Help With Harassment From Creditor

10past6

Hi

Anyone offer advice please

My partner and I have recently set up a DMP with Pay Plan, our first instalment is due to come out of my account beginning DEC.

Pay plan have received our financial statement, and issued a copy to all our creditors, however, one creditor requested Pay plan not to issue our financial statement until 19th November as they are dealt with in batches (pay plan stated they have not heard of this before, but did co operate with the creditor)

I am constantly receiving agro and harassment via telephone from this one creditor stating they are waiting for our financial statement.

I’ve explained what Pay plan have said, the creditor states no financial statement has arrived, I’m going round in circles.

This one creditor who’s harassing me is a well-known high street bank, during my previous telephone conversations they insisted I paid a minimum amount on our loans, which I did just to keep them of our backs.

OK, previously, I’ve had 2 nervous breakdowns, at the moment this harassment is starting to get to me, I’m not sure where I go from here, as I say, every other day this one creditor is phoning, all they want is a financial statement, I’ve spoken to a manger who was neither interested, or offered any practical help.

Any advice please?

Sea78

Hi

I had this from HSBC when I first started the DMP with CCCS - I eventually stopped answering the phone. Don't pay them anything more at all. Hang up if you answer the phone. It would be worth writing to them telling them that you only wish them to contact you in writing - they have to honour this no matter what they say. There is a template letter floating around - hopefully someone will post one on the thread for you:)

It's very easy to say ignore them, but a lot more difficult to do in real life! It's taken 8 months for them to finally pass the debt on to a DCA - I had an overdraft, personal loan and credit card with HSBC - they were not happy with me! They tried to pressure me into a managed loan, but somehow I stood firm - I kept ringing CCCS and they kept reassuring me! Keep on ringing Payplan for support and come on here whenever it's all getting too much.

Sea xxx

Gale_10

Hello there!

First of all, please don't worry about this creditor. I am guessing its Lloydstsb?
They have a bit of a reputation.

It is illegal for them to harass you with phone calls. You can write a letter to them and tell them that you will only deal with them in writing and any other telephone calls will constitute harassment and they will reported to all relevant bodies.

The worst they can do..........and its unlikely that they will..........is take you to court, where a judge will probably say that you can pay them what they have been offered by payplan.

They know this to be true, and it costs them £400 to take you to court. So basically they are just saying it in order to get a bigger amount than your other creditors. They are well known for doing this, absolutely dreadful behaviour.

So your first job is to calm down, write them a quick letter saying you will only deal with them in writing from now on.

If they phone again, put the phone down. Keep doing it, they will get the message. Don't get into conversation with them, if they trick you into conversation you can just say "I will deal with you when you write to me." Then put the phone down.

You can alert Payplan to their tactics, but I expect Payplan will not be surprised.

Keep yourself calm, stick to your guns, and they will soon get the message.

You will be just fine.

Gale

10past6

Hi

Am I able to mention the creditor here?

Sea78

Yes We all do - it helps when we slate them!! It also means we can share our stories about similar stories to yours - who is it?

Sea xx

thinkpinkworld

Hi
I can only offer my support and encouragement.
I have been through periods of not answering the phone.
Putting the phone down on people is very stressful for you. To reduce the stress any phone call they make to you must remain unanswered
Get a phone from ARGOS that lets you see who is calling. (With ARGOS you can always take it back after a few weeks). Or pull the dam thing out temporarily.

I have not heard of this scheme you are on. Why not get someone from the debt people at CAB to contact these people for you (this nasty creditor). This will save you having to make stressfull phone calls. Or go back to payplan get them to sort it.

You are doing everything right keep going well done for getting as far as you have. you are fighting a nasty industry.

I am sorry I can not be of much practical help. Thinking of you.

Hugs to you

Jane

ps To help temporarily try Louise Hay's affirmations to stop all this stuff going round and round in your thoughts. I found that helpful for me.

10past6

OK, thanks to each and everyone for your support, much appreciated.

OK, it's Northern Rock

We was coping with these debts OK, with pay plans support, yet this creditor has made us feel guilty, and like a second class citizen.

Sea78

Hugs to you - they do that so well don't they?!

Do send that letter though - make one up if need be. If it's really affecting your health, you could investigate changing your number (although that's a major hassle I know).

Sea xx

tigerfeet2006

thinkpinkworld wrote:

I have not heard of this scheme you are on. Why not get someone from the debt people at CAB to contact these people for you (this nasty creditor). This will save you having to make stressfull phone calls. Or go back to payplan get them to sort it.



Hugs to you

Jane

Jane Payplan is one the debt charities recommended by Martin. A DMP is a Debt Management Plan which you can organise your self or through an agency such as Payplan, CCCS or God forbid an agency you pay for the privilege.

beccabooboo

To 10past6

Hi there,

Please don't worry about Northern Rock, lets face it, they are in plenty of debt themselves!!!

i had a Together mortgage with them £84K secured and £21K unsecured, amongst a lot of other unsecured debt. We have a DMP with CCCS which we started just over a year ago. Northern Rock were never happy with us as the unsecured element of our Together loan was included in the DMP. In October this year our fixed rate was due to end on the mortgage and CCCS advised us to contact Charcol Direct to switch the secured element of our loan to another fixed rate, which we did, and Charcol were fantastic. However, Northern Rock have now been writing to us asking us for ridiculous payments on our unsecured loan, increaing the interest to 12.5%!!!!! I wrote back and said we have a DMP with CCCS etc etc to which they have written back and said they still want a mimimum of £136 per month - ha!! I wish i had £136 per month spare!!!!!!!

CCCS have been great, and to be honest, after having countless 'nearly breeakdowns' I now just do not care what Northern Rock say or do, if they put a default notice on then thats fine, and if they take me to court i will attend, show the judge that I am committed to repaying ALL creditors via the DMP and the Judge should say 'ok then, Northern Rock, stop wasting my time'!!!!!

Please try and hang on in there, you are doing all the right things, and I know how difficult this must be for you. If you want a chat about anything then feel free to private message me, it's always good to have somebody on the other end who has been there and understands. I honestly believe that if I hadn't spoken to my friends who had been through this when I did, and found out about CCCS I would be in a far worse position than I could've ever imagined.

For everbody out there trying to get through their debts good luck, and I salute you all, we should all be here for each other, and at the end of the day, those pesky creditors are in plenty of debt themselves!!

Maybe the next letter I write to Northern Rock, I will ask them for the £900 of my taxpayers money back that is being used along with everybody elses to sure them up at the moment!!!!!

Cheers
Becky!!

Larumbelle

Hey there

No debtor is allowed to harrass you.

Send a letter along these lines:

Dear Northern Rock

With reference to my account xxxxxxxxx

As I have made clear to you in numerous conversations, I am no longer willing to deal with this matter over the telephone and hereby request that all communication be conducted by letter. As I am sure you are aware, harrassment by companies and the individuals who represent them may be a breach of both civil and criminal law. In addition, your behaviour contravenes Office of Fair Trading guidance on debt collection. If you do not disist from calling me I will be forced to report your behaviour to both OFT and Trading Standards, making clear that I believe your actions show you to be unfit to hold a consumer credit licence.

Yours etc.

If that doesn't work I have numerous strategies for dealing with the phonecalls. They mainly consist of being so annoying that they give up. It's great fun and makes you realise that you hold a lot more power with them than you realise.

I hope you get things sorted. Let me know how you get on.