Debt pronWatching TV the other day we caught one of these "Bank of Mummy or the Wife" type shows and we thought, "This is Debt Pron." I.e. peoples financial problems exploited for the voyeuristic pleasure of others. Then we thought, "We bet lots of people on B3ta have massive financial problems. Let's exploit them." So, confess them all. Dodgy credit cards, lending money to some bloke in the pub, visits from the bailiffs, using one card to pay off another. We want to wallow in your fiscal pain. So, what is your biggest money fuck up?
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rob, Thu 23 Nov 2006, 19:50)
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Happy endingLike a lot of people, I've always found it easier to spend money than not, even when its my banks money and not strictly mine. To this end, I managed to rack up nearly 15K in debts on credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts.
This left me in a whole heap of fun when I lost my job and had all my creditors breathing down my neck. My bank didn't help much, other than motivating me to get a new job very quickly by charging me excessively for each debt payment I missed (where is in the point in penalising someone who has no cashmoney anyway?)
Thankfully, I got so pissed off at this point, with being fearful for answering the door or my phone, in case bailiffs were to turn up, that I got in touch with all my creditors and made arrangements for all my debts to be paid off at vastly reduced rates until I got myself back in work. I started feeling a lot better knowing that end was in sight, even if I would be paying off debts for 5 years or so.
This summer, I decided to turn the tables on my bank. A friend had told me that the system of charges being levied on current bank accounts was being challenged by lots of folks as being unlawful, and people were actually threatening their banks to court over getting their charges refunded!
Ace! I thought, and duly looked into this. This ended with me filing court proceedings against my bank this past summer. Several months of legal wrangling ensued, letters back and forth between me and my banks solicitors. Them constantly reminding me that I hadn't a snowballs change in hell. Well guess who caved in 3 weeks ago in an out of court settlement? My banks solicitors, thats who, the money grabbing scumbags. £5K in my pocket, thankyouverymuch! :D This was all my banks charges for 6 years, plus about a grand interest.
Now I've used this cashmoney to finish paying off most of my debts and treat myself to a few massive benders and am nearly debt free to boot.
No apologies for lack of depressing story :D
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LemonEntryMyDearWatson This time, Moriarty, the hand is on the other foot, Fri 24 Nov 2006, 8:35,
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