So finally after being on a DMP for 6 years with the possibly of it going on for another 10+ years I decided to go for an IVA.
Before Christmas I came on this forum and completed the IVA calculator and requested a call back, I was called the next day from Vincent Bond and the IVA Company. I spoke to VB first and in desperation I signed to go with them I then spoke to Tina from IVA company . After speaking to both, I came back on the forum and started reading the post and felt I would very much like to have Melanie as my IP. I spoke to VB and they said they would send my inform to the IVA Company. I then received the pack from VB the next day and sent off my documents.
When I spoke to Tina Christmas week she said I should get my info/documents back from VB and I would be wasting their time. But with it being Christmas and New Year, and I was feeling scared in doing it as I had already signed authority, I didn’t.
Anyway fast forward to today, I have received an email from VB to say they have today sent my documents to IVA company, who will be in touch. Why is it then that I’m crying as I am, feeling really bad that I have wasted everyone’s time. It could be relief or the feeling that I have disappointed the IVA company and VB, I think the latter. I hate letting people down and get quite emotional about it.
However, I did want to say that I have been reading this forum for the last few weeks and it has made me feel positive with the decision I have made I just hope my journey is positive and successful. Everyone is so supportive and the advice given seems really good.
HI Charlygirl and welcome, first of all dont worry, you should always speak to a few companies about your options and you seem to have done that and have made your selection, You are in safe hands with Mels team. I am sure VB do not think any time was wasted, I did the exactly same thing as you, the advise you receive is free and VB help to me was a god send Andy was great and I am forever greatfull. I think perhaps the whole thing is a emotional experience, I rember being in tears on the phone with Tina @ around 8 at night and her words of comfort and forward thinking giving me examples of what will be in the future was another way of me seeing i was doing the right thing. This forum and members/posters and readers make it all an inviting place to be. I wish you the very best of luck with your journey now you know that there is a deffinative end to your journey and the reward for your hard work will be debt free and a change of mind on what money means. Keep in touch
Took The plunge and made the call, changed our family life and we have never been happier. Debt free and wont go back..... IVA was by far the best thing we ever did to teach us the real value of Family and money
Hi there and welcome ... In a mess sums things up nicely. A good insolvency practitioner knows how important it is to get advice from several sources and will encourage it.
Do not worry at all about wasting anyone's time -- you are not !
We are all here, debtors and professionals alike to help and support each other --- you will even find Mel here at silly o'clock in the mornings most nights !!
Keep posting -- have a rant or a giggle and never be afraid to ask questions.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
Hi and welcome from me too. Do keep posting and we'll reassure you and offer you advice along the way. Most of all we're your virtual friends travelling the same journey albeit at differing stages.
You're not wasting anyone's time and good luck with getting on that debt free road. x
IVA final payment left the bank on the 26th January 2013...looking forward to a debt free future.
I'm a little confused as to what is going on here! Even if you had made your application via VB, you could have still asked them to refer you to me, so I guess you have ended up in the right place eventually - and we are all very glad you have!
Could you contact me directly Charlygirl, so that I can make sure I identify your cases as soon as it arrives please. Look forward to working with you on getting your debts under control.
I felt like that too...id originally contacted payplan and went through everything with this lady. she sent out a rough income/outcome sheet and i was ready to sign away but then thank god i found this forum and Mel snd havent looked back. It was only after being on here and speaking to others that I found payplan were not right for me and have since had to send the lady sn email to say thanks but no thanks. It was horrible as she'd spent a lot of time with me but I now realise it woukd have bedn the wrong company for me as their figures were setting me up to fail. Mel is wonderful snd im sure you will be fine. This forum is a life saver
Welcome Charlygirl. You haven't wasted anyone's time, you have to be comfortable with the company that you sign up with. Good luck to you and remember we're all here for you.
I wish that I'd found this site earlier. I went with the 1st company that contacted me after filling in details in IVA calculator & phone num.
I would have definately would have gone to Mel for advice.
The company made everything sound great but has now passed me over to another company & only been in the IVA for 10 months.
If only you could choose another when already started.
Good luck on your journey with Mel.
Hope mine goes well.
Still early days.
Yeah i wish we'd found the site sooner also. Even though we cant really fault payplan I do think we would of gone with a different company if we had found this forum. Being desperate we just went with the first company we spoke to . Good luck from us x
Don't worry about wasting anybodys time, - I'm sure nobody thinks that. From what I can gather, - The professionals all seem to know each other on a friendly personal level too, so it's quite normal to speak to a few different companies, They all have your best interest at heart, and whatever the route, you'll end up with the best possible company for your situation. - I started with Vincent Bond, and i'm now with Melanie too !
Just like abbiesmum, the first company I contacted was payplan, and I ended up being suggested a DMP that I didn't feel was realistic. - On top of that, while most payplan reviews are positive from people just starting out with them, if you read any of the reviews from people completing a DMP with payplan, most people end up with a big debt at the end of it due to creditors not freezing the interest which you only find out about at the end of the plan, just when you think its all been paid off.
I also felt bad about emailing payplan and saying "thanks but no thanks" but on the other hand, while they were telling me "It shouldn't be a problem to freeze interest, we work closely with the creditors and don't usually have any problems" I don't think they were being entirely honest with me, as the reviews say otherwise, and therefore I didn't feel bad in the end about taking advice elsewhere.
You're in safe hands here, VB are a lovely bunch of people, and Mel's team are great too. - the people on the forum are all really nice as well.
@carpet toaster...yes payplan said that libe to me!!! 'although we work hard to do this blah blah blah' I got the impression they werent entirely honest snd werent going to draw up a realistic/affordable plan and were setting us up to fail from the start. All they wanted were numbers, not interested in out individual circumstances which this year are pretty complicated!! They planned that we did a DMP for this year THEN when things were settled and i went back to work after maty leave we did an IVA. I didnt see the point if end up in iva anyway! I found this site and spoke to mel who has listened to our complications and incororated them into a potential iva. im sure getting the right plan with the right people from day 1 is vital for success
In defence of Payplan, they were the ones who suggested that we change from a DMP to an IVA. We weren't with them originally but so far we have had no problems with them.
They haven't pushed the PPI either and we sent the forms back saying 'No PPI' and haven't been pestered since.
im with payplan and cannot praise them highly enough.
they are always there in my case to give me the info I need and reviews are really easy and straight forward.
to tell you the truth how does anybody know what is a good company and a bad company when you first contact them.other than this forum. who tells you?.
yes hindsight is great,but at the outset who actullay knows whats in store.
to me it was the I@e sheet that I originally made out that said to me I can manage on that and head towards a closure on my debt worrys.
cc received 6th January 2014 now upwards and onwards
We do have to remember, when calling these organisations, that we are speaking to ONE lone cog in the wheel -- if they have had a bad day ity will come across !!
Payplan have many, many happy clients --- true, they are not my cup of tea (and maybe I am not theirs !). But horses for courses, one man's met .... and all that.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
