Steps to Change query

sourcrates

I don`t know how you have ended up with contact from this company, but what i can tell you is they are a fee charging debt management company at best, and at worst, a scam artiste.

This is not the stepchange weblink.

Brie

MalMonroe said:

PS Sorry I don't know why my message is blue! 

It must be feeling sad!

Sncjw

Don't consolidate you are effectively doubling your debt. There's no garuntee you rill use yhe money to pay off your debt. Plus the lender will assess your affordability on the current debt plus loan. 

For someone kot sure of their money left over to pay debt I would do a statement of affairs and post here people can see where you can save money or provide either solutions. 

StepChange_Aidan

erinsg94 said:

Thank you for the advice re consolidation, I agree they are a big risk but I am struggling to make ends meet at the minute and thought that a loan with dedicated repayments would help, I will avoid them for the time being based on this advice. 

Is StepChange the same as the website StepChange? Seems an obvious question, but I put my details (name, email address & phone number) into their website (I have checked this on my history and am very confused as it very much seemed to be the StepChange website and is listed as that website 😭) to see if they could help and I received an email from admin@debthelp.team - I have attached a screenshot of and a call from  030003336780427 who went straight to a hold tune when I rang them back. I am now worried that instead of contacting a charity a private debt consolidation company has access to my details which is very worrying!!! I have googled it and a very similar sounding company/org is listed on the Financial Conduct Authority website as an unauthorised business, although the number has changed it is still 0300 and they do change numbers all the time. (I cannot link The FCA listing as I am too new to MSE but it just came up on Google).  

Thanks so much for the replies so far and the help. Commited to getting this sorted and any help is appreciated, will look into what an SoA is this evening and post on here. 

Hi Erin,

I just wanted to confirm that the phone number and email address in your posts are not related to StepChange Debt Charity. We don’t offer debt consolidation loans.

Unfortunately, there are a number of ‘clone firms’ using our name or similar, to mislead users into thinking that they’re contacting StepChange. There’s some more information and guidance here.

Please don’t respond to any messages or calls from this company. If you’ve provided personal information to them, I would recommend contacting Action Fraud for further advice.

For help with budgeting and free impartial debt advice, please use our online service at https://www.stepchange.org/ or call us on 0800 138 1111 (open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturday).

Regards,

Aidan

erinsg94

I can't thank everyone enough for their help on this thread. I am currently working at my SOA and will post on here or maybe a new less confused thread when I am done to see what you think is the best way forward. 

I've reported the website I stupidly gave my details to instead of StepChange to ActionFraud and so hopefully they'll be stopped from doing it to anyone else. Will also try and find a way to report the Google Ad that suggested the very similar sounding and looking website as I think it's a horrendous and vulnerable time to mislead someone looking for a charity. 

Thanks again to all!!