Hi everyone. I hope I am at the right place. I am desperate for advice; even after 4 days of continues reading around the site, I am still a bit confused. In 2005 I took a loan out with Blackhorse buying furniture in DFS. The loan was for £ 1,041.00. I was paying it back ok till about a year ago my financial situation went downhill. After a long angry debate, we amicably agreed to £10 a month payments as a temporary repayment plan although CAB advised on a considerably less figure. I just couldn’t take it anymore and gave up when they said they will accept £10. Now I am a bit better off and want to pay it off. So. I called them and offered 25% of outstanding amount. They refused! According to CAB statement I can pay them £4. I am a bit angry now and thinking shell I reduce my payment and follow CAB advice now or it too late? Reading around this site I wonder now if I should send them a CCA request and I am also aware that they put some charges on top, so looks like I can ask for charges details too. I have initial Credit Agreement Contract with T&C but they might wouldn’t. Any help will be appreciated greatly. Thanks a lot in advance.

Thanks a lot for the advice. I am going to keep log of calls from now on and will send them latter on phone harassment.

I looked through a few websites on debt management and sent them a letter (below)yesterday by recorded delivery together with my financial statement. They keep ringing me on my mobile and work number but I said that I will record conversation if they ring at work one more time and they stopped. If they are not going accept this offer I will stop my payments and invite themto take me to court. Full Stop!!! Senior Collections Manager Halifax HBOS Plc PO Box 607 Trinity Road Halifax HX1 2RG Reference Account 0000000000 I am writing to you to inform that my financial situation has changed. I enclosed the Personal Budget sheet for your attention. I am sorry that you feel unable to accept the offer of temporary reduced payments to my account. I am also sorry that you feel unable to suspend the interest charges on the above account. I find it unreasonable that you feel it necessary to threaten me that you will apply additional charges to the account, and I would point out that this will not assist me in my present financial difficulties, and can only serve to increase my total debt and make the situation worse. The majority of my other creditors have indicated their agreement to the offer made to them, subject to the sight of my financial Budget Statement, and also agreed to suspend any interest charges still accruing. I have commenced payments to them. As you are aware, I have already paid considerable sums in interest to my account. If interest charges continue, the monthly instalments I am paying will not even cover that interest. Also, the cooperation of our other creditors who have agreed to freeze interest already would be put at risk. I cannot offer you more because I can only afford £00.00 per month between all my creditors, and it would be wrong to cease or reduce payments to my other creditors in favour of your company. The offer made to you is on a pro rata basis, as used by the county court. I have enclosed a copy of my financial Budget Statement prepared by National Debt Line on my behalf, and would therefore be grateful if you would reconsider your decision “not to consider my repayment offer and freeze the interest on the account.” In the light of my other creditors agreeing, please would you reconsider my offer? I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Sincerely

Hi everybody. I was a bit slow with my claim because of luck of time but I am back on truck. I sent my prelim letter some time ago and with in 14 days recieved first waiver, dated 26/01/2008. I didn't know what to do and stayed put. Today I recieved a letter dated 13/06/2008, saying that to enable them to consider my current financial situation and investigate my complaint I have to complete Financial Statement. I have CAB statement. Any advice on my further actions will be greatly appreciated. Do I send them LBA letter with the statement or ....? Please help

Thank you Fred. Can I ask, did you pay them anything at all? Meanwhile this is the letter I recieved from Halifax: Our current fixed payment arrangement guidelines .... if your offer is less than 1% of the outstanding balance, we will assist you with an informal arrangement with reduced or token payments for up to 6 months on the account. If you financial situation remains unchanged following a review after 6 months, we may refer your account to our recovery team who will assist you with long-term debt repayment solution, with the added benefit of permanent suspension of interest. This involves the registration of a default and enables the payments you make to directly reduce the outstanding debt. If your offer exceeds 1% of the outstanding balance or £10 whichever is greater, we will assist you with a formal arrangement with reduced repayments for 12 months on the account. Only one formal arrangment is permited in the lifetime of each account, therefore the maximum time permitted with no interestapplied is 12 months. I just received last stament. Interest for last month £187.93; next month estimated £ 161.21.

one more question, sorry, what is derisory F&F offer? Thanks a lot for your help.

Hi Fred WOW, so, what did you do?!?! Do you have any templates of your comunications with them, I can have a look at, please.

I understand and fully appreciate your point . I am at the position now that I have nothing to lose and if they take me to court they rather do it sooner than later. In the court the judge will decide how much I can afford and the interest will be stopped anyway. According to my present financial situation I can only afford £5 a month. So they can stuff it. I stupidly and honestly thought that if I will be honest and try to maintain and do my best they will be sympathetic. BIG MISTAKE!!! So, now they are having my gesture of £5 or they continue to freeze the interest. They can hustle me as much as they want, I am a tough cookie. By the way my partner tried the tactic of warning them that the conversation is recorded. They hung up as soon as they hear it.

I received a letter from them saying if I would offer them less than £10 they would put me on life long repayment plan but because initially I offered them more than £10 they accepted it for 6 months and as you saying it all back on now. Stick to my thread, please, because this way we can exchange information. I will look at the letter this evening and put it in here so you will know for sure what their policy is. I pay them now £5, going to CAB next Tuesday for a new statement. They seem like more friendly when they get not just my doing by CAB one.

okayyy, I will stick to one place.

many thx, will do today. Feel much better now. :grin:

I am not sure, might be. Can you advise on which latter I send to ask for all these details, please. Thx:)

hi balloon Thank you so much. I think I will continue to pay £9. I received a letter this morning from Halifax saying that if my initial offer would be less than £10 than they would set me a low cost life ling repayment programme but because my offer was £23 I only could have a brake for 6 months. So I will pay them under £10 following their own policy xxx

Guys thank you so much. I didn't pay them for one month, but send the letter right before that. So, you suggest I should pay even if they charge the interest on top. By the way. I used to pay them £23 a month. Just before all of this started I received their letter saying: this is our debt policy - if you would offer less than £10 we would organise a low cost life long repayment programme, but because you offered more than £10 your arrangement might be fixed only for 6 months and only can happen once in the account life and now interest is back on. I will send them letters which Fred suggested, question I have do I pay them or not. I was thinking going back to CAB and getting another statement where I can offer them less than £10. My financial picter is weaker anyway and this will be the true story. Any suggestions please?

I have Halifax credit card which has £8000 outstanding. 6 month ago following CAB advise I sent Halifax prepared Statement offering them £23.00. They accepted my offer and froze interest on the account. When 6 months gone buy I had a few phone calls,as usual, and was asked to increase my offer. Unfortunately I couldn’t. Halifax action plan was – we will accept the same money but interest is back on. I sent them a letter (got template from National Debt Line) saying that I stop my payments and will reinstall them only when Halifax agree to continue freezing interest. My partner saying I am stupid and I need to pay them what I offered. I don’t know what to do. Anyone please help!!!

I have Halifax credit card which has £8000 outstanding. 6 month ago following CAB advise I sent Halifax a prepared Statement offering them £23.00. They accepted my offer and froze interest on the account. When 6 months gone buy and I had a few phone calls, as usual, and was asked to increase my offer. Unfortunately I couldn’t. Halifax action plan was – we will accept the same money but interest will go back on. I sent them a letter (got template from National Debt Line) saying that I stop my payments and will re-install them only when Halifax agree to continue freezing interest. My partner saying I am stupid and I need to pay them what I offered. I don’t know what to do. Anyone please help!!!