DMP mutual support thread part 13 !!

Willing2Learn

jupitercrash wrote: »

… So I'm one month into my 6 month 'breathing space' to build an EF. Not heard a peep from any of my creditors apart from one - Fluid, who I have a CC with.

They've sent me a letter that basically says:

Thanks for getting in touch with us recently. Your concerns are important to us and we'd like to discuss them with you personally. We'd appreciate it if you could call us on....

As explained in previous posts, I suffer with an anxiety disorder that is heavily triggered by financial stuff - even making the decision to tackle my debt in this way is a huge step for me. So the idea of calling them & having to explain myself is making me feel quite sick.

Has anyone had anything like this before? Can anyone take an educated guess at what they might want to say?

A telephone call is a good way for a creditor to apply pressure and to get the debtor to agree to something they don't want to do. So DON'T phone them.

Hopefully, when you sent out your holding letters, you included a line to stipulate that you need the account held for either 3 or 6 months. Fluid have that in writing. That will keep them happy. No need to get anxious.

Changingtimes

I have lost it and gone into an anxiety stress mode. I wrote recently about taking a 2 month payment break from SC as an emergency had come up with my car that I desperately need for work. I did something bad and just didn't pay this month on the 21st. Now am feeling depressed and scared of what troubles I am getting myself into. I dont find it easy to speak to people and I feel I have just shut down.
On a good point I have paid £10k in 7 months being in my DMP.
Now I feel because I dont communicate I have put myself back into a position I am not happy with. I am great communicating in writing but fail in the verbal dept. I dont know if I should tell SC I need a payment break to sort my emergency out or just try and take this and try for my own managed DMP?
Will I get in trouble for simply not paying I guess I will....

Willing2Learn

Hi Changingtimes,

Sorry to read you are going through your anxiety mode. I can't see SC having a major problem with that, just so long as give them a call first thing Monday morning to explain. Make yourself a cup of tea first, take a deep breath and relax. They will understand that you go through these moments every now and then. SC will liaise with your creditors for you.


And give yourself a pat on the back for having already busted 10K of debt. That is almost halfway. There is light at the end of the tunnel for you. Even if you had a 1 or 2 month payment break, you would still clear all your debt in time for Christmas 2020!!

Suseka97

Changingtimes wrote: »

I have lost it and gone into an anxiety stress mode. I wrote recently about taking a 2 month payment break from SC as an emergency had come up with my car that I desperately need for work. I did something bad and just didn't pay this month on the 21st. Now am feeling depressed and scared of what troubles I am getting myself into. I dont find it easy to speak to people and I feel I have just shut down.
On a good point I have paid £10k in 7 months being in my DMP.
Now I feel because I dont communicate I have put myself back into a position I am not happy with. I am great communicating in writing but fail in the verbal dept. I dont know if I should tell SC I need a payment break to sort my emergency out or just try and take this and try for my own managed DMP?
Will I get in trouble for simply not paying I guess I will....

Please stop stressing - you've done extremely well and if you need a payment break to sort out an emergency, then so be it. I'm sure SC will be fine as many people find themselves in the same situation during their DMP years. I knew a guy who was in an 8 year DMP and he had several breaks over that time due to different reasons. Life is life and things happen - so don't beat yourself up. If you don't feel up to speaking, can you not use their online messaging service? They may still want to speak to you - but it will only be to help you.

Above all you must remember that a DMP is an informal arrangement and you are in control of it. There is no 'getting into trouble' - you've done nothing wrong, but do let them know the situation one way or another.

Now, try not to worry and just enjoy your bank holiday weekend

wanttobethrifty

I tried to get CREATION to apply a default on my account, and failed even after going through the FOS. CREATION have sold the debt on to LOWELLS, can i now ask them to apply a default and back date it to when my DMP started june last year. this is the oly account not defaulted and would really like that to happen.

Scottishmummy

I haven't logged in here for ages partly due to being ill and partly because I haven't needed to. It's great to see so many people still offering brilliant support and advice. Personally my own finances are still plodding away. My DMP feels like it will go on forever but hey-ho. I've been getting phone calls from Ascent so came on to see if anyone else had been having problems with them but they don't seem to pop up very often. I've been letting the answer machine deal with them but I can't think why they would be gettin gin touch. All our debts are being dealt with through our dmp and we haven't missed any payments. I'll wait to see if they finally decide to write.



I'll hopefully try and pop in more often in future. Have revived my diary in the meantime.

Puzzcat

wanttobethrifty wrote: »

I tried to get CREATION to apply a default on my account, and failed even after going through the FOS. CREATION have sold the debt on to LOWELLS, can i now ask them to apply a default and back date it to when my DMP started june last year. this is the oly account not defaulted and would really like that to happen.

Good luck! You can ask but I haven't had any success in the exact same situation. They don't have to default regardless of the sale of the debt.

Suseka97

wanttobethrifty wrote: »

I tried to get CREATION to apply a default on my account, and failed even after going through the FOS. CREATION have sold the debt on to LOWELLS, can i now ask them to apply a default and back date it to when my DMP started june last year. this is the oly account not defaulted and would really like that to happen.

Why not write to them and complain - okay, the FOS may not have upheld your case, but that doesn't stop you trying with Lowell. if they refuse, you could then just stop paying them, although it does depend on how 'hard ball' you are prepared to be. I have to say I would have stopped paying Creation - but you are where you are.

You could write and say that an unexpected bill has landed and that you won't be able to make any payments for, say, the next 6 months and see what happens. That might push things on for you.

Bexd12

Suseka97 wrote: »

You don't need to respond to the questions as posed by your creditor - just write back stating that you appreciate their position, but stand by your original request and that payments will cease until x month whilst you set money aside for unforeseen expenses (assuming that's what you've already told them). Be polite, but be firm.

Alternatively - you could just go with the £5 per month offer and see it as a token payment. Lots of people also set up tokens for several months and creditors are pretty much okay with that too.

Thank you Suseka, I've had a further rather lengthy response from Cabot finance this morning, saying they will accept the offer, but that it could put my account into default, from what i've read on here, that's what I want anyway!

jupitercrash

Willing2Learn wrote: »

A telephone call is a good way for a creditor to apply pressure and to get the debtor to agree to something they don't want to do. So DON'T phone them.

Hopefully, when you sent out your holding letters, you included a line to stipulate that you need the account held for either 3 or 6 months. Fluid have that in writing. That will keep them happy. No need to get anxious.

I suspected as much - I haven't phoned them, and my letter clearly stated I needed 6 months. I might write them back just to say I won't be speaking to them via phone and will only communicate in writing.

M&S (another CC) have written to say they'll put the account on hold for 60 days, after which they'll want me to send them my offer. After that, they'll resume trying to take payments - I cancelled the DD with my bank but their letter says they still have an active DD which they'll use to take payment. I might write back and just specify again the 6 months I asked for, and that I've cancelled the DD here so can they cancel it their end.

I've had letters from most creditors acknowledging that I've cancelled my DD and asking me to pay another way, but nothing yet about missed payments. I think that's when it's all going to get a bit scary.