need some advice, pretty sick at the moment.

danz0l

OK here goes.

Years ago we was very naive and mounted up some credit card and bank loan debts We was young and reckless and lived for yesterday, not tomorrow.

This was around 12 years ago and we have never denied our debt responsibilities but also couldn't pay them off as quickly as we had liked.

We contacted CCS who was acting as collector of a Barclaycard we had amounted £1500 on and told them our situation. We explained that we had little to no money and that although we obviously agreed the debt was ours, could only make small payments. CCS was reluctant at first but we entered a mutual understanding and staring paying them a token payment of £1 a month to start, followed some years later with £5 a month.

CCS agreed that no interest should occur and we paid the agreement to the best of
abilities, rarely missing a payment.

This has gone on for quite some time and although we would love to clear our debt quicker, due to very very low income (we survive on a weekly food and clothes shopping budget of £70), are forced to this day to continue in such payments.

Recently we had a debt handed from one company to another and unknowing which we cancelled all standing orders awaiting contact. After all we was paying a company somewhere who was no longer responsible for our account. We also had queries on how these debt was coming on.

We had had very little, in fact no contact, with CCS but they contacted us, as we hoped they would, asking why the standing order had been cancelled. We telephoned them up for their bank details to continue payments but they refused, stating they would not accept anything less than £20 a month. We tried to explain that we could not make such a payment and were happy to breakdown our finance situation for them but the customer advisor was extremely abrupt and started to get abusive. We terminated the call and wrote to them instead, explaining how we had been treated on the telephone, acknowledging the debt and asking for a complete breakdown of payments since this debt occurred.

They wrote back, eventually, with a breakdown that only showed payments from 29th March 2004 and that the debt had only reduced to £1319.50.

CCS stated that further documentation was being sent under separate cover and should be completed and returned a.s.a.p.

We tried to pay them £5 online but their online website couldn't find our account details so reluctantly, with further expense, we paid through their giro slip and returned their letter asking again for bank details to restart the monthly standing order.

We had no more contact from them (this was 28th Jan 2008) and then Friday (8th Feb 2008) we receive a letter from Thames Credit Limited who have bought the interest of the Barclaycard debt we owe and stated no more payments should go to CCS.

However the total balance outstanding has now risen from £1319.50 to a whopping £2817.23. This is completely outrageous and we can't possibly meet such a debt.

We had been assured that no interest would occur on this debt and now its been sold to another company who have increased it by double.

We really need advise on what to do next.

I aim to respond to this company refusing to pay that amount and have the CCS breakdown we received not a week before.

This is extremely stressful and causing a serious amount of anxiety at our home.

Can anyone offer any help and suggestions ??

SarahNeedle1872

U needl to get into contact with one of the debt charities and see what they can do to help....

danz0l

i've never heard of a debt charity. Who would you recommend ?

SarahNeedle1872

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/debt-help-plan#help

One of these.... they are free, so all the money u are paying goes straight to ur creditors rather than in fees

poorandindenial

Hi danz01

This link contains all the free to use debt advice charities:

Link

Lots of people on here have got good things to say about them, quite a few people seem to be with CCCS and CCCS staff post on here (you can identify them because their usernames start with CCCS_ (eg CCCS_Matthew)

Good luck getting this all sorted

danz0l

Thanks guys we really appreciate it.

I'll get in touch with this creditor soon and tell them I'm contesting the amount (that will be a start) and seek help with CCCS or a similar agency to see how i can get these debts cleared once and for all.

12 years is long enough i feel and although we now meet all our new obligations, its high time we sorted these 3 out (theres 3 in total).

Thanks again guys.