www.iva.co.uk

Just had a call from Beneficial Finance.
They called earlier today and wanted speak to my husband. Tbey wouldn't speak to me even though the loan is in joint names. When my husband told them to speak to me and handed the phone over, the rude man on the other end asked me 3 times in the space of 2 minutes if I could make a payment, to which I replied all 3 times, no I have no money today.
After this he asked me that when and if the IVA was accepted would we have any funds left with which to make extra contributions to them. b***** cheek!!!
He then got really stroppy when I told them that I had returned my signed proposal to CLearstart (appareantly he reckons they can't be that well known cause he's never heard of them) and they should be hearing something in the next few days. To this he replied that last month when they rang we told him thay would be hearing from Clearstart soon. Honestly, you would think he has nothing better to do than be rude. I know he's only doing what he's paid for but stil....................

What a silly conversation from someone who clearly does not understand what an IVA actually is! And with Clearstart being one of the largest IVA providers in the country, he is not very well informed in that regard either!

I am afraid some call-centre staff employed by banks simply do not cut the mustard, and I hope that this will all soon be over for you.

Take no notice Martha07, they just want you to make some form of payment so they get some commision from it more than likely. I doubt a lot even really know what an iva is, certainly this chap obviously doesnt if he doesnt know who clearstart are. Not too long hopefully and all this will stop.

Ang

My thought here is that you probably got a call from someone at the local shop who, indeed, will probably know nothing about IVAs other than they affect his commission.

The last thing he wants is for the proposal to be issued because then Head Office will remove control from him. Don't panic.

Ian

Take no notice of them - we used to get 2 calls a day from Barclaycard for each card ( a total of 4) and we'd tell them exactly the same thing and why if they update one account couldn't they update the others!!! In the end we got quite blunt with them but happily after the IVA was approved we did not get one single phone call!!!

Agreed Martha - take no notice of them. I contacted NPower, because my IP said that my arrears pre-IVA should be covered by the IVA. When I spoke to a supervisor, not a normal run-of-the-mill customer services person, I had to explain to THEM what an IVA was. They still didn't understand!! [:p]

If you can understand that the SOLE purpose of these types of call is to extract money from you then they become easier to deal with, even if a caller appears genuinely sympathetic and concerned for your plight, they will still ask for payment anyway. If your IP has instructed you not to pay them directly then don't. I would recommend that you ask for a name and a number of the person phoning you at the outset of the conversation, if that is not forthcoming then I can see no feasible reason why you shouldn't hang up. I certainly would not be willing to have a conversation with anyone who was not willing to take responsibility for his/her actions and would hang up. Alternatively, if they do give a name and number, then a quick call to your IVA firm to get them to call the creditor back on your behalf would seem to be the order of the day.
Try not to worry too much, although I understand that that is easier said than done.

Is your husband trying to enter into an IVA also?

I used to get called up non stop and in the end I reported one company to the Office of Fair Trading because they were harrassing me so much. These call centre geeks are on commission. You stand up to them and tell them you;re reposrting them, they will, go away.