Hello

[Shally]

Hi there

I'm hoping I've joint the correct forum. You see I've just started a DMP plan with the CCCS, and although they are great for setting the thing up and helping you manage the situation. I am feeling really under pressure with it all and wondered if there is anyone else out there that has had a similar experience who I can bounce things off of, this way it may help me get through this terrible time.

I know I've done the best thing by not burrying my head in the sand anymore and facing my debts but the pressure I seem to be getting from some of these creditors is incredible, especially Abbey and MBNA. On top of it all how on earth do I get the interest and late payment charges stopped. Maybe it's because I am new to the CCCS but I thought going this way would stop these additional charges otherwise I can't ever see myself getting out of this mess.

Sorry everyone if I'm sounding negative at the moment but I just don't know who to turn to for advice. These credit card companies really want to see you suffer!!!

Shally

[Seminole]

I'm moving this into the debt forum as you will probably get more comments there.

[Shally]

Thanks, how do I get to the debt forum...! Blinking useless at all this...

[Seminole]

Thanks, how do I get to the debt forum...! Blinking useless at all this...

 

If you're in this thread, you're already there!! From the main forum screen it's headed up Debt Action Group and you're in the first forum there.

[powelll]

Hi Shally I'm not in your position but I do work in the debt advice industry so I'm very familiar with CCCS. In my experience they do offer a great free of charge service. They are usually successful at getting interest 7 charges frozen but unfortunately they will never be able to 100% guarantee this as it's complete;y at the discretion of the individual creditor whether they do agree to do this.

 

In some cases where a creditor is continuing to refuse to freeze interest and/or charges you may want to consider whether it's worth continuing to pay them e.g. if you are paying the a reduced offer of, say, £15 per month and they are racking on £35 in interest you need to question why you are bothering! Then possibly go the route of inviting them to sue you & see what the court says ( if indeed they do go this route - not all creditors will )... hope this helps

[Shally]

Thanks for the advice.

 

Do you know how the CCCs would react if I took the route of not paying the creditor. I think this may have to be the case, at the moment they are also adding late payment fees even though they no I pay a certain amount through CCCS to them on the 25th of each month. Do you think I could claim these costs back?

 

I'm struggling at the moment with all this and just don't no if I'm doing everything the right way going through CCCS. At least these creditors are getting some sort of payment, I do want to pay everyone back but if they keep hitting me with charges and interest there's no chance.

 

Really appreciate your advice, I just don't know who I can turn to at the moment. You feel so disgraced with yourself for getting into such a mess.

 

Shally

[ScarletPimpernel]

There's no reason to feel bad about the position you are in; people get into debt for all sorts of reasons, not all within their control. The chances are you are here because you are a 'can't pay', not a 'won't pay'.There's no doubt that creditors and DCAs attempt to exploit the feelings of guilt and shame that many people experience, but that says much more about the unsavoury nature of the way they do business than it does about 'debtors'. To them you aren't a person, just a reference number that represents commission or some other sort of target they are trying to reach.

 

As far as creditors who are refusing to stop interest and charges are concerned, the main thing is to let CCCS deal with them. If they are contacting you directly, write to them stating that CCCS are your appointed representatives, and under the OFT Guidelines they cannot refuse to deal with them, and should not bypass them and contact you direct. Pass any letters to CCCS, and don't speak to creditors or DCAs on the phone - just refer them to CCCS.

 

Where creditors are completely immovable, as Powelll says it may be best to continue to make token payments and then see what they do. If they do take court action, remember that the court won't order you to pay more than you can afford - and you will have demonstrated that by going to CCCS you have acted responsibly and done your utmost to resolve the situation.

[powelll]

There's no reason to feel bad about the position you are in; people get into debt for all sorts of reasons, not all within their control. The chances are you are here because you are a 'can't pay', not a 'won't pay'.There's no doubt that creditors and DCAs attempt to exploit the feelings of guilt and shame that many people experience, but that says much more about the unsavoury nature of the way they do business than it does about 'debtors'. To them you aren't a person, just a reference number that represents commission or some other sort of target they are trying to reach.

 

As far as creditors who are refusing to stop interest and charges are concerned, the main thing is to let CCCS deal with them. If they are contacting you directly, write to them stating that CCCS are your appointed representatives, and under the OFT Guidelines they cannot refuse to deal with them, and should not bypass them and contact you direct. Pass any letters to CCCS, and don't speak to creditors or DCAs on the phone - just refer them to CCCS.

 

Where creditors are completely immovable, as Powelll says it may be best to continue to make token payments and then see what they do. If they do take court action, remember that the court won't order you to pay more than you can afford - and you will have demonstrated that by going to CCCS you have acted responsibly and done your utmost to resolve the situation.

 

Well said; good post

[Shally]

Thanks Scarletpimpernel for the advice. I'II make sure I get CCCS involved more.

 

One other thing have you ever come across the situation whereby you are told by the creditor that the debt has been passed to a 3rd party and that the 3rd party will be in touch within 10 days. This has happened to me but it's been a month now and I've still not heard anything from the 3rd party! Should I worry....!

[Hopeful1]

Hi Shally

 

You sound as desperate and ashamed as i have been. BUT since joining this site last week i have felt more empowered because i have realised i do actually have rights and there are things i can do to protect myself from DCAs and the torture they like to inflict.

 

I've visited this site nearly every day reading around the various threads. It's amazing how much i've learnt and comforting to know so many others are in a similiar position.

 

Keep your chin up. Life's too short to regret things. As long as we learn from the mistakes we've made, that's the most important thing.

 

Best wishes

[Shally]

thanks for the words of encouragement Hopeful1, I must admit I felt a little better yesterday after reading up on things.

 

I'm still trying to find out how I go about getting my interest stopped on my credit cards. CCCS have said they will write again to all the creditors and they think I should too. Some of these creditors are so hard, they can see how in debt I am but they still keep adding the interest and the charges. There needs to be a law brought out to stop all this once it is recognised that someone has so much debt. Life's not that easy though is it...!

[southcoastgirl]

Hi,

I'm really sorry to hear that these people are refusing to stop charging interest and late payment fees. That's a shocker! All that is going to achieve is a rapid escalation in your debt. How appalling. I think you should listen to Powell's advice on this. I'm sure any judge would set a much more reasonable payment that wouldn't allow penalty charges, etc.

 

I'd be really interested to hear how things go because I'm about to go onto a DMP via the National Debtline and while they said they can't guarantee that the credit card companies will freeze interest, they said they 'usually' do. One of my creditors is Abbey and it was their interest charges that spurred me to go to National Debtline in the first place. When I realised that of the £154 I was giving them every month, only about £12-13 was being used to pay the debt and the rest was just interest I realised that I would never be able to repay them. The idea of giving them about £1600 a year and only clearing about £100 of the debt was truly shocking and projecting this into the future made me realise that I'd be drawing my pension and still wouldn't have made any inroads into the debt...

 

What do these people want?

It's really scandalous... I'm really appalled that you can hardly pick up a newspaper these days without reading about enormous levels of debt, the unlawfulness of bank charges, etc., but nobody who has the power to change things seems willing to do anything.

 

Aaargh, I've really depressed myself now...

 

[Shally]

Don't get too down southcoastgirl, things I'm sure will start to get better once your DMP kicks in. At least like me you have not buried your head in the sand and are now facing up to your debts, that's the really hard bit I think.

 

It's only my 2nd month with my DMP so I'm hoping that things will settle down soon and I've asked the CCCS to write to my creditors again and ask them if they could freeze the interest. If they still refuse then I will have to think again, because like you I will be paying for a very very long time if they don't.

 

Keep in touch!

[southcoastgirl]

Thanks for your encouraging words. It's a mad old world, isn't it? I just got my credit card statement from Abbey showing payment due £148, estimated interest next month £143. In other words I'm paying £5 towards my debt. I bet if I offered to pay them a fiver a month on a DMP they'd say it wasn't enough! It just goes to show they just want to fleece you with the interest and don't seem that interested in getting the initial debt repaid.

 

In the same post was a letter - also from Abbey CC - saying they noticed I'd cancelled my DD and were charging me a 'non-payment fee'. So far they've ignored my letter to hold action. I guess I have to wait for their various departments to start communicating with each other.

 

I'd be really interested in hearing how you get on with this. I'm hoping they just go through the motions initially saying 'no' to freezing the interest, but agree in the end. (She said, optimistically!)

 

southcoastgirl