Newbie - My Story, advice welcomed

[scared_2011]

Hello, well this is something new to me. But to be honest I'm so scared of my debts I don't know what else to do.

 

My husband left me for another person 2 years ago, which is when I become to spiral into debt. Going from 2 incomes to 1 whilst trying to live alone (rented property) sucked all my money away and after a year my debts had built up.

 

I know owe about £8000 to credit agencies, none for household bills, all for store credit or credit cards etc. I think it would help me survive at the time, how wrong I was I.

 

I ended up moving away and 'hiding' for a year as I was too scared to deal with it. I barely sleep and whenever I think about the creditors chasing me (which they are at pervious addreses and my at my parents) I get quite suicidal.

 

I don't know how to deal with it. I'm scared they will take my belonings or car. I'm happy to start repayments now, but can only offer small amounts - and I'm scared they won't accept it as I went 'missing'. I've already had letters to my parents from some saying they will only take the full payment, but I have no savings and no means of paying full installments to some.

 

I'm so scared and just wish I could start again. I feel so ashamed. Any advice?

[maroondevo52]

Hello and Welcome, scared_2011.

 

There's really no need to feel ashamed, no one on this site will judge you. Your making the first postitive move asking for help and advice on this site.

 

I'll move this thread to a more appropriate Forum, gould you give us a list of your Creditors and what the state of play is with them at the moment, it would also help if we knew who was chasing each debt now.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[coledog]

Hi

 

It is worth getting copies of your credit files from Experian and Equifax (details on line) - just order the £2 statutory copies and don't give them info like your phone numbers (make some up) as they can pass these on. Just give info to identify yourself.

 

You may be surprised as the situation may not be as bad as you think and this will give you a picture of where you currently are.

 

Agree you need to list who you think you owe to (particularly any chasing you) but don't contact anyone yet and NEVER ring them.

 

You need to prioritise the debts and work out who is entitled to collect what before making any offers.

[Night Owl]

Hello, well this is something new to me. But to be honest I'm so scared of my debts I don't know what else to do.

 

My husband left me for another person 2 years ago, which is when I become to spiral into debt. Going from 2 incomes to 1 whilst trying to live alone (rented property) sucked all my money away and after a year my debts had built up.

 

I know owe about £8000 to credit agencies, none for household bills, all for store credit or credit cards etc. I think it would help me survive at the time, how wrong I was I.

 

I ended up moving away and 'hiding' for a year as I was too scared to deal with it. I barely sleep and whenever I think about the creditors chasing me (which they are at pervious addreses and my at my parents) I get quite suicidal.

 

I don't know how to deal with it. I'm scared they will take my belonings or car. I'm happy to start repayments now, but can only offer small amounts - and I'm scared they won't accept it as I went 'missing'. I've already had letters to my parents from some saying they will only take the full payment, but I have no savings and no means of paying full installments to some.

 

I'm so scared and just wish I could start again. I feel so ashamed. Any advice?

 

Hi scared_2011,

 

Big Welcome to CAG. You truley are amongst friends here.

So sorry to hear of your story but that is really what brings us all together. We all have stories to tell.

The first step is taking control from now on and there is some fantastic help here..............just keep reading around and asking.

Knowledge is power.

 

Have a read of the great Blogs..........top left next to CAG Mag.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/entry.php?8-10-Steps-to-a-debt-free-future-Part-1-Don-t-panic!

 

Don't panic............and don't feel ashamed x

[unclebulgaria67]

 

I know owe about £8000 to credit agencies, none for household bills, all for store credit or credit cards etc. I think it would help me survive at the time, how wrong I was I.

 

I don't know how to deal with it. I'm scared they will take my belonings or car. I'm happy to start repayments now, but can only offer small amounts - and I'm scared they won't accept it as I went 'missing'. I've already had letters to my parents from some saying they will only take the full payment, but I have no savings and no means of paying full installments to some.

 

I'm so scared and just wish I could start again. I feel so ashamed. Any advice?

 

You have taken the first step by posting here. But what next.

 

My advice would be to get hold of your credit files and then to look to obtain advice from someone qualified to assess what your best options are. Definately don't make contact with any of your creditors until you have had advice first. To obtain advice you would probably be best to book to see someone at your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau or to use one of the debt registered charities such as CCCS.

 

A debt adviser at CAB or CCCS will help you in advising what to do about contacting creditors and how to make payment offers you can afford. They can also advise you of other debt relief options should they be suitable.

[harrassed senior]

Hi and welcome to a 'happier' New Year.

 

As said above, now you have decided to seek help you have made a big step towards becoming 'in control' of these debts, and not 'scared' of them.

 

As you say there has been correspondence to other addresses, can you get hold of that, and start to collate the information. A paper trail is a 'must' in dealing with the situation.

 

As suggested, copies of your credit files will help to see the exact situation.

 

A piece of advice that many of us always give is never to talk with anyone connected with your debts or its' collection, on the telephone, as mentioned above you will need a paper trail and unless you can record all calls, this can only be secured in writing.

 

Between us we have seen most of the 'letters' 'threats' etc. that these companies will send out, and advice will be available every step of the way.

 

Get yourself a multi file folder so that you can keep all of your paperwork together in one place.

[coledog]

Personally not impressed by the CAB/CCCS method of debt management as it is a blanket approach of give us a list of debts and we send out offers based on your income and expenditure, they do not have the time or resources to do anything else. This can lead to years of small payments, CCJs (as some creditors will not accept the offer) and never getting anything cleared.

 

You need to understand what is owed and to whom, be prepared to challenge this and then deal with each one individually. If you then prefer a replayment plan this is fine.

 

You are the important one here and please don't forget that.

[stoploss]

I agree with most of the other people posting.

I offer:

1 Don't worry about anything and DON'T feel ashamed

2 Don't talk to any DCA on the phone - most of what they say will be lies.

3 Get all the information from the CRA's

4 Be ready to do some paperwork, trips to the post office etc

5 Keep reading CAG

I lent a friend £600 to help him move out and get a new flat after he had been given notice and his notice had run out.

He gave that money to a debt collector because he was a scared idiotic fool who was lied to and manipulated by a debt collector LIAR. He wouldn't read CAG. Now I refer to him as Debt Ponzi (then his name), or rob Peter to pay Paul (then his name), Bernie Madoff or just Madoff.

He knew that I would rather drink his urine and eat his faeces than give him money to pay a debt collector - especially when it was a 4 1/2 year old debt that was only 18 months away from being statute barred but he did it anyway.

Don't ever take money from friends and family to pay off old debts. Your friends and family are the ones that matter not these bullies.

If you want to be shamed and not sleep at night - do what he did!!!!! Otherwise read CAG!!!!!!!

I might not make any friends saying this but we live in a world of Fiat Money and Fractional Reserve Banking. Money is Debt, and Debt is Money. "Banksters" create money out of thin air by just putting it into their computers. It’s not real. They create money in exchange for someone’s pledge to pay it back.

If you don't own a home, and you want to own one one day, in principal defaulting on debt is good because it makes the real purchasing power of "paper" money go up, and the "paper" money value of real things like homes go down.

[scared_2011]

Thank you all so much for your support and advice. I have no idea who the debts are with yet, the letters I'm sure will start hitting the mat in the next week as my previous landlord gave them all my new address.

 

Does anybody know if they entitled to demand payment in full?

Also, can they take my belongings?

[Mr Worried]

Hi Scared

 

NO and NO,

 

Lets just await your letters from the DCA's then get the comms uploaded ( dreaded 20 posts ). all is not lost as you have not even started on your road to recovery yet, it will be a bumpy ride but with the help from here it will get smoother as time goes on.

 

Speak Soon

 

Mr

[Bazooka Boo]

They can demand all they like, and invariably will, but what you can realistically and comfortably afford to pay them each month is something completely different and alien to them, so don't worry about it, besides, ALL of the letters you receive from debt collectors are generated by a computer, the only human touch it will have is that of your postie putting them through you door.

 

As for them threatening to remove your goods to the value of, or bailiffs, this is a well used threat which is so 80's I am amazed that they haven't realized everyone knows that that is not possible, and they are laughed at and then reported for their misguided unqualified puerile threats.

 

The ONLY time a Bailiff can remove goods to the value of is after you have been taken to court and the Judge has awarded you with a county court judgement (CCJ), you will then have to default on that CCJ and then they will still have to go back to court for a Judge to order Bailiffs, and these are not tin pot knuckle heads, they will be qualified court certified bailiffs, and even then, you DO NOT have to allow them access to your home, they have to first gain 'peaceful' entry before they are allowed to force entry, or in very limited circumstances they can obtain a warrant from the courts to make forced entry to your property, but I strongly doubt that they will get that for a simple case of debt collection, unless it is owed to the courts or council!

 

Expect to receive a lot of puerile, empty threats, certainly of 'doorstep collectors' or 'agents' as they like to call themselves, I think they have been watching to much Juliet Bravo as they do like to make themselves appear more important than they really are. In a nutshell a Debt Collection Agency (DCA) has no powers, your postman has more powers than a DCA, so when they threaten to darken your doorstep with on of their lame 'agents' your reply should be 'does your threat monkey have milk & sugar?'.

You will learn very quickly that these fools who have chosen this career have at some point in their lives, been bullied (allegedly). And now armed with a flip chart script, a telephone and headset, and a computer screen to read their Janet & Jon books on, they have somehow deluded themselves into believing they are one rung up from the rest of us.

Show them the contempt they deserve, don't let them begin to worry you, after all they are the ones who should be worried with all of the complaints they generate!

[Mr Worried]

Ha Ha ..Janet & Jon books.

 

Mr

 

 

They can demand all they like, and invariably will, but what you can realistically and comfortably afford to pay them each month is something completely different and alien to them, so don't worry about it, besides, ALL of the letters you receive from debt collectors are generated by a computer, the only human touch it will have is that of your postie putting them through you door.

 

As for them threatening to remove your goods to the value of, or bailiffs, this is a well used threat which is so 80's I am amazed that they haven't realized everyone knows that that is not possible, and they are laughed at and then reported for their misguided unqualified puerile threats.

 

The ONLY time a Bailiff can remove goods to the value of is after you have been taken to court and the Judge has awarded you with a county court judgement (CCJ), you will then have to default on that CCJ and then they will still have to go back to court for a Judge to order Bailiffs, and these are not tin pot knuckle heads, they will be qualified court certified bailiffs, and even then, you DO NOT have to allow them access to your home, they have to first gain 'peaceful' entry before they are allowed to force entry, or in very limited circumstances they can obtain a warrant from the courts to make forced entry to your property, but I strongly doubt that they will get that for a simple case of debt collection, unless it is owed to the courts or council!

 

Expect to receive a lot of puerile, empty threats, certainly of 'doorstep collectors' or 'agents' as they like to call themselves, I think they have been watching to much Juliet Bravo as they do like to make themselves appear more important than they really are. In a nutshell a Debt Collection Agency (DCA) has no powers, your postman has more powers than a DCA, so when they threaten to darken your doorstep with on of their lame 'agents' your reply should be 'does your threat monkey have milk & sugar?'.

You will learn very quickly that these fools who have chosen this career have at some point in their lives, been bullied (allegedly). And now armed with a flip chart script, a telephone and headset, and a computer screen to read their Janet & Jon books on, they have somehow deluded themselves into believing they are one rung up from the rest of us.

Show them the contempt they deserve, don't let them begin to worry you, after all they are the ones who should be worried with all of the complaints they generate!

[Jasper1965]

I don't know how to deal with it. I'm scared they will take my belonings or car. I'm happy to start repayments now, but can only offer small amounts - and I'm scared they won't accept it as I went 'missing'. I've already had letters to my parents from some saying they will only take the full payment, but I have no savings and no means of paying full installments to some.

 

 

 

 

They wont take any belongings and they wont take your car, they legally can't unless they have permission from the Court and to get that you must have failed to maintain payments on an existing County Court order.

 

The DCA's can bluster all they like but without an enforcement order from a Court they are legally powerless to do any more than send you a begging letter which however threatening they may appear are just that, begging letters full of "we may", "we might", "options may include", "recommend legal action" and 1001 other meaningless poorly worded, poorly disguised threats which for the most part are not and very often can not ever be implemented.

 

Read the site, as you start to receive the letters from the various companies read about the methods used by each company and you will soon realise that YOU can be in control.

 

You will decide how much you will pay.

You will decide when or sometimes even if you will pay.

You will not even consider paying any debt collector so much as one penny until they have:-

(i) Proven to you that the debt exists and is collectable.

(ii) Proven that they are legally entitled to collect on the debt.

 

If they phone you then refuse to answer any security questions and state "in writing only".

DO NOT TALK TO THEM ON THE PHONE THEY WILL BULLY YOU AND LIE TO YOU AND THREATEN YOU WITH ALL MANNER OF THINGS THAT THEY WOULDN'T DARE SAY IN WRITING.

 

As each company contacts you, start a new thread on this site and you will receive advice specific to the circumstances of that particular account.

 

Be aware that these companies will have paid between £6 and £15 per £100 of debt claimed against you, and are speculating that they can recover enough to make a possibly obscene profit out of you.

 

Read others posts, ask questions but most of all empower yourself and take control.

 

Don't let them bully you, good luck!!

[scared_2011]

The ONLY time a Bailiff can remove goods to the value of is after you have been taken to court and the Judge has awarded you with a county court judgement (CCJ), you will then have to default on that CCJ and then they will still have to go back to court for a Judge to order Bailiffs, and these are not tin pot knuckle heads, they will be qualified court certified bailiffs, and even then, you DO NOT have to allow them access to your home, they have to first gain 'peaceful' entry before they are allowed to force entry, or in very limited circumstances they can obtain a warrant from the courts to make forced entry to your property, but I strongly doubt that they will get that for a simple case of debt collection, unless it is owed to the courts or council!

 

What if they have taken me to court without my knowledge - is that possible??

[Mr Worried]

Hi Scared

 

Your jumping the gun a bit now.

 

They could take you to court without you knowing ( exeptional circumstances ) then that could be dealt with ( LOTS OF WAYS ).

 

Lets get back to basics, and give us the info we have requested through assitance by various cagers responses, only then can we disect and repair, you have to help us to help you.

 

It has been 24hrs since you last posted and yes that is fine, but if you want help you need to ACT NOW.

 

Mr

[scared_2011]

ok, thanks for help. I have requested my credit file today from Experian

[Mr Worried]

Hi Scared

 

Hope I didnt ' Scare ' you, at least your moving forward, keep us up to date.

 

Mr W

[harrassed senior]

Just to add 'my bit' if a CCJ was obtained and you knew nothing of this, it can be 'set aside' (cancelled) as not receiving the paperwork is sufficient reason, but, as said above we have advice for most circumstances between us.

[unclebulgaria67]

You can check for a CCJ online using this link. http://www.trustonline.org.uk/

 

If you do find a CCJ, you can apply to your local court to set it aside. Once reason for applying for a set aside is that you did not receive the court claims form. But cross that bridge if it is relevant. For most debts, actually creditors don't apply for CCJ's.

[sir_gilmour]

Hi

Welcome to The Consumer Action Group.

 

 

I am just letting you know that as you haven't had any replies to your post yet, it might be better if you post your message again in an appropriate sub-forum. You will get lots of help there.

 

Also take some time to read around the forum and get used to the layout. It is a big forum and takes a lot of getting used to.

 

 

Once you start to find your way, you will soon realise that it is fairly easy to get round and to get the help you need.

 

It can be bit confusing at first.