Author: Craig Stocks

Sheriff Officers, their powers and what to do when faced with one

Posted on by Craig Stocks
Dealing with bailiffs at your doorstep is one of the most anxiety-provoking, overwhelming aspects of a debt problem. In Scotland, bailiffs are called sheriff officers. Typically, you will encounter a sheriff officer if you have unsecured debts like council tax arrears, tax payments or utility bill arrears which you are struggling to repay. What’s worse is, you may find yourself too busy trying to get by, to learn about their powers or what to do should you ever find yourself receiving that knock on the door. Sheriff officers enforce court orders relating to debt recovery on behalf of government agencies, private companies or individual creditors. With the right documentation, a Sheriff Officer can enter your home, using reasonable force if blocked from doing so and remove items that belong to you, both inside or outside of your home. These items are taken and resold with the proceeds going towards repaying your outstanding debt balance. While they are officers of the court they are not the police, and therefore their powers are limited in that they can only enforce an existing court order. Creditors are entitled to instruct sheriff officers to take action only when they have made formal attempts to collect your debt. If you have received a ‘charge for payment’ (a formal demand for payment which is commonly sent after at least two or three previous letters warning of court action) this is your guide on sheriff officers: what they can and can’t do; your rights, and how to handle the situation without creating new problems.  

Powers of a Sheriff Officer in Scotland

  Forced Entry The ultimate concern of anyone with unsecured debts they can’t afford is that a sheriff officer will force their way into their home and seize their possessions indiscriminately. Though forced entry is allowed in certain cases, it is quite rare and depends on express authority from the courts.< So when can Sheriff Officers enter your home in Scotland? The Sheriff Officer requires an ‘Exceptional Attachment Order’ before they can force entry. Prior to gaining an Exceptional Attachment Order, a creditor must show that they have made reasonable attempts to repay the debt such as serving you with a Charge for Payment, allowing you 14 days to repay your debt. Additionally, for the order to be valid, you must have received a Debt Advice and Information Package from your creditor along with the charge for payment. As such, whoever your creditor may be, you should always be sure to note whether or not you have received an information pack with any documentation they have sent. A Sheriff Officer should also first try a less intrusive way of recovering your debt such as arresting your bank account, executing an Earning Arrestment or enforcing an Attachment Order. However, if a creditor can prove that they didn’t employ these methods because it wouldn’t have resulted in the debt being repaid they can be excused from not using them and apply for an Exceptional Assessment Order. Before granting an Exceptional Assessment Order a Sheriff Officer will consider the nature of your debt, your living, working and financial circumstances and whether you have applied for and been rejected from debt help in the past along with a number of other factors. When an Exceptional Assessment Order is granted however, they can force entry to, and remove items from your home. What if I refuse entry to the Sheriff Officers?  If you or someone over the age of 16 with a full understanding of the situation does refuse entry to an authorised sheriff officer, they can force a door open or break a lock/window to gain entry. It’s quite ambiguous who would pay for these damages but the general rule is that the cost is covered as part of the officer’s fee. However, it is not uncommon for the cost to be forwarded onto you. Sheriff Officers cannot enter or seize possessions if, when they arrive:
  • You or someone over the age of 16 is not present.
  • If you’re not present, but someone aged 16 or older is they can’t force entry if that person doesn’t speak or understand English; or is unable to understand the situation because of physical or mental disability.
What can Sheriff Officers take? If the Sheriff Officer has an Exceptional Attachment Order, they are entitled to seize any ‘non-essential’ possessions from inside your home. They can also take any goods from outside your home unless they are exempt – as an example, they can force entry into a locked garage to recover a car you have missed hire purchase payments on. It will hopefully be reassuring to know, however, that most of the goods inside your home are likely to be exempt, as it is recognised by the courts that they are essential and you will, therefore, need them. When can Sheriff Officers visit? Sheriff officers are allowed to enforce the order between working the hours of 8am and 8pm. They cannot come to your home at all on a Sunday or a Bank Holiday. Unfortunately, you will not normally be notified as to when they will be coming unless they are in possession of an Exceptional Attachment Order.  

What to Do When Facing a Sheriff Officer

  Again, a sheriff officer can only come into your home with the correct authority from the court to do so – the Exceptional Attachment Order. Without exception, you should always immediately ask the sheriff officer to show you their identification and the document that states that they have the authority to come inside. They are obliged to show you both. Every Sheriff Officer has a red booklet with an identification photograph and the crest of the Scottish court service. It is countersigned by the sheriff clerk for the relevant area. In some cases, it may not be clear from the court document that permission to enter your home is included. As to the Attachment Order, the document usually has a phrase like “grants warrant for all lawful execution.” This is the group of words you are looking for, as they do provide appropriate authority. If you are in any doubt you should ask for the officer’s employer and call them. Though an upsetting ordeal, if the identification and documentation check out, you would be well-advised not to obstruct enforcement. You may face a ‘breach of the peace’ charge if you try to obstruct an officer of the court from carrying out a legitimate court order. It goes without saying that you should not resort to violence. Crucially, at any stage, you can arrange to pay the officer part or all of the debt. If this is affordable, it is probably preferable to having essential goods repossessed, and you should definitely offer to pay whatever you can.  

Has a Sheriff Officer Exceeded Authority?

  If you think that a sheriff officer has behaved in an unreasonable way or taken action beyond their entitled powers, you should immediately call or contact their employer asking for an explanation. You should then make a formal complaint with the Sheriff Principal if you feel that their behaviour has been unreasonable. The Sheriff Principal can arrange for an investigation to be carried out.  

How to avoid this situation

  Dealing with bailiffs and sheriff officers is one of the most distressing aspects of a debt problem, and we may be able to help you avoid to avoid this situation altogether. One of the key advantages of our specialist service, the Protected Trust Deed is that once it is signed and has become protected, as long as you stick to the agreed terms, your creditors can no longer legally contact you or further pursue your debt. Of course, there are other Scottish debt solutions that may help you, such as DAS. All correspondence must be directed to your Insolvency Practitioner instead – no Sheriff Officers, no contact, no stress. You can apply for a statutory moratorium also. Read up on our guide on how to stop sheriff officers in Scotland. For a clean break from your debt problem, get in touch today on 0141 221 0999 or find out if you qualify using our Wizard tool. Our team of friendly and experienced debt advisers, are waiting for your call.

How To Beat Bill Increases: Top 6 Hacks In 2020

Posted on by Craig Stocks
Every year ‘National Price Hike Day’ sees millions of UK households hit with price increases on a wide range of bills. Around 11 million households on standard variable tariffs saw their bills go up by an average of £117. Such increases and price fluctuations are not uncommon and can happen regularly. Be it from your energy provider, the DVLA or on council tax, the last thing you need when you’re struggling to make ends meet is a bill increase. The good news, however, is that although bill increases are inevitable: they are not unavoidable. With some strategic thinking and a bit of research, you may be able to beat them – making some savings and easing the pressure on your finances. How you say? Read on for 6 pro tips, hacks and tools to help you beat bill increases this year and beyond.

1. Find the dates for your diary

Number one in our guide on how to beat bill increases. Fail to prepare and prepare to fail -planning is everything. First and foremost it’s crucial that you know when you can expect a bill increase and who with. April 1st marks the start of a new financial year and many companies and government departments will introduce price increases in line with annual inflation on this date. So, this is the main date for your diary. On top of this though, a lot of energy and service providers send out a lot of spam mail in the post, be sure to at least skim through all correspondence and keep an eye out for any notifications about a price increase. Each time you do see one, take a note of the date and provide so you can plan to beat the price hike well in advance.

2. Identify saving areas and shop around

  Number two in our guide on how to beat bill increases. Some increases like council tax, water bills and vehicle tax are harder to avoid, so it’s important to focus on the costs that you can control. There are an abundance of these and plenty of savings to make. Customers who have been with the same provider for energy, TV and broadband networks and mobile phone contract providers for years are almost certainly paying too much. There are hundreds of great deals out there if you shop around. Various apps with built-in comparison services, such as Emma and Moneysupermarket.com that will do the hard work for you and find the best deals for your circumstances.

3. Start with your phone – ask for a better deal

Number three in our guide on how to beat bill increases. There’s a good chance that you’re reading this article on your phone and that’s exactly where you should start. In April: EE increased their prices by 2.7% whilst O2 and Three raised theirs by 2.5%. This has led to an average increase of £9.72 a year. Phone contracts and service provision is a highly competitive market, and under new Ofcom rules, you can cancel your contract with a free text, and ask your new provider to switch you within one working day. This can be very convenient, but we still advise that you get on the phone and haggle the old-fashioned way. Find a quote online for a contract and service similar to yours with another operator and call your provider. Ask for the disconnections department and relay the details to them. In truth, ‘disconnections’ is actually the customer retention department. Faced with losing a customer, their operators are trained to pull out all of the stops to keep you with them. From here, if you are even close to the expiry of your contract and seem serious about changing providers, they will likely offer you an improved deal.

4. Compare Energy Suppliers

  Next, you should turn your attention to your energy provider for our fourth hack on how to beat bill increases. The UK’s main energy providers have raised prices by at least 10%. As such this is probably the area where you are overpaying most and where you could make the biggest savings. For starters, try This is Money’s comparison tool, or the Cheap Energy Club tool – compare the results you get with your last bill. A lot of smaller providers have not decided to raise prices this year and there is a good chance, especially if you have been with your provider for years, that they could offer a better tariff. As a little motivation: should you find a new provider, the cheapest deals for typical users are around £835 per year, meanwhile those on a standard tariff typically pay around £1,083 (UK Average). That’s an average of £21 more that could be in your pocket every month!

5. Satellite TV Packages

  Old habits die hard and Sky TV and Virgin Media has been household essentials in the UK for over 20 years.TV & Cable savings weigh in as our fifth tip to beat bill increases this year. An average rise of 5.1% in prices, averaging out at £3.50 a month is, therefore, most unwelcome. But times appear to be changing, and there are a lot of viable alternatives out there now, hence the turn to cheaper, on-demand services like Netflix. TV packages are much like phone contracts – the marketplace is highly competitive and providers, therefore, place a lot of emphasis on customer retention. As a starting point, you should compare broadband and TV prices online and grab a quote for Amazon Prime or Now TV, following the same haggling process we detailed above.

6. Road Tax and Car Insurance

  Lastly, in our sixth hack to help you beat bill increases this year, short of switching to an electric car, road tax increases are pretty unavoidable, unfortunately. The good news though, is that there are still some savings to make with regards to your car insurance. You should never auto-renew your car insurance. Loyalty is expensive: car insurance companies take advantage of the fact that most customers would like to avoid the effort changing insurer, and so they charge a higher premium every year. If your renewal is coming up, consult all of the main price comparison sites: Comparethemarket.com; Go Compare; Confused.com; and Moneysupermarket.com. As ever, it is more than worth your time to get on the phone to your current insurer and haggle. You could also look into multi-car deals, adding responsible drivers, reconsidering add-ons and more. Pro tip: Money Saving Expert has pinpointed the exact day on which you should buy car insurance.https://www.confused.com/campaign/car-insurance/car-insurance-25 They analysed over 18 million quotes and found that thousands of customers lose money by buying a policy too far in advance, and ‘last-minute losers’ pay well over the odds for waiting too long. By renewing your insurance exactly 21 days (three weeks) before your current policy expires, you could make savings of up to £600. Read their full Car Insurance Renewal report.

Beating Bill Increases – We’re Here to Help

  If you’re struggling to make ends meet and pay your bills, we can help. We’ve helped over 20,000 people struggling with debt and know first hand how small expenses like these can add up over time – making it easy to lose control. If this applies to you, our team of friendly, expert advisors, are waiting for your call. As heard on radio in Scotland and as seen on television, promoting our Trust Deed TV awareness campaigns. We are debt advisers for the people of Scotland. We are here for you if you are in an unmanageable financial position and can talk you through your options.You could join the thousands of Scottish residents who we’ve helped reach a brighter future. For a confidential chat with a member of the debt advice team, get in touch today on 0141 221 0999.

How long does it take to pay off debt?

Posted on by Craig Stocks
In our recent guide on how to track down your debts, we discussed how a debt problem can be all-consuming, and that small purchases and loans add up fast. So, how long does it take to pay off debt? Most of the time, you will find yourself bogged down trying to make ends meet, always thinking about how to afford the next payment. This leaves little time to consider the long-term picture. When it comes to the big purchases in life such as buying a home, debt is generally part of the deal and most of us accept that. However, similar acceptance of unsecured debt (credit cards, payday loans, store cards, catalogues, hire purchase payments, etc.) can lead to a big problem. Before borrowing from any source, you should ask two key, longer-term questions:
  1. Can I afford the interest on this?
  2. How long will this take to repay?
The answer to the latter question can be shocking, and will often change your initial answer to the first. Below is our guide to interest rates on unsecured debts, and the truth about how long it really takes to pay off debt in Scotland.  

Minimum credit cards repayments – the start of a spiral

  Minimum monthly repayments are set at very low levels, sometimes as low as 2%. It can be tempting to take advantage of this. In the short-term you have access to credit, your credit rating is unaffected, and after all, you may be juggling other debts and expenses. Nonetheless, we cannot advise against it strongly enough. Paying the monthly minimum on credit card balances will cost you dearly and take years to pay off in full. In some cases, thousands of pounds over a period of decades. It is easiest to demonstrate how bad an idea minimum repayments are by way of example. Using the example of a £1,000 balance on a somewhat typical 18.9% APR card, the Mirror found that two-fifths of people had ‘no idea’ how long it would take to clear the balance. In this instance, the minimum repayment would be £25 a month. If this was your only monthly contribution, it would take over 5 years to repay, and you would have paid £509 more in interest than what you initially borrowed. The results are even more striking if we scale up the outstanding balance. An excellent resource you should take advantage of if you have a credit card, or are considering taking one out is the ‘Reality Check’ Calculator, created by This is Money. We used the calculator to see how long it would take to repay a more extreme £10,000 card at minimum repayment. Again on a standard 18.9% APR card, the calculator shows that it would take 184 minimum monthly repayments of £167 to clear the balance. That’s 15 years and 4 months. Currently, around 10% of credit card users are making the minimum monthly repayment. In our time assisting over [volume] clients, we have found that the additional interest charges you incur by doing so can commonly trigger a serious debt problem.  

What can you do to pay off your debt?

  Which? – the UK’s consumer association, and Money Super Market both have similar calculators to the one used above. Your first step should be to use one of these so as to see the big picture: how long will this take me to repay, and at what extra cost? Recently we talked about the rollover option on payday loans, and how this can multiply your debt in just a few months. These calculators allow you to enter whatever interest rate you want, and so can be used for any unsecured debt including hire purchases, store cards, and payday loans. Once you see the full picture, you will no doubt see that it is best to pay whatever you can each month towards the balance rather than just the minimum amount. Obviously, the full amount each month would be ideal, but if you are a regular to our blog there is a good chance this is unaffordable for you at the moment. Not to worry, a little goes a very long way here. Calling back to our first example above, the £1,000 18.9% APR card, we can see that small increases can save you hundreds in interest and cut the time to pay significantly. By upping the repayment by just an extra £5 (to £30 p/m,) you would clear the £1,000 balance in under 4 years, paying £378 interest as opposed to £509. Push it up to £45 a month and you would repay 2 years and 4 months, with interest down to £217. Clearly, boosting payments by a small amount each month can help to tackle this debt a lot quicker and save you a fortune in interest. This is the core principle of the ‘debt snowballing method’ we’ve spoken about before. If your credit rating is still relatively strong, an even more effective way of making savings on interest is to transfer the balance to a 0% interest balance transfer card. As the name suggests, these allow you to move debt from one card to a 0% interest card, which can last as long as two or three years. With a bit of planning and the right deal, this should help you entirely cut the interest you have to pay, and of course, pay off the outstanding balance quicker. Money Saving Expert’s Credit Card Eligibility Calculator is a go-to resource to find out the best Credit Card deals you will be eligible for.  

Where we come in

  If you are reading this article in our info hub, there is a chance that debt has gotten on top of you already, and your situation calls for more drastic measures. It’s maybe not so much a case of how long does it take to pay off debt, and more a question of will I ever be able to pay off my debt? You are far from alone. At the end of 2018, each UK household owed £886 more on average than it did 12 months previously. This figure doesn’t include outstanding mortgage debt or student loans. Amidst a national debt crisis, and the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic, we at Trust Deed Scotland offer a legislative option that can set you on your way to a financial fresh start. The Protected Trust Deed and the Debt Arrangement Scheme are our specialist services. Once protected, your licensed Insolvency Practitioner will handle all correspondence with each of your creditors for you. The Trust Deed will see you look to make a fresh financial start in 4-5 years, so long as you make your single monthly contribution – which is tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle. As this monthly amount is based on what you can reasonably afford it is likely to be significantly less than your current debt repayment. For a confidential chat with a member of our debt advice team, get in touch today on 0141 221 0999 or find out if you qualify today using our Trust Deed Wizard tool.

How to Stop Sheriff Officers in Scotland

Posted on by Craig Stocks
Stopping Sheriff Officers in Scotland – Sheriff Officers typically work on behalf of government bodies, most commonly they are used to collect council tax arrears debt and also on behalf of individual creditors. They are often confused with the rest of the UK equivalent, bailiffs. Creditors (the people you owe money to) use threats of Sheriff Officers and bailiffs to frighten individuals into repaying debts, most often through further unaffordable borrowing. The terrifying idea of someone taking all your worldly goods is further intensified by well known TV adverts such as Channel 5’s ‘If you don’t pay, we’ll take it away‘. Stirling Park and Walker Love are two of the most well-known Sheriff Officers and Messenger-at-Arms companies collecting debt in Scotland. If you’ve received a letter or visit from Sheriff Officers about council tax debt, or any other type of personal debt such as defaulted personal loans, don’t panic. In this article, you’ll find basic help on how to deal with all Sheriff Officers, from Walker Love, Stirling Park sheriff officers or any other. Trust Deed Scotland will help you find out what to do if they come to your house and how to stop them from taking your belongings. If you’ve received a letter or visit from Sheriff Officers about council tax debt, or any other type of personal debt such as defaulted personal loans, don’t panic. Sheriff Officers and Messenger-at-Arms are strictly regulated and can only act to the extent that they are allowed to do so, within the Scottish legal system. To try and force entry into an individual’s property in Scotland, they must have the authority to do so. They would have what is known as an Exceptional Attachment Order. Only where they have an exceptional attachment order, will they issue it to you before trying to access your property. Find out what to do if they come to your house and how to stop them from taking your belongings.  

What should you do if Sheriff Officers come to your home?

Don’t let Sheriff Officers in when they come to your door. You’re under no obligation to allow a Sheriff Officer in Scotland to enter your home.  

What can Sheriff Officers in Scotland do?

Sheriff Officers usually only get involved after your local authority or creditor has taken you to court in Scotland. They have the legal power to remove and sell your belongings to pay your debts. If you let Sheriff Officers into your home, they can take:
  • Money
  • Jewellery
  • Luxury items such as televisions and game consoles
  • Items that you own jointly with someone else
  • Vehicles that are owed by you and not covered by hire purchase agreements, or any other outstanding finance.
They can’t take things that you need to use to live, work tools or equipment that don’t amount to more than £1,350 or someone else’s belongings. Proving that items in the house don’t belong to you, can be very difficult without receipts, or proof of ownership.  

What if a Sheriff Officer has already taken your goods?

To get your goods back you will have to:
  • Pay off your debt owed before your goods are sold on by Walker Love, Stirling Park etc
  • Buy your goods back yourself
  • Come to an agreement with your creditor and request that they ask the Sheriff Officer to return your goods back to yourself
You will be able to get your goods back if you can prove the Sheriff Officer did not follow the correct procedure when they took your goods from you. This emphasises why it is important to not let the Sheriff Officer into your home at any point.  

Can Sheriff Officers really take my car?

Just like in the TV programme, ‘If you don’t pay, we’ll take it away’, bailiffs do often take vehicles, as this is the easiest thing for them to seize. The same rules apply in Scotland with Sheriff Officers as it also means that they don’t need access in to your property. They can take your car if it is owned jointly with someone else. If it’s owned independently through a third party, then they will not be able to take it. This will be true if the car is still under a hire purchase agreement. Walker Love Sheriff Officers will also not be able to take your car if you have a blue disabled badge. Nor will any other Sheriff Officer from Stirling Park or anywhere else.  

What other charges can Sheriff Officers add?

There is the possibility that you will be charged additional fees by Sheriff Officers such as:
  • The cost of storing your belongings when they’ve been taken
  • Any court fees that they have had to pay
  • The cost of locksmiths
They will even charge a fee to you for the cost of putting your goods up for auction or a commission on the selling price. You have the legal rights in Scotland to see receipts or evidence for all of these expenses that have been added to your debt. You do need to pay these fees in Scottish law. Once a warrant has been issued by the court, these fees become legally due.  

Making a complaint about Sheriff Officers

If you do believe that a Sheriff Officer has behaved in a manner which brings themselves, their profession or the Court into disrepute, you can still make a complaint. When making a complaint about a Sheriff Officer or a Messenger-at-Arms, you have two options: The first option is to complain to their professional body, which is the Society of Messenger at Arms and Sheriff Officers. The second option, you can also make a complaint to the Court whose authority they were acting upon. In the case of a Sheriff Officer this means the sheriff principal of the local sheriff court. Secondly, in the case of a Messenger-at-Arms, their equivalent is the lord president’s office. In Scotland some creditors employ Sheriff Officers and Messenger-at-Arms as debt collectors. When acting in this lesser capacity of debt collectors, Sheriff Officers have no additional power over those held by other debt collection companies involved in collecting defaulted debts. They are not allowed to remove your property and cannot your arrest wages. They cannot enter your home without your permission. Trust Deed Scotland can give you advice and help on how to set up plans that will put an end to harassment from Sheriff Officers for the long term. Help is available for residents of Scotland and we’re here to get you a fresh start. Find out more about protection from Sheriff Officers and how a Statutory Moratorium (Scotland) may help you by calling us on 0141 221 0999.

Google crackdown on misleading debt service ads

Posted on by Craig Stocks

Google has restricted its advertising product availability for bogus debt companies in a move welcomed by Trust Deed Scotland®.

You can read our article on the Daily Record here

Any debt advice firm wishing to advertise on Google will be forced to provide official accreditation of a UK regulatory body before being allowed to advertise on Google.

Amanda Hendry of Trust Deed Scotland® advised “We’ve been aware of a number of firms operating, passing themselves off as the official Trust Deed Scotland® for a number of years now. Remarkably, these ‘lead generation companies’ can come as far away as India, the Philippines and more commonly from call-centres based in England.

Not only does this cause uncertainty in the market but it also opens up consumers to receiving advice below a standard that we here at the official Trust Deed Scotland® pride ourselves upon.

We have heavily invested in our own compliance and call recording technology and regularly commit our advisors to regular training sessions.”

Trust Deed Scotland® have been helped over [volume] people in Scotland by providing Debt Help in Scotland.

A growing concern

There have been over 83 instances of fraudulent impersonator websites reported for advertising on the platform in 2019 as a debt charity, an increase from 46 the previous year. A staggering 80% increase.

Trust Deed Scotland® added “People who need financial advice are often vulnerable and susceptible to calls and online offers from individuals offering ‘government approved solutions.’

This, in fact, can result in a worsening of their finances as those companies then aim to sell their details onto effectively the highest bidder.”

Matthew Lavine, of Google who is employed as a product policy specialist, said of the issue: “This is the culmination of extensive work by our policy teams globally and we have listened to and consulted with debt advice charities and other organisations whose users will benefit from this policy.”

Spoofing

Likewise, there has been an increased number of ‘spoofed’ numbers in the industry. This is the practice of rogue companies changing caller ID screens using VoIP technology from abroad to mimic the telephone numbers of known debt companies such as Trust Deed Scotland® an issue that Ofcom are working with international regulators to find solutions for alongside

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which helps to develop standards on the internet. Together they have created a group designated to solving this problem.

If you ever receive a call from a company pertaining to be from Trust Deed Scotland®, remember that the official Trust Deed Scotland® will never buy your data from a third party, nor pass your data onto any other 3rd party.

You will never receive a cold call from Trust Deed Scotland®. If in doubt, hang-up and contact the official Trust Deed Scotland® on 0141 221 0999.

 

Black Friday Debt Hangover

Posted on by Craig Stocks
Black Friday Debt Hangover and its Cures – Black Friday has been and gone, and for many residents in Scotland, the allure of snapping up those festive bargains ahead of the crowd and making purchases for their loved ones Christmas gifts was too much and they have unwittingly run up a Black Friday Debt. It was many years ago now that Black Friday really took off in the UK. Now, it’s no longer just a day, but a week-long event with several weeks planning and extensions. Many experts have spoken negatively about Black Friday culture and at Trust Deed Scotland, we’ve seen a significant number of people request debt help in Scotland at this time of year, citing credit card and store card debts as one of the biggest contributors to their financial difficulties. However, at this time of year, Christmas is also the biggest time of year for getting into debt with 13% of Scots spending too heavily last Christmas making for a distinctly sobering New Year. We all receive offers via our emails, Google and on social media. More concerning for Trust Deed Scotland, is that many of these offers are sold on a ‘Shop Now, Pay Later’ basis with many online retailers encouraging people to buy those items on credit cards. The likes of Klarna receive a lot of criticism in recent years. Even more of a worry, the full embrace of Black Friday on the high street with many stores featuring posters in their shop fronts. And yet with all the bluster surrounding these shopping ‘must-have’ deals combined with the added pressure of Christmas being on the way, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy and go a bit further with your spending. After all, you’re getting yourself a bargain, right? Black Friday may not be all its hyped-up to be. In 2017 a survey done by the consumer-focused group Which? found that 87% of the items tracked during Black Friday & Cyber Monday were the same price at other times of the year. Often cheaper! If you think you may have overdone it this year and accrued a Black Friday debt, we’ve put together a list of actions to help you avoid Black Friday on credit becoming a debt hangover in the New Year.

How to avoid a Black Friday Debt

If you aren’t careful, you run the risk of your Black Friday debt manifesting into a Blue Monday hangover in the following January. ⚫ Check the terms of your Buy Now, Pay Later arrangement Are you sure you’ll be able to meet this later? Be cautious, penalties for late payment can be severe ⚫ Beware the appeal of store cards “We can give you 10% off if you open a store card today”. We’re all familiar with this conversation with shop workers, right? The trouble is, they are actually a more expensive form of borrowing than credit cards, with interest rates often greater than 30% ⚫ Don’t fund your purchases with your bank overdraft New banking rules in 2020 are going make this risky borrowing even more expensive. But bank overdraft fees are high already and can be taken off you at a moment’s notice. ⚫ Remember utility bills Due to our typically Scottish climate, its safe to say that we’re all paying out more at this time of year, with many bills becoming due in January. ⚫ Keep an eye on your wage payment days It is not uncommon for many Scots to be paid early in December, typically resulting in the longest period between two paydays. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you have more money in the short term, as you most certainly will experience difficulties towards the end of January. ⚫ Don’t ignore this month’s bills Never ever put Black Friday and Christmas spending ahead of your mortgage, rent, council tax bills. These ‘priority’ debts should always come first, regardless. ⚫ Start a Christmas 2020 savings account In order to take advantage of last-minute deals in next years Black Friday, you can start to plan your true budget. This also means that you can sit down and work out your plan of what you actually need to buy. ⚫ Take on a second job? Now is the time to take advantage of casual, seasonal opportunities with many shops and hospitality functions offering hours here and there. But check your contract to make sure your employer permits this. ⚫ Skip the Christmas night out Perhaps you bought a new outfit in the Black Friday sale. You then need to remember to budget for your night out, with the added burden of awaiting taxis. Overcrowded pubs and clubs. Consider whether it is worth the fuss. ⚫ If you think you’ve overspent, Get Help If you’re having trouble with your finances post Black Friday, Trust Deed Scotland can help you overcome your debts. Our advisors are experts in providing Scottish debt solutions and the advice offered is completely non-judgemental and confidential. Why not give us a call today and find out how we can help? For a confidential debt consultation with a team member, get in touch today on 0141 221 0999 or find out if you qualify in just 60 seconds.

New Year, New You Managing Your Debt

Posted on by Craig Stocks
New Year’s Resolutions and Managing Your Debts – As recently as January 2020, many people had been showing their results of a ‘ten year challenge’ on social media platforms to mark the beginning of the new decade. The average household in Scotland owes over £15,000 on unsecured debts such as credit card debts, bank overdrafts and unsecured loans. Add in years of austerity, wage stagnation and the rising cost of borrowing, it’s little wonder that many people with financial difficulties over that same period have declined the opportunity to join in on this challenge.

Christmas Debt Hangover?

The average person in Scotland spends over £1,000 a year on Christmas and a sizeable amount of that has gone on gifts. Without assistance, it is easy to imagine that by the next time the 10-year challenge comes around, many people in financial difficulties may not be in a better position. This is also the time of year for new year’s resolutions to be made. Lose weight and join a gym, get a new job, book your dream holiday amongst others. And, many people may be contemplating managing their debt as their New Year’s resolution. While it’s true that quitting smoking, drinking and eating fewer takeaways will reduce your outgoings considerably, this alone may not be enough to impact your overall debt total.

New Year, Old Debts?

Many debt-help guides talk about being able to switch credit cards, consolidate debts with loans and advise ways of saving money through lifestyle changes. All great suggestions of course, which will help many families in Scotland but for those people at the severest end of the credit ratings spectrum, some of these solutions are unavailable or ineffective. Credit card providers including Royal Bank of Scotland, TSB and Barclays had been instructed in 2018 by a UK regulatory body to tackle what they describe as ‘persistent credit card debt’ in a period of 18 months and this means that those credit card lenders will be forced to close and suspend accounts that have been making minimum payments to their credit card balance over that same period. These changes are likely to most impact those with the most overall debts more than any other typical borrower.

What Is Blue Monday?

Look out for your loved ones in the run up to January 18 2021, described as Blue Monday. Blue Monday is a term used to describe the most depressing day of the year, the third Monday of January every year and is calculated using a formula using multiple factors. This includes our typical miserable Scottish weather conditions and our lack of daylight. The difference between debt accumulated and our ability to repay. The time since Christmas and the time since failing our new year’s resolutions. Low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action. This is the time most people with financial difficulties are likely to feel their Christmas debt hangover the most. Learn more in our article Together we can beat Blue Monday.

New Year, New You!

If you have decided that next year is going to be the year that you get back in control of your finances, regardless of your debt amount, our experts can work with you to provide solutions that suit your circumstances. Perhaps, you want to ensure that by the next time a ten year challenge comes around, you’re able to join in and add a positive experience. Our experienced debt advisers provide Scottish debt help and their advice has helped give debt help in Scotland since 2009. All advice offered is completely non-judgemental and confidential. Why not give us a call today and find out how we can help? For a confidential debt consultation with a team member, get in touch today on 0141 221 0999 or try our Trust Deed Wizard to find out if you qualify for debt repayment solutions in just 60 seconds.

Trust Deed Scotland is now the Most Trusted Debt Advisor on Trustpilot

Posted on by Craig Stocks

Trust Deed Scotland is now the Most Trusted Debt Advisor on Trustpilot

Nobody likes thinking about financial issues. If you haven’t sought out the right debt advice service you’ll probably have a knot in your stomach at the thought of your balance sheets. Fortunately, as thousands of our clients have found out, it doesn’t have to be this way.

With Trust Deed Scotland, the no.1 rated Scottish debt help team hitting a TrustScore of 5/5, we’re confident that we have the best possible service for people in Scotland struggling with their debt.

Trustpilot is a review driven community where consumers can collect reviews, letting other people know what they think of services they’ve used. It’s like the Yellow Pages where companies are ranked based on how trustworthy they have been found to be.

Consumers are asked to give a star-based rating from 1-5, and to “share your honest experience, and help others make better choices.” This score is averaged out and multiplied by two to give a company’s ‘TrustScore’.

With this in mind, we’re proud to announce that our Trustscore has hit a record high of 5/5.

The good news doesn’t end there though – we’re also incredibly honoured to be ranked 1st out of 30 companies in the Trustpilot’s Debt Relief category. We’re also 2rd in the Money category, where this category is incredibly broad, covering everything from accountants and banks to mortgage brokers and money transfer companies.

Unsurprisingly, the two companies which are beating us are in completely different financial sectors, separate from both from us and one another. This in turn makes us the most trusted debt advisory service on Trustpilot, based on client feedback.

We would like to thank the hundreds of people who took the time to rate us on Trustpilot, leaving overwhelmingly positive testimonials left on this site for other consumers to see. If you’ve used our services, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Here at Trust Deed Scotland, we help thousands of people get out of debt every year, and we honestly believe that getting out of debt should be a positive experience. As you can see from the reviews we’ve been left below, our customers have found just that. If you have any questions about our services, read the debt advice reviews and then make sure to call us today on 0141 221 0999.

 

Credit Card Debts Scotland

Posted on by Craig Stocks
Credit Card Debts In Scotland are set to increase next month due to what a UK regulatory body describes as persistent debt issues. Persistent debt is classed as an individual who pays more in interest and charges than what they have paid off from their balance. If you have been struggling to make your minimum payment over a period of 36 months, you could find that you are no longer able to use the facility from next month onward. The rules which were designed in 2018 to reduce the cost of borrowing by encouraging customers to pay back their credit card debts sooner, where they can afford to do so. Trust Deed Scotland have spoken to thousands of worried clients over several years, many of which have had two or more credit card debts as part of their overall debt amount and are concerned that credit card lenders may not be doing enough to explain the process to their customers. The response varies from lender to lender. Amanda Hendry of Trust Deed Scotland advised “Whilst we understand that these measures were taken to help individuals manage their outstanding credit card debts, there has been an overall lack of communication or sense of urgency shown by the credit card lenders. There may be a vast number of people in Scotland holding hidden problem debts across multiple credit cards, personal loans and bank overdrafts. These debts will come to the surface and become unmanageable to the extent that priority debts could be missed as a result.” Virgin Money, the owners of Clydesdale Bank are said to be suspending their customers’ accounts from March 2020 onward alongside TSB. Nationwide will start suspending credit cards with persistent debt issues from February. HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and HBOS have yet to comment.

Credit Card Debts Help

If you have credit card debts and live in Scotland, there are options open to you where you can legally freeze interest and charges and get your monthly debt repayment amount back down to a level that is affordable, based on your own circumstances. Trust Deed Scotland can give you tailored, confidential advice on these solutions. Including the Debt Arrangement Scheme and Trust Deeds. If you are worried about credit card debts, give us a call on 0141 221 0999 and our experienced debt advisers will talk you through the pros and cons of these solutions and alternatives.

Gambling Debts In Scotland

Posted on by Craig Stocks

Gambling Debts In Scotland – Credit Cards Ban

When the fun stops. Stop. But what happens when you just can’t stop? For many people in Scotland, the lure of gamble now, pay later has left many of them with an unfortunately high amount of gambling debts acquired by use of credit card facilities. Trust Deed Scotland welcomes the latest initiative from the Gambling Commission aimed at curbing gambling debts in Scotland. As reported by the BBC, credit cards are to be banned as a payment method for online gambling and bookies shops. Amanda Hendry of Trust Deed Scotland, the leading provider of qualified debt advice in Scotland said “We see this new measure as a welcome addition in the fight to reducing gambling debts in Scotland. Over the last decade, we’ve spoken to thousands of people who have developed significant personal debt issues due to their excessive gambling problems further developing credit card debts. However, while this is of course a welcome initiative, we feel there could be more done to help educate the public on the dangers of developing gambling debts and furthermore supporting gambling addictions in their infancy before they eventually develop into a gambling debt.” The BBC reports that a total number of twenty-four million adults in in the UK gamble, with a figure of 10.5m doing so online. 22% of online gamblers using credit cards to fund their flutters are classed as problem gamblers. A string of online gambling retailers such as Paddy Power (Betfair), Bet365 and 888 Holdings have swollen an industry typically dominated by the traditional high street bookmakers such as Ladbrokes Coral, William Hill and Betfred. Speaking to the BBC, Neil McArthur commented “credit card gambling can lead to significant financial harm. The ban that we have announced today should minimise the risks of harm to consumers from gambling with money they do not have” Information gained from the Gambling Commission highlighted that several individuals in Scotland responded to their survey and were subsequently identified as having a gambling problem. The Gambling Commission found that there was a wider pool of respondents with a determined low risk of developing gambling debts in Scotland. Fortunately, due to the support from the Gambling Commission, there was a recorded decline in the number of individuals in the same survey from the previous year, with this latest initiative; this can only help to reduce that figure further.

Gambling Debts In Scotland – Get Help Now

The first, most obvious step is to completely stop your gambling. GamCare – Gamcare offers support and information for partners, friends and family of people who gamble compulsively. Gamblers Anonymous Scotland – Local support groups for anyone in Scotland affected by their own, or someone else’s gambling problem – find your nearest group there. No debt solution is offered with an allowance for continued gambling. If you are continuing to gamble, you’ll struggle to keep up with your agreed payment towards your debt solution. You will likely struggle to pay important priority debts, and your creditors are unlikely to accept gambling as a valid outgoing. A failed debt solution is a bad outcome for everyone, not only for you; your creditor too. Getting Debt Advice On Your Gambling Debts In Scotland Even if you have gambled recently, get debt advice now. Trust Deed Scotland have helped many people with gambling debts. You won’t be judged by our qualified advisors and any conversation you have is confidential. Fortunately, unlike a roulette wheel or puggy machine, our Trust Deed Debt Calculator helps you to find out if you qualify based on factual information and isn’t determined by the luck of the draw. Call us today on 0141 221 0999 or try our calculator as your first step to a brighter future.