Hi just looking for some information and advice re old debts and best action to take. Around 7-8 years ago I got in to difficulty with paying my debts, there were around 15 accounts totaling around £20-£30k, I can't remember exact amounts. To start with I tried to set up payment plans with some of them but some wouldn't accept what I was offering and so some of them I just ended up ignoring (I know this was stupid) some of them I paid arrangements to for a while eventually these tapered off and I haven't paid any of them for at least 4 years, some of them longer. My partner also had debts we couldn't afford to pay totaling around £15k, same scenario, started with arrangements now haven't paid for around the same amount of time. Most of my accounts defaulted around 6-7 years ago, not sure about partners. We both have a ccj registered from welcome finance, neither of us have ever received any paperwork regarding this, we have moved house several times over the years so I presume this went to an old address. We are getting to the time where we are now thinking we need to sort out the mess as we would one day like to get a mortgage. We have both recently being accepted for credit builder visas with capital one, we are just using a small amount each month for shopping and repaying in full. I have applied for both of our credit files... Mine shows hardly any of my past credit accounts, the only ones i have left showing that are detrimental are the welcome finance ccj (which is recorded twice) which was recorded in april 2009. I have three defaults recorded as defaulted in march 2008, june 2007 and june 2007. There is also an account which shows 6 payments late and has done for many years, this is an old topshop store card which is now being recorded by C L Finance, I offered a payment arrangement but to be honest i don't know why as i couldn't afford it, i have never paid to it since, it shows the arrangement set up in march 2007 and 6 payments late every month since then. The rest of the accounts are new visa and two bank accounts which are both satisfactory and will remain so. Rest of my old credit cards, loans, overdrafts etc are not showing. Partners credit file shows ccj with welcome, this was registered in feb 2009. Welcome are also recording the same account as 6 or more payments late every month. He then has a default for british gas which is paid off which was registered in march 2007. The rest of his accounts are our bank accounts and 2 credit builder visas which are all satisfactory and will remain so. I'm not proud of the fact that we haven't paid the debt, we were both very young and naive when we ran it up and then were in a position where we just couldn't afford to pay it back. We are still not in a position to pay it all back right now and had been thinking of making our selves bankrupt in the hope that after 6 years we could maybe get a mortgage instead of paying ridiculous amount for renting. Having seen that it looks like most of this bad debt will drop off over the next couple of years I'm thinking we may be better doing that instead of bankruptcy? I know we will still owe the debt and i'm sure we will have to pay it back at some time and we will have to do this one at a time I suppose when the time comes. What is the best option for us with the least detrimental effect to the credit files? should we still go bankrupt to clear it all forever or is this going to be worse than letting them drop off and clear them as and when we can? or should we contact them and offer to set up arrangements again? Neither of us have heard anything from our debts for at least 4 years, probably longer but as I mentioned we have moved so I presume they have written to old addresses. Thanks for any advice

I am just wondering if it is advisable to contact a DCA via email? I have had a financial statement CASHflowed by National Debtline detailing what I can afford to pay, and want to get it sent off asap as I am being threatened with a statutory demand. Is there any reason I shouldn't send it to the DCA via email?

Hi, I am a new user and not very familiar with using forums. I would appreciate some help or advice about the company I took a loan from. I have written to them twice asking for the details of the paper work for my loan,. I enclosed a cheque for £1 as directed by Martin Lewis' site and had all the correct account numbers and dates. They have completely ignored both my letters. What ought I to do? I greatly appreciate any help. Many thanks

hi guys 1st time poster long time follower of the forums, herres my problem robinson way have been chasing me for a debt which they will not tell me about, it can only be one of 2 as ive sorted out my stupidly in youth debts 1. i had a car insurance poloicy 6 years ago, the bafoon on the phone insured the wrong car, took my reg but entered incorrect information about the engine size etc... it was a 1.8 renault laguna 1997 she put in a 2.0 td 01 laguna, anyhows, after speaking on the phone she told me i had to set up a new policy which would work out cheaper per month but id still be required to pay a £197 deposit, which i already did for the revious policy which was onviously null n void due to the mistakes on her part, i told her i already paid so just use that, she said no it was gone through no fault of hers and i had to pay again, obviously i politly told her to jump. I moved to a different company got a better deal and more professional service, but since then they have been trying to chase me for 197, their mistake, not mine recorded phone calls which have convieniently gone missing would have revealed i told her one thing she entered something else ive wrote phone years ago to sort it again to no avail so i ignored it, so here we are 6 years later robinson way have sent me 100's of letter of all kind of threats etc.. but today i got a letter from a doorstep collection agent working for them saying they have been trying to contact me. I live in northern ireland, and as ive always understood things bailifts debt collecters etc.. have no juristiction or rights to come to a persons property announced or unannounced unless invited, obviously they can issue letter and court proceeding if required how do i get this fella to go away or what are my rights here??? many thanks Malek

Okay, this is a long one, so here goes, I'll try and get to the point of each default asap. A few years ago (2008), I lost a job, and fell behind with my debts, I have pics of each debt on my credit file with Experian, so will explain each one as I go along. I'll start with: * Welcome Finance - Initially took out a loan for 2k around 2006. Suspect it had PPI attached. Anyway, in 2008 when I fell behind, and after I had a load of charges attached for phantom visits and letters etc.., I eventually contacted their office. Their method of resolution was to refinance the loan into what seemed like a new agreement (hiding something maybe?), again at 2k I believe. Below is a pic of my Experian record for Welcome

I have been in and out of debt for the last 32 years and the current debt is nowhere as large as some of the previous one, however when I had larger debts I was able to work and now I am not so 5k of debt is a huge amount for me to pay back on disability benefits. All I can say to anyone is in the last 12 weeks I have paid back £1430 of it using £500 which was the last of any savings I had so £930 was down to me finally doing my figures correctly, not ignoring letters or binning them without opening and checking my bank online everyday which was a complete mystery before that to me I had no clue and lived in complete vagueness. I finally admitted I clearly had a problem with how I handled and thought about money and got myself to DA (Debtors Anonymous) its not the 'god squad' if it were I certainly for one wouldnt have stuck around for the last 3 months, there aren't many meetings near me so I did pay out £46 for a Skype package of just making as many calls to the USA as I like for a year, and I do this everyday I attend a meeting in the comfort of my own home talking and hearing from people who were like me and taking on board how to do this 'complete mystery' of balancing the books as it was then. Just wanted to give hope to anyone else, its not always about paying a £1 a month or whatever for the next 140 years but also about taking some action and now I have a spending plan and in that I have categories for clothes, meals out, fuel etc etc I haven't felt deprived of anything, in fact I have had more because I am using money more wisely. Never give up hope

I've browsed this forum LOADS in the past but never taken the time to join until now I've managed to get all my finances improved and slowly rebuilding my credit, my credit card limit has gone from £200 to £1200 in less than 7 months and I'm doing well to manage it however today I went looking at my Credit Report and there are a few things I would like to try and remove. While I had issues with debt I have paid everything off and the accounts are marked as Default / Satisfied I have 6 in total all under £200 and range from 2008-2010 and 1 for 2011 id like to try and get these removed if possible? I understand the steps however I would like to send a "nice" letter first to see if that gets me anywhere but I'm unsure how to word it or what to put in? I can't really see a default template that I could use does anyone have any advice? Most are with Lowell and one with British Gas, the reason for this is that I would like to buy another home in 12months time so would like to get my report as "clean" as I possibly can. Thanks in advance

I have been sent a letter from a DCA called Consumer Credit Services acting on behalf of HMRC. I'm self employed and I have been trying to pay off a tax bill dating from January 31st of this year totalling £9,500 of which I have paid off until this date £7000. Leaving amount due of around £2,500 + a bit of interest. I did not contact HMRC which is a mistake on my part - figured it would be paid off sooner and wouldn't need a payment plan or anything. However they have now escalated this to a DCA to collect a total of £3983 (which is an outdated amount after £1,400 was paid off after date of DCAs letter). My question is how do I go about paying this, I would prefer to pay off remaining balance to HMRC - I can afford around £1000 per month give or take a few £100. Should I respond to the DCA letter saying the amount is incorrect? And then pay their correct balance off once they respond? Or just continue to pay HMRC what I can until the debt is gone, probably 2 months. I'm just not sure who takes priority I'm assuming HMRC would rather I kept paying direct into their account. Thank you in advance for your help.

Hi everyone, This is the first Credit Agreement that has been sent after a CCA'd them. Akitiv Kapital has this acct which I was paying £1 per month. They sent one page and the signature is mine. I saw that I had signed 'Protecting Your Acct'[ATTACH]30131[/ATTACH] Could someone check over it and the bottom part is that sufficant. If that is correct, do I SAR GE Capital to get all the charges etc taken off to reduce the debt. Current Bal is £1,263.10 On agreement for credit card limit was £500. Please advise.