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Hi everyone, I have had my "pack" through now for my OR interview next Monday. Need to take a years statements (credit cards and bank), all bank cards, etc. Some of my creditors are still calling me - even though I have told them I am BR! Still doesen't seem real. My employer has opened a Basic Bank Account for me, but no debit card, so guess I will have to try and get one (or maybe a pre pay card?). Does anyone have any recommendations? Just need a debit card for internet and telephone shopping, and maybe a pre pay credit card as back up.
I am still worrying about getting a BRO, and so nervous about my OR interview, which is face to face.[8)] I am starting to look like a wreck through lack of sleep![|)] Still, once I have had the OR interview I am sure things will settle down.
Thanks everyone. D.

Hi douglass

Try ThinkBanking - they give you a Maestro card which is a debit card. They do charge you £12.50 per month for this - easy to open over the phone.

Good luck with your OR Meeting - let us know how you get on.

Sue

Ho Hum! Think I'll bang my drum!

Read My Blog
http://sadsack.blogs.iva.co.uk/

Hi, Good luck with your OR meeting, I have a cash card plus (prepaid credit card) 2 options 1) costs £5 per month for unlimited use or 2)i think £1 per transaction if not intending to use it much which is cheaper, it is ok no problems so far it is good for online shopping etc.

view my blog http://coco.blogs.iva.co.uk

hi douglas try not to worry about the calls from your creditors, this happens until they have all been notified, what i did was faxed them copies of my BR cert so it got them off my back quicker, believe it or not some will try and tell you that they don't do BR and still ask you for payment under no circumstances pay them just refer to your OR good luck with your meeting, don't panic if you don't have every statement as the OR can easily get these from your creditors.
kerri

Please view my blog at: http://scaredkez.blogs.iva.co.uk/

Hi
Try www.mycashplus.co.uk
It is a pre paid credit card and can be used everywhere including online
Regards

Andy Davie
IVA.co.uk Spokesperson

About me:
http://www.iva.co.uk/andy_davie_profile.asp

IVA Helpline: 0800 197 4838
http://www.iva.co.uk/iva_helpline.asp

Sue, Coco, Kerri, Andy - thank you all very much! What can I expect when I attend the OR interview next Monday? All replies / advice would be gratefully received! D.

Hi Douglas

I have a virgin pay as you go credit card, costs £9.95 on application, but no monthly fee and appears to be one of the cheaper cards around. I am managing with just a cash card with nationwide but the coop do an elektron which is accepted in quite a few places included some online companies. I am loathe to pay £12.50 a month, just my thought, but I know thinkbanking has been very successful for lots of people on the forum.

On the day of my BR I came home and telephoned all 10 creditors and gave them the details. Only one ever called me back (Goldfish 3 times) and after going over the details again I finally got them to stop the calls. No post at all except a letter from Eversheds to say they will be dealing with the OR.

I personally had a telephone meeting so not sure what to expect sorry, but a few others here have had a face to face I am sure someone will offer you some advice shortly.

Try not to worry too much, take each step as it comes.

Take care and good luck

Pippa

I had a telephone interview and I will admit that it was an emotional experience. The OR was more interested in my loans and my insurance on my property.

All in all, the OR was very sympathetic and treated me very well. Kindness was all she projected and she made me feel human.

You will be ok - the OR is not there to punish or belittle you.

Hang in there

Sue

Ho Hum! Think I'll bang my drum!

Read My Blog
http://sadsack.blogs.iva.co.uk/

douglass i had a face to face, which i was happy with my interview lasted over 2hrs,hubby got worried as he thought i was being grilled lol; but all they do is go over everything what you have put down, they pick out the bigger items so to speak and for me i had to tell them penny for penny what i had spent, hard, yes! when trying to think what you had spent the money on, hubby came in for his interview said by the way did wife tell you i was dyslexic? and that was it for him IV over boy does his dyslexic get him out of it,i could have punched him, the OR said wife gave us everything for interview free to go, i was not happy he got away with it lol but again i was because he would have said something wrong i am sure, don't worry it will be ok
kerri

Please view my blog at: http://scaredkez.blogs.iva.co.uk/

Good luck Douglas, but bear in mind that most of us have found that the interview wasn't as bad as we were expecting!

I agree with Pippa - I begrudged paying Think Banking £12.50 a month, although I know that a lot of people are happy with them. I am managing quite well with a cash card and I've also got the Virgin pre-paid card. I have a Co-op card with the Visa Electron as well, so I'm pretty much covered.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is the present - a gift to make the most of.

View my blog at http://skippy13.blogs.iva.co.uk/

Douglas
You will be fine, just prepare as much as you can and have answers to what you have done with your loans, mine and other people's experiences on here are quite similiar. In my OR interview which was face to face, all the OR concentrated was on my loans and what I had spent them on - go through it on paper or in your mind, put yourself in the place of the OR and what they will ask you - they want to check that you haven't been spending money willy nilly as it were with no thought to your creditors I am sure you can prove this isn't the case but just really prepare throughly beforehand! any other q's just shout x

I am in an IVA and have a Halifax Easy Cash account which i use for my salary payments and Direct Debits and it comes with a Visa Electron card which you can now use nearly everywhere in stores and online (well apart from Tescos online groceries lol). you also get online banking and the balance instantly reflects any payments you make on your card so you always know how much cash you actually have available. its a basic bank account (no overdraft or cheque book) so there are no credit checks made.

Pippa, Sue, Kerri, Skip, Fudge, Zarron - thanks very much guys - I really appreciate your help. I can pretty much account for the loans (they were used to pay of credit cards, which I ran up again!), but it's what I spent the cash that I withdrew from my cards that I can't account for - I spent money on nights out etc, paying bills, groceries etc. Do you think the OR will understand? D.

Yes I am sure that they will - I said with one of my credit card debts (almost 5 grand) that i spent the money on day to day living - I even went as far to say I robbed Peter to pay Paul that type of thing and they appreciated my honesty, most OR's I believe know the spiral of debt and how it can overcome you and will be sympathetic but i think its when people say I got into debt and I don't care that there is a problem - at the of my interview my OR said the thing that helped was that I had written everything down and supplied more information than she needed and that I was honest - she said that a few people try and bluff thier way through never a good idea! you will be fine just prepare as much as you can

Good Luck