DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 4)

andytwonames

Etherelda wrote: »

Sorry to keep flooding the forum, but I have another quandry.

I am tied into an orange contract that I don't use at all (after a freak £200 bill of data charges). Its £25 per month, and I've got over a year left on it.

If I'm getting defaults anyway for my DMP shortly, do you think you can just say to a contract phone provider that you afford it anymore and ask to have a default? Or do I risk really ballsing up my credit record and face court etc?

I already have a default on a payment with them 6 months ago when I had this silly bill, and went on a repayment plan with them. Or, whilst I'm paying each month on time with a DD, I'm getting green ticks on my credit rating. ummm.

What to do.

Phone them and take the option "if you want to leave Orange...press - whatever"

Tell them you don't want to leave orange... too much bother, like the company, always had good service blah blah blah and then say "BUT...." you have seen much cheaper deals elsewhere, the tarriff no longer suits how you use the phone and ask if they can change the monthly bill. Tell them you are spending more money than you want to.

See what they offer.

I got two £30 per month bills down to £20.

jimpanzee

cheers very much

i could fill that reason box a hundred times over

jimpanzee

should i send the letters recorded

also how much of a good will payment should i give

and do i send the credit cards back or just destroy them

sorry am bloody useless

rayday2

If you do post the cards back cut them up! Your choice they will stop them anyway!

I would personally send a £1, any token payment is OK but you must ensure that is less than what they will eventually be offered otherwise they could argue well last month you afforded x amount.

And you are not useless we have all been there!

Toffee_Penny

I had a letter from Littlewoods yesterday saying that they still hadn't received payment for £xx ..... if they do not receive it by blah blah a date then they will either pass it over to a DCA OR, OR ....dun dun dun .....send a debt collection officer round!! :eek:


I'm going to the joke shop to get me a balaclava, some rope and a plastic pirate sword type weapon. Any DCA officer knocks on my door will get the shock of his life when I open up to him/her and say 'come in come in' :rotfl:


I'm not that bothered to be honest as I know it could be a bluff as others have had this type of letter too but it would be funny if you dressed like that when they called wouldn't it?

(By the way if a DCA DOES call round please don't let them in, I was only joking about asking them in)

Toffee_Penny

newlywed wrote: »

I put "overstretched with credit". No-one questioned it.

Should probably have read bought too much "stuff", went on too many holidays and gigs and meals out, got married and OH had no work for a year so I was suddenly trying to support him, his kids and cover all bills whilst the creditors all helpfully increased the interest rate on my cards until I was stuffed

You made me laugh out loud with that answer

Ex-Spendaholic

Thats the spirit Newleywed and Toffee Penny. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Just received my charges information from Argos Card today. Only took them since beginning of July and a threat of my reporting them to the Information Commissioner to send the information. :rotfl: The long and short of it is that they owe £248.50 in charges :mad: plus £58.50 in interest. Just typed them a letter which I'll send tomorrow. In the meantime I may just contact Moorcroft and see what they will accept as a Full and Final.

sarriep

Has anyone had student loans (the old style ones circa 1997..) included as creditors in their DMP? I am assuming that will be ok? I can't defer - I earn too much (ha ha yeah right so feels like that i don't think..) and have been pying £114 a month for the last year. I've had my 'you have cancelled your direct debit' letter from themn and wanted to phone them but wanted to be sure first.
Thanks

Ela1

I have been in debt for quite a long time in excess of 10 years. Amost 2 years ago I contacted CCCS as I had reached the point of no return. I owed £41,737, however, I have repaid £16,500 and should be debt free in 2011. The biggest problem I have is with HBOS Visa card, I stared with a debt of 9,500 have paid 2,546 with a current balance of 8,519.91 !!!!!!!! they will not stop charging me interest and late payment fees even though the CCCS are paying regulary. I don't know what to do with them. They said today on the phone that they will not be referring me to a credit reference agency for at least 2 years, by that time the balance will be huge. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this? many thanks.

I am desperate to be debt free.

Althea

Hiya folks ...Sorry to post another dumb question so soon (and me not even with a DMP yet, but working on it. Or trying to, anyway!), but I'm wrestling with the eternal debate over CCCS vs Payplan. I thought I was going to be talking with Payplan tonight, when I spoke with them last night no-one was available but the helpful girl I spoke to said she would make sure to get someone to call tonight after 8pm (I already did the quick-and-dirty online Payplan reckoner, this phone call is subsequent to that.). Unfortunately 8pm is the earliest I'm free to talk to anyone, since I can't have financial conversations at work (open-plan office!) and bath/bed routine for my wee lassie means the earliest I'm free to talk is 8pm. I assumed this wouldn't be a problem since they say their lines are open until 9pm, but it seems I was wrong! Tonight the promised call came ... at 7:45 while I was still in the process of settling my little lady, so I couldn't talk to them. They left a message saying they did get the message to call after 8, but they can't because they're short-staffed and that I could try again on Friday (no mention of tomorrow?). I've been trying to talk to them for over a week now, but getting nowhere - everyone I've spoken or emailed with have been very nice but I don't seem to be able to get someone I can actuallly discuss my finances with!

I'm beginning to think perhaps I should give up on Payplan and just go ahead with the online CCCS thing .. I've already done the Debt Remedy plan bit (although finding the elusive "red buttons" that are supposed to be there after you read your Debt Remedy booklet escaped me completely, I'm hoping they'll appear if I try again tonight!), but I thought for completeness I should really talk with Payplan and see if one company is any better for me than the other (I have no mortgage).

Can anyone suggest if I should give up trying to call Payplan as CCCS is probably just as good anyway? Or should I really stick at it and keep playing telephone tag with Payplan until I do eventually get to speak to an advisor ... ??

Sorry to keep asking no doubt idiotic questions, but I'm actually very nervous about this whole process. I've struggled mightily for years with debt, only finally been sunk by the huge increases in utilities, food and petrol, and with having an unexpected/unplanned financial outlay (my daughter ), and up until now have managed to avoid (just) any shirty communication from any of my creditors. I know that's about to change, and I'm really not looking forward to being hassled ... my debts are to Lloyds (cc, overdraft and loan (the last, a large part of my total debt, would have been paid off in 3 years)), Egg, M&S, NatWest and the dreaded Barclaycard. I'm really quite worried about suddenly being repeatedly yelled at, which I assume from reading all your stories will happen to me as soon as the DMP is a reality instead of "in the pipeline" as it is now. I do take heart from all your wonderful stories and support of each other, but it's still hugely daunting to tread the same road myself! :eek:

Think I'll crawl back under my rock now, it's nice and quiet under there ...