatic if you read this thread you'll see plenty do it and there is help, or if you think you want or need to stay with SC, then you'd have to some plausible reason why you have to reduce your payments across the board.

I had a bit of a meltdown last year and had to reduce my payments to all creditors to the SC minimum of £5 per creditor, the silver lining was that all my accounts had interest cut, and I got a whole stack if defaults too:T:T. Admittedly some creditors took more than 6 months to get there, but we are there now and although I have increased my payments slightly, I'm not breaking my neck to do it, they can whistle.

Saz

snowbean

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere wrote: »

Hi Snowbean,

Definitely give it a go - worth a phone call. Each time my hubby has called them they have been really pleasant and very helpful. I guess if you don't ask you don't get - good luck!!

Take care,

BDFSH x

Thanks, I'm definitely going to try, and ask them to backdate it to when we started our dmp 3 years ago. I'm not sure though whether I should be writing to BC (as it was them who didn't default it), or PRA (who it's now with)? Will also be sending them a cca request as well, if I ever make it to the post office to get a postal order!

katkins2

So, this happened today..... I became debt free!!! :j:j

It's been a long road, July 2009 was my LBM and started a DMP with SC sept 09....now just under 7 years on I have shifted just over 35k of debt.

I will be eternally grateful to the fabulous people on this thread for all the advice and support in those early days, it really was a lifeline. I actually don't believe I would have taken those first scary steps to sorting myself out if this place didn't exist. The people who take time out of their day to help and advise on here are in my eyes Angels :A

It seems like a whole lifetime ago since I contacted Step Change or CCCS as it was back then. They were fantastic and that first phone call was definitely the best phone call I have ever made. If there are any people reading this who are considering calling them, but are too scared, my advice is DO IT. I too was terrified but it really is the first step to getting your life back and tackling your debts. I know many people prefer the self managed approach, however, in those early days, the support from SC is really good.

Anyway, I'm rambling on a bit so I will sign off but just wanted to give some hope to the newbies around and the lurkers who still haven't decided to bite the bullet. It is doable and the sense of achievement is amazing. Keep going guys, the light at the end of the tunnel just gets brighter.

Take care folks xx

System

katkins2 wrote: »

So, this happened today..... I became debt free!!! :j:j

It's been a long road, July 2009 was my LBM and started a DMP with SC sept 09....now just under 7 years on I have shifted just over 35k of debt.

Congratulations - well done you!

Puzzcat

Congratulations katkins :T

A lovely inspiring post.

Puzz.x