Biggest regret going bankrupt - child’s schoolfriends found out.

krissys

About 2 weeks after going bankrupt, my details were published in google search. (The gazette entry).

If you type my name in, my bankruptcy is the first thing to appear and in the comments underneath my address.is given. Type in my road name and my bankruptcy appears third.

I submitted a form to google and they declined to remove the entry from search.

Since then one of my child’s school friends parents have googled the road name when they moved in six months ago. Needless to say it has caused problems at my sons school and I had to have a humiliating meeting with the class teacher. I found out via this that it was to do with the bankruptcy. My friends are now aware as the child bought the entry up and showed the other children when my son had no idea and they went home and told their parents.

Then I was talking to a elderly neighbour when I was doing some work on my car. I mentioned that it was seeing it’s last days out and she asked how I would buy another now I am bankrupt. Turns out she heard this from another neighbour who’s daughter works for an estate agents and happened across the information.

I have again emailed google but they have refused to remove it.the reply is that I need to contact the business page. I have no problem with my details appearing on the gazette but as they are forever going to be there, so are my personal details via a google search.

I just don’t know what to do and can’t see this ever ending. I am ashamed to even leave my house as dramatic as that may sound.

elljay

I can so sympathise, similar happened to me and I lost my job due to my boss preferring to google my address one day rather than look it up in my staff record. He then told the office manager who told everyone. I was removed from everything to do with trust and money and ended up with no job. The postman, a neighbour from the village, delivered letters with 'Mrs EJ (bankrupt)' as the addressee (this one was from the council) and I have also acquired a stalker, an ex boyfriend who discovered I was bankrupt and has been creepy though fortunately lives abroad.

We're treated worse than criminals, yet people keep telling us we're not and we should be appreciated for having dealt with our debts but in the real world it isn't like that.

None of which helps at all but just wanted to say how much I empathise. It's a long way off but once you have completed your year, (plus a few weeks I seem to remember) google then 'forgets' your entry and it can only be found by searching the Gazette. So not the forever you mention.

Like you I wrote to google as well as to the Gazette to see if there was some way the Gazette entry could be prevented from being picked up by search engines but apparently it has to be so as we are public enemies no1 and deserve all we get. (A winking emoji was supposed to go here but seems to be lost!)

Having said that, time does heal and soon your neighbours will get bored of talking about you and move on to the next victim. My first instinct was to hide but then I decided to go out and about as usual with my head high and sod 'em! I hope you can do the same soon - and don't forget, at the end of your year your details will automatically disappear from Google.

EJ

And by the way, your child's school shouldn't have raised it as an issue, it's nothing to do with them.

krissys

Thank you for sharing your experience with this. I am sorry that you also went through this.

It comes as some relief to know that it will not forever be in the google search first page. I have a few months left.

sourcrates

People, especially children, can be cruel at times.


The only solace is that it will soon become yesterdays news, things move pretty quick, and a new person to vilify will soon be found.


Personally i do not think bankrupts details should be made public.

utterly_ashamed

I’m really sorry you’ve had to deal with this on top of everything else. As others have said and as someone who has been subject to a lot of gossip and rumours over the years people soon get bored and move on to the next salacious bit of news!

It’ll pass and it’s not forever thankfully!

I agree - the Gov say bankruptcy is not supposed to be punitive but it seems like a very draconian system that publishes your details publically! Feels a bit like having a red cross daubed on your door!

I have to say it worries me having my address published - there are lots of people I really don’t want finding out where I live!

LaLaLa34

The government allow this and it!!!8217;s frankly astonishing.
Further means of financial manipulation, the public shaming etc to make people think further about going bankrupt. Doesn!!!8217;t allow for closure.

LaLaLa34

You lost your job over this!? In what sector did you work? Was there a HR policy regarding bankruptcy?

Craig1981

sorry to hear what you are going through.

what i did was own it - we made mistakes in the past, but why should i be ashamed of it? let people talk if they have nothing better to do! it doesn't make the school thing any better, but it is nothing to be ashamed about
you will soon be debt free, as in not owing a penny to anyone!
try focus on the positives and not the negatives

Craig1981

LaLaLa34 wrote: »

You lost your job over this!? In what sector did you work? Was there a HR policy regarding bankruptcy?

you would have needed to declare insolvency if working in the financial sector, but if not, you need to challenge this dismissal - speak to ACAS to see for unfair dismissal if you think this is the case

TheGardener

It isn't that long ago that all BR's were published in the local papers courts section so the whole community knew anyway. Nowadays google has replaced the local paper.
It is heart-breaking but as Craig1981 says - 'owning it' is probably one of the best ways to deal with it. The rich and famous don't seem to have a problem with it and its hard to find a millionaire or two-bit 'celebrity' who hasn't been BR at some point as this thread shows https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/420969/famous-bankrupts-past-present&highlight=famous

At the end of the day - not going BR would probably have had ended up with debt collectors/bailiffs knocking at the door which would have been no better.

Head up - it was probably still the best thing to do to allow you and your family (which are the important people in all this) to go on to have a future free of the terror of debt. The gossips will find something else to talk about soon enough.

utterly_ashamed

Do a quick google of celebrities who!!!8217;ve gone bankrupt! We!!!8217;re in good company ha!