I've quit everything. Now what ?

dreaming

another_casualty wrote: »

Thanks candy
As I say, conflicting advice . I had to do something . I wouldn't have just paid it . I would have asked for confirmation letter first and paid immediately after. It seems payplan is the way to go.
With them, there's a paper trail

There would also be a paper trail if you e-mailed or wrote to them AC.
I really have to take issue with your definitions of "pro-active" or "giving it your best shot". As far as I am aware you have contacted the creditors twice in the last 6 months, and because they haven't immediately accepted your offer you have given up. You talk about the conflicting advice you have been given - well that is to be expected when you ask questions on an open forum. You will get "advice" from all sorts (no doubt mostly well-meant) but you really need to ask the people who really seem to know their stuff. From reading these threads it seems that sourcrates has a great deal of experience (which you acknowledge) but I feel you have largely ignored acting on his advice, and you go off and ring the creditors almost on a whim. To be brutally honest this could have been sorted in the last few months as, apart from the last few weeks when you have been painting/shopping, you haven't exactly had a lot on your plate.
As LL has often said - you seem willing to take the path of least resistance but it is going to cost you hard cash. I know you have these debts, plus your illness undoubtedly affects your energy, but sometimes I wonder if you have ever faced real hardship.
This might seem a bit blunt but I have been a long-time supported of your journey and have cheered with every step forward, but now I see going back to your old ways of it being a bit hard so let someone else sort it for you. Still wish you all the best though.

harz99

TallGirl wrote: »

Sorry to chip in letter and email is ok if you have the actual person or department to contact e.g. from a previous letter as I fear a letter or email might just dissapear and never get an answer. Advantage by phone is you can (if you are able to haggle) and obviously give them your card details to pay there and then something you can't via letter. See how you go maybe set yourself a max you will go to and if you feel flustered or pushed to pay more say you will respond in writting can you have their address and contact details of that person you're speaking to. Remind them they will get more via you than if you do it with Payplan in case they forget about fair share which they pay to Payplan. Also a lot of the agents have personal targets to reach and if you can pay that day it might make a difference so again an advantage by phone. I'm sure you'll be fine maybe start with a smaller debt.

Or just call them and ask for the correct email address​ to send your letter to! No discussion needed!!

copperjar

Hi AC. I don't want to add too much to this conversation because you're already getting a bit of a hard time - some of it a bit close to the bone imo - but wanted to mention the debt. Please get it paid off - don't keep it hanging over your head. It has the potential to be like getting a consolidation loan and not paying everything off with it - been there, done that! That's how debts can grow again.

Now it's tricky because your creditors are never going to accept your first offers, so it is a bit of a waiting game. But the game has already started - you wrote to them months ago and were given counter offers if I recall. Get those letters out and make another offer - referencing what was said last time. You've started the game, shame to throw the towel in now. If they refuse again, we talk things through again.

If you go through payplan expect to pay 100%.

I do think, knowing you a little now, that you need to be starting in your new home debt free asap. Then you can finally make a budget and sort out your future plans re work, benefits, living!

I also wanted to mention James. Has he sorted your shower screen yet? You've paid (and tipped!) him. If not, you need a firm date. He's cancelled you today and not sorted a couple of other bits out. Don't pay him anything else until it's all done.

People just want the best for you AC and I think there's a genuine concern that you are going to find yourself with no money, still have debts, back to square one. You've done the hard work - now see it through. Rooting for you!

another_casualty

I thank you LL and dreaming of your constructive criticism , brutal truth if you like and never ending help and support , which is obviously wavering now .

I have in my defence , to clear one or two things up here.

Dreaming doubts if I've ever had hardships ..cheap shot!
I have been open ( somebody said in my early thread I was possibly too open) from the very first page .
What I've put on my posts is only part of my background .
I have 'listened ' to sourcrates giving advice to all and sundry.also,to many others who have tried to get the best in settlement .
I had to write the template that is a sticky . I had no computer at the time , so I persevered and got the responses .

I don't just phone up randomly , on a whim and expect an answer there and then . I held back for various reasos. Payplan have always been great and supportive . Initially , out of respect I thought that it's best to,let them take the reigns until my situation changes for the better .. or worse.
Then I see people on other threads getting results.
Most were successful .
Why did I do it today? I did it because I knew I had to do it eventually rather than moping around . It seems that dreaming thinks I just do nothing. That's your prerogative . I'm past caring.

Lousy negotiator LL? 70% isn't too bad .
Dreaming seems to think I want to sit around and do nothing .
Speaking of making settlements LL, Imadmire the way you paid back your debts in full . One reason why I offered a settlement: when making minimum payments it seemed that every few months or so the interest on my debts was rising so in effect it's harder to pay off .
Regarding my Barclays overdraft: when they took over woolwich building society, they stopped explaining charges in plain English often putting buffer zones in etc which were more expensive and hard to understand .

The main thing in my opinion , is that I should be more patient when making these offers . I acknowledge that I should try 3 times at least .
I forgot that .i was caught in the moment whilst phoning .

Before I quit this thread for good, I may as well explain for one last time about my spending . I get what you all say. I went a little off centre at times . I even had stupid thoughts in my head. People here think I am still stupid . I won't argue any more. All I will say is that I bought a flat which needed a total refresh and new furniture . It costs . I know that you all mean well .
Thanks for the good times , and frowns along the way.

I wish you all the best also

AC

harz99

AC, please don't go. Take a deep breath, make a plan of action regarding your DMP and deal with it in a professional, non impulsive way.

As to the rest, those of us that have been regularly advising you have your best interests at heart, of course you don't have to follow that advice, but you must realise that course of action brings it's own frustrations for us, your well intentioned advisors. I for one have deliberately refrained recently from too much participation as I might also have been very blunt, which I considered you wouldn't like and that probably wouldn't help you at all.

You're choices along your path from London wage slave to a debt free new life are not ones I would have made, but you're not me - we're all different. However you're almost there, so as I said earlier, take a deep breath etc.

So please stay with us AC.

lessonlearned

AC. Don't take umbrage. We are all still supporting you.

I have most certainly not abandoned you, nor will I.

However today really was not the best time to make that call. It really was too sad a day. I can't help being a bit exasperated with you sometimes when you try and rush things. I really do want you to get this right and, just like harz and the others, I am rooting for you.

The trick to successful negotiating is not just being able to maintain a good poker face, it's also about choosing the right time, place and methods. The wisest and most successful generals always choose the battlefield.

Don't give up. I'll be honest and say I know nothing about payplan but my instinct is to say that you will probably get a better result if you deal directly with your creditors rather than going through an intermediary.

Leave it a few days and try again.

You have come such a long way in a very short time. It has been stressful and very tiring for you but you have been both courageous and steadfast. Don't falter now. You are almost there and your new life awaits.

Keep your chin up and you will soon reap the benefits of all your hard work. Clear your debts as soon as you can and then you can concentrate on getting well and healthy.

lessonlearned

Good morning AC. Yes I'm up with the larks this Morning. . Another beautiful day and another great drying day so going to wash winter knitwear etc. Then tackle some of those weeds.

Re your storage issues........

You have a boiler in the spare bedroom. Why not build a cupboard around it to store things like the hoover, the broom, ironing board shoes etc. - no cleaning materials because of the chemicals. You will need air vents in the door. I did this with my boiler in our old house, it worked well.

Re the lack of airing cupboard. You mentioned James will be putting in shelves, good idea. Another good wheeze here would be to add a small wall heater to add heat so it is still effectively an airing cupboard. Either run a small radiator from the existing heating system or if that is too difficult or expensive then a small electric wall heater. 500 watt would be plenty. It's easy enough for an electrician to add a socket. I did this when we had a new boiler and the water tank was redundant. I really missed not having an airing cupboard but the heater trick worked a treat.

Debsnewbudget

lessonlearned wrote: »

Good morning AC. Yes I'm up with the larks this Morning. . Another beautiful day and another great drying day so going to wash winter knitwear etc. Then tackle some of those weeds.


Re the lack of airing cupboard. You mentioned James will be putting in shelves, good idea. Another good wheeze here would be to add a small wall heater to add heat so it is still effectively an airing cupboard. Either run a small radiator from the existing heating system or if that is too difficult or expensive then a small electric wall heater. 500 watt would be plenty. It's easy enough for an electrician to add a socket. I did this when we had a new boiler and the water tank was redundant. I really missed not having an airing cupboard but the heater trick worked a treat.

We always put a greenhouse heater in our bathroom cupboards to dry the towels
Its an electric one used normally to keep frost off, very low on electricity use and also cheap to run
Works a treat and means we do not have to leave towels out on show (as no e of them match :rotfl:)

lessonlearned

Yes those greenhouse heaters are great. Plenty warm enough to create an airing cupboard.

anna_1977

Hope you haven't gone AC !!

My only comment is to please please pay the debts, at whatever reduction you manage to negotiate - I am SERIOUSLY concerned that if you don't pay them now you will end up spending all your money on gadgets etc and have none left.

Hope to see you update soon

x