help please

[Caspar]

Re: help please

TruCall devices are extremely easy to set up and use. Callers have to leave their name and are then put on hold as the device calls you and asks if you want to take the call. If you do want to take a call you can and you can also press # which puts that number straight through in future (eg its a relation). Otherwise you can * callers and permanently block them.

Spot on, but exactly the wrong way round. I think * lets people straight through and # "zaps" them -ie- tells them not to call back and doesn't let them through. DS you're crafty! Never told me you'd bought one - clever piece of kit aren't they!

I agree with all the above. There is little to worry about as they cannot take what you have not got. As long as you don't ignore them and keep in touch letting them know what is happening they are far more likely to be reasonable. Get the IE done, and then you can write to everyone with a proposal, or go to someone like the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) or Payplan and they will help you work through filling in an IE sheet.

[CleverClogs]

Re: help please

Some debt collectors threaten attachment of earnings, a home visit or court action (a CCJ), but if an attachment of earnings or court action is undertaken, you will only have to pay what you can really afford, even if that is £1 per month.

It has not been unknown for the in-house debt-chasing monkeys working for RBS - this crack outfit calls itself "Triton Credit Services" - to threaten to get an attachment order or a charging order without first having even commenced proceedings in the County Court or any other court.

Such a threat was, of course, misleading nonsense.

[Caspar]

Re: help please

Not just Triton - they have in-house DCA's under other names too!

[CleverClogs]

Re: help please

Not just Triton - they have in-house DCA's under other names too!

About which they have not deigned to tell the ICO or OFT.

[Duckinorange]

Re: help please

Until I get this sorted would it seem okay to send them a few pounds just to show willing? It says on my statement that I must pay £xxx by the required date, but if I pay something will that keep them at bay until I can sort something out?

The charges are starting to build up too. I might have more chance of getting back on track if they would just hold off adding them on. Any advice greatly appreciated.

PS. Cleverclogs you made me laugh. Thank you

[Duckinorange]

Re: help please

I looked into the Truecall machine and it does look great so I'll try and save enough to buy one.

In the meantime I decided to send both companies £20 each this morning, which I did via online banking. I haven't plucked up the courage to call either Egg or MBNA yet, but I'm hoping that by paying them something they will see that I'm trying.

My husband is due another cheque next week, so I may be able to give them some more then. We are still checking through our budget to see what we can actually afford to pay them before trying to agree a debt management plan as suggested by Debt Star.

Having a read around the forum it does look like sometimes they will agree to hold off charges when you are struggling. I hope they agree this for me. Does it help that I have been a customer for a long time and have always paid on time previously? I cannot be sure, but I think both these cards are older than my children and this is the first time that I've missed payments.

[CleverClogs]

Re: help please

I have two children, one is 10 and one is 12.

Ignore what the debt-chasing script monkeys might say - at those ages, your children are far, far, far too young for you to "put them on the game".

Does it help that I have been a customer for a long time and have always paid on time previously?

No, as their script monkeys will still expect you to starve so that you will pay what they demand, in the hope that the green light will flash and a reward pellet of tasty food will drop down the chute into their Skinner box.:

[Duckinorange]

Re: help please

Of course you are right Cleverclogs. The people that are calling me are probably just teenagers out for more than their fair share of what I have to give. You have such a way with words though.

[CleverClogs]

Re: help please

To be quite fair (Why?? Ed.) to those pimply script monkeys, they have probably been indoctrinated to believe that nobody struggles financially, that everyone can pay but some choose not to and that they are "doing their bit" to help the UK out of recession, all of which is just stercus bovi, to use the Latin expression. (Clue - "bovi" means "of bulls")

They may even reinforce such silly ideas by reading the Daily Wail:

[Duckinorange]

Re: help please

Well if my £20 will help the UK recession then I am very pleased. Once we are out of the recession my husband will get more work. I am quite happy to pay that £20 now as it would appear that I can single handedly fix the country. Job done.

Oh just realised that you said it wasn't true. I want my £20 back.

[Duckinorange]

Re: help please

I have taken the bull by the horns and spoken with MBNA & Egg this morning.

I told them both about my financial problems and that I would like to discuss the possibility of having a payment plan put in place as I couldn't currently clear the arrears of meet the minimum payments.

I asked MBNA if they would consider freezing the account to stop the balance increasing and take £20 a week from me for the forseeable future. They said that they only way they would consider freezing the account is if I had a debt management plan in place via an official debt management agency with an income form submitted via them.

I also asked egg for pretty much the same as above but offered £10 a week as I owe them less , and whilst they might consider freezing the account if I submit an income form they couldn't possibly approve less than 1% of the outstanding balance each month. They also asked me how long I anticipated needing a plan being in place. But I cannot answer that! When people start building houses, then we'll have more income.

£30 a week at the moment is probably the maximum I could find and some weeks I might struggle to find that. I haven't yet fully completed my income and outgoing forms as it is complicated with husband being self employed, but did call the local citizens advice bureau for assistance. They are fully booked up and cannot see me at all this month but can offer me an appointment mid september. What do I do now?

MBNA already have £20 from me. Egg I have yet to pay as I am waiting for a cheque to arrive.

[The Debt Star]

Re: help please

CC, the daily mail link is great! thx for that, cheered me up no end.

[Duckinorange]

Re: help please

Made me laugh too. I am not finding much to laugh about at the moment so it was a welcome relief.

[CleverClogs]

Re: help please

I asked MBNA if they would consider freezing the account to stop the balance increasing and take £20 a week from me for the forseeable future. They said that they only way they would consider freezing the account is if I had a debt management plan in place via an official debt management agency with an income form submitted via them.

How unhelpful.

£30 a week at the moment is probably the maximum I could find and some weeks I might struggle to find that. I haven't yet fully completed my income and outgoing forms as it is complicated with husband being self employed, but did call the local citizens advice bureau for assistance. They are fully booked up and cannot see me at all this month but can offer me an appointment mid september. What do I do now?

Look at the CCCS website - link - or call them, on 0800 138 1111, for free help and advice.

[The Debt Star]

Re: help please

I found the CCCS very helpful initially. Took a lod of pressure off.

However, what i also found was that 3 of my creditors - Egg amongst them - accepted the CCCS DMP but defaulted my loans automatically because the payments were so low.

Therefore, when I cam eoff the DMP and normalised payments with creditors, I have lived with Defaults on my CRFs for years. They come off next year but I was onlty with the CCCS for 18 months.

So bear that in mind. I personally would negotiate directly with them to see if a fornal default notice can be avoided.