DMP Mutual Support Thread - Part 12

NeverendingDMP

I sent cheques and it was fine. I carried on paying at first but the three that haven't replied with any documents I emailed this week to say paperwork not yet back so I'm wanting to make token payments of a fiver till I hear. I had emails back saying no problem. Some people stop paying completely- others with more experience will let you know when they did this. Again.more experienced people will say which ones you can apply for CCA requests. I've chosen to carry on with token payments as my debts are so huge I need to put something to them just in case the paperwork is found ha ha. The difference in what I was paying I am hoping to put in my government help to save scheme on which I can get a bonus in two years. (Anyone on tax credits can do this scheme I think)

BalanceBy50

NeverendingDMP wrote: »

I sent cheques and it was fine. I carried on paying at first but the three that haven't replied with any documents I emailed this week to say paperwork not yet back so I'm wanting to make token payments of a fiver till I hear. I had emails back saying no problem. Some people stop paying completely- others with more experience will let you know when they did this. Again.more experienced people will say which ones you can apply for CCA requests. I've chosen to carry on with token payments as my debts are so huge I need to put something to them just in case the paperwork is found ha ha. The difference in what I was paying I am hoping to put in my government help to save scheme on which I can get a bonus in two years. (Anyone on tax credits can do this scheme I think)

Thanks Neverending DMP. I have paid 2 debts off through F&F's and before i do anymore i want to make sure they aren't UE. I have paid so much in interest over the years i no longer feel guilty!

January2015

BalanceBy50 wrote: »

Quick Question - I have half an hour to spare so going to ask for CCA's using the National Debtline template. Am I right in thinking i can CCA my CC debts and loan Debts but not my overdraft? Also do I stop making payments when i do this? Finally i still have a cheque book somewhere am I ok to send cheques?

More than a quick question! Sorry!!

Yes you are correct. You can send CCA requests for credit cards and loans but not for overdrafts. :beer:

Suseka97

Interesting development...
We have 3 UE's with the PRA group. Today, for the first time... several months after the formal UE notification and my insistence that they only have permission to contact me in writing - I receive a letter asking me to contact them to agree a formal repayment plan.

However.. and this is the interesting bit. The letter is opened with a statement that says.. "This notice is for information only and is not a demand for payment" it then goes on to set out my outstanding balance with an offer to settle at a 10% discount. What the F** !!!!!

Now, there was a time when I had intended to settle with PRA at a discount that suited me... but lately I've been reading posts on here where they are now contacting debtors asking for payment for debts that are well outside the 'statute barred limitation' timeframe. The are flouting legislation and yet getting away with it... so my response to this 'letter' is not to be repeated in polite company.

Suffice to say the PRA group can now go..... (fill in the blanks)

January2015

Suseka97 wrote: »

Interesting development...
We have 3 UE's with the PRA group. Today, for the first time... several months after the formal UE notification and my insistence that they only have permission to contact me in writing - I receive a letter asking me to contact them to agree a formal repayment plan.

However.. and this is the interesting bit. The letter is opened with a statement that says.. "This notice is for information only and is not a demand for payment" it then goes on to set out my outstanding balance with an offer to settle at a 10% discount. What the F** !!!!!

Now, there was a time when I had intended to settle with PRA at a discount that suited me... but lately I've been reading posts on here where they are now contacting debtors asking for payment for debts that are well outside the 'statute barred limitation' timeframe. The are flouting legislation and yet getting away with it... so my response to this 'letter' is not to be repeated in polite company.

Suffice to say the PRA group can now go..... (fill in the blanks)

When I first read this I thought they had offered to settle at 10% of the balance - not 10% discount :eek:

I ignored PRAT for ages on our UE debt (MBNA card). They kept writing and I kept ignoring and not responding. Eventually they wrote and offered to settle for 10% of the balance, i.e. 90% discount. I accepted that because I wanted it done and dusted and cleared on our credit files.

Anyway - as long as your response stays verbal in your head or your house and you don't respond to them in any way.... because a) they are not worth your time, and b) the statute barred clock is ticking (as you know )

Suseka97

January2015 wrote: »

When I first read this I thought they had offered to settle at 10% of the balance - not 10% discount :eek:.....
Anyway - as long as your response stays verbal in your head or your house and you don't respond to them in any way.... because a) they are not worth your time, and b) the statute barred clock is ticking (as you know )

Yep, that's my current strategy. I've blocked their number/s (they use more than one to contact me) and I'm ignoring all letters. We'll see what the next move will be, but I find it somewhat contrary that on the one hand the letter opens with 'this is a notice, not a demand' and on the other goes on to ask me to contact them to arrange repayment. If I was to settle, it'll be for no more than 10% of the balance (not 10% discount) - so it seems this is definitely a waiting game. Hopefully they'll get the message sooner rather than later.

Slytherin

Hello everyone.

I'm moving into some temporary accommodation soon and after that, more temporary accommodation. It's all part of getting myself set up for cheaper living. Anyway, because I don't want the hassle of having to constantly update addresses and also because I'm going to be living with strangers for at least two properties, I've decided to set up a cheap version of a PO Box for my DMP and debt correspondence. In terms of privacy and ensuring no documents get missed during moves, I think this would be worth the £2 and loose change per month it would cost. My worry is - will creditors or StepChange take issue with this? I don't know why they would as I'm happy to declare where I'll actually be living. I just don't want to receive post until I have longer term accommodation sorted.

sourcrates

Suseka97 wrote: »

They are flouting legislation and yet getting away with it... so my response to this 'letter' is not to be repeated in polite company.

Suffice to say the PRA group can now go..... (fill in the blanks)

The way they work is questionable, but not unlawful, its all down to the wording of the Limitations act.


In England & Wales, the debt does not expire, or just disappear, after 6 years, as a lot of people think it does.


A creditor can take you to court for a consumer debt of any age, once defaulted, this is where the now, tightened up rules of the pre-action protocol come into play, creditors now have to lay all there cards on the table so to speak, so when they initially write to you demanding payment, if you believe a debt is statute barred, you must write back and tell them so.


Only at that point can the Limitations act come into play, if you do not do that, and just ignore it, then the CCJ is made against you, just because you failed to respond.


Its slightly different in Scotland, as any consumer debt there over 5 years old, will become statute barred, and is then extinguished altogether.

Suseka97

sourcrates wrote: »

The way they work is questionable, but not unlawful, its all down to the wording of the Limitations act. In England & Wales, the debt does not expire, or just disappear, after 6 years, as a lot of people think it does..... if you believe a debt is statute barred, you must write back and tell them so. Only at that point can the Limitations act come into play, if you do not do that, and just ignore it, then the CCJ is made against you, just because you failed to respond. Its slightly different in Scotland, as any consumer debt there over 5 years old, will become statute barred, and is then extinguished altogether.

Thanks sourcrates - a useful reminder and something I will definitely keep in mind further down the line. As it stands mine are currently all UE and my strategy now is to 'not' engage either verbally or in writing with the DCAs about the accounts they hold. I'll only do so if they write to me with an offer at a significant discount and that's only because I'd just like to wipe the slate clean, so to speak. I'm in no particular rush

winnersluck

Hello There. Sorry to barge in, I was just wondering if anyone could help me please? I have just been looking into a DMP and think this will be the way to go for me however I was wondering how it would effect my husband's credit rating? We have a joint bank account and also he has a credit card for my Barclaycard account. All of the debts are in my name as it was the only way we could get credit at the time. 3 Kids later and we are having to pay out just under £800 in debt a month and then go back into all our cards we have just paid off just to keep up with our living costs. It seems a DMP is the only way we could have any kind of life whilst actually paying our debt off.