www.iva.co.uk

Hi.

I'm nearly 3 years into my IVA. I started off paying £250 per month and when my car finance was finished I was surposed to add this to my payments, making them £423 per month. Well marriage, a child etc later we couldn't really afford to pay this extra into the IVA so in July 2007 I contacted Accuma asking them to change my IVA from Sept when the change was due, to keep it at £250 per month. It's now April 2008 and still this hasn't been done. I've emailed them and got some rather strong worded emails back, they then lost the emails and I had to send them copies and now they are asking for wage slips and bank statements because I haven't been paying. As I wrote in my emails I was stopping payment of £250 until the matter was sorted out. I really don't know what to do now, why have they been dragging there feet on this. I contacted them July 2007 because I wanted the change to have been dealt with before it was due to happen in Sept 2007.

Sorry about the long post and I hope it makes sense.

I'm a bit worried that you might now be in default - you can't simply stop paying the contributions to force the Supervisors hand I'm afraid.

What you are asking them to do requires a variation of your arrangement. For them to be able to put it forward they do need evidence to put before the creditors to demonstrate that it's in everyone's interest for it to continue, as what you are asking for is, in overall terms, a fairly hefty reduction. Your income and expenditure needs to be reworked so the Supervisor can give the creditors the necessary assurances.

There may be a number of reasons for this happening - one possibility could be the general run-down of their Manchester Office and the relocation of many of the cases to their sister company, Wilson Philips. I just don't know though why the communication isn't there but can see why you've not got a deal as they've got nothing to support the variation.

On this occasion I would suggest forget about e-mails and try to get hold of your Supervisor. Alternatively I do know one of the Accuma IPs quite well so if you would like me to find out on the quiet for you what's going on I can put a call in for you. If that's of use, contact me on the freefone number via the link below and tell the person who answers that I've invited you to call.

Ian

Hi Ian,

I am in a similar situation to Ange77, although I have not stopped the payments. I am paying around £371 per month on a £43K debt. I am entering the end of my second year, and my rent payments have gone up from £550 to £675 due to different circumstances which I have nto been able to avoid (being the main one I am renting and in London!). I wrote to them in november telling them that my rent has gone up as I needed to move and my new address too - I have had to deprive myself from socialising, eating too much as I need to pay the rent- but had not heard anything back. I then posted another letter to them in Feb attaching the original one but still nothing. I have called several times and asked for someone to call me back but nothing.

I feel they have been somehow quite unfair with me and did not represent me properly when they were negotiating with the creditors.

Could you advice on whether is possible to change IP's at this stage without having to restart the 5 years?

Thanks

Jeile

Hi

You would need to apply to Court to replace the Supervisor I'm afraid, which would be an expensive process and one which would be fraught with difficulty.

Same comments as for Ang apply. I could speak with my contact at Accuma to get an IP to look at your case but I would need details and you would need to get hold of me personally to give me authority to do so.

Ian

Hi ange77 and Jeile

This is really bad and gets such firms a bad reputation. I hope that you are both keeping copies of ALL correspondence as proof.

I would also be inclined to name and shame ... this Forum is really beginning to have some clout in the industry nowadays ... email your IP the link to your posting on this Forum.

Experts ... is there any kind of professional body that one can make a complaint to an IP about?

Debbie

Yes - all IPs are governed and licenced by 8 differing regulatory bodies - mine is the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales but there are others.

Yes there is Debbie. Every IP has a personal license and it can be taken away. It is a very draconian measure, however, and done in very extreme circumstances. A single complaint may result in a fine or a disciplinary slap on the wrist. This will most likely be advertised too!

Whilst it may give some satisfaction to some to see the IP squirm, it probably doesn't actually help the debtor too much. Also, It is fair to say that, on some occasions, I know the actual IPs concerned. Most of them are decent honest and hard-working people who, if they knew that these things were happening, would be only too happy to intervene and, hopefully, put the wheel back on.

Hence my offers to get involved on a number of occasions. Where requested to do so, I have simply advised the IP of the problem and they have done the rest. I know of no cases so far, where I have done this, that this has not produced something positive.

Should it be necessary? Not at all. But if a quick phone call can help sort things out I think I have a moral responsibility.

Ian

Ian - I hear what you say, but why would IPs not be aware of a brewing complaint within their organisation, if they exercised proper control over their cases?

I have worked in both small practices and large national firms, and if there are the correct controls in place, and an appropriate level of experienced and trained staff, there should be few issues like this - and some of these firms get mentioned on this forum time and time again!

Your stance in these matters is commendable, and the forum posters caught up in such poor communication issues will be very grateful - and I would do the same as you if I knew the IP well enought to have a word in ear (thankfully I have rarely had to do this, but maybe I just know the good guys!).

Primarily I think because this tends to be a problem restricted to the IVA "Factories" most of whom, with a couple of notable exceptions, are in the North West. As a result, I will know most of them. It's that simple really.

Accuma ARE a nightmare. I'm with them and had nothing but trouble until the lovely Melanie told me where I could get my IP's email address.

Ever since they've been great )

I am a great believer in "it's not what you know but who you know" ... I know that a few words in the ears of the people that counted from Melanie really helped to move my F&F on.

One of the many great things about this Forum is there are expert folks who are willing to have a word in the ear of the people that count [:)]

Debbie

I really thought Accuma were Ok, but then I didnt go all the way.

Thank you very much for all this info guys.

Ian, if I could get your email address and you can help me get through to them I will be more than grateful.

Also, when they were 'on my side' they negotiated my terms really badly. Apparently you can get down to 25% of the total debt. Well, my debt was £43K and over the 5 years I would've paid £21K, which is 48% of that. I just think I was a little misled and sicne I was desperate for my creditors to stop coming to my door, I accepted that without thinking much. Now I hear some people owing roughly what I do are on £200 pcm over 5 years..... Reason why I was thiking of changing IP.

I fully understand they are nice hard-working people, but as Melanie says, big companies such as Accuma should have some sort of measuring tool to monitor the level of satisfaction within their clientele.

At the end of the day we are the ones providing them with their income, and all I've had so far from them (since they became the Supervisor) is delays and misscommunication - Have sent a couple of letters since November (inlcuding one with my new address and new rent) and response. I even called last week and spoke to someone on the phone who was supposed to come back to me -because she needed to take my file out- and nothing to this day.

Anyway, if you could please let me have your email address I can give you my info and questions so you could perhaps help me getting me in touch with someone within Accuma?

Thanks ever so much

Jeile

Hi,

I just have to say my husbands IVA is with Accuma and they have been great with us.

Maybe its not so much the company but the individual IP?

Julie

Hi,

if you use the following link and put your IP's name in it will give you a contact email address. I only found this out from Melanie on here but since i have used email and avoided phone calls/letter which mainly get deflected by their adminny guys my impresion of them has changed so much.

http://www.insolvency-service.co.uk/newipsearch.htm

My IP Andrew Wilkinson has been an absolute star since i managed to get his email address, replying usually within the hour )