Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

[Jhlb13]

Good morning all and firstly may i say, i have only just come across this spectacular website, my first thought is that i wished I'd came across this site a few years ago before i came across Dick Turpin at compass in 2009.

Having read most of the comments about compass and everyone who is a client and like myself is owed ££££ in money that was meant for clearing debts, i must say this place makes me feel alot better that im not alone with the compass situation and sorting out my debts after the mess they have put me in.

Step change is a great FREE company that would take my debts on and start the ball rolling again so to speak, but unfortunately as with others on this site, they do not meet my demands and expect a great deal of change to the situation i was with with compass.

Having read comments left by Amethyst, wingco and openlaw15, about compass i have made the decision to sort this mess out myself and be in control of my own affairs. As the comments say, it seems a lot easier than i first though, with the guidance from this website obviously.

Firstly i cancelled the abbey solicitors within the 14 day period,
contacted AABRS, sent off claim forms, and now just trying to sort out payments with my creditors.

just need some advice on the next stage really,

I am currently printing off some CCA letters to go to creditors. with postal orders. that seems straight forward.
the next stage is to send a letter to creditors saying i am an ex compass client and would be will to carrying on payments at given figure or slightly higher.

Does this letter about being an ex compass client and offering a payment need to be a formal and generic letter from someone with a law background or can i do the letter myself and just keep it short??

Also do i need to send the letter out with the CCA form or wait till i get back the information from creditors about CCA?

many thanks
:tongue2:

[Celestine]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

A very warm welcome to you JHB :beagle:

I'm really glad you found us. You have obviously done a great job of reading up and preparing yourself for the process ahead. Well done to you on that after no doubt experiencing a very stressful few weeks.

I'm incredibly relieved to hear that you successfully cancelled the Abbey contract in time. That arrangement would only have rubbed salt in the wound.

OK, so the letter you send to your creditors does not need to be a formal letter. It just needs to be clear and understandable. If you are going to tackle these debts from now on, they all need to know to deal with you directly.

There are many templates around, I'll pop some up shortly for you to consider, but ultimately (and from reading your post) you are very capable of setting out the circumstances clearly yourself.

Indeed, when you discover how doable it all is, you'll probably be even more annoyed at Compass's fees.

I would send any CCA requests separately by recorded delivery, preferably after you have renegotiated an ongoing payment plan with your creditors. Who knows, they may take your CCA request as a signal to be less reasonable?

In other words, get your monthly debt payments reset before anything else, currently they are not being made and possibly have not been for 3 months, so the priority is to stop anything escalating legally. Are you a homeowner by the way?

I look forward to seeing your updates.

Kate x

[Jhlb13]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

HI Kate,

Thankyou for getting back to me so quickly, your advice is great and i will act upon it asap.
If you do come across a generic letter or template to send advising about renegotiated an ongoing payment plan with your creditors that would be great. I have had a look but not found anything regarding carrying on payments only setting up new ones.

Yes im a home owner with not much equity in it i believe. but this is something i need to look at to sort things maybe.

Also you are right im very annoyed at myself, well at least i have paid for half his range rover i suppose..... :tinysmile_twink_t2:

[Amethyst]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

You should find this from the CAB Money very useful - https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/docum...ferring%29.pdf - page 23 is a template letter to start with.

This is the DMP info https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/remedy_4.asp and https://nedcab.cabmoney.org.uk/dmp.asp

something like...

Dear CREDITOR

Account Ref: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Previously, I have been using a Debt Management Plan through Compass Debt Counsellors (Ref No: .................). Unfortunately the firm has been closed and I am writing to inform you that I am now managing my own debts, using the CABmoney online DMP system to assist me with the continuation of my DMP.

My offer of payment remains the same as my current/previous arrangement with you. With the assistance of ...................Citizens Advice Bureau, I now enclose a Financial Statement for myself giving full details of my situation.

I offer to make payments of £.........each month based on an equitable distribution of available income. Whilst I appreciate that this offer is small, I feel it is the only realistic one in the circumstances

I would also ask that you agree/continue to suspend interest on this account to enable me to make some inroad into the debt.

I will continue to make and maintain payments as outlined above. In order to assist me in making payments, please could you forward me a payment book,
giro credit slips, or standing order mandate details if applicable?

I would also be grateful if you could send me an up to date statement of the account.

Your patience and cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated and I look forward to your acceptance of this proposal.

I will contact you immediately if there is any change in my circumstances.

Yours faithfully
.................................................. ....

Of course if you decide not to use the NEDCAB Money system just leave those bits out - it just gives you a bit of extra clout.

[Jhlb13]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Hi amethyst that's great. I will use that template and send off asap.

Thanks.

[and14263]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

I've just been reading about people's problems with Compass.

What an absolute nightmare. At a point in life when you need help and need to be able to trust people too. It seems these guys aren't the only inept company out there.

Sometimes that ineptitude can be a help though!

[Wingco]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Hi And14263
You are absolutely right - it has given me the opportunity to be in control of my own DMP (with huge help From Amethyst, Nibbler, Nemesis, Openlaw, Kati, Enaid and many others). You learn very quickly on here that all the money you have paid to Compass (and others!) was so unnecessary and there are far better ways to sort out our debt problems. But having LegalBeagles behind you is a real pleasure.
Wingco

[Wingco]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

HI Kate,

Thankyou for getting back to me so quickly, your advice is great and i will act upon it asap.
If you do come across a generic letter or template to send advising about renegotiated an ongoing payment plan with your creditors that would be great. I have had a look but not found anything regarding carrying on payments only setting up new ones.

Yes im a home owner with not much equity in it i believe. but this is something i need to look at to sort things maybe.

Also you are right im very annoyed at myself, well at least i have paid for half his range rover i suppose..... :tinysmile_twink_t2:

Hi JHLB
Well, I certainly paid for his 20 inch alloy wheels. It astonishes me how these 'directors' feel they can spend other people's money so frivolously, whilst the Compass Company was sinking. When my company started to go under, my accountant was reigning me in and telling me precisely what I could pay in dividends or on 'assets' and he certainly would have dropped me like a lead balloon if I had wanted to add a Range Rover and Porsche to my 'essential' car collection. But perhaps he bought them out of his own pocket? :judge2: (I was looking for flying pigs but couldn't find them in the Smileys)
Wingco

[Wingco]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Good morning all and firstly may i say, i have only just come across this spectacular website, my first thought is that i wished I'd came across this site a few years ago before i came across Dick Turpin at compass in 2009.

Having read most of the comments about compass and everyone who is a client and like myself is owed ££££ in money that was meant for clearing debts, i must say this place makes me feel alot better that im not alone with the compass situation and sorting out my debts after the mess they have put me in.

Step change is a great FREE company that would take my debts on and start the ball rolling again so to speak, but unfortunately as with others on this site, they do not meet my demands and expect a great deal of change to the situation i was with with compass.

Having read comments left by Amethyst, wingco and openlaw15, about compass i have made the decision to sort this mess out myself and be in control of my own affairs. As the comments say, it seems a lot easier than i first though, with the guidance from this website obviously.

Firstly i cancelled the abbey solicitors within the 14 day period,
contacted AABRS, sent off claim forms, and now just trying to sort out payments with my creditors.

just need some advice on the next stage really,

I am currently printing off some CCA letters to go to creditors. with postal orders. that seems straight forward.
the next stage is to send a letter to creditors saying i am an ex compass client and would be will to carrying on payments at given figure or slightly higher.

Does this letter about being an ex compass client and offering a payment need to be a formal and generic letter from someone with a law background or can i do the letter myself and just keep it short??

Also do i need to send the letter out with the CCA form or wait till i get back the information from creditors about CCA?

many thanks
:tongue2:

You will find most Debt Collection Agencies and your original lenders will willingly accept continuing payments. I just wrote simple letters
explaining what had happened (as if they didn't know already) and then, once they had all agreed to my payment plan, I followed up with the CCA letters (templates on here) demanding all of the original credit agreements. They have 12+2 days to respond and I'm up to 12 days already and have had only one response which said they had gone to the original lender; I'm getting the very strong feeling that none of them will have the appropriate documents. Then, I have to make a decision..............................
Keep us updated as it is very instructional for all of the others who will find this site.
Wingco

[Sibbers]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Hi Kate, I am not sure if this is the right way to go about things but I too am an ex customer (sorry victim) of Compass. However I have been less organised than most of the people I have listened to and read about so far. I only noticed an issue with the account I opened in 2004 back in March when my standing order was returned and I called the compass office (believe it or not someone answered Rob if I recall) He advised that they had lost contact with me due to me not contacting them and stopped the Standing Order so that I would contact them they advised nothing to worry about and my debt was down to 8900k (started with 28k so felt better and asked if I would go with Abby (I said I would think about it etc etc). I requested a copy of the list of my creditors and a statement of my account (I moved a lot and have nothing, no paperwork no agreement nothing). he said yes of course....blah blah. Any way on Thursday a bill from Lowell arrived for 17500K!!! This raised concerns and my investigation has started. What I have read on hear has been so helpful. I have been in touch with the liquidators and requested a list of my creditors etc so I can start the process of contacting them. I have checked my credit report but the info I need is 12 years old. I know I should have kept details and records but does anyone have any other ideas how I can find out who I owe what to? I have spent 15.5k with Compass, still have 1 bill for 17.5 (which is 32k) and started with 28k, getting worried what else may show up unpaid Thanks to anyone who reads.

[Wingco]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Hi Kate, I am not sure if this is the right way to go about things but I too am an ex customer (sorry victim) of Compass. However I have been less organised than most of the people I have listened to and read about so far. I only noticed an issue with the account I opened in 2004 back in March when my standing order was returned and I called the compass office (believe it or not someone answered Rob if I recall) He advised that they had lost contact with me due to me not contacting them and stopped the Standing Order so that I would contact them they advised nothing to worry about and my debt was down to 8900k (started with 28k so felt better and asked if I would go with Abby (I said I would think about it etc etc). I requested a copy of the list of my creditors and a statement of my account (I moved a lot and have nothing, no paperwork no agreement nothing). he said yes of course....blah blah. Any way on Thursday a bill from Lowell arrived for 17500K!!! This raised concerns and my investigation has started. What I have read on hear has been so helpful. I have been in touch with the liquidators and requested a list of my creditors etc so I can start the process of contacting them. I have checked my credit report but the info I need is 12 years old. I know I should have kept details and records but does anyone have any other ideas how I can find out who I owe what to? I have spent 15.5k with Compass, still have 1 bill for 17.5 (which is 32k) and started with 28k, getting worried what else may show up unpaid Thanks to anyone who reads.

Hi Sibbers
You are far from alone - there are at least 1500 active and probably over 2000 Compass clients. No need to be embarrassed either - s$%t happens.
Perhaps the best way of finding out who your creditors are would be to contact Experian or another Credit Reference agency. They should at least have a list of your defaults and then it's just a question of Googling the names to find contact details. Unfortunately, that will only be the start of the search as Debt Collection Companies tend to sell their debts for peanuts to other agencies when they lose contact. But they should tell you who now has the debt.
It might, however, be best to let sleeping debts lie! Some of your debts could be time expired if no payments or contact have been made for 6 years - you may discover that Compass didn't pay them despite what they told you; as you move around a lot and lost contact with Compass, you may well have had judgements against you already. They appear not to know where you are?
You may well find better advice from the more experienced people on here. So wait and seee what others advise.
Wingco

[Sibbers]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Thank you Wingco
I await my files from Equifax etc but they doubt they will hold the key (over six years ago). I will have to wait I have been given 30 days grace by Lowells so I will see what the liquidators and my file brings to light. I am worried to enter in to arrangements to pay in case it gets even worse but I suppose we will see.
Again thank you : Sibbers

[Wingco]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Thank you Wingco
I await my files from Equifax etc but they doubt they will hold the key (over six years ago). I will have to wait I have been given 30 days grace by Lowells so I will see what the liquidators and my file brings to light. I am worried to enter in to arrangements to pay in case it gets even worse but I suppose we will see.
Again thank you : Sibbers

I would ask every creditor to prove the debt exists. you send a £1 postal order and send the Consumer Credit Act (CCA) letter - template given on here. They then have to reply to you and list the account activity, the balalnce and whether it was set up correctly and they can prove it. Out of 10 of my debts 3 were "unenforceable". It doesn't mean much but they are most unlikely to pursue "unenforceable" debts in Court. You then offer to pay a small amount each month; most of mine I pay between £10 and £25 to each month by Standing Order and not DDM to give you more control - and I never talk to the creditors - everything is kept in writing; the £25 payments are against debts in excess of £12,000 each and 2 are near £20,000 (I had a high earning business that went under in the recession). They are more than happy to get anything. So instead of going under financially and losing everything when paying over £2500 per month, I now pay around £220 total. But it may be better for you to go bankrupt if your situation lends itself to it; few assets, employment type etc. you would need to take advice on that. It may also be a good idea to talk to one of the Free Charity based Debt Management Companies (DMC) :Step Change, CAB; it didn't suit me and I'm doing my own Debt Management Plan DMP. It's very easy and everyone who tries it is surprised how friendly and accommodating the DMCs are. Go for it.
BUT DO KEEP GOOD FILES THIS TIME - it's part of the fun of sorting out our debts.
Wingco

[Wingco]

Re: Hello from another embarrassed compass debt counsellors client

Thank you Wingco
I await my files from Equifax etc but they doubt they will hold the key (over six years ago). I will have to wait I have been given 30 days grace by Lowells so I will see what the liquidators and my file brings to light. I am worried to enter in to arrangements to pay in case it gets even worse but I suppose we will see.
Again thank you : Sibbers

Sibbers
I doubt the Liquidator will have much information; very few files exist and the computers are of little use. AABRS are very busy soring things out and may not even reply - imagine the workload of 2500 client accounts. There is due to be a meeting with the Compass Client Committee in Septemmber and I wil let you know what we hear - but there is little or no money in the so called "Clients' Pot". It was just over £20,000 and that works out at less than £11 per client if we were all owed the same amount.
Equifax is your best bet. I would imagine that those enforceable debts may have ended up in Court with the possibility of CCJs against you. Due to the time lapse, there is very little that you can do about that. Let us know what Equifax come up with - you may be surprised.
Wingco