Hello,
I have just been informed by Aperture that they need to address the equity release clause, this would have been fine if they had bothered to contact me 6 months before the end of my iva as agreed but unfortunately I've been told this today after inquiring as to where my completion certificate is as its now gone 6 months since my supposed additional but final payment that I made in December 2017. Like many I've had no contact with them other than chasing them up in December to confirm that my last scheduled payment in November was my last only to be told an outstanding amount of £148 needed to be paid to complete my iva which I did. Upon making that payment I was congratulated on my completion and told my Completion Certificate along with a final report would be mailed to me in "3-6" months... I contacted them in March for an update and was told everything was progressing and I would have my certificate by June at the latest.
On the 17th of May I received my annual report from my end of year review that took place back in November 2017 informing me that myself and my wife were in arrears to the tune of £849! My Wife's last scheduled payment was paid in November 2016. Naturally concerned and confused I asked my wife to phone them up to find out what was going on as I was at work the day the report arrived, she was told it was an inexplicable error and there was no need to worry as everything was still on course to complete in June. Fast forward to today I've just been told I need a house valuation and a mortgage redemption statement from my building society as soon as possible. This company needs to be exposed for the sham organisation that it is, any advice would be welcome.
kristian wrote:Hello,
I have just been informed by Aperture that they need to address the equity release clause, this would have been fine if they had bothered to contact me 6 months before the end of my iva as agreed but unfortunately I've been told this today after inquiring as to where my completion certificate is as its now gone 6 months since my supposed additional but final payment that I made in December 2017. Like many I've had no contact with them other than chasing them up in December to confirm that my last scheduled payment in November was my last only to be told an outstanding amount of £148 needed to be paid to complete my iva which I did. Upon making that payment I was congratulated on my completion and told my Completion Certificate along with a final report would be mailed to me in "3-6" months... I contacted them in March for an update and was told everything was progressing and I would have my certificate by June at the latest.
On the 17th of May I received my annual report from my end of year review that took place back in November 2017 informing me that myself and my wife were in arrears to the tune of £849! My Wife's last scheduled payment was paid in November 2016. Naturally concerned and confused I asked my wife to phone them up to find out what was going on as I was at work the day the report arrived, she was told it was an inexplicable error and there was no need to worry as everything was still on course to complete in June. Fast forward to today I've just been told I need a house valuation and a mortgage redemption statement from my building society as soon as possible. This company needs to be exposed for the sham organisation that it is, any advice would be welcome.
Unfortunately, as a home owner, you agreed to pursue the valuation exercise to look at equity release -- at the end of the day it is your responsibility to do this. I agree that Aperture were remiss in not picking up the fact that this wasn't done, and cannot refute any of your claims that their service to clients is somewhat lacking to the point of being abysmal !
As with all of these firms, we, as debtiors, are trapped once we sign up. We have no recourse to mediation or intervention. I recently campaigned to get this looked at via a Government Petition, but received support from only about 40 others ! There is no appetite to fight for change and the insolvency firms hold all the cards !
We often advise people to complain then escalate this compalint via the government gateway to regulators. Unfortunately the regulators will take no action other than to reprimand or fine the IP involved (granted, the fines can be quite substantial). I cannot recall any instance where a poster has come back and told us that they complained to the regulators and what the result was ( are complainants even informed of the outcome? ).
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
I find this so weird to read this and others about Aperture. They handled my F&F IVA in 2016 and everything was so well handled, I owe them so much for getting some things through our IVA agreement that perhaps should never have happened. They were always available, helpful and everything was handled in a timely manner. What on earth has happened to them??? We were put in touch with them by Step Change, I wonder if they still recommend them?
reeves55 wrote:I find this so weird to read this and others about Aperture. They handled my F&F IVA in 2016 and everything was so well handled, I owe them so much for getting some things through our IVA agreement that perhaps should never have happened. They were always available, helpful and everything was handled in a timely manner. What on earth has happened to them??? We were put in touch with them by Step Change, I wonder if they still recommend them?
It is a recurring scenario --- They were OK (ish), still far from the most responsive firm, but servicable --- then they acquired several books from other firms, which they were totally under resourced for. Service levels nose-dived immediately and it took quite some time before they looked like they were beginning to recover. Then they did it again and repeated the whole, sorry, saga!
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
I was fully aware of my requirements but the way its worded in my original iva with Clear Debt was that they may try and ask me to re-mortgage my equity release in the final year 6 months before the end date but the fact that Aperture didn't contact me at all in the last year suggested they were not pursuing equity release due to me not being able to re-mortgage. The fact that we have spoken to 3 different customer service advisors since my final payment and they all said that it was progressing as scheduled and congratulating me on completion but not mentioning the equity release re-enforced this belief, I've already paid into the iva over 6 years and now look likely to start paying into it for a 7th due to Apertures total incompetence!
Update, today I was told to go through the process of trying to remortgage even though they know I won't be accepted just so I could email Aperture the screen shot of the mortgage rejection. That was done and now I have the option of another 12 months of payments followed by another 6 month wait for a completion certificate hopefully.. Or I could have paid an upfront payment of £28500! They' ve admitted they should have contacted me 12 months ago to go through the process but didn't and can't explain why so now my 6 year iva will now last 8 years by the time they send out a completion certificate! Aperture avoid like the plague.
