Been Paying Spectrum Finance for 12 yrs - debts not gone dow

[Kalkoen79]

Hi guys, looking for some advice.

 

 

I signed up with Spectrum Financial Protection after getting into about £25k worth of debt 12 years ago.

They charged me about a grand to set up with them and have taken a percentage of the repayments every month for the duration (I know, I know)

and despite the long time frame my debt has barely gone down, due to the token payments of between £1 and £10 a month to each account.

 

 

Spectrum are now Money Village, and after years of them not doing a lot (Spectrum originally told me I'd be debt free after 5 years)

I gave up speaking to them or giving them annual statements of affairs.

 

 

I still received regular letters from them, telling me the latest DCA has accepted my offer etc etc,

but it's the most recent one that I want advice about.

 

 

They (Money Village) say that as I haven't done a SoA since 2010, and therefore they can't give me the best advice (Lol is all I can say to that).

They also say that they are obliged to tell me about free options with other DMPs,

and that if I don't respond within 60 days they will stop making payments to the DCAs on my behalf

(there are 5, who change every so often).

 

 

I'm at a crossroads.

The debts were defaulted by the banks in 2003, and are long off my credit file

- I've had loans since and have managed them well as I was just a silly teenager when I took most of the original debts on.

 

 

What can I expect if they stop paying my DCAs from August?

I don't particularly want to keep on with Money Village anyway, as they've had enough out of me over the years,

but at the moment the DCAs don't contact me and accept the payments,

so it's been 'out of sight, out of mind' for ages,

 

 

but this is looking like it's going to change, and I want to be prepared!

Any advice would be massively appreciated!

[renegadeimp]

It hasnt gone down because theyre taking the money for themselves. Youve basically been cashcowed by the DMP for 12 years. I bet tyou never even checked to see if the debts were actually valid and enforceable. The DCA's keep changing because the other dca's got what they could out of you and sold it to their friend saying " heres another mug we can fleece. have some cash for no effort".

[Kalkoen79]

Well I don't need telling I've been mugged off, I'm well aware!

 

I guess you're referring to a CCA?

 

 

I have read about sending one to each DCA, to see if they can come up with and original credit agreement?

 

 

I had considered it, but was worried what would happen if they did find it?

 

 

My financial situation is improving, but I was worried that I might go from starting to be able to save for a mortgage deposit,

to suddenly being taken to court and told to pay far in excess of what I am now,

putting me back into the the same situation I was years ago,

with no disposable income to save away -

 

Hence why I posted!

[dx100uk]

whichever way you go you really need to dump money village

 

 

moved you to the DMP forum

numerous threads on them here

 

 

I very much doubt any DCA will ever have / find any CCA's

 

 

do you actually even know the debt through the DMP?

 

 

dx

[Kalkoen79]

Hi, thanks for moving my post over...I wasn't sure exactly where to put it as it involves DMPs and DCAs!

Yes I wasnt exactly disappointed when Money Village said they were looking to withdraw their 'services', but unsure about what I should be doing in preparation.

Sorry I don't understand what you mean by 'did I even actually know the debt through the DMP', can you just clarify what you're asking?

Thanks!

[dx100uk]

sri.

do you actually know what debts you are paying thru them?

 

 

a list will help us access your situation..

like

what was the debt type?

who was the original creditor

who has the debt now

when was it taken out

 

 

dx

[Kalkoen79]

Oh ok thanks for clearing that up!

They were Abbey National - (Credit Card)

Nationwide (Loan),

Natwest (Loan, credit card & overdraft),

 

 

and are now in the hands of

1st Credit,

Moorcroft & Regal.

 

 

They were taken out between 1998 and 2002, and defaulted in 2003.

 

 

Incidentally, Abbey phoned me up in 2003 offering to write off £4k of the £5500 if I could stump up the £1500 required,

then 7 years later the lovely DCA said they had a great deal for me, just £3600 could clear the debt!

 

 

I obviously told them the OC had offered to let me clear it for less than half of that at the time of default, but I didn't have the money.

They didn't have much to say after that....

[mikeymack2002]

First of all stop paying everything...

 

 

Send this letter to all of your creditors if it a credit debt then come back to update your thread or list all of the debts this is a CCA request letter for you to send it with a £1-00 PO leave blank and do not sign. Also stay off the phone unless you are recording the call. Simply keep it all in writing from now on and keep all the letters they send to you as well here is the link

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?387435-CCA-Request-Consumer-Credit-Act-1974-**Updated-January-2015**

[dx100uk]

CCA request

to every DCA you are paying

bar the Overdraft debt

sadly you cant CCA that debt.

 

 

pers I'd stop paying anyone anything.

 

 

we can deal with the forest you'll get thru your door.

 

 

dx

[Kalkoen79]

Hey thanks guys, I'll get a letter together and send it off. Regarding the forest through the door, I have moved and not even Money Village have my new address, I only got their letter due to having my mail re-directed. I'm sure they can find me easily enough, but how should I approach it? Is putting my new address asking for aggravation?

[mikeymack2002]

Continue to use mail redirect for the time being, but they will find you when you update your credit file anyway. Which you really should be checking...

[dx100uk]

it is upto the 'debtor'to inform the owners of their 'debts' of their current address.

 

 

however, as cca requests [bar one debt] will be sent,

that will suffice.

 

 

a 'creditor' is quite within their legal rights to file a claimform to your last 'known' address.

 

 

dx

[Kalkoen79]

Ok thanks for the info.

 

 

I have actually paid my £2 to experian but they said I needed to send utility bills for my new address,

which I didn't have at the time, but do now, thanks for jogging my memory!

 

Regarding the claim form,

that looks like exactly the thing I'm worried about getting if they find the original agreements.

 

I understand that DCAs rarely take people to court due to the expense and no guarantee of getting extra money,

but sometimes the OC didn't sell the debt, merely employed their services on a 50/50 share basis.

..Is this true, and is there anyway to find out?

 

Also I work via agencies, so sometimes I have a good month, but this month I've had nearly 2 weeks out.

I'm worried if it got to court Sod's law I'd have a fantastic month with loads of overtime,

they'd base the judgement on that and then I'd have a bad run and things would get worse,

as I know the courts can get the bailiffs in (not that I've got any assets, a cheap TV from the supermarket and a £300 car,

but it's that whole situation I want to avoid??!

 

 

Maybe I'm overthinking it but after years of knowing what I need to pay the DMP it does seem like a big step!

[dx100uk]

you are over thinking things.

 

 

for debts of that age agreements will be rare

and probably faulty or missing T&C's.

 

 

and that doesn't mean a court claim would even be issued.

 

 

you've been had blind by the DMC and the DCA's

[who own the debts, I doubt any OC would still hold the strings on these.]

 

 

just remember

a DCA is NOT A BAILIFFS

and have

NO SUCH LEGAL POWERS.

 

 

dx

[Kalkoen79]

Hey thanks for the brilliant advice!

I'm going to have to guess which one was the overdraft as its so long ago I can't remember! I guess if I get it wrong they'll let me know?

 

Also I don't have any account numbers, only Money Village statements.

 

 

What would be the best way to get the details I need from them, so I can write to the DCAs with the correct details?

 

 

And I'm going to put my new address at the top of the CCAs so I can monitor any correspondence and timescales etc.

 

 

What happens if they can't find the agreements, or indeed they do?

 

 

I'm just trying to be prepared for either outcome.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[sillygirl1]

Don't 'prepare for either outcome' - at the end of the day I feel your best option is to report Money Village to the FOS/FCA as clearly they have not been working in your favour, have NOT sent regular annual statements to you and clearly have failed in their duty. The authorities are looking into DMPs who have not behaved well towards their clients.

[dx100uk]

this is exactly what I was meaning in post 6

 

 

I guessed you don't know the debts or who now owns them now

 

 

quite usual for these DMC's sadly

[Kalkoen79]

I've worked out what amounts are what from some old Spectrum paperwork,

 

 

I know which is which, and which DCA is taking money for which account.

 

 

What I don't have are original account numbers, or even the DCAs account references.

 

 

Spectrum/Money Village will obviously have all this, so surely I can demand all information they hold on me under the freedom of information act?

[dx100uk]

SAR to them

 

 

dx

[Bazooka Boo]

Continue to use mail redirect for the time being, but they will find you when you update your credit file anyway. Which you really should be checking...

 

DCA's are very well aware of exactly where you live now, as Royal Mail 'redirect' service is available to DCA's it's called NCOA (National Change of Address).

[fkofilee]

If you havent updated your address, get Noddle sorted

[Kalkoen79]

Ok thanks, I'll do the SAR first, which should help me to get the correct info for the CCAs.

Thanks a lot for all the good advice, I'll keep you updated with any correspondence I receive!

[Kalkoen79]

PS quick question...I've read that people in my situation have been advised to claim the PPI back on their defaulted debts....As I had it on all my CCs/Loans, I was wondering at which stage I should do this?

Thanks in advance!

[havinastella]

How much per month were you paying this company?

[Kalkoen79]

About £17, with a total of about £36 being taken every month, so they've nearly had half of every repayment for the last 12 years, in addition to the £1000 I paid them initially. As I said to the first guy to reply, I'm well aware I've been royally mugged off, but at the time I was young and naive, and their sales guy who came to my home told me in 5 years I'd be debt free, when in reality it's barely dented the debt amount. Hindsight and all that....