We are about to start IVA process. I have been in touch via email to someone that was recommended through this forum. He has been brilkiant. Very understanding and taken a lot of time to answer many questions.
I wanted to speak to a few different companies so this evening, having already completed a debt remedy, I spoke to Step Change. They shocked me in their respinse, which was very impersonal with no time to understand our situation. I was pretty much told to review my budget and figures I'd entered online and if all corrwct I could submit. It will then tell me my options, and I could see all info and proceed online if I wanted. It also may say to call them to discuss the options.
Has anyone had this with them or was I unlucky to have someone that probably just wanted to go home! I had been on hold for 34 mins before even speaking to anyone!
Please speak to one of the smaller companies - you'll do much better speaking to more companies.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
I used them, with out any contact to other places. My experience was such: I submitted my form online, didn't phone them at all. Within 3 days got a call back which was to confirm some very basic info advise me what I would need on hand and arrange a proper callback which happened the week after. The proper call back was from their IVA team. The call back lasted an hour and the man was so nice he made me cry at one point, I had expected someone to be judgemental or telling me off for getting in a mess and he was so kind and helpful. You may have spoken to a general adviser on a phone line swamped in calls which was why you got an impersonal answer. I had to phone them one evening at 7.30pm before my IVA was agreed when something had happened unexpectedly and found the woman on the normal line very abrupt and unhelpful until she realised how afraid I was and she became much kinder although there was very little she could do to help (ex had had his bank account frozen and it was a Friday evening)
Hi we have just started an IVA with stepchange and found them great getting it all sorted. Lovely people on the phone, we can email them and get a quick response. Very on the ball.