DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 4)

tinkerbell12

Welcome markey77 and welcome - sorry that I can't help you with specifics as I haven't dealt with any of your creditors but fingers crossed all will go OK. I am sure a few months down the line you will feel very settled.

Sarriep - lol. I am also a little obsessed with this board! I am sure there are lots of us!! Its definitely a good thing though.

sam89 - thats a great story, thanks so much for posting that.

I wondered if anyone could offer me some advice. I don't post all that often as my DMP (started Jan 08) has been pretty trouble free from a creditor point of view (quick touch wood!)

We recently had to reduce payments as we had to buy a new car and CCCS set it all up and our creditors didn't make a fuss as I also wrote to them all explaining the situation.

However, in the last few months we have overspent quite heavily - changed gas/electricity supplier and had to pay £250 deficit on bills, had a holiday booked from last year and spent £500 whilst there, money we keep every month for car all went at once on service but car tax and MOT also due on other car so another £200 went there. I shame to admit this but we didn't cancel our overdraft facility when starting our DMP and last month we hit the limit (nearly) of £1000. I am so very ashamed but also feel a little helpless as it was all things I felt we had no control over - it wasn't as though I went on a massive shopping spree. I know that I am breaking my contract with CCCS by doing this but I am also worried that we now have NO buffer whatsoever if we need money for something urgently. We ended up with 38p for the last 5 days of August and even though I didn't obviously spend anything on credit, it was a scary place to be. I am also naturally worried about Xmas this year - we have NOTHING saved at all so far and I am only buying for family this year but will still need extra for this ( I have bought one or two pressies already.)

Rambling over, my question is what should I do now? Ring CCCS and risk being kicked off the plan or try to claw back a bit of our overdraft each month by being even more careful? Has anyone else got themselves into this predicament and/or can offer advice??

Thanks

Ex-Spendaholic

Hello and welcome Markey.

BOS visa - I have this one. They were a bit of a pain and did ring 1 million times per day at the start but once they accept the DMP it settles down. They referred mine over to their inhouse DCA - Blair, Oliver, Scott who are nicer to deal with.

Next - I remember having a call from a nasty woman there. She told me to make a payment arrangement with them and then when the balance was clear I could make more orders. The debt was then passed to a DCA called Debt Managers Ltd. I never hear from them now.

Egg - No problem. Sent a default and then transferred it to a DCA called CSL. CSL called 1.5 years down the line asking for an update. I just got CCCS to send them info.

I haven't got the rest of your creditors. Don't worry though all will be fine. Don't be harassed on the phone by anyone. They will all accept eventually. They really don't have much choice. If you don't have it then you can't give it.

Newlywed & Rayday, nice to see you both.

Bauctu, thats great news. :T

Sarriep, I understand your frustration and anger but please don't be too hard on your DH.

Tinkerbell, these things happen. I wouldn't be going ringing CCCS to be honest. Have a look at your budget and see if there is anything you can claw back on to put into the overdraft. Have you claimed back bank/credit card charges?

Also with the Xmas thing, why not start entering competitions. You may be able to pick up some stuff along the way.

Janey51

Hi Tinkerbell. I don't really know how CCCS will react but you have broken the terms of your DMP by using credit...even if it is in the form of your overdraft.
It's easy to be wise in hindsight but you should really have told CCCS that you could not manage on the budget they had set for you.
If you can cut back a lot with the help of MSE and clear your overdraft without telling CCCS then go for it but it depends how much slack you have got.
My oil bill had doubled since last year and CCCS were happy to include the new amount in my revised budget to go to creditors.
Worst case scenario...if they say they will terminate your arrangement you could self manage your DMP or go with Payplan.
Hope you get things sorted. I know worrying about money and debt is soul destroying.

Alpinestar_2

Hi All

Just thought I would give you guys an update of my DMP that I started in July. Now the phone calls have stopped from NR I actually feel like its the best thing I have ever done.

Ex-Spendaholic

Great news Alpinestar. :beer:

ianmak

The awkward phonecalls from creditors have started (First payment from Payplan due to go out this week)... I don't mind them as much, but they do have a habit of making you feel guilty don't they!

Hi to everyone else, and good luck!

sarriep

Depending on a slight alteration on my SOA on the CCCS website the suggestions vary between a DMP and a low start DMP. What is the main difference?
Having never really budgeted (hence owing around £48000) I'm really worried about managing on the the budget I have allowed myself. I know I must and I do rise to a challenge!
Also how hard is it managing for those of you on a DMP? Ours would last for about 9 years which would see my youngest from 5 to aged 14. I hate the idea of him going without for so much of his life. Am I just being silly?
:rolleyes:

newlywed

ianmak wrote: »

The awkward phonecalls from creditors have started (First payment from Payplan due to go out this week)... I don't mind them as much, but they do have a habit of making you feel guilty don't they!

Don't feel that guilty - add up some of the interest they've been charging you each month

I found the more stroppy they were, the easier it was to say no you can't have any more money!

newlywed

markey77 wrote: »

The companies we've set the dmp up with are-
BOS visa (this is the biggest one at £7600
Next -£1400
Great Universal - £400
Vanquis - £500
Cap 1 - £1000
Aqua - £1100
Egg - £1420
Littlewoods - £250
Choice - £400
Look Again - £250

Hi, the only one on that list I dealt with was Great Universal. They gave me no actual hassle but did lose about 6 lots of my payments and I had to get through to "missing payments" department - worrying that they have a whole department for it!!!

So just keep a check on it all When I finally got through to the proper department it was all sorted out and they had them all and adjusted them. Think the main problem was that they changed all the account numbers part way through the DMP and didn't tell me :rolleyes:

Have had lots of fun with them since I've paid off their debt - they kept sending me threatening letters for being £1 in credit and demanding I make a payment of a minus figure Then when I rang to ask how they were going to take me to court for -£1 and wanting to close my account I got put through to 4 different departments :rolleyes: Have sent them a complaint letter over the whole thing and they sent back a leaflet saying I will get a reply in 4 weeks time ..... that was back in July... still waiting!!!


So generally they are a bunch of numpties.... but I never heard a single word from them when I was on my DMP - it was always me ringing to ask where my payments had gone

ianmak

A low start is just that. They've put me on a 20 year one. Obv your circumstances will change so it is a low start DMP initially, then I think they review it so often. My first few months will be hard as well (I used to budget before, but not for things like MOT, Ground rent, maintenance and other yearly payments that weren't a Direct Debit, so weren't factored into my budget, which they now are...). I've also never really saved for anything hence the mess I'm in personally.

Cut up those cards and economise (Finally doing what my dad did in the last recession, how on earth did he survive those mortgage payment increases!)