Hurt ? That's an understatement!

[sweetnsexyenglish]

Most of these companies forget they too are also human and while they do have a job to do it is how they choose to go about it that is the problem. I felt myself reaching breaking point at a time when I was already overloaded from raising my family on my own, studying, fighting to obtain money due to me and keeping on top of the already mounting bills that turned into debt. The loss of a friend last year had me knocked about and though I tried to regain control with the start of 2008, ever increasing cost of living and children needing things that their absent father is not helping to ease the pressure.

One day I am feeling like I am barely coping but coping I am and the next I am feeling like I am loosing my mind, being hounded by companies one in particular that at one point I sat in my car and found myself about to explode....I went to get away and try and get myself together as my children depend on me, but I came home to more troubles and at this point just wanted to cry, panic attacks set in and basically feeling like I didn't know my ass from my elbow, not eating or sleeping.

My stress took its toll on my children my eldest cried because I exploded and told her how I felt but I'm not a crier, its hard for me as being the adult and the only adult my children can depend on meant I didn't want to lose if for fear where I would end up or my children, all of this is as a result to debt.

I tried to tell my dad I couldn't cope but he didn't seem to hear or just has a permanent case of denial I feel so alone in this world and though I have friends I just wish there was someone to share all these pressures bills debts and worries if I am doing right by my children etc.

CAG has been wonderful for obtaining information and has changed what was just a black and white view according to all those demanding money, i.e. you owe it so pay up, now I can relax more and can question things make my own demands of the same companies that were hounding me. And instead of feeling alone, something happens and I cant find the answer I post the question and someone answers it for me.

I still have my twitch and migraines not so many panic attacks though and don't feel like I cant cope as much as CAG has also enabled me to find the fight that I had began to lose, I don't fear answering my phone lol I answer withheld now too and have even faced up to what debts I do have and now open the mail instead of throwing em in a box.

People have said I am strong but there are times when I need someone to lean on and don't feel I have any fight left in me or just am too tired to fight. And my experiences with various companies has just taught me, their customer service skills on how to handle customers really needs updating.

In any customer service role employment I have ever done I have always believed in treat the customer as you would want to be treated but I guess a lot of the companies have never thought of that and believe bullying gets them more progress and it is now time to show these companies consumers wont be bullied hounded or terrorised in order to meet a payment arrangement that one really does not have the money to pay.

[renegotiation]

Good job sweety. Stick it to them where the sun don't shine!

[Peepo]

My opinion is that its being treated like a 'non payer' that makes it so stressful & degrading. I think the systems approach needs to be flipped on its head.

Instead of having zero tolerance & treating everyone like a scumbag thats gone out of their way to rip a company off & is refusing to pay, everyone should instead at first be treated like someone who is in a situation where they cant pay the full ammount due to personal circumstances & be able to keep some dignity. And if they dont make any payments at all then it should be assumed they arent willing to pay.
Innocent until proven guilty type thing.

At the end of the day if someone can only afford to pay £10 per week, all the threats & letters in the world are not going to change that fact. All that will happen is the person will bang their head against the brick wall they are up against trying to find a way out of the situation that has no way out, & the threats & letter will take their toll on the person mentally & physically while they beat themselves up for only being able to pay £10 per week.

I know my head would not be in the mess it is now if I were being treated with some kind of understanding.

[sweetnsexyenglish]

Originally Posted by Peepo

My opinion is that its being treated like a 'non payer' that makes it so stressful & degrading. I think the systems approach needs to be flipped on its head.

Instead of having zero tolerance & treating everyone like a scumbag thats gone out of their way to rip a company off & is refusing to pay, everyone should instead at first be treated like someone who is in a situation where they cant pay the full ammount due to personal circumstances & be able to keep some dignity. And if they dont make any payments at all then it should be assumed they arent willing to pay.
Innocent until proven guilty type thing.

At the end of the day if someone can only afford to pay £10 per week, all the threats & letters in the world are not going to change that fact. All that will happen is the person will bang their head against the brick wall they are up against trying to find a way out of the situation that has no way out, & the threats & letter will take their toll on the person mentally & physically while they beat themselves up for only being able to pay £10 per week.

I know my head would not be in the mess it is now if I were being treated with some kind of understanding.

I used to become very stressed by bills not even debts till my week long migraine attack and being told to go to the Salvation Army for a food parcel by DWP made me realise, you cant get blood out of a stone?

I was advised by one bailiff company to go and get a loan to pay them, I told them how you going to advise me to go and put myself in debt to pay you, her reply....your already in debt:o Yet the actual amount I owed was bumped up by THEIR charges which was an amount I didn't even owe, I let the bailiffs return it to court after speaking with the fines people and the debt was drastically cheaper without the bailiffs charges

I am no ones mug, the important thing is the roof over your head and food and fuel, yes you have to also acknowledge fines council tax...but all the rest I say do your worse you don't faze me.

I helped a friend write to cabot after they went through an expenditure form, recognised she was barely meeting her bills with not much to spare, she made an offer which they refused and wanted £100 per month even though the employee saw she could not realistically afford that per month.

Companies like British Gas, Bright House etc who really need to teach staff the etiquette of dealing with people as HUMANS first.

Being polite is not hard as they must have learnt by now you catch more files with a spoonful of honey than a gallon of vinegar. And trying to force a payment you know is unreasonable will never work! I always tell them I am not a liar therefore I will not commit to something I told you I cant keep, i.e. a promise is a comfort to a fool... and I ain't about to promise to pay what I don't have.

But I doubt they will ever learn and at the end of the day what we then need to do is make an offer based on our circumstances if they refuse pay that amount anyway and if they choose to take us to court let the judge make the final decision....as more things are important than whether you can no longer afford the catalogue or loan repayments, as circumstances arise and no one can predict the future when we first made these commitments what would happen to us or our finances later down the road.

[renegotiation]

Originally Posted by renegotiation

I have recently been diagnosed with peptic ulcers. I'm sure constant stress caused it. Very painful! I am slowly recovering on medication after visiting my GP months later than I should have. Silly me.

After 2 relapses I seem to be more stable now. It's no life getting through the days suffering with that C**P... Mentally, I honestly reckon I can be completely on my feet by the end of the next year. I do feel more in control now. Never would have done it without C.A.G..

[naughtykitten]

It's so good to know that the cag helps so many people, who will then go on to help others on here through their own experiences.

Debt absolutely affects health, & depending on the individual can lead to so many different illnesses. There really needs to be more support services in place to help people deal with this, or at least make people more aware of the help that is already on offer.