Negotiating Full & Final Payments?

[TF-Destroyer]

Hi guys,

 

I have a few debts i want to put into DMP

 

however not all my debts

as some debts i will be able to sustain as long as i can get my short terms into a DMP

(such as 3 payday loans and 2 credit cards totalling £1800 (approx) ),

firstly is it possible to select which debts you put into DMP?

 

Secondly what are good DMP companies to turn too?

 

I tried doing a review search but clearly alot of fake reviews for companies.

 

I have tried stepchange but to be honest they made my situation worst,

 

dont know if i just got a bad advisor or what,

 

but everything he told me to do back fired and its not helped,

 

CAB well they aren't helpful either.

 

They wanted me to come in for an appointment to discuss my debts during working hours instead of just doing it over the phone

 

and to be honest considering i started a new job to help with this situation

 

i dont want to be asking for 3 hours pardon in my first 3 weeks, wouldn't be good at this company.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated guys.

 

Cheers:-)

[dx100uk]

do it youself!

 

you do not have to use anyone esp a fee paying one!!

 

they never check debts are owed or legal anyhow.

 

list your debts please

 

dx

[TF-Destroyer]

Thanks for the repsonse.

 

Debts that i want DMP are -

 

Vanquis credit card - £600 (£500 limit)

 

Aqua Credit Card - £280 (£250 limit)

 

Very.co.uk - £1680 (£1600 limit)

 

Peachy.co.uk - £600

 

Toothfairy - £626 (in dispute with FO)

 

Provident - £880

 

 

gotta say feel pretty shamed with taking credit from those lenders

 

 

Step change tried to get me to deal with it myself by offering £1 a month to each of my creditors,

 

i got laughed up, a straight no and also lenders saying they will wait to hear from stepchange themselves which never happened.

 

i dont know how to deal with it myself

 

i have never been in this situation before and havent a clue what to do,

 

i know my debt isnt nearly a percentage as bad as others on here,

but it does cause me a load of stress and really dont want to drop out of uni to get a full time job to deal with it,

 

but its hard when you see the fees and interest racking up at ridiculous rates every week/month and lenders and breathing down your ear hole!

 

EDIT: bit more than £1800 then (didnt have my sheet of paper in front of me!)

Edited July 8, 2013 by TF-Destroyer
added note

[dx100uk]

for the pdl's

 

start a new thread for each of them in the payday loan forum

 

provi - start one in the provi forum [ same for vanquish they are provi]

 

very - start one in the mailorder forum

 

all these forums can be found from the main forum tab top left

 

are all these on your CRa file?

see below

 

if you've penalty charges

time for an sar to each & get reclaiming

 

any PPI?

[Bombaymix]

To be honest.

 

If you entered into a DECENT DMP they wouldn't allow you to cherry pick which debts you wanted included in the DMP. It would be ALL unsecured debt to be fair to ALL of your creditors.

 

I wanted to keep my Barclaycard out of my DMP but was told I couldn't.

 

Maybe it would be best to try and negotiate with your creditors yourself as per Dx's advice.

[Bombaymix]

*sorry, I didn't mean deal with them yourself as in deal with them yourself lol. I meant a self managed DMP. You'll get heaps of help here on how to deal with them. Any that don't play ball just get offered a token payment... They'll soon start playing ball lol.

 

Roughly how much disposable income do you have each month?

[Wintry]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if this is a repeat but i just done a search of the forum and couldn't find anything similar enough to help.

 

I have a few debts i want to put into DMP however not all my debts as some debts i will be able to sustain as long as i can get my short terms into a DMP (such as 3 payday loans and 2 credit cards totalling £1800 (approx) ), firstly is it possible to select which debts you put into DMP?

 

Secondly what are good DMP companies to turn too?

 

I tried doing a review search but clearly alot of fake reviews for companies.

 

I have tried stepchange but to be honest they made my situation worst,

dont know if i just got a bad advisor or what,

but basically everything he told me to do back fired and its not helped,

CAB well they aren't helpful either.

 

They wanted me to come in for an appointment to discuss my debts during working hours instead of just doing it over the phone

and to be honest considering i started a new job to help with this situation i dont want to be asking for 3 hours pardon in my first 3 weeks, wouldn't be good at this company.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated guys.

 

Cheers:-)

 

Hi

 

It is sometimes not easy getting time off work and it can also cost you money to do so

 

Agencies have to basically follow guidelines and procedures when giving advice on debt etc and may not always be open or available at convenient times

 

Always best to look at all options and solutions with debt problems

 

If a Debt Management Plan (DMP) is an appropriate solution then usually all non-priority creditors have to be included and treated the same.

 

Many people are finding it difficult flexibility wise with DMPs due to the economic climate and changes in circumstances etc and perhaps being tied to a company or provider can make things a little rigid at times so to speak. I also sometimes wonder when organisations have a direct financial interest in the solutions they advise and deliver but having said that it is not a perfect world.

 

Many people are now self administering their own Debt Management Plans with the numbers set to dramatically increase over the coming months and years in my opinion as this method can have clear advantages for the person in debt and the creditors for that matter (also many people have little or no option other than do it themselves)

 

Citizens Advice have an award winning online Self Administering Debt Management Plan system that is confidential, does all the letters, financial statements, has trigger figures, has a progress check saves all your details, can be amended and reviewed by YOU if there are changes in circumstances etc (see example link below)

 

Example completed DMP

http://mymoney.nedcab.org.uk/moneyadvice/dmptour.asp

 

Citizens Advice Online Debt Remedy Resource Tool (includes info on all options)

http://mymoney.nedcab.org.uk/moneyadvice/

 

The above CAB system is currently undergoing an overall upgrade and will very soon incorperate a smooth Debt Management Plan changeover section for those wishing to switch over from a fee paying or free provider to self administering:)

 

There are other Self Help systems and templates around with people and forums to support you such as this one

 

Self Administering is not for all, however for those that feel they can manage things themselves it can give much more control, flexibility and educates in a very positive way. The creditors get all your money, no commission, fees or the so called 'fair share contributions and payments'

 

Always worth remembering that a DMP is an informal arrangement and creditors do not always play the game so to speak however there are guidelines they are supposed to follow and agencies that are on their case if they don't.

 

Like I said, always best to get full independent advice on all your options

 

Hope this helps some and your decisions at the end of the day

 

Best wishes

 

My take as always

Edited July 9, 2013 by Wintry

[TF-Destroyer]

aw man thanks for the advice guys!!!! Especially you wintry will certainly have a look at that stuff!!! Gotta say that this forum is waaaaaaaaaayy better than MSE forum, if i had put up that exact post i would have had a bunch of snobs slating me for having debt in the first place.

 

Honestly thanks so much guys!!!

[Bombaymix]

Lol @ the other forum.

 

I soon left that forum when I seen the bullying and sarcasm being directed at people for being in debt.

 

Payday loans seem to be a pet hate over there. The regular advise there to PDL problems is "don't get one" which in theory is fantastic advise, in reality though like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted :/

[sequenci]

Do you have assets? Is your situation likely to change?

 

You *could* consider a Debt Relief Order:

 

More info here: http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/factsheet.php?page=37_debt_relief_orders

[Peterbard]

If I were you, I'd head over to NEDCAB and just complete the Income and Expenditure form, along with putting in all your debts. This will give an accurate snapshot of your current financial position - it can be quite daunting to see it in black and white sometimes; also it will give you an indication of what you could be offering your creditors each month. You won't be committed to anything at this stage.

 

Once you have a really accurate picture of where you are, you'll be better placed to make an informed decision with the help of folk on here.

[Peterbard]

Have to say I agree with the above, but I would still go with one of the free charities, Payplan or Stepchange.

 

You can work out your income and expenditure, tweak it so that you can comfortably afford the repayments , then give one of the aforementioned a ring. They usually call you back and you run through your I and e.

 

They then send you a consent form which you sign and really that is it.

 

They send all the offers and make all the arrangements, any phone calls/ contacts from creditors, just refer them to the DMP organizer.

 

There is nothing to say you have to stay with them long term, it is a voluntary arrangement all around, all of your money goes off your debts, you can keep an eye on all of your various creditors on line and they do all the leg work , for me it is a no brainer.

 

However others have differing opinions so it is your call.

[Peterbard]

Totally agree Dodgeball - the critical thing really is whether the OP wants to 'hand over' the DMP to a third party, or retain control themselves. I know my preference, but each to their own.

[sequenci]

I know my preference, but each to their own.

 

Exactly that.

 

There are scores of people that don't have the time, inclination, means or commitment to self-negotiate. One thing I will always say about using a DMP is that you should always still keep a track on the creditors.

 

For the record, Payplan are not a charity. Their DMPs are indeed free, though, but they do also have a knack of trying to get their customers to sign up to IVAs instead. Watch out for that.

[TF-Destroyer]

Hi,

 

Couple of questions here to ask.

 

 

Last Summer when i was finishing up 3rd year of Uni for the Summer holidays

it became difficult to get an Internship as i had planned

 

 

i settled for a call centre job to get me through the summer,

however the gap between leaving uni and my first payday in the job left me 2 payments behind all my credit commitments,

as a result i lost control of my credit situation and had to go on a DMP.

 

 

I originally approached Step Change but all i can honestly say is that they were useless!!

 

 

The advisor told me to write to all my creditors and pay them £1 per month until my situation was better,

by this point i had an income of £1200 a month,

however the Step Change Advisor still insisted i did this as my debt at the time was only £3k.

 

 

As advised i did this and 2 of my creditors got back to me saying no

whilst the rest ignored the request.

 

 

To be honest i would have laughed if i saw that myself.

 

 

So i approached Wilson Andrews who were recommended to me through National Debt Line or someone like that.

 

 

they put me on a DMP paying £300 p/m,

 

 

i paid once and took a 6 month payment holiday to get everything else in my life in line.

It is due to restart next month

 

 

however i am concerned that my debt is worth £3653 but by the time i pay everything i would have paid Wilson Andrews £6300!!!

 

So my questions are:

 

1) Can i switch DMP to another provider that is free and that is not Step Change?

 

2) This is just an option i am considering as i dont know much about it! But as the majority of my creditors have defaulted me now can i;

 

A) Agree to settle my debt with them in full if they remove my default? (Has anyone ever done this?)

 

B) Just dont pay back my debts as i have already defaulted so it cant really get any worst?

 

3) How funny would it be if i asked 2b on Money Saving Expert:-D

 

Any feedback would be much appreciated

 

Cheers

[renegadeimp]

Never use a paid for DMP.

They take your first few payments for themselves as well as a monthly fee.

 

 

However, during this time, your creditors can still take action against you as they arent getting any payments.

 

 

You are giving them to the DMP so the DMP's director can buy a new jag this year.

[fkofilee]

Destroyer, Stepchange are pretty good in my view... you need to get rid of the Fee paying DMP...

[TF-Destroyer]

Yeah i had to pay £150 "Admin fee" followed by my first payment of £300 which i was not happy about

 

 

as i mentioned i had originally approached Step Change,

the advisor there said i was not suitable for a DMP because i only had £3,600 of debt

and that i should write to my creditors and offer to pay £1 a month to each of them until my account was cleared

which i though was a load of rubbish

 

 

i did that anyway

 

 

as expected they brushed it off and said no.

 

 

I found that strange advice from Step Change as i was 2 months worth of payments behind to my creditors

and could not afford to make a payment to each of them that would have put my accounts back into the clear.

 

Can you advise me on other free providers of a DMP other than Step Change?

[renegadeimp]

Could always do a self administered DMP. Plenty of people on this site can help you out with that. You can also contact National Debtline and get advice from them.

[BRIGADIER2JCS]

Can't believe NDL recommended WA.??

[silverfox1961]

Here is a list on names. do any of them look familiar?

 

DACScotland.co.uk

 

Debt Advisors Scotland

 

Debt Advisors Scotland.co.uk

 

Debt Advisory Centre Scotland

 

Debtarrangementscheme.Net

 

Debtmanagementscotland.Com

 

Money Advice Centre

 

Money Advice Centre.co.uk

 

Money Advice Centre.com

 

Trust Deed Expert

 

If yes, no wonder they advised Wilson Andrews as they are one and the same.

 

National Debtline would never send you to a fee paying debt management company

[TF-Destroyer]

Thanks for bringing that to my attention Silverfox, and yeah certainly was, i believe it was the debt advisory centre! Feel robbed now

[Wintry]

Yeah i had to pay £150 "Admin fee" followed by my first payment of £300 which i was not happy about but as i mentioned i had originally approached Step Change, the advisor there said i was not suitable for a DMP because i only had £3,600 of debt and that i should write to my creditors and offer to pay £1 a month to each of them until my account was cleared which i though was a load of rubbish but i did anyway and as expected they brushed it off and said no. I found that strange advice from Step Change as i was 2 months worth of payments behind to my creditors and could not afford to make a payment to each of them that would have put my accounts back into the clear.

 

Can you advise me on other free providers of a DMP other than Step Change?

 

Hi

 

Just following on from others

 

There are DMP providers that seem to have criteria such as a minimum number of creditors, minimum amount of debt & disposable income (usually based on their interpretation or guideline expenditure figures) that you must meet before they take you on so to speak. I have never really understood this or been given clear reasons why which is strange as there are claims of being charities etc so you wonder why at times this approach is taken.

 

The above criteria can lead to people then going to Fee charging DMP companies and being charged fees that can sometimes can be a little disproportional to the amount actually going to creditors.

 

The CAB have a completely FREE award winning pretty unique online self administering Debt Management Plan system that is being used by an ever increasing number of people. The system now has a transfer facility with standard letters, the idea being to allow a smoother changeover for those that wish to or maybe have little option other than to consider self managing.

 

The CAB system is expanding and raising concerned eyebrows both in the fee charging and free DMP providers, it did not go away (and wont be) as was perhaps expected (or maybe that should be hoped) by some sections of the debt advice sector

 

Links below that might be of interest -

 

General DMP info & providers / DIY sytems from Cabmoney

https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/remedy_4.asp

 

Cabmoney online DIY DMP system (includes new transfer facility)

https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/dmp.asp

 

Always get full advice if you are not sure

 

Best wishes in whatever you decide

 

 

W

[TF-Destroyer]

Thats fantastic Wintry thanks very much for the advice, i will have a look at those links now and see what i can do

 

Thank you so much!!

[sequenci]

Can't believe NDL recommended WA.??

 

They wouldn't have done that. The OP must have phoned someone with a similar name (there are lots masquearading as a free service when they are not)

 

Nice one Wintry

 

Oh, and DMPS are generally pretty pointless if you're in Scotland as the Debt Arrangement Scheme is far superior:

 

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/scotland/factsheet.php?page=22_debt_arrangement_scheme

 

Self-negotiation is very empowering too