Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

[Amethyst]

Who do you use, how have you found them ?

Do you pay or do you use a free service ?

How have you found the Citizens Advice for helping you with financial problems ?

Be good to hear peoples experiences with different companies and organisations who proclaim to help you out of debt - CAB Money Advisors, CCCS and Payplan and the various pay services.

[I am getting through]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

We were with a fee paying dmp company called finance inc for around a year,then i found payplan who were free ,sounded good to me

They are brilliant and the justabank facility makes me feel good watching my debt reduce even though very slowly.

[Tools]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

Brother in law uses Churchwood. Fee paying

They have been good at times but at others useless. They do seem to ignore requests for updates on account status', especially when you ask how much you have paid in fees to them so far.

I am also aware that they put claims management companies in touch with their clients, not sure if this is something you agree to in their T&C`s but I still think it is an underhand marketing process.

I would rate them 4/10 mainly as they charge a fee, are useless at giving you updated account balances and obviously market your personal data.

[Amethyst]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

bumping

Debt charities are thinking about adopting a more interactive. online type approach, be interested to know what peoples views are of forums like this one and others like ConsumerActionGroup, MoneySavingExpert etc. Do they hold a valid place in the free debt advice and support market ? How viable is it for people such as CCCS/Citizens Advice to start operating forum / online based advice ? Should these forums be regulated ?

Basically how does advice/support compare on these forums to using CCCS/Citizens Advice - to using fee paying debt management companies like Kensington/Churchwood etc ?

[Paule]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

I go this forum every now and then
Debt Questions. Information regarding debt issues

it is kind of linked with Payplan,as it has a lot of there stuff on there

[thincat]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

Hi,
Normally, I wouldn't post on this part of the Forum but what I want to say may help others.
Firstly, I think that online forums such as these are PRICELESSbecause CAB's service can be patchy or not helpful enough. Had I listened to them I would have been in VERY serious
stress and would not know HALF the stuff I found out on these forums. So CAB is
merely a starting point.
Secondly CCCS are very good and are more supportive than CAB. They got me started
on the road to recovery and things went from there. they were certainly helpful.
Thirdly, local Law Centres can be very good as well especially for people who don't
quite fit any specific criteria.
I could go on for hours about this but there is most DEFINITELY a place for Legal Beagles
and sites like them because they fulfill the "Heineken" aspect of this kind of thing.
When you get into debt you're very much on your own and if you don't know your rights
you're up the creek without a paddle. Major organisations,Banks etc rely on the ignorance
of the common man and woman in order to oppress and subjugate, this is being
challenged by sites like this one and the internet in general.
One more thing before I go, Radio 4 believe it or not (You and Yours especially) is an
invaluable source of information concerning a range of issues concerning us all
especially Debt relief and I've learnt a lot from listening to that program. That is where I
came across Consumer Group!! Please keep up the good work. I do have more to say.

Thincat

[Amethyst]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

thank you thincat - what you have said echoes what I see the current situation as.

Annoys me that cccs and payplan tend to go for the ''just admit it and offer to pay it'' route when creditors put claims in against consumers. There doesnt seem to be much encouragement to get people to look at what they are admitting to and holding the creditors to account.

[thincat]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

Hi Amethyst,
Just a quick follow-on from my last post. I feel that in order to proceed further, the obvious
organic growth of sites like these need to continue also perhaps an informal umbrella
organisation needs to be set up. However that needs time and energy and it is a trueism
that those who are the most committed tend to be the busiest. I'm personally STILL
learning a LOT about debt,people's rights(or lack of them) and how current legislation
CAN work in favour of the average "Jane" or "Joe". Repects to all those fighting for
our rights and our self esteem and our sanity.

Thincat

[Amethyst]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

Hi Amethyst,
Just a quick follow-on from my last post. I feel that in order to proceed further, the obvious
organic growth of sites like these need to continue also perhaps an informal umbrella
organisation needs to be set up. However that needs time and energy and it is a trueism
that those who are the most committed tend to be the busiest. I'm personally STILL
learning a LOT about debt,people's rights(or lack of them) and how current legislation
CAN work in favour of the average "Jane" or "Joe". Repects to all those fighting for
our rights and our self esteem and our sanity.

Thincat

I would agree with you about an informal umbralla organisation covering these forums, we had looked at something before where teams from all sites could go to share ideas and experiences, put forward ideas etc however it didnt come to anything as there tends to be a natural competitiveness between the sites (some are designed to make money for their owners so of course they arent that happy to share things that could get them publicity etc sad isnt it) The other part of an informal umbrella organisation is there eventually would be some form of regulation and rules surrounding advice you can and cant give, which might make things more restrictive. Additionally there would be the issue of cost - most of us are voluntary donation run - some are much bigger than others - how would an 'association' be funded ?

I do think part of what makes these kinds of forums work so well and grow as they have done is the differences between them.

We have a number of members who advise on a number of different sites and its so useful to be able to pick up information and share information back.

However, if we joined forces in some way to share information and news we may have more clout and be able to enter supercomplaints for consumer issues etc.

Worth thinking on a bit more ?

[thincat]

Re: Debt Management Companies / CAB - Your experiences.....

Agreed. I see what you mean. I wasn't aware of the overall situation,however as time
goes on I'm sure things will evolve.

Thincat