Are CCCS a good company

[gericke]

Hope this works out well for yourself, got me worried now as the Halifax is my biggest creditor - £11,000 on a credit card and £2800 on bank overdraft with them - well the dmp i hope will give me breathing space and when HP car loan ends, there's another £150 per month going into the pot - should help a little with there unfair interest charges. All the best for 2012

Gericke.

[Frog Escalator]

All the best for 2012

Gericke.

 

You too! Keep updating via CAG -- hope you get on better with the DMP than I did!

 

All the best!

[oscar52]

Having worked within the credit industry, I personally wouldnt go with certain organisations for the reasons outlined above.

 

There are better ways to deal with your debts, and soon you will feel like that phone advert - the futures bright, the futures orange.

[sequenci]

HOWEVER, it's worth mentioning that they are funded by the banks! This is something that has to be borne in mind...

 

CCCS are indeed funded by the banks, this doesn't mean they are on the bank's side. Most of the debt charities receive bank funding in one way, shape or form. As already mentioned the free DMP providers do have a VERY good track record of getting arrangements sorted and interest and charges frozen. Having said that there are plenty of alternative ways to get things sorted. Self-negotiation is great so long as the rules are followed. I guess it's important to choose the right option to fit in with your own set of circumstances.

 

And all the debt charities work to similar budget figures, yup they are tight but are pretty workable. The creditors are only likely to accept offers with a decent financial statement.

[gericke]

Got my first phone call today from Santander Credit Card Services - sent them a token payment of £20 this month while my DMP is being set-up, minimum payment is £204, so they were requesting the remaining outstanding amount. Told them that i wouldn't / couldn't make the payment today and the earliest i could make another payment was not before the 26th of this month and wouldn't give them a figure to what amount i would be paying. They informed me of some charges that would be applied to the account, but it was a very bad line and i couldn't understand the caller due to his accent and the speed that he spoke. I kept asking him to repeat what he was saying but gave up in the end. My DMP starts on the 1st Feb with the CCCS, i understand they make payments to my creditors at the end of each month, so i was going to make a £5 token payment for the month of Feb, is this worth doing ??. I'm thinking it means there will be no break in my monthly payments (even if the amount is very small) until the DMP 1st payments have been received by my creditors.

Any advice please !.

[firstship]

If you have paid monies to your creditors for the month of January,then CCCS will advise these creditors that you are on a DMP and their payment will be with the creditors around the 23/25th of the month.Should you decide to send a token payment it will be best to advise each creditor along with your cheque for say £5 that you are with CCCS as from Feb1st 2012,then there will be no doubt.

 

Wish you luck with CCCS they are OK,see how you get on with the 0% interest

 

FS

[phoneignorer]

Hi gericke ,i am new to forum and your thread has been very helpful to me as Im asking cccs same questions ,you are infront of me by abit ,mine should start 1st march sending everything off on Monday and dealing with my direct debits then as well as my new bank account details were sent to me today ..Im terrified of the constant phonecalls from my creditors and i dread nasty letters .Your posts have been so helpful to me .Thankyou .

[gericke]

Glad to hear it phoneignorer, i have 6 separate creditors, so far two of them have sent letters in response to my dmp plan - both excepting the dmp and the usual do not default warning or else !.

Only problem i am having is from Santander, who as yet are not included as i hold a bank account with them - should be closed by the 1st Feb, then they will be included. I made a token payment this month as i couldn't meet the minimum payment, so far 6 phone calls, one text and one letter and that's in 5 days.

Hopefully they will stop when they are included in the dmp, but apparently they do pester you.

After the first couple of phone calls the fear of speaking to them will go, you will become more determine then ever to rid yourself of them.

Best of luck with your dmp, post up your progress and hopefully other people on the forum can help/guide us the right way.

Gericke.

[firstship]

Gericke should you get any phone calls once the DMP is underway just refer them to CCCS,the phone calls will drop of and disappear within a very short space of time

 

Santander like wise will continue to moan until the DMP is up and running,they subscribe as a bank to CCCS so all should be OK by March

 

Good Luck FS

[gericke]

Cheers firstship, hearing that takes a little of the pressure away - just want the full dmp up and running and a normal life, while slowly chiseling away at my total debt balance. I don't expect it to disappear overnight and i could be paying into the dmp for many years to come, but the borrowing from Peter to pay Paul has hopefully stopped.

[phoneignorer]

Glad to hear it phoneignorer, i have 6 separate creditors, so far two of them have sent letters in response to my dmp plan - both excepting the dmp and the usual do not default warning or else !.

Only problem i am having is from Santander, who as yet are not included as i hold a bank account with them - should be closed by the 1st Feb, then they will be included. I made a token payment this month as i couldn't meet the minimum payment, so far 6 phone calls, one text and one letter and that's in 5 days.

Hopefully they will stop when they are included in the dmp, but apparently they do pester you.

After the first couple of phone calls the fear of speaking to them will go, you will become more determine then ever to rid yourself of them.

Best of luck with your dmp, post up your progress and hopefully other people on the forum can help/guide us the right way.

Gericke.

 

It feels so good to feel like I have support , thanks Gericke .I almost setup an arrangement with Halifax and it was only because Marbles called me to see where their payment was just as i was waiting for the halifax to call me to set it up did they suggest as they had many times before that i get in touch with CCCs . I had literally just written down everything going out and what was coming in to speak to the Halifax and the two no where near the same so i filled in the CCCs form .I knew I was in trouble but had been kidding myself for far too long .I did speak to the Halifax who I owe around £9000 to in a loan and I just said could we hold off while i investigated the CCCS .They agreed to give me a week but have since called me every single day since the week was up mid last week calling me 8.04,8.05 and 8.06 every morning then at least 5 times after this during the day and you know what it feels like when you are setting about sorting all the paperwork out and closing accounts before you tell them anything ,i felt i wasnt in the position to declare anything incase a war started between us ..They have now arranged to call me Monday and today sent me a default notice for the 1,800 ive got behind on even though i have been making payments of 150.00 to them since i started struggling and i am up to date with these and they havent pestered me till now and had been very understanding ,maybe cause they couldnt get in touch with me ..I owe £49000( OH that hurts to write down) in two loans ,credit cards and overdraft .I have kept up pretty much to date with most my creditors selling stuff when my Dad got ill with cancer and was terribly ill for 10 months and then passed away and my earnings went down and instead of just making the interest each month i got behind, but got nothing else to sell and cannot live with this debt anymore ,i want to start living again and also deal with my grief and finally look forward to a day when im debt free .I have been paying interest only now for many many years .CCCS have been absolutely wonderful ,i honestly dont know where my mind would be today if i hadnt been given some hope and the positvity i have felt from speaking to them , the people i have spoken to have literally saved me .I am dreading the changeover of banks ,the phone calls but i will have to keep strong ,my biggest problem is the huge shame i have attached to my debt ,held me back many times when ive really needed to face up to it ..All my stuff will go off Monday to CCCS ,my letters off to the creditors along with token payments to see me through while its dealt with ,I have closed a joint bank account with my partner at same bank as one of my loans and I shall close down direct debits with my main bank as my new bank account came through Friday YAY .Ill keep you up to date and welcome anyones imput as i go through this .Thanks Gericke hope its all painless

[gericke]

Hi phoneignorer, i know what you mean about the shame, but you're done the first big step in excepting the fact you need help. The shame soon goes away, as you start to see the Banks for the sharks they are. If every country in the Euro zone can't manage its debts, how can they expect us normal people to do it.

Gericke.

[phoneignorer]

Hi phoneignorer, i know what you mean about the shame, but you're done the first big step in excepting the fact you need help. The shame soon goes away, as you start to see the Banks for the sharks they are. If every country in the Euro zone can't manage its debts, how can they expect us normal people to do it.

Gericke.

 

Too true Gericke ,I am starting to feel that Im not such a convict and i know i am definately not alone and with a huge amount of information i feel stronger and alittle more in the know and what i might encounter ..Marbles called yesterday and i explained that i had listened to the advice they had offered and set up a Dmp with CCCs and the lady said "super ,she would make the relevant changes to my account to make sure i dont incurr any more charges" she was really nice .So positive start ,and probably led me into a false sense of security but at least its calmed me down for this week Im sure the phone calls wont be all as pleasant and Ill have my good days and bad .But on a positive side have got bank up and running now ,all direct debits cancelled and set up in new bank so i am all ready to go ,well ready for the onslaught .

Hope alls well your end so far

[DuffNCustard]

Dump that shame RIGHT NOW - I hit the buffers in December 2006 when my debts of £90k plus all came home to roost. I started my DMP with the CCCS in January 2007 with token payments being sent out that month. All hell broke loose and I lay awake at night rehearsing what I would say in my defence to the jury as my prosecution for fraud progressed! By October of that same year my creditors had all been put on a short leash and had even put up with school fees! By this time I had certainly wised-up, my creditors had made shed loads out of me over the years. They threw massive lines of credit at me and I took it - they gambled on me and finally lost out. Was I a bad person for defaulting? nope, in the great scheme of things my horrendous debt was not even a blip on the radar, mind you they tried every trick in the book to make be feel like chicken-fried crap and it took forums like this for me to learn about the CCA1974 and how to deal with harassment and threats.

 

I'm now a cash only girl and debt free, I don't give a toss about my credit rating - I'll never borrow money again. So hold your head up high, put your shoulders back and let those barstewards know that they should be bloody well thankful you are dropping a lung to pay them back. I guarantee that within 6 months you will be confidently informing them how things are going to be t certainly isn't a crime to be in debt - if it were our gaols would be busting at the seams trying to contain all the bankers and spivs from the financial sector plus a few politicians too - crikey what a toxic unlovely rag tag and bobtail that would be!

[gericke]

Hi everyone, just an update for anyone who is following my progress. Capital One and M&S have sent letters acknowledging my dmp. This months Capital One statement shows my token £20 payment made this month prior to my dmp start date of 1st Feb, deducted from the balance and no interest added to the account - looks like they have frozen interest .

Spoke to Santander tonight who have pestered me all week due to the token £20 payment i made this month (they are not included in the dmp yet - bank account to close). I was very taken back / surprised as there tack has now changed, they suggested that i should contact a dept management company for help / advice and we agreed to a £20 payment for Feb which would hold them off for i think it was 40days while i considered my options.They confirmed this would stop further phone calls and any charges being applied to my account in this period - still in a state of shock, can't believe it, starting to think there up to something !. Well time will tell !.

Gericke

[silverfox1961]

Did Santander recommend a debt management company other than CCCS or Payplan?

[phoneignorer]

Hi everyone, just an update for anyone who is following my progress. Capital One and M&S have sent letters acknowledging my dmp. This months Capital One statement shows my token £20 payment made this month prior to my dmp start date of 1st Feb, deducted from the balance and no interest added to the account - looks like they have frozen interest .

Spoke to Santander tonight who have pestered me all week due to the token £20 payment i made this month (they are not included in the dmp yet - bank account to close). I was very taken back / surprised as there tack has now changed, they suggested that i should contact a dept management company for help / advice and we agreed to a £20 payment for Feb which would hold them off for i think it was 40days while i considered my options.They confirmed this would stop further phone calls and any charges being applied to my account in this period - still in a state of shock, can't believe it, starting to think there up to something !. Well time will tell !.

Gericke

 

Wow what a super start Gericke ..Im so happy for you Positive start ....

All my stuff went off yesterday to CCCS and my letters posted ..How long before you had your first acknowledgement letter from your letters going out ?

Thanks for the update

[phoneignorer]

Dump that shame RIGHT NOW - I hit the buffers in December 2006 when my debts of £90k plus all came home to roost. I started my DMP with the CCCS in January 2007 with token payments being sent out that month. All hell broke loose and I lay awake at night rehearsing what I would say in my defence to the jury as my prosecution for fraud progressed! By October of that same year my creditors had all been put on a short leash and had even put up with school fees! By this time I had certainly wised-up, my creditors had made shed loads out of me over the years. They threw massive lines of credit at me and I took it - they gambled on me and finally lost out. Was I a bad person for defaulting? nope, in the great scheme of things my horrendous debt was not even a blip on the radar, mind you they tried every trick in the book to make be feel like chicken-fried crap and it took forums like this for me to learn about the CCA1974 and how to deal with harassment and threats.

 

I'm now a cash only girl and debt free, I don't give a toss about my credit rating - I'll never borrow money again. So hold your head up high, put your shoulders back and let those barstewards know that they should be bloody well thankful you are dropping a lung to pay them back. I guarantee that within 6 months you will be confidently informing them how things are going to be t certainly isn't a crime to be in debt - if it were our gaols would be busting at the seams trying to contain all the bankers and spivs from the financial sector plus a few politicians too - crikey what a toxic unlovely rag tag and bobtail that would be!

 

Thanks !!! for the confidence boost !!! you are right in what you say .i have to keep reminding myself everyday how much money they have all reaped from me and made my life a misery ...I feel the blood rush to my head everytime the phone rings ,its utter torment .Im still frightened of this whole procedure with a DMP but feel more empowered simply because i have taken the first step towards dealing with my debt ..Can I ask you ,did you finish your DMP debt free or did you take another route after a while ??

[gericke]

Did Santander recommend a debt management company other than CCCS or Payplan?

They recommended both CCCS & Payplan - they did not mention any others.

Gericke.

[gericke]

Hi phoneignorer, was about 3 to 4 weeks after sending out my letters to my creditors, before receiving an acknowledgement for two of them. Not heard anything from Tesco's or Barclaycard yet, but i do know the CCCS have contacted them as they are listed in my dmp monthly payment schedule that i received.

Sent letters off to Santander & Halifax on Wednesday, phone call from Santander today asking for another payment, i refused and told them that i had a dmp up and running with the CCCS and they went all quiet - also mention that they had received my letter on Thursday (recorded post) and why were they still phoning me after receiving this information by post. They asked me to confirm my contact details, which i did, but also informed them to contact me in writing only from now on !!!!.

How's things going for you ?

[brokebutnotbeatn]

Well done gericke. it takes a few months for things to settle down but you said and did the right things so...

[phoneignorer]

Hi Gericke ..Well its been eerily quiet LOL No phone calls at all !! Like you i have had 2 acknowledgement letters and a statement from mbna with an expected interest for next month of 0 .Natwest have not accepted the offer but Im not phased if they decide they want to quarrel then my mind is in bring it on mode (thanks to the strength and support I feel from the CAG ) ,I feel set free ,well for the time being anyhow Im being careful with money and i think dealing with the initial expenditure for cccs has helped me face up ,take stock and take back some control I had lost in my life .Yes I needed the CCCS and this forum badly i was in too much of a state to have coped on my own . But for now feeling better at the moment than i have done in many years ....and you ?

Hope alls still going well for you !!!

[spots1]

We use payplan and all our interest has been froozen ...please do keep checking with your dmp plan though as most creditors will review the interest after 6 months so make sure your dmp send out the letters again asking for interest to be froozen in time they probs all will ...and get reclaiming all the unlawful fees etc once the plan has settled down you will be surprised how much they owe you !

[phoneignorer]

We use payplan and all our interest has been froozen ...please do keep checking with your dmp plan though as most creditors will review the interest after 6 months so make sure your dmp send out the letters again asking for interest to be froozen in time they probs all will ...and get reclaiming all the unlawful fees etc once the plan has settled down you will be surprised how much they owe you !

 

Thanks so much for your post .I was just plucking up the courage to ask about claiming back any fees but didnt know if i was jumping the gun abit ,i dont want to sit back incase I dont have the confidence to do it at a later date .When did you start claiming back fees ? can i claim back any of the £12`s i have been paying for being late with payments and occasionally being over limit ?

i know a couple of my creditors havent frozen interest at the moment ,what can i do about this ,do i send letters now or wait to see or ask cccs to to do it on my behalf or is this something they do normally anyway once they start hearing from creditors .My main worry is my overdraft ,Natwest have so far said they are not prepared to accept what has been offered to them even though it is a fair amount ,im worried that they will keep churning the interest onto the overdraft ,next month it will take me over the limit and then they may even start adding over limit fees ;(

 

I have so far only paid my first month DMP so early days still ,did all your creditors accept from the off ?

Any help very gratefully received !!! im totally alone in this,well no im not alone now Ive found CAG what I mean is I have no one I can talk things through with at home .Relying enormously on the information i find here and CCCs .And its thanks to this forum and its people who have posted that Ive actually had the courage to get this far

[gericke]

Hi phoneignorer, sounds like your at the same point as me - my dmp started the 1st of Feb, but apparently cccs don't past the payment on to your creditors until the end of the month.

My overdraft with the Halifax is now over the limit with Feb's monthly account fee / interest being added, but no phone calls just two letters informing me of this - as if i didn't know !. Just going to let the dmp run for a month or two to see if things settle down - i think it takes a while for the dmp to filter through all the different departments of each creditor - or thats what i'm hoping.

Same as you, no phone calls, well for the last 3 weeks !, not holding my breathe, but not too worried if they do, as they will get more response from a brick wall - your getting a payment through the dmp and thats it !.

Have you had your internet pass code from cccs yet ?, so you can access your account on-line and monitor your payments to each creditor !.

Gericke.