If they are not responding it would be futile to attempt to invoke the internal complaints process, therefore go straight to the regulators, using the link below. Have you tried emailing Karol, with "IVA FORUM" in the header ?
How's you? I have today filled in the form for the regulators and also sent Mark Allen an email direct. GT Customer services are a joke and Karol is no longer responding, Lets see of I can shake the tree hard enough and if any apples fall.
Final Payment made Nov 2012 after 72 months
C of C received - 18/10/2013 - + 11 months
NOW Debt Free woo hoo
GT are still a joke
Hi Downhearted Lady - sorry to read your frustrations. You will have to demonstrate that you have followed the complaints procedure and that has been exhausted before the regulators may wish to get involved. Hopefully GT will be able to get back to you asap to try and resolve the matter internally first. Have you put anything in writing to them in the post, that might be worth a try. Karol may be on leave at the moment as she normally follows posts up on the forum - hope you hear something soon.
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I would imagine that all staff at GT have been drafted to cope with the latest acquisition, on top of the totally unnecessary MV programme and the mounting backlog caused by PPI fever.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
There is no real excuse for an IP not responding to a client's requests for information - even if merely to send a holding reply if a full response cannot be given at that time. If this continues, you may be left with little choice but to invoke the complaints process.
Hi Downhearted Lady, I am in the same situation as yourself, having made my final payment last year. I went down the complaint route and was assured by my IP of a quick conclusion. This unfortunately, didn't happen. I followed the advice on this forum and sent an email to Karol, a week later, after no response, I sent another, stating I would have no choice but to go down the complaint route again if I had no response to the second email. I didn't get a reply from Karol, but on the 1st September I received a formal reply to my complaint.
I think it may be safe to assume that Karol isn't actually answering emails anymore, but is referring them to the relevant department.
I now have to wait a month for the first stage of the three part complaint procedure to be investigated within the relevant department.
It definitely looks like the louder you shout....... so if I was you I would, as you said, shake the apple tree.
Hi All,
I have emailed Mark Allen (My IP) direct and got his out of office, I have also sent an email to Colette Greenhaigh who is his PA and she responded saying she had sent it to Craig Reid in the customer services department who will contact me later this week. I have also filled in the form and sent it to the regulators to start investigating. I have just sold my house for the equity to get my life on track but need the certificate of completion and my credit file clearing. the email I sent is below.
Dear Mark,
I completed my IVA, after 6 years in November 2012. Included in the IVA was a fee for yourself for over £8000.
To date I still have not received my certificate of completion and to be frank I am sick of chasing your customer services department who never call us back. I am fully aware that I have nothing more to pay as there was a time when Karol Wilson was communicating directly with me via the IVA forum. All I request is that my case is completed so that my credit file is repaired due to the fact that I have now sold my house and I am finding it difficult to rent as I keep failing credit checks due to GT not completing my IVA.
Enough is enough and I have referred my case to the Financial Ombudsman to investigate since GT don't seem to want to complete this for me. I have suffered 2 heart attacks in my time of being on an IVA but feel that I may never see my Certificate of Completion.
Perhaps you can feel it in your professional capacity to chase this up and get my Certificate of Completion sent to me as a matter of urgency. Sorry if I am being a little negative but to be fair I don't hold out much hope of this happening.
Please prove me wrong
Kind regards
Final Payment made Nov 2012 after 72 months
C of C received - 18/10/2013 - + 11 months
NOW Debt Free woo hoo
GT are still a joke
I think the way you have been treated is absolutely disgusting. I suffered at the hands of the imbeciles at GT and can only echo the thoughts of Juliannes, the louder you shout and the more fuss you create the more GT will take notice.
Make sure you follow through with the regulator and consider writing to your local MP. Every little thing helps when standing up to bullies and con artists. Hell i even wrote to David Cameron via the Downing Street website.
The real scandal is that GT are tarnishing the reputation of the industry which is a shame as many many IP's do such a fantastic job.
In my industry key businesses meet up on a quarterly basis to discuss the market including reputation. Perhaps some of the IP's could get together and try and educate GT on the damage they are causing?
"In my industry key businesses meet up on a quarterly basis to discuss the market including reputation. Perhaps some of the IP's could get together and try and educate GT on the damage they are causing?"
Problem is GT are not part of any of the regulatory bodies and just seem to be a law unto themselves. As the have 10's of thousands of clients I guess they feel they are the big boy in town and can do what they want...
This is disgraceful, Downhearted Lady, I think that julieannas is right, the louder you shout and make a fuss the better. You seem to be doing all the right things. Keep on and good luck.
What an awful story downhearted lady. Its a shame that one of the papers doesnt do am investigative piece on these companies. Gt in particular seem to have such bad regard for its " customers" you would wish that the employees would whistleblow on them.
Keeping my fingers crossed for all those having problems.
The IPs at GT are regulated by and are members of the Insolvency Practitioners Association who carry out regular monitoring visits as they do to all IP firms. GT are members of the trade association for IP's - R3 as well. To state that they are not members is very misleading.
Just a point on complaints - the Financial Ombudsman will not hear complaints about IPs or IVAs. The correct route - assuming that you have exhausted all other internal routes - is via the Insolvency Service gateway, who will route directly through to the IPA.
