Payday express refusIng to be part of my DMP... Any advice?

[Bombaymix]

Hi! Ok.. Here goes.

 

I have been in a debt management plan for 4 years. I had an accident and was on ssp from work. My plan was started and everything went really well. All of my creditors accepted the plan and I've been paying into it every month.

 

A couple of years ago I stupidly took out a payday loan. I paid the rollover fees for almost a year without too many problems. In time I took out a further 3 payday loans. I just about managed to juggle them all paying rollover/extension charges every month.

 

Without going into too much detail. I was very poorly recently. I have had to reduce the amount of overtime at work (not contracted hours). These overtime payments were helping towards the rollover/extension payments.

 

I got in touch with my debt management company and told them about my additional debt. They weren't impressed to be fair... But did agree to try and add these new debts to the plan. They've been quiet successful. All of my old creditors have accepted the new agreements and some of my new creditors have accepted them. Surprisingly... Poundstillpayday - a loan I took out in September for £400 agreed straight away! I'm still waiting to hear whether wagedayadvance will accept. I'm not too worried about this one. It's less than £200 and I think with Christmas overtime I maybe could pay this in full in January if I really have to. Obviously, in fairness to other creditors, I would like to deal with All creditors through my debt management plan.

 

Now then... Payday express will NOT play ball. I've paid these guys their rollover charges without problem for over 2 years. Original loan £380. Have paid at least 24 x £80-£100. Working it out like that makes me feel sick to the stomach and part of me wants to tell them to foxtrot Oscar for another payment. I am playing the payday express version of "email ping pong" where I email them, they don't email me back, I email them, they don't email me back.. They are phoning and texting both my home phone and my mobile 2-3 times a day. I did email them about 2 weeks ago advising them that I was unable to pay this month. Sent them the telephone harrasment request, asked them to remove my work phone number.

 

They have wrote to me advising that they refuse to be part of my debt management programme. I thought that they would agree to it straight away due to the amount of money they've had out of me over the years. I've emailed then again today expressing my disappointment in them refusing to payment plan.

 

My debt management company have asked me to try and make arrangements with them myself, which I'm a little bit annoyed about. I've recently increased payments to them and as far as their concerned I have 0.00 left after paying them their monthly payment as well as my essential bills. I told my debt management company to continue sending my pro rata payment (approx £30 per month) and that I was unable to simply find additional money and attempt to make arrangements with a creditor outside my plan - can't quiet believe that they even asked!

 

Anyway! Does anybody have experience in adding PDE to an existing DMP? Do they ever agree? Or will I have to put up with their daily phone calls until they get bored and pass me to Their DCA?

[firstship]

Hi.which Debt Management company are you using?

 

FS

[Bombaymix]

Hi FS, Gregory Pennington.

[sillygirl1]

Get rid of GP, they charge a fortune for doing something you can do yourself.

[Bombaymix]

I know they charge for their services... But payplan & CCCS wont help me because my debts are not over 5k. Maybe when I have plans in place with all of my creditors, I'll try working out a plan with all of my creditors.

[firstship]

Got to say GP are taking a charge each month which could go towards reducing your debt and not lining their pockets.At the end of the day the choice is yours.

 

If all of your debts add up to under £5000 then I would consider running a DMP myself,the company who refuse to be a part of your DMP that is their choice,just continue to pay them,they cannot and will not refuse your money,are you paying interest,charges,and any PPI through Gregory Pennington??

 

Look at one of GP statements it shows clearly how they run the DMP,if you feel confident then run it yourself,that is if they have produced statements.

 

Wish you all the best FS

[asmilecostsnothing]

I read this thread with interest, would ditch GP for all it's worth and go it alone (I bet you will have better outcome)I deal with PDE on my own and have managed to get a payment plan set up even tho funnily enough Payday Express used to give details out to another 'paid for' debt management company - Fresh Start of Stockport or were (part of Harrington Brooks) yeah remember being heavily plaged by these grrrrr : (Half these charging debt management companies are far worse then any creditor will ever be.Please go careful x

[Bombaymix]

It's definitely something I will be looking into. I'd feel a lot more comfortable if arrangements were already in place when I approached my creditors. I'm sure I'd have more success then - I'd be dividing an extra £30-£35 a month between them!!

[Bombaymix]

Any further advise from anybody?

 

I'm am being bombarded with phone calls, text messages and automated voice mails. I really don't want to speak to them on the phone. I've been off work for 4 days and I'm dreading going back in tomorrow night worrying that they've also been ringing my work number. I have emailed them on numerous occasions asking them to keep all communication in writing/email only.

 

I really don't think they will ever give up. Have pleaded with them to be part of my dmp. They've added another £100 to the balance.

 

Through advise here, and due to the fact that I've paid them 6/7 times over already in extension and rollover fees. I'll only ever offer to pay back my original loan plus one months interest.

 

Annoying thing is, one of the other pdl company's (who I took out a loan with as recently as September for the first time) agreed to freeze interest and add no charges and be part of the existing DMP with No problems.

 

Anybody here been successful in having a refusal from them to be part of a DMP and then changing their minds and accepting?

 

Thanks for all of your replies so far.

 

AB x

[asmilecostsnothing]

Hey BombaymixHope you've not have the expected grief yet, on a practical noteHave you considered making a payment even if a token one - for a couple of pounds even this may end this nonsense of further charges and get you into a plan as they can't legally refuse any token payments...Failing that my other action would be write a letter headed formal complaint and address to the Company Secretary at the East Street Bromley address with the view you will report to their trade associationAs an ex. bailiff put it... the powers in the pen so write a letter of complaint rather then email as I've never communicated with them in this way, I also found they phone work number last so if you can, have a mobile on you to avoid this situ? Though If THEY make the call their usually willing to help that is what I've come to realise x

[Bombaymix]

Thanks for your reply!

 

Should I offer additional payments on top of the £30 that my DMP will also be sending them?

 

Touch wood, they haven't phoned yet today...

[asmilecostsnothing]

No I'd then just keep to them payments through GP in that case (sorry buddie must have got confused thought GP couldn't assist with this one) - I'm not so familiar with how the DM companies run payments myself but presume you can obtain confirmation/receipt via them when it's been sent to PDE - either way they honestly cannot refuse any payment or deny it when you'll have proof!

[Bombaymix]

Ok..

 

Sorry for any confusion

 

Gregory Pennington called me and told me paydayexpress weren't willing to be part of the programme. They asked me if I'd still like the payment that they'd worked out pro rata (about £30 per month) to be sent to them or re write my offers to everybody else sharing this payment amongst them.

 

I have opted for the payment to still be sent to paydayexpress hoping that once they see a regular payment coming through that they'll accept the dmp.

 

I think I'll once again write to them asking AGAIN (lol) if they'll reconsider!

 

I know I keep saying it... But leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that they won't play ball considering I've paid them near on 2.5k in rollover/extension charges on the original £350 loan.

 

I know that it's my own fault and nobody forced the money into my bank and I genuinely do want to get it sorted.

[asmilecostsnothing]

Your doing the right thing, I know and am with you we're all in the same boat and I imagine once outgoing payment is received, then they will come down from the great height they feel they have - it does take a while and is worth a complaint

[Bombaymix]

Thanks asmilecostsnothing

 

Arrived at work tonight... Nobody has said anything to me yet about the phone ringing all day for me. So maybe they did listen to my original request.

 

Still getting hourly text messages from them advising me that I haven't been in touch with them yet about my arrears. That I can cope with, my phone is on permanent silent now anyway. They can text all they want.

 

I really do not know what to do with these guys. I'm in no financial position to deal with them outside my DMP. After essential bills and my DMP payment, I'm left with -£40 a month.

 

Does anybody know how long they keep the debt before passing it onto a debt collection agency?

[sillygirl1]

Have you got onto

 

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk about those hourly texts? Payday loan companies are hot on their agenda at the moment. If you don't complain about them nothing will be done.

[Bombaymix]

Have you got onto

 

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk about those hourly texts? Payday loan companies are hot on their agenda at the moment. If you don't complain about them nothing will be done.

 

Hi sillygirl. Will do first thing in the morning.

 

At work at the moment!

 

Thanks x

[spots1]

Hi just a small imput for you please keep the texts they send and copy them out with dates and times listed they will be invaluble if you have to prove harassment further down the line ... good luck your with friends on here

[Bombaymix]

Hi spots! Thanks for that!

 

The new text messages are a bit better! Don't seem as frequent AND they're telling me that they're close to passing me onto a DCA because I haven't contacted them... Only about 15 times via email and repeatedly through my dmp.

 

Bring on the DCA!

 

Fortunately, I either have colleagues at work who are not telling me about mountains of missed calls every day or... They haven't bothered to try ringing my work number.

 

Am thankful for that... I know personal phone calls on the work number would cause me BIG problems.

 

Balance on the loan has increased by £100 since 12th December. Am not overly concerned about that... Will be worth paying an extra £100 to get off this payday loan merry go round once and for all.

 

Thanks for your continued support all. Massively appreciated x

[firstship]

Phone calls to your place of employment are a NO NO,record time and date of these calls and then make a formal complaint to ICO,and OFT

 

FS

[Bombaymix]

Dear Bombaymix,

 

Client Reference:

 

 

We are writing to confirm that your current outstanding balance is £660.00.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any queries.

 

Regards,

 

Payday Express

 

 

Hmmmm, Another £60 added to the balance...

 

Feel like stopping token payments through my DMP to these vultures and seeing them in Court!

[sillygirl1]

It is against OFT Guidelines on Debt Collecting for companies to add fees when you are in a DMP, get complaining NOW as payday loan companies are high profile with the OFT

 

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk for the OFT

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk for Trading Standards

 

Your complaints are important and if you do nothing you are wasting your time posting on this site... the main advice for PDLs who do not toe the line is - spell out the complaint to the OFT and explain what they have breached and how...

[spots1]

Hi ...even when and if they pass you on you will still get the texts & calls from a DCA but keep on filing them ! DCA`S can be better but not always so be on your guard and do what the wonderful people in the know on here tell you ....happy days ahead & welcome to the group !

 

And please report them I have a case with the Ombudsman atm and still getting texts from DCA & creditor!!

 

spots1 x

[asmilecostsnothing]

Phone calls to your place of employment are a NO NO,Thats why I received calls at work from 3 of my 6! one even wrote and said it didn't consitute harrasment fortunately my boss was understanding and I was away from my desk each time so I could at least compose myself before pick up sorry there's no point in me saying it doesn't happen because it can and does - that said I didn't receive the text messages thank the lord for somethingLike Spots1 says blooming good idea to register the texts received or print out if you can - if I could 'like' it I would!

[firstship]

Have a look at "The Administration of Justice Act 1970 s40,it makes if a Criminal Offence to cause Alarm-Distress or Humiliation etc etc read the act or read the OFT recommendations/guidelines on the subject of contacting you at your place of work (its bound to cause Alarm-Distress,Humiliation).

 

Contact OFT and make a formal complaint

 

FS