Help with CCCS Debt Management Plan?

And_then_it_rained

Hi folks,

I’m hoping for a bit of advice about my debt management plan, which is administered by the CCCS, and is frankly in a bit of a mess.

The problems seem to have started when my HSBC loan and overdraft were sold on to Metropolitan Collection Services. My total debt to HSBC (which included a Mastercard as well as the loan and overdraft) was later sold on to the Cabot Financial Group.

The problem is that the Mastercard is still showing as an active debt on both my CCCS statements and my credit files. I’ve been paying them £45 a month, but they have no record of receiving this money and claim the account to be closed and passed on to Cabot. Cabot claim they do know nothing.

In addition, I telephoned all of my creditors recently and found that they show balances significantly higher than they should be had my payments been received correctly.

As another twist to the tale, when my Debt Management Plan was reviewed in October, CCCS made an error inputting the minimum payment for one of my debts – the result was that my three biggest debts received lower payments than my smallest debt (which received a whopping £280 of my £380 monthly payment). I’m now receiving the usual threatening telephone calls/letters etc and I am not able to make payments to bring myself back within my arrangement to pay.

I’m at my wits end. I know that this is partly my fault for not checking my CCCS statements in relation previous statements and I do understand that I remain responsible for my debts whilst on the DMP. I'm still frustrated because I went with CCCS as I trusted them to take on the ‘management’ of my debt. This hasn’t happened, and to all intents and purposes I have paid £5700 towards my debt, but have only seen it reduce by around 2K.

My questions are:

How can I find out where the money I have been paying to Mastercard has gone? HSBC can’t speak to me about a closed account and Cabot claim to have no details as to what the debt passed to them comprises of L

How do I go about dealing with the short falls in payments last month. CCCS have just said direct all enquiries to them, which is fine I suppose, but this sets me back on my Debt Free Day which I am not a happy bunny about at all.

Does anyone manage their own debt management plan? How wise do you think it would be to withdraw from the CCCS agreement and go it alone. I’ve lost all faith.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have

chimp_choker

And_then_it_rained wrote: »

Hi folks,

I’m hoping for a bit of advice about my debt management plan, which is administered by the CCCS, and is frankly in a bit of a mess.

The problems seem to have started when my HSBC loan and overdraft were sold on to Metropolitan Collection Services. My total debt to HSBC (which included a Mastercard as well as the loan and overdraft) was later sold on to the Cabot Financial Group.

The problem is that the Mastercard is still showing as an active debt on both my CCCS statements and my credit files. I’ve been paying them £45 a month, but they have no record of receiving this money and claim the account to be closed and passed on to Cabot. Cabot claim they do know nothing.

In addition, I telephoned all of my creditors recently and found that they show balances significantly higher than they should be had my payments been received correctly.

As another twist to the tale, when my Debt Management Plan was reviewed in October, CCCS made an error inputting the minimum payment for one of my debts – the result was that my three biggest debts received lower payments than my smallest debt (which received a whopping £280 of my £380 monthly payment). I’m now receiving the usual threatening telephone calls/letters etc and I am not able to make payments to bring myself back within my arrangement to pay.

I’m at my wits end. I know that this is partly my fault for not checking my CCCS statements in relation previous statements and I do understand that I remain responsible for my debts whilst on the DMP. I'm still frustrated because I went with CCCS as I trusted them to take on the ‘management’ of my debt. This hasn’t happened, and to all intents and purposes I have paid £5700 towards my debt, but have only seen it reduce by around 2K.

My questions are:

How can I find out where the money I have been paying to Mastercard has gone? HSBC can’t speak to me about a closed account and Cabot claim to have no details as to what the debt passed to them comprises of L

How do I go about dealing with the short falls in payments last month. CCCS have just said direct all enquiries to them, which is fine I suppose, but this sets me back on my Debt Free Day which I am not a happy bunny about at all.

Does anyone manage their own debt management plan? How wise do you think it would be to withdraw from the CCCS agreement and go it alone. I’ve lost all faith.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have

I was with the cccs in december 2005 and they were really helpfull. Always on the end of a phone to help when the creditors were being pushy. One thing I didn't like about the CCCS is that once you are in the system you no longer have a named specific person to deal with your advice. It goes to the general department etc. 2ndly two creditors threatened to default me and the CCCS said let them. if you pay more they will keep on at you for more so I did. I now have 2 defaults and my new mortgage quote is £405 a month higher because I'm near sub prime now. ...

The killer that made me go it alone was on Friday April 13th 2007 when the nastionwide got a CCJ awarded against me. The judge said it had to be an installment order of £36.18 paid on or before the last day of the month. I told the CCCS and they said fine.

The CCJ wasn't paid in April and we only found out mid May when the cccs statement arrived. Apparently our DD to the CCCS had bounced and so they got no money. Fair do's it was my fault but the bank we were with at the time didn't have a cash point so we couldn't get mini statements and they don't do Internet banking and only send out statement 1 times a month so we couldn't check the bank details without going to the next town, 18 miles away. The CCCS had my home and mobile telephone number, my wifes mobile and 2 email addresses. They also had the postal address and they never contacted me to say my payment hadn't arrived and that is what upset me.
Similar also I was paying the £36.18 for over 14 months to nationwide via the cccs before the CCJ but this is not taken into account on the CCJ, apparently i've "lost this" as nationwide keep referring me to the solicitors dealing with the CCJ.

The upshot is that I paid two months payments to the CCJ and withdrew from the CCCS plan choosing to go it alone. I contacted all my creditors and told them what had happened and could i set up a payment plan with them direct. Only one creditor said no because they needed SOA on a headed notepaper so I sent them nan old CCCS one and they accepted it. I've been on my own plan now since May 2007 and I asked to set up payment dates on or before the last day of the month. This also gives me the option to alter the standing orders during the month to make sure the money is there and not bounces.

I've only had 2 lots of chew off the MBNA and Sainsury's bank, both CC about putting up the amount I have to pay. MBNA are very quick to re instate the interest and then take 2 months to remove it again so in my case they increase the debt by about £160 in those 2 months, the Sainsburys is about £60 interest but they remove it again within the month.

The only thing wrong with doing it yourself is you have to deal with the letters and phone calls etc. It doesn't bother me now as I've toughened up and I treat them with contempt. If they are nice with me I'm nice with them or if they appear agressive i swear and spit at them and bang the phone down on them. I have no worries about !!!!ing them off and like the mobile phone to !!!!!! line I actually get a kick out of it...

The CCCS was great and actually took a lot of pressure off me which helped stop me committing suicide so I'm grateful for that but I couldn't give them a 100% recomendation especially as the debts issue is so strong.
HTH, sorry it's long.

Chimpchoker

DonnyMick

Payplan are also free and they've been fantastic for me..... you can also log on to their Justabank site and see exactly where all your money is going to which creditors...