Case Officer number 5 please!

[Foggy]

It's a bit like asking your solicitor to use a particular assistant -- even though you are paying their fees, I imagine you will be given short shrift!

Incidentally, it isn't too strong ground to rely on the "I am paying your fees" line (how often do I hear that in MY life!)--- it could be argued that it's the creditors who are paying the fees by "dividend sacrifice".

[kallis3]

Agree Foggy - you cannot dictate who you speak to and if people leave, or roles are changed then you are stuck with it.#

I would prefer to speak to the same person everytime but am not always able to.

I'd like to see the reply if I told them that I wasn't a puppet and they had to respect my wishes!!

They have you by the short and curlies once you have agreed your IVA and there is nothing you can do about it unless you let it fail,

[hth]

The term case worker is a little bit suspect here I think, it gives you the impression you will have a dedicated person who will assist you through your iva, a buddy so to speak, which when starting the process and feeling vulnerable will no doubt sound quite comforting, when in reality all applicants, once successful, will be handed to the supervisory department, this department probably has a high turnaround of staff, hence the constant changes in personel.
It's not the probation service after all, it's a normal business with targets to meet.

[kallis3]

To be fair, whilst I have had a few case workers over the past few months, prior to that I did have one for a while.

It would be great to have the same person throughout the IVA but as long as I can get my point across then I'm fine.

I'm sure the probabtion service has a change round of staff regularly as well.

[back on track]

font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica">quote:<hr height="1" noshade>Originally posted by Foggy

It's a bit like asking your solicitor to use a particular assistant -- even though you are paying their fees, I imagine you will be given short shrift!

Incidentally, it isn't too strong ground to rely on the "I am paying your fees" line (how often do I hear that in MY life!)--- it could be argued that it's the creditors who are paying the fees by "dividend sacrifice".

well if your willing to settle for bad service then that is what will prevail.yes the creditors are sacrificing some of there payback to cover the iva company but how many companys would survive the way some of these firms run without having a "captive" clientel.you should never accept second rate service just becorse your the little guy.how many times on this forum have you seen"if i had known about mel first i would have gone there"all anybody wants is a service that you feel comfortable with and your lot arnt telling me never knowing who you are dealing with makes you ok with it.any firm worth there salt does there best by the customer and not say blow em

[kallis3]

Whilst I think a lot of us would have gone with Mel had we found the forum first, the fact is that we didn't and are stuck with the company we chose.

There is nothing you can do about a change in case/relationship officer once in your IVA?

Exactly what can you do about it? I'd be interested to know.

You cannot change your company so your're stuck with them.

[Foggy]

Back on Track, I am not willing to settle for bad service and if my company gives me such, they WILL hear about it. But I cannot dictate how they work and who they employ.

You are absolutely correct in that some companies rely on a captive clientele, but it's stories of how they handle such clients, posted on forums like this, that allo potential customers to go elsewhwre if they feel the service they are going to get isn't to their taste.

It's all to do with availability of information, and we should carry on giving the good and the bad so people are well informed.

Yes, an "IVA Buddy" would be great, and, to be honest would also save a lot of misunderstandings and heartaches, but we deal with people we don't know everyday and accept it. I don't know who pays my wages, but, as long as I get them, I don't care, I don't know who deasls with my meagre, but ever so importance, savings at YBS, but the same applies.

I was never a fan of Payplan, as I find their loyalties are too compromised (personal opinion only) and, even though I am very happy with the company I am dealing with, had I found this forum first, I, too, would have approached Mel and her team. Mais, c'est La Vie.

[country girl]

Just had a quick count up I have had 16 with Payplan in 3 years. I kept the first one for a while but now they seem to change all the time.

Really cannot understand what is going on there now.

Linda

Linda

[Foggy]

Hi Linda. Payplan seem to be going through the wringer at the moment, I am constantly reading, on here and elsewhere, of their sudden hardeing of attitude, reluctance to help and moving goalposts, where they have the discretion to, in the creditors favour.

I don't know what has suddenly changed there as they have (had) many happy clients. My guess (and it IS only a guess) is creditors bringing pressure to maximise returns, as they have more than the usual leverage with the charity firms.

[kallis3]

I've only recently had a problem with Payplan and hope that I can get things sorted out.

I would have gone with someone else if I'd found the forum first but I didn't so am stuck.

I can complain all I like but there is nothing I can do about it. You are unlikely, with a large firm, to retain the same contact for the entire term. That I don't mind too much - it's the moving of the goalposts that bothers me.

[country girl]

Yes at the end of the day we are stuck with them.

Like I have said before I was very happy with them until recently, Like Foggy said it could be pressure from creditors we just don't know perhaps things will sort themselves out soon.

Linda

[Foggy]

To be fair, all firms go through rough patches, caused my things we know nothing of, and they then get a rash of complaints on here. Which isn't a bad thing as they then get to know that clients aren't happy and many do something about it.

Things do tend to pass and it wil be another firm being mentioned more than most in a few months time, I am sure.

[kallis3]

I'm sure it will Foggy and Linda.

Had no problems until recently and have at least got it in black and white that the payments will continue as they have been (plus the catch up for the payment break) so I'm happy with that.

[Broke of London]

As a marketing manager, I have a huge roster of agencies and have never been backwards in asking for a change of staff if I didn't think the ones I had were up to the job. It would honestly never have occurred to me not to ask for a change of iva account manager if the one I had wasn't any good!!! As it is, I'm only on my second after the first left sometime between Dec and Feb. The new one isn't great but to be fair I think it's the system not the people who are the problem at my firm.

[MelanieGiles]

I don't think that this has anything to do with creditors wanting their returns maximised. In my experience creditors pay little interest to IVA cases once they have been accepted, and tend to trust the IPs acting to ensure that their dividends are paid on a timely basis and that the IVA is supervised correctly.