First step Finance - **BANNED DIRECTORS STOLE +£6M**

[victoria_siempre]

Hi nancy

 

 

1. It is your money and you have a right to it; any T&C are likely to be unfair and could be pursued via a County Court claim (obviously small claims is easier).
   
2. You report to OFT with a generic issue about their fitness to be licensed.
   
3. You complain to FOS regarding their final response to your formal complaint.
   

It is all a complete pain; but if you don't buy a ticket, you ain't gonna win a prize.

 

 

x

 

 

v

[nancysmile]

Thanks Victoria ..I too am just opening a bottle of something Friday nightish ..have a great weekend

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Hi nancy,

I don't actually know what is in a section 10 data letter, but it if it entails asking them to destroy all your personal data then it looks as though you have scored a bit of an 'own goal'. But I'm sure FSF should still be able to work out your final charges even if approximately, also they could have worked out your final charges before destroying all your data as I thought that would be a common-sense approach. My own cancellation letter doesn't contain anything so drastic, but I have asked them to return any balance in the plan due to me as a matter of priority, and not distribute it to the creditors (on receipt I'll obviously forward some pro rata payments to my creditors myself). I have also said I require full itemisation of their final fees that are due.

Victoria, i'm tempted to have a curry myself but unfortunately i have a bit of a swollen wrist and hand (not the best thing for a pianist lol!) and that may aggravate it... Hope you, Nancy and others have a great weekend

Edited March 30, 2012 by Poor-Credit Borrower
had deleted the wrong word

[nancysmile]

Hello PCB ..no it didn't ask them to destroy my data, it requested them to cease processing any of my data with 3rd parties or passing my data on to third parties. Third parties ...not me the client and the owner of the data. Their argument (when it suits them ) is that they cannot process any of my data even to me, as they don't know it is me and may be someone else, even though they have been writing to me about other things!!

Just reading back over some of their correspondance I can feel myself getting incensed again.....aaagghhh

Nancy

[nancysmile]

I have just discovered that FSF own the Payday loan company that they are recommending to their clients (and ex clients) and that they have started a DM company called the Debt Professionals...just for anybody who is interested ...

My goodness how low can they go ..recommending a Payday loan company to already very desperate customers..and they own it!!

[diamondgirl]

Conflict of interest its called. Don't know what the OFT and FOS would say although I doubt if it is in their names.

They can give you the information its all on the computer they can't delete it.

 

DG:-)

[nancysmile]

Hello DG

Yes I thought so as I am on their emailing list still.

I would have thought it was a massive conflict of interest ....I will post the records ...

[nancysmile]

CCA Home Page :: CCA Search :: CCA Search Results :: Licence Details

Application / Licence Details

 

 

 

Licence Number:0644118

Licence Status:Current

 

Current Applicant / Licensee:

 

Business NameCompany Registration NumberThe Debt Professionals Limited07492603

 

Categories:

 

Credit brokerageProvision of debt-adjusting on a commercial basisProvision of debt-counselling on a commercial basis

 

Right To Canvass Off Trade Premises:No

 

 

Trading Name(s) (Current):

 

Concernedaboutdebt.Co.UkConcernedaboutdebt.ComDebt-Professionals.Co.UkMydebtoptions.Co.UkTheconsolidationexperts.Co.UkTheconsolidationpeople.Co.UkTheconsolidationpeople.ComThedebtoptions.Co.UkThedebtprofessionals.Co.UkThe-Debt-Professionals.Co.UkThemoneymanagementpeople.Co.UkWorriedaboutdebt.Com

 

Trading Name(s) (Historic):

 

Debtrid.Co.UkDebtrid.BizDebtrid.CoDebtrid.EuDebtrid.OrgDebtrid.Org.UkDebtrid.TvGetridwithdebtrid.Co.UkThedebthelpteam.Co.UkThedebthelpteam.ComTherightdebtadvice.Co.UkTherightdebtadvice.Com

 

Issued Date:14-Oct-2011

Date Maintenance Payment Due:13-Oct-2016

 

 

Legal Formation:

 

Body Corporate (incorporated inside UK)

 

Current Individuals that run the organisation:

 

NamePositionDaniel Thomas Slater Walker Greg Whitehurst

 

Nature of Business:

 

Other

 

Current Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressPrincipal Place Of BusinessShaw House, 18, Shaw Road, Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 4AE, EnglandRegistered Office1-3, Churchyardside, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DE, England

[nancysmile]

CCA Home Page :: CCA Search :: CCA Search Results :: Licence Details

Application / Licence Details

 

 

 

Licence Number:0644131

Licence Status:Current

 

Current Applicant / Licensee:

 

Business NameCompany Registration NumberPick A Pay Day Loan Limited07492533

 

Categories:

 

Consumer credit

 

Right To Canvass Off Trade Premises:No

 

 

Trading Name(s) (Current):

 

Papd.Co.UkPick A Pay Day LoansPickapaydayPickapaydayloan.Co.UkPickapaydayloansPickapaydayloans.CoPickapaydayloans.ComPickapaydayloans.InfoPickapaydayloans.Net

 

Issued Date:05-Aug-2011

Date Maintenance Payment Due:04-Aug-2016

 

 

Legal Formation:

 

Body Corporate (incorporated inside UK)

 

Current Individuals that run the organisation:

 

NamePositionDonna-Marie Usher Greg Whitehurst

 

Nature of Business:

 

Cheque Cashing Services

 

Current Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressPrincipal Place Of BusinessShaw House, Shaw Road, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 4AE, EnglandRegistered Office1-3, Churchyardside, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 5DE, England

[nancysmile]

Application / Licence Details

 

 

 

Licence Number:0610509

Licence Status:Current

 

Current Applicant / Licensee:

 

Business NameCompany Registration NumberFirst Step Finance Limited06384834

 

Public Notices:

 

StageDateDocument LinkEvent NumberNotesMinded To Revoke06/12/2010

6

 

Categories:

 

Debt adjusting/counselling

 

Right To Canvass Off Trade Premises:No

 

 

Trading Name(s) (Current):

 

1st Debt Solutions1st Step1st Step Advice1st Step Debt1st Step Debt Advice1st Step Debt Management1st Step Finance1st Step Solution Service1st Step SolutionsFirst Debt SolutionsFirst StepFirst Step AdviceFirst Step DebtFirst Step Debt AdviceFirst Step Debt ManagementFirst Step FinanceFirst Step Solution ServiceFirst Step Solutions

 

Issued Date:26-Nov-2007

Expiry Date:26-Nov-2012

 

 

Legal Formation:

 

Body Corporate (incorporated inside UK)

 

Current Individuals that run the organisation:

 

NamePositionChristine Whitehurst

 

Historic Individuals that run the organisation:

 

NamePositionAdrian Lee Whitehurst Margaret Whitehurst

 

Nature of Business:

 

Debt Collection

 

Current Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressCorrespondenceFirst Step House, 18 Grand Central Square, Wellington Road South, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3TA, United KingdomPrincipal Place Of BusinessFirst Step House, 18 Grand Central Square, Wellington Road South, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3TARegistered Office1-3, Churchyardside, NANTWICH, Cheshire, CW5 5DE, United Kingdom

 

Historic Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressPrincipal Place Of BusinessDiscovery Park, Suite 1, Crossley Road, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 5BNRegistered Office93, Wellington Road North, STOCKPORT, Cheshire, SK4 2LR, United Kingdom

[nancysmile]

It would seem all the companies are linked, shame as it even says on the email FSF sent me ;

Please note, First Step Finance receive no commission or fees from Pickapayday Loans Ltd

[diamondgirl]

Yes son and daughter one presumes

 

DG

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Diamondgirl,

 

I may as well strike while the iron is hot as you appear to be browsing the thread right now Yes, your PM was helpful, thanks.

 

I think, with all this feedback from nancysmile and all the correspondence they have sent her, I'll persist with the cancellation.

 

It does seem shameless that FSF are even indirectly associated with Pickapayday Loans Ltd, and more so if it turns out their son and daughter are involved.

 

FSF have helped me with some smaller debts, as already stated, but I'm very unsure of the longer term prognosis with the larger debts.

 

Nancygirl,

 

I now know what you mean by your invoking of Section 10 to them and,

of course, you have my sympathies.

 

Of course, FSF should know it is you that are calling them cos when they speak to me they simply ask for my reference number, first line of my address,

postcode and my date of birth and then they're satisfied it's me they're speaking to!

pcb

[jojo224]

I was with first step a few years ago i gave them over £5000 in total and they did nothing

 

i was alot worse off after going with them my debts where getting higer and higher i was getting letters off creditors.

 

then one day when i rang up to find out what was going on because after 2 years i was still getting nasty letters from creditors

and i had had enough of getting fobed off from first step

 

they told me that they no longer wanted to help me with my debt sisuation as my debts had got to high

they had only got to high because of what they had done and that they thought i should go bankcruped,

 

i went mad and demanded my money back which was a year a go now and i still ant had a penny

 

i got a solicitor involved but first step wouldnt even talk to him

and i couldnt really aford to take it further

 

they even lied to my solicitor saying that they had got many of my debt writen off

(thats when he did get a response after weeks of trying)

 

stay away from these people they make matters worse im am still sorting out the mess that they coursed one of my debts is now £29000

and it was only £15000 when i went with them.

 

i will never get out of the mess that they coursed me

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Jojo224, welcome to the CAG forum as this appears to be your first post.

 

You say "one day you rang up to find out what was going on because after 2 years you were still getting nasty letters from creditors...." Why did you not ring First Step any time within that 2 years - especially as you were getting a stack of letters from creditors with presumably interest and/or charges added? I'm sure they would have sorted that out. Also you should have been getting monthly updates from FSF or at least every couple of months. they are not perfect, but a debt solution rarely is. But they work for some people. I have also paid over £5000 in total into a plan with them, but I feel I am getting somewhere now with 9 out of 15 original debts settled or somehow resolved.

 

Anyway, good luck with your current negotiations with your solicitor and first step.

[Toff]

 

my problem is what they will do with that money if i leave.

 

Hi.

If you cancel they will distribute your money amongst your creditors just like they did with me.

I got intouch with the Finacial Onbudsman and an adjudicator is on the case, FSF are still trying to muddy the water.

I payed in £2500 over 2 yrs and they did nothing in that time(I now have a new company working for me and they have settled 3 accounts at a reduced amount in 3 month than FSF did in 2 yr!!) , I was always chasing them for updates on the account ect and they told me that they were waiting on this and that...what a load of Bull !!

I wrote a cancelation letter and DEMANDED they do not pay my creditors, it must be returned to me ...they ignored my request.

Even if i just get half back i will be happy...BTW the FO people are really good and communication with them is good too.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Toff

[nancysmile]

Hello Toff and Jo Jo ,

Yes that is what they did with me despite me forbiding them to distribute my remaining money ...just so they can take (unagreed) commision/fees ...stupid.

Jojo I am really sorry to hear about your experience with them, I don't know how you stand but you could try the FOS. That loan seems to have gone sky high in just 2 years, nearly double ....who was it with ?

[donnydiva100]

Hi, I am new to this site so bear with me - I have been with a debt management company called Harrington Brooks for about 8 yrs and my debt never seems to go down by much. I pay them £250 per month. I do know its going down by the regular statements I receive, but was told it will be another 8 yrs before its all paid off.

 

I received a call from first step finance 3 days ago, since then I have had 2 further calls, I keep asking them for more information but all they do is tell me over the phone, I wanted it in writing, and they seem reluctant to do so. The person I spoke to told me over the phone that I could be completely debt free within 5 years.

 

After reading some of the comments on here I'm really worried, I dont know what to do for the best. I thought there proposition seemed good. My health is failing and I am now disabled and dont know how much longer I can work for, I keep going so I can pay my debt off.

 

Any suggestions would be helpful

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi PCB,

 

I seem to have missed a number of posts. I'll read through the missing posts tomorrow.

 

Hi donnydiva1 and welcome to CAG

 

As you can see it's not a good idea to go with FSF. Who are your creditors? You'll need a separate thread for each, but do let us know here.

 

DD

[Desperate Daniella]

donnydiva100,

 

If you hadn't paid a penny to any of your creditors in eight years you'd be debt free by now anyway.

 

You can probably do better than another eight years in debt (depending on what you have agreed to and with whom) with advice given on this site.

 

DD

[efc2011]

hi

how would i go about writing a cancellation letter to first step and asking for my money to be sent back to me rather than to the creditors (as they would then take commission)

are there template letters i can use. ?

should i just stop my payments now and maybe phone them to tell them iam cancelling ?

thanks

[lynne49]

hi, there is no point writing and requesting them to send money back to you cos they wont, i have been in dispute with them over the last year and finally got a break down of my account

 

i paid in over 2 and a half years 2,775.00

 

8% fee up front 1,566.48

15% fee on payments made to creditors 67.01

fee for doc request 82.00

25% fee for non pursuals 755.49

doc fee 75.00

 

and a 120.00 up front fee

 

 

out of all that i owed 18,000 originally and now owe 17,500

 

so with the 2 non pursuals i am still only 500.00 clear in 2 and a half years

 

i wrote and closed my account requesting any money due to me be paid to me and not my creditors

 

they ignored that and i have no proof they made payment to them

 

so i have spent 2, 775.00 on top of the 18,000 i originally owed

 

i was told i would be debt free in 5 years but when i confronted them with it they told me 5 to 10 years

 

so any one who reads this please avoid

[lynne49]

i no several people who have used this method

 

read it all carefully

 

i finished with first step as i am further in debt now with them and using that site

 

this is what first step cost me

 

i paid in over 2 and a half years 2,775.00

 

8% fee up front 1,566.48

15% fee on payments made to creditors 67.01

fee for doc request 82.00

25% fee for non pursuals 755.49

doc fee 75.00

 

and a 120.00 up front fee

 

 

out of all that i owed 18,000 originally and now owe 17,500

 

so with the 2 non pursuals i am still only 500.00 clear in 2 and a half years

 

i wrote and closed my account requesting any money due to me be paid to me and not my creditors

 

they ignored that and i have no proof they made payment to them

 

so i have spent 2, 775.00 on top of the 18,000 i originally owed

 

i was told i would be debt free in 5 years but when i confronted them with it they told me 5 to 10 years

 

so any one who reads this please avoid

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Lynne49, sorry to hear about your problems with FSF. I am with them too and have been on a plan with them for just over 3 years.

 

On going through it I think your maths is correct, although I'm not sure why there's a separate fee for a doc request as well as the doc fee. If you have been charged a fee of £755 for non-persuals it means that about £3020 has been "written off". And they have paid roughly £440 to creditors on your behalf.

 

The rationale of paying so little to the creditors (or one of the reasons) is that some money is set aside in your ring-fenced account for full & final settlements, but you don't seem to have availed yourself of the facility. Maybe you could ring FSF and ask them if there are any creditors which they could offer 50% (or less) of the alleged debt. They would charge 25% of the money that they'd be saving you, but they wouldn't charge a 15% on top for money paid in settlement in this way. In my case some creditors have been settled via F&Fs. Also you could explore asking their legal team to assist with re-claiming any mis-sold PPI on any of your loans, or unfair charges if any are credit cards, as that could wipe out much of the existing debt too. In my case there is quite a bit of PPI on a Welcome Finance loan.

 

Hope this helps,

PCB

[lynne49]

they have not done there job

 

they have only cleared 2 debts of 1,800 and i had a refund from a creditor that was the 25% so the refund is on top or the 2775 paid in

 

i requested a copy of some papers cos i was unsure so they charged me 82.00

 

i have been with them for 2 and a half years and so far i have to pay back 10,000 of it and the others they just keep telling me the same thing over and over, they are only catologues on the others and they are the easiest to clear, i no several people that have got there debts sorted quickly themselves and if you read the rest of the reviews on here they have the same problem

 

and your saying that its right to still owe 17,500 when i only originally owed 18,000 plus the money i have put into first step of 2,775 which could of cleared the none pusuals and some of the others by now

 

i certainly wont be clear in 5 to 10 years

 

this company does not deserve to be preying on people that are really down on there luck and no where else to turn