Regarding "Mis-selling"

[Skippy]

I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent but I ended up in a totally unsuitable IVA because I was desperate. I was sent the R3 booklet which I read and thought I understood but at the time I was in such a state you could have asked me what colour grass is and I wouldn't have known! Maybe if my IP had spent time going through the booklet with me and explained my options I might have made different decisions. I didn't even know I could speak to my IP - I only ever dealt with support staff, who when I queried errors in the proposal told me not to worry as it's the end figure that matters not the allowances they had told me I could have - they were a bit different to mine!

It's all very well to be judgemental say that people should know what they are getting themselves into, but when people are desperate and maybe not computer literate then it's not that easy. If I'm ill and go to my doctor I expect them to prescribe me the correct treatment, not give me a leaflet telling me what I can do!

Can I just say, I'm not having a dig at any of the IPs who post on here, nor am I saying my IVA was mis-sold.

[MelanieGiles]

The simple fact is Skippy, that if your IP had been bothered to call you and go through your expenditure carefully, questioning as to how you and Dave allocated the costs between you and making sure that everything had been provided for, you yourself would have realised an IVA was not suitable.

IPs are trained to be advisors, not people who sit in ivory towers relying on call-centre based staff to do our work.

[pm5]

Hi skippy, can i ask why your iva is now unsuitable to you & what do you think now would have been you better option ?

[OPTIMIST12]

Well - I am not going to back down here!!!!

I want people to think carefully and make sure that an IVA is the right solution for them.

It takes a bit of time and effort to get into large-scale debt!!!! - including me!!! - and I just want so much for anyone who has reached the end of the road to think carefully about their solution.

I am going to come out in favour of CCCS again - contact them and they will send you some jolly good leaflets on the various paths. Only YOU can then decide which path you want to go down.

Like other posters have said - many people will jump in regardless because they are desperate. If you are still in the process of thinking about your solution - PLEASE take time to consider the options. Your first idea is not always the best idea!!

[OPTIMIST12]

And - just to add that as someone who is with a company which is sometimes described as a "factory" for some reason - I am very very happy with my IVA Provider - they have been absolutely brilliant.

[Skippy]

My IVA wasn't suitable because I couldn't afford the repayments. When Accuma prepared my proposal I told them I contributed £200 'rent' to Dave which was fine. The proposal actually said that I paid the full mortgage (£560) and added a contribution from Dave for £560 meaning I still had to find the £200. I should have picked that up but I don't think it would have made any difference if I had as when I spoke to them about gas expenditure on my I & E when we didn't have gas, and that I didn't have a car maintenance allowance I was told not to worry about it!

I needed another £200 to manage but I worked out that I could manage if I had another £100 a month. I asked if a variation could be put forward and was told no, as I had the no variations in the first 24 months modification so I was left with no option but to go BR - my IP (a different one by this time as the first one had left) wouldn't consider the variation.

I take responsibility for not understanding the figures and I wish I'd been stronger and argued my case better but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[pm5]

I am so sorry for you skippy, but you are right hindsight is a wonderfull thing, good luck for the future anyway.

[chris.g]

If only we knew what would happen.....there wouldn't be this forum for a start!!
xx

[lily]

Chris you are right, we wouldnt need the forum at all if everything was easy to understand, we took our time and didnt get so stressed out. Debt has been the biggest stess ever for me and I am not a stupid person but I was really and trully scared stupid.

[Moneystinks]

I too am not stupid (if my other half reads this he may disgree) but if I am confronted with something that scares me, and all this does, then I suddenly lose the ability to understand the easiest things?? Does that make sense??

[lily]

Yes it does, I couldnt think, couldnt function could stop crying. I didnt sleep, or eat, I was sooo scared. I was in no state to do any research, I did google IVA's but found that you had to fill in this form thing and someone rang me back, a few days later I tried again and found this forum when I didnt have to fill in the form to read the posts.

I wouldnt have got through it if it wasnt for the forum as I plucked up courage to post and found the good people heree, very non judgemental people so willing to help me. Then I started to feel better.