DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part Three)

rayday2

Again probably just a computer generated random letters but I appreciate at the beginning it is so worrying - after you get a few you tend to realise thats all they are.

I used to get excited if I ever got a pen signature on a letter it felt like progress!

Just_Me_4

Thanks guys.

Oh and forgot to say they can't ring us because we changed our home number and its ex-d:T

Toffee_Penny

Well sat down at ten past 8 this morning with my list of priority direct debits and started the phone calls. The man at the Tax credits office was lovely even offering to inform Child Benefit of my change of bank details too, good man! All my insurances done so I feel better, just got to inform wages department on Monday now and I am all set for credits and debits.

N Power can you believe after waiting 15 minutes on the phone listening to some flutes and violins I spoke to what sounded like a young girl and was told 'we are busy at the moment can you call back later?' :mad:

I was surprised to be told I can't take your call right now we are busy, well why pick up the phone then? why not let it ring? why not lie like most do and say your computer system is down? How very rude!

Being a very polite young lady :rolleyes: I said 'no problem will do' wish I'd spoke up now I realise how stupid her remark was, I might have got dealt with, tried again later today but just couldn't get through.

I got paid today and can only take out £300 a day, I'm already overdrawn and couldn't face going up to the woman at the counter, so took that out and paid it into my new account. I do feel really guilty being overdrawn so much but just have to focus on getting my new account built up for all these new direct debits.

I even had money in my purse for a bit of shopping, can hardly close the freezer door, now that is a good feeling. Things will get worse before it gets better but at the moment I keep checking that bank book and love not seeing that nasty minus sign in front of the balance.

Angel_Cake_3

Hi Toffee Penny, glad you are starting to make progress. I got paid today as well, and for the first time since I do not know when, did not worry how I was going to get through the month!

Just a word of advice, I also called tax credits to change my bank details and like you, the nice lady said she would inform child benefit. Tax credits went into my new bank account no problem, but my child benefit went to my old account which has now been swolled up by charges! (another story).
I now need to call child benefit to find out what has gone on.

You may also want to do the same, as I trusted tax credits to make the changes, this obvisouly did not happen!

Message for Just me..... I also go a letter from AA as they could not collect the loan as I had cancelled the DD. I panicked also, but went I contacted Payplan, they said that AA had contaced them with my outstanding balance in response to Payplans letter to them - My letter was obviously an automatic computer generated one - so try not to worry x

Angel Cake xx

Shazand

Hi Angel Cake, thanks for the advise on Child Benefit, I too rang tax credits and they said they would advise CB. Good to know, I will ring 1st thing Monday to check.

Just Me - We too got the Direct debit letter from TSB, like rayday advised, this is just a system generated letter, no need to worry.
A couple of days later we got another letter from them advising us they received our CCCS letter and could we contact their customer support centre with our incomings and outgoings to discuss our financial situation. Get this ! I called them and there was a 20-30min wait just to talk to someone ! So I rang again went through to wrong option on purpose and told them to make a note on my account to say that I had called to discuss but as there was such a long wait I suggest they wait for CCCS to contact them as I advised in my previous letter !!!!!

I also wanted to say that it is a huge support seeing a few of us at the same stage of our DMP. Thanks to everyone.

Shazand

simbalou wrote: »

I'm with newlywed on this one, I chose CCCS purely because I could do the first bit online, I felt apprehensive calling a company to ask them to help so it was just easier to see what a company may do before I spoke to someone (if that makes sense!)

Another thing is that I am becoming addicted to this site now, is that normal?!!!!

I agree completely, we went to CCCS for the same reason and they have been fantastic, very efficient, polite and completely understanding.

On the addicted to this site comment - me too, I can't go to bed unless I have read that days comments and advise. We have been off work this week with the kids, so can't wait to go back to work on Monday so I can keep up with all the conversations

Tigert

Hi All,

Just Me - regarding the Lloyds addresses, don't worry about them, write back to whichever one was on the letter you received. I've just checked and they wrote to me from 2 completely different places - 1 in Andover and 1 in Brighton for the same debt. As Rayday says - they haven't got a clue what they're doing half the time, but the payments always get through somehow. Also, I've always sent recorded delivey and there has always been a readable signature with Lloyds - Useful when they pretend not to have received something and you can quote who signed for it!

Simbalou - You'll get more from Egg, but they are all just standard letters. I had a lot from them including one very threatening one. But immediately after I received the threatening one, they accepted my payment. So just bear with them. Despite accepting they haven't stopped interest for me yet, so I'll await this months statement eagerly.

Update - just made my 3rd payment so it's 4 months now since I first contacted Payplan. I haven't had any letters other than statements for 3 weeks now and the only phonecalls I get are from sky with offers to resubscribe (freeview does for me now!) - I shall deal with sky later as I requested no marketing calls - but after dealing with creditors they are easy - I don't owe them anything! They are more persistant than some creditors though!!!

Creditorwise Out of 15, 2 still haven't contacted me, so I'll assume they are happy. 3 have definitely stopped interest, 1 hasn't 4 have been passed on to DCA's which have all accepted payments, the rest have said they will stop interest so I'm just waiting to see. I wish I wasn't in this situation, but I'm a lot happier now that it feels like it's sorted - Thanks again everyone for the support.

Bad news (DFW-wise) is that this week I'm off on holiday, which I booked before I realised the mess I was in. Still I've managed to scrape together a little money from ebaying and really scripmping for the last month so I shall try and enjoy it - it might be the last for a while. I'm happy to lie by the pool and read all day so it shouldn't be too expensive.

Have a good weekend everyone.

louietudor

day zero on dmp with cccs and bills etc get sent to them tomorrow

i had what felt like a new experience this weekend - paying in cash!!!! - and i spent £85!!!

all in Asda on a big shop - freezers bursting and the fridge looks obese but i must say it was kind of liberating - spending my hard earned cash on me instead of debts with extortionate interest

after years of stress and self loathing i hope this liberation feeling lasts

LONG LIVE CCCS:D

ANY_CHANCE

bump

Hi everyone

I hope all is going ok with your DMPs

We have been on a DMP for a couple of years now our debt is large, around 50,000

we are doing the best that we can to reduce the debt

I have been busy reclaiming charges and mis-sold PPI etc that have helped to throw us into such huge debt

taken on extra work and working towards higher paid job, reducing outgoings etc

there are still those who have restarted intrest on debt - halifax - i think i should send them a letter of complaint - if they had not let us borrow such a large amount and encourage us to take out innapropriate PPI (when they knew our income) then we would not be in this mess

I remember when we were at the start of the DMP, It felt like almost the worst thing that had happened in our lives, but now after time and taking action life is ok. Not easy just ok and managable.

To those who are just starting to tackle their debts - dont ignore it make a plan of what you can do to resolve the situation the sooner you do the sooner you are debt free

GOOD LUCK X

simbalou

Evening everyone!

Thanks Any Chance for reassuring us that we are doing the right thing, I know it's the only way we are going to tackle the mess we are in and I'm beginning to realise it's the responsible thing to do (I only hope our creditors see it that way too!)

One question I wanted to ask people but thought I was being daft is... can we carry on and try and reclaim bank charges and credit card charges even if they accept us on the dmp? If we can do will they just take it off the total that we owe to them?

It might have been asked a few times before but it would take about £800 of our total debt and I will try anything to reduce it!

Thanks