is there an ombudsman ?

[warren.v]

Hello, please can you help, is there an ombudsman or anyone that i can complain to about my IVA company?
I am having very big problems with them, and am fed up with their could'nt care less attitude.
They just do not understand how hurtful and frustrating they are to people, who are in desperate situations.
They make the most money out of an IVA, but do not help or advise when one is at ones wits as to where to turn to in desperate times.

[MelanieGiles]

Ultimately, your IP is licensed by one of the regulatory bodies, who will deal with complaints made against their members. Before you consider making a complaint to such body, have you tried to discuss this with your IP directly? It may be that if you are with a large company that they are unaware of a problem brewing lower down the food chain. Which company are you with?

[Adam Davies]

Hi
There are several.The main one is the Insolvency practitioners association [02076235108].However if you contact the Insovency Service on 02076371110 they will inform you which licensing body covers your particular IP.Why there are several professional bodies covering the insolvency profession baffles me.
Regards

[MelanieGiles]

It baffles us as well Andy!!

[warren.v]

Thank You so much for replying, its great to know someone is there when a problem occurs.
I am with Debt Free Direct, and i can never speak to my IP when i call them, all i get is someone that gives every excuse under the sun, but NO actual help or advice.
They keep asking for Payslips, Letters from my employer, and all kinds of information from different people, i thought that an IVA would be private, and want it kept that way, i do not want the "world and his Brother" to know my business.
I understand that i am in Debt, and am very willing to pay what is due, BUT why am i being treated so badly. when all i want is fair play, and to pay back what i owe.Debt Free Direct even say they have not recieved things that i have sent in the post, even though its been sent recorded delivery?????? its a company that i would never have approached if i had been forwarned!!!!
Thank You once again, for your time and trouble, its a hell of a lot more than Debt Free Direct have given even though they get paid well for nothing.!!!!!! I wish i had heard of You before contacting them.

[kallis3]

Don't know why they would want letters from your employers Warren. I never had to do that, it was just payslips and bank statements along with balance info from the creditors. No one at work knows of my situation, and if I can help it they never will.

[TheMatrix]

It's well out of order them asking for employer letters. Your employer does NOT need to know about your IVA

I thought a IVA was supposed to be private too, between me, my creditors and my IP, but then I found the Insolvency Register, and along with it a bunch of marketing spam.

Guess it was not mentioned when I did my IVA, especially when I said I wanted no publicity, i.e. advertisements in local newspapers etc like they do in BR.

[luluj]

I am with DFD and they ask for employer letters when you have received a payrise or additional payment so that they have evidence you have received what you say you have received - I haven't a problem with it - at the end of the day they are helping me to communicate with my creditors who I own thousands to and therefore they have the right to ask for this information so that they can see we are not defrauding our creditors in any way!

DFD Customer Care Team are always friendly and considerate on the phone, and I have spoken to my IP several times with no problems!

When I send stuff in I ring two days later to ensure they have received it - my calls are always recorded on the system and notes made.

Big,little and medium size IP companies are all the same - they all have some difficulties and not everyone will be happy with them all of the time!

We get ourselves in the mess, we are relying on our IP to get us out of the debt by them working with our creditors.........five years is not a long time and boy am I a proud to be working with my IP not embarrassed!

[TheMatrix]

Privacy was meant to be a benefit of doing the IVA over Bankruptcy for me. Believe you and me, with no assets to speak of, and around £70K of debt I would have been better off going down the BR route.

Creditors would have got very little back if I had gone BR.

But I wanted NO PUBLICITY and I wanted to KEEP MY JOB, I did not want the world and his dog knowing my business especially my employer, family and friends. And I wanted to pay back what I could to my creditors, I still feel a moral obligation to do that. I borrowed and I pay back what I can that's why I did the IVA. Proud of myself for choosing this route, YES but I don't want any publicity whatsoever thank you very much.

[kallis3]

Lulu, surely your payslip is proof enough of any payrise or bonus you receive?
There is NO way I would ask my employers for anything else.

Inaiva, I am with you 110%! If I want anyone to know my situation, I will tell them myself. Work is a big no-no, as are friends and especially my parents - I think it would drive them to suicide!

OK,I'm not happy that anyone can see the Insolvency Register, but if all it does it bring me junk which I can bin, I will put up with it. Just glad IVA's don't make the newspapers.

[jim_h]

dfd what they did for me started paying £100 than they asked for £159 than £250 lost my house i now rent wanted £500 in the end couldnot afford it they failed my iva paid them £1555 not a penny went to my creditors i am now in a dmp

[Maz]

Hi there

I find this confusing now, I am with an IVA company and they never asked for a letter from my employer only my bank statements and payslips. I agree with Kallis and Inaiva that the whole idea is with IVAs is it's more private between you and the IP. I think there is something not quite right here somehow. That Insolvency register annoys me because of the mailing lists from other companies, but from family, friends and employers it should be kept private unless you tell them!!

Maz

[kallis3]

Hi Maz,

I don't think many firms ask for this at all. We are with Payplan and all we sent to them were payslips and statements. I would refuse to get a letter from my employer, they may not even give me one! A payslip should suffice, otherwise they are calling you a liar in my book!

[Maz]

Hi Jan

I would be the same as you if I had been asked for a letter. I would have rejected the IVA on those grounds. I would find that embarrassing! But as you said there are not many companies that ask for an employer letter, I wonder why some do? that is so unfair and like you said they don't trust people to be honest!

Maz

[kallis3]

I presume that for my 12 monthly review they will only want payslips.
I shan't be giving them anything other than that and bank statements.