Hello People. First of all I'd like to thank Andy and Melanie for getting me through some difficult times, they have given me really good advice that has kept me sane. My IVA has been approved subject to modification in February and I was tempted to let sleeping dogs lie. However, I noticed one or two disparaging remarks about debt free direct, and I thought it would only be right to add my twopennethworth. DFD hatched a proposal that could only be read one way by my creditors - a recommendation to reject the proposal. I wasn't expecting them to produce a report biassed in my favour - but I didn't think it was too much to ask for them to produce a balanced report giving the pro's and con's of accepting or rejecting the proposal. I got them to change the proposal accordingly. This was presented to my creditors, and a date for the meeting was set for 24th December 2007.
I contacted them to ask if it could be brought forward as I didn't want to stew over it, over christmas. I was told that the meeting wasn't on the 24th but the 20th. It transpired that the meeting was set for the 20th on one piece of paperwork, and the 24th on another. As a consequence of DFD's continued incompetence, the meeting was reconvened for . . . FEBRUARY. Consequently my creditors voted to increase the contribution by £ 5,000 above the minimum tariff eventhough I was now out of work. The approved payment was made in the middle of February, and I have been advised that it won't be cleared until end of July at the earliest. Is this typical ?
Anyway the purpose of this posting is to warn other people in financial trouble to be weary of the possible repercussions of some of the terms and conditions. DFD were trying to tell me that my redundancy cheque could be viewed as a windfall and as such could be applied into the IVA eventhough this would have left me penniless.
The point is when you get into debt, you just want a resolution to the problem, it is difficult to remind yourself that despite your circumstances you are still a potential CUSTOMER to these people and that you can pick and choose who YOU decide will help you. In doing so you might be wise to consider all circumstances, no matter how remote and ask the potential IP what would happen in those circumstances. If you are not happy with the response ask an alternative provider. I just hope nobody has to go through such bungling incompetence that I have experienced and that they go into this with their eyes wide open.
