Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

[Frosty873]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Hi guys and gals

After a lot of researching and googling, i have decided to make nest on AAD

I will list my debts soon, but to summarise i have 8 debts totalling around £35,000 (Eeeek!). It was £42,000 but i was diligently paying into a DMP via Stepchange for the last year. Now 3 of the larger debts have been sold to DCAs, i have decided to fight back.I didn't pay SC last month, and i had to reduce the payment the month before, so they will no doubt kick me off the DMP for not being a good boy, and paying these DCAs (or vultures!). I have sent off my CCAs to my creditors in mid March, and yet to hear from them. One is a pre 2007 MBNA (formally Virgin) card, now being managed by PRA, so hoping for some unenforceable news on that one!

I lost faith in Stepchange when i questioned them about the legitimacy of the DCAs right on my balances, and asked their advice on whether to send CCAs. They just blew me off,and didn't even want to entertain the idea. The fact i have been paying DCAs for about 6 months irritates me!! after all i have read also...Anyway, i won't rant too much, but will no doubt have more ranting to do at a later date.

It would be interesting to know the views of others on Stepchange... i feel i have wasted a year paying into this DMP!! **kicks self**

Anyway, i will study the 'how to' guide to making a diary, and will be back with my list of debts soon

Thanks

Brussel

hello!

I joined the AAD family last week after deciding enough was enough with the mountain of debt hubby and I are currently in (somewhere between £80k-90k between both of us- double eek!). We were about to set up a DMP through stepchange even though we haven't defaulted/missed any payments yet- however I questioned how 'impartial' they were given their funding... plus they couldn't guarantee freezing interest and charges with all of our creditors and after stumbling on this forum we thought 'stuff it' let's stop paying as none of our creditors are interested with hearing that making all these payments are putting us further and further into debt each month... so we are looking 'forward' to the default notices (to freeze interest) and are just tucking away some pennies each month in the meantime.

Anyway my point to sharing all that is to say your not alone with your thoughts on Step Change!

Good luck with your debt free journey- I'm sure we'll cross paths as we have a very similar journey x

[PlanB]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

• Type of account: Credit Card MBNA (formerly Virgin)
• Date commenced: July 2006
• Approx balance: £9,300
• Date last paid: last Full payment made via DMP in January 2017. Reduced payment in February. Missed payment in March.
• Are you on arrangement or not paying: Currently not paying
• Status: Account Defaulted November 2016
• Account owner : PRA group

When (what year) was this account assigned to PRA?

Did MBNA assign it direct to them or does the name Varde or Experto Credite or Aktiv Kapital mean anything to you?

I have a reason for asking

Di

[PlanB]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

.. a little lost as to what to do with overdrafts!

Here you go

http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/s...l=1#post159405

Di

[Brusselsprout]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Thanks for all the welcomes guys. I feel at home already.... Thanks Frosty for sharing all the best to you also. I liken Stepchange to just handing you a hot chocolate and warm blanket in the midst of a storm, but not actually doing anything about the rain! It's all very nice, but what actual good is it doing me!!

Plan B, hello MBNA assigned the account to PRA in 2016, and whilst i have heard of the other 2 companies you mention, neither of them are yet to feature on any paperwork that i have seen so far. Is this something to look forward to? As far as i know, MBNA washed their hands of the balance (no doubt claiming full balance on insurance or whatever) and sold it to PRA in the latter part of 2016. All quiet on the letter and phone call front at present.

People have said it before, but it is bizarre that i am actually a little sad when i don't get any post

Thanks for the overdraft link Plan B.

[Frosty873]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Hi Brussell- that's a very good analogy

Do you mind me asking, did you stop paying your creditors (missed any payments etc) before you spoke to Step Change?

Funnily enough they haven't sent out our DMP pack/paperwork which was due well over a week ago now- surprised they haven't followed us up on it (though I'm not complaining) x

[cymruambyth]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Welcome to AAD, it's good to see that you appear to be positive after taking control, though I do think you are a bit early in rejoicing over the lack of mail - most people post for at least 2 months before they get that feeling
Good luck and remember to ask questions.

[Brusselsprout]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Hi Frosty

I didn't miss any payments prior to joining the DMP with Stepchange, no... I was always struggling to hit minimum payment though, and it came to the point where i thought Stepchange was the only way out. If i could turn back the clock a year, i would not have done a DMP, but hey-ho, what's done is done Must look forward...It is going to fail this month anyway

I was looking at a 6-7 year DMP with SC! And they do tend to squeeze as much out of you as they can, and the figures they deem to be ' acceptable, and adequate' were anything but, i thought.

My credit score is knackered, and I am defaulted, so why should i spend years struggling to pay back something that isn't going to make an iota bit of difference to that credit score (not that i care about said score). If i pay back or not, that score stays ruined for 6 years either way. I don't want people to think I am a 'debt avoider' here. I spent years trying to pay back what i stupidly borrowed, but when the original creditors write it off, then why should i continue to pay a company that is purely out for profit and greed i.e. a DCA!

Sorry, i went off on another rant there! Months of reading up has just gotten me a little angry, and i just feel the whole injustice of it all is off the scale...

Some people on other site forums mention the 'moral obligation' to pay back what you have borrowed, and made debtors feel like scumbag debt dodgers... I saw this all the time on another popular forum! This gets my goat up to... as if banks/CC companies have any kind of moral high ground here! I have probably paid double what i owe over the years in interest and charges! Grrrr!

ha, i went off on one again! Sorry, it's just all stuff that's been floating around in my head for months, and it is good to get it out!

[Brusselsprout]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Thanks Cymruambyth haha, maybe a little premature, but I am like a greyhound waiting to get out of the traps! I'm eager to get this fight started I will no doubt have many questions

[nanna58]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Ask away Brussel x

[Frosty873]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Ha no need to apologise! We do acknowledge the debt and want to pay it off, I know what you mean about other forums being quite judgemental with 'debt dodgers' labelling and condescending opinion... I often wonder if their employed by the banks?

[nanna58]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Brussel is right we often have paid back way more with all the interest .X

[Brusselsprout]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Ha no need to apologise! We do acknowledge the debt and want to pay it off, I know what you mean about other forums being quite judgemental with 'debt dodgers' labelling and condescending opinion... I often wonder if their employed by the banks?

I am sure the banks and DCAs have their presence on all these sites! I try not to give too much info away... I get quite paranoid!!

[Brusselsprout]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Brussel is right we often have paid back way more with all the interest .X

Not to mention the fact that the banks don't actually 'lend' us anything! if my research is correct!

[Brusselsprout]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

Ok, let me know if I am doing this all wrong! I am a newb so go easy on me

Debt #1

• Type of account: Credit Card MBNA (formerly Virgin)
• Date commenced: July 2006
• Approx balance: £9,300
• Date last paid: last Full payment made via DMP in January 2017. Reduced payment in February. Missed payment in March.
• Are you on arrangement or not paying: Currently not paying
• Status: Account Defaulted November 2016
• Account owner : PRA group

CCA request sent to PRA early March 2017. Nothing received yet; no phone calls, just a letter saying we have received the request and will seek the info.

I did phone PRA group once a few months back (on the advice of Stepchange!!) before i had researched all this, and i may have admitted this debt (i cannot recall all the convo) SC told me to call them to tell them i will be missing a payment! I know now, that calling them was a rookie error. Hopefully i haven't stiffed myself here if this ever were to reach court!

Possibly jumping the gun here, but if this one ever did get to court, would a phone conversation where i admitted this debt be used against me? Even if the CCA is unenforceable could they use this phone-call (if recorded) as evidence? I read on another site that somebody went to court to defend a claim made against them where the CCA was-by all intents and purposes-unenforceable, but when asked by the judge if they 'ever owed the debt to the original OC' they said yes, and the judge ruled in favour of the DCA on the basis that 'it was most likely that you entered into an agreement' i.e. on the balance of probabilities, you borrowed so you pay!

Like i say, i am jumping the gun a bit, but it has been on my mind, so thought I'd ask the question

And on a completely unrelated topic: how do i get myself an avatar? I may just be being a little thick, but i can't figure it out...!

[Susie]

Re: Let the fun commence - 6 year journey starts here!

I think from your post that you telephoned before you made the last payment? If so I think the phone call would have made no difference as you paid them after that.