Money.

[Binoo]

I'm at my wits end. I'm losing hope completely.

 

I never thought a money situation would get the best of me and although it sounds like a silly reason to want to off myself I'm overwhelmed with the urge to do it at this point.

 

 

I work out 3 days a week. I eat healthy, organic foods. I have good relationships with my friends, family and my boyfriend.

But I have extremely high blood pressure. I'm getting grey hair. It's because of these companies. I am only 22 years old. I shouldn't have grey hair or high blood pressure.

This ordeal is ruining me financially, physically and mentally. I have constant panic attacks. I've lost interest in almost everything. I either sleep all the time or can't sleep at all. Sometimes I can't eat anything. I've started cutting myself again.

This has all developed only after about 3 months. Before then I was in perfect health.

 

Last night it took me 6 hours to fall asleep only to be woken up 2 hours later by my bank.

They call on average 8-12 times a day asking for money that I've paid them but they continue to lose [ they admit to this and don't reimburse me ].

Try another bank you ask? Oh, I have. I seem to get screwed over by every company I do business with. I have three banks all of which have taken and/or lost my money.

I don't even have an internet or phone provider because both companies here in town I can choose from have both screwed me over. I go to the library for my internet and use only pay as you go cell phone.

One provider was charging me over $300.00 a month on a bill and everyone I speak to admits it's a billing error but still call wanting money.

The other charging me $2 000.00 a month and then threatening to take me to court and have creditors on my tail about it but refuse to tell me why they insist their internet service is worth two grand a month.

Do the employees offer their help? No. Supervisors? No. PRESIDENT? I've spoken to him too and no one will help.

I don't understand why I'm having such bad luck with EVERY company I'm with. This is so morally and legally unjust.

 

If I ever want to buy a house I can forget it. A car...nope. A future? Forget it. It's over. My credit is ruined. They've made me very aware of that with their threatening letters.

 

I've spent over $1 000.00 this past month [ thanks to my tax return ] paying minimum balance on a credit card. They keep telling me they'll give me an interest free and split my monthly payments in half. All I have to do is pay a small fee. Which I do.

And two months in a row this fee has been "misplaced" by my bank or the credit card company says they can't offer it because the bill they sent me was wrong and my minimum balance is higher.

How is that MY fault? THEY made the mistake. So now I have to pay another $600.00 this month to qualify for some freakin' assistance and I'm sure they'll lose that too.

 

I only work 9 hours a week. It's hard to find employment in my town.

My boyfriend just lost his job recently.

I lost my full time job late last year. My boss just took off on me and the rest of the employees and didn't even leave us with our final paychecks or even a reference.

I had to quit the full time job I found after that because of the job itself combined with my creditors harrassing me because my doctor told me I'd put myself in danger with all the stress. My blood pressure was through the roof.

 

I cry more often than not.

I have extreme anger issues. I've swelled my hand numerous times from punching walls and that sort of thing. It's uncontrollable.

 

Eating has become a luxury for me. Luckily I still get to eat most days but I have gone without to pay credit card bills only to be told my bank has lost the money.

 

I make payment arrangements only to be called back hours later to see if I can get money sooner.

 

I'm tired. I'm stressed. I feel hopeless. I'm fully cooperating and no one is helping me at this bank or at any company I'm having issues with. I've spoken with so many people.

It's hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless. Hopeless.

 

I can't afford a psychiatrist. I can't even afford a gun to shoot myself with.

 

I've always had amazing credit. I paid off my student loan in one year. But when my employer just locked the doors and shut down our company without warning that's when I fell behind.

I'm just having the worst luck and I feel like it's endless.

 

The only way out is if I kill myself. I'm tired. I'm tired of being harrassed and stolen from and going hungry and going without proper sleep and getting grey hair and endangering myself with this high blood pressure bull.

I'm sure in time it will take my healthy relationships from me as well and then I'll have absolutely nothing left.

 

I don't know how much longer I can do this.

[russ978]

It sounds like you are having some pretty serious issues dealing with your finances.

 

You don't mention which bank you do business with but think that changing banks isn't a solution because you 'have trouble' with all banks. There are good banks and bad banks, you might want to do a little more research before making such a claim.

 

If you're 22 and having really serious financial problems, you should seek legal help. Whether bankrupcy, debt consolidation, or proper budgeting, I'm sure you can get help.

 

What is your current debt type and amount? (Listed by type, credit card debt, personal loan debt, car loan debt)

What is the interest on these debts?

 

If you aren't sure of the answer, that may be your issue, you should know where you stand and how much interest they are charging you, getting mad is a response, figuring out where you stand is the solution.

[testcase]

Hm well that really does sound bad. I guess the only thing I can say is, of course, DON'T KILL YOURSELF. You said forget ever buying a house or car or anything... that's ridiculous. People file for bankruptcy all the time and are still able to buy houses and cars years later once their credit rebuilds. It does seem like your not in that much debt so I'm guessing you don't have to do that.

 

If they have sold your debts to bill collectors and that is where you are having your problems then maybe you should take action. link removed.

 

Good luck I'm sure it's hell now but I'm sure things will get better.

[Binoo]

I deal with several banks: HSBC, CIBC, PC Financial and RBC. I've had bad luck with all of them.

 

Type of debt: Credit Card.

 

I guess what's really upsetting me is that this situation shouldn't be happening. I went from having perfect credit to being threatened to be taken to court. Interest rate is 19%.

 

I should have been getting interest free for one year plus monthly payments cut in half. All I needed to do was pay $400.00. So I did. Then they asked for $15.00. I paid it.

But HSBC lost it [ they fully admitted to this ].

So the deal was off.

If I wanted another chance I needed to pay another $400.00. So I did.

They told me they sent me a statement that was incorrect.

So I had to pay another $500.00.

Which I did.

But now they want more. NONE of the money I paid is going to make a dent in my credit card. They said it would only go towards interest. I told them this was unfair. My bank lost it. I have my confirmation numbers etc. but they said too bad and when I asked what to do they said, 'You're young. You'll figure something out'.

 

Because I only work 9 hours a week this kind of money is IMPOSSIBLE to get. I have nothing saved. Not a single penny. All the money I gave them was from my tax refund. Now I have no money for rent or groceries.

 

My parents gave me the name of some office that can help me with my debts but I have to pay them a fee. I can't even afford it.

 

I don't know what to do. I'm being called CONSTANTLY. 12 times a day. I pay them and it's not enough. I just feel like giving up completely at this point.

[orchidrose]

How are you paying them in the first place? With cash? At a branch? Over the telephone? Via the Internet?

 

I've never had a bank - and I've worked with four different ones in the last few years - say they "lost my money."

 

Also, not sure where you live, but there are many nonprofit organizations that will at least do a consultation with you about your debt/finances. These can be tougher to find than the for-profit ones that you see advertised on TV, but they're out there.

[russ978]

Ok, your interest rate is 19% and you list a lot of payments that you 'made'.

 

What is the total amount of credit card debt that you have? $15,000?

 

Do you have your bank account set to your email so that it confirms when you make payments?

[IntotheWild]

That sounds like a huge mess. You should really seek some legal advice if this many different entities are trying to screw you over. It's too much to battle on your own. A lawyer likely won't be free, but they'll be much easier to set up payments with than what you're dealing with now and they can probably help make all of these headaches go away.

 

As for banks, see if there is any local credit union you can join. I've been with a CU for a while now and it's much better.

[Catdancer]

ok..first of all take any cash out of your bank. SAvings accounts/checking account/CD"s. Take it all out and make it liquid for now. Then use that money to file bankruptcy ASAP. Get rid of every single debt that you have. You said that you're credit is ruined. Well if you file bankrupty, it will only be ruined for 10 years, then you start all over with a blank slate.

[Shortpants]

I am so sorry you are feeling this stress and that there is no way out Binoo. It truly is unfair of companies to be calling and harassing you at all hours. A couple of questions for you:

 

- do you do alot of online banking and online bill paying?

I ask this because although it is convenient for some, I find more people have issues with online banking and online bill paying. They take the wrong amount form the account, they take it at the wrong time, you unknowingly use a debit card and when a payment goes through that overdraws your account. I still do "Old School" paper checks and mailing them direct. BUT all my bills are paid on time and I can run my motnhly budget much better by having this paper trail. Not to mention I have the canceled checks to prove a bill has been paid.

 

- Do you have alot of large balance creit cards you are only making minimum payments on?

This could be the root of the issue. When you are making jsut the minimum payment reqested by the complany on your statement, then you will NEVER pay off a balance. The minimum payment you make is barely covering the interest they charge every month, thus never actually paying off the true balance of the charges you make. Also, on this note, what interest rates are you being charged by your credit cards? Usually, when you make a payment or tow late, they jack up the interest to over 20%, making it even harder to see the light at the end of the debt tunnel. When I married my ex, he had over $30,000.00 in credit card debt. I contacted a compnay named Genus Credit Mangement (they are now called CareOne Credit Counseling), they contacted all his creditors directly, negotiated lower interest rates, got fees removed from the accounts, and set up a payment plan that made us be able to pay off the entire balance in 5 years. It was really awesome! And a payment that we could afford. Beware of "debt consolidation loans", those are different than the "credit management/counseling" services.

 

- Do you ever tell the debt collectors to not call you anymore?

Youa re protected by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), this is a Federal Law that says what debt collectors can and cannot do. You are fully within your rights to just hang up on these people when they call. If they continue to call you repeatedly, they are in violation of the FDCPA. They can't call you before 8 AM or after 9 PM, your local time. Here is a link to some more info for you regarding debt collectors calling:

link removed

 

Ok, I'll stop for now. If you have any other questions or need more info, feel free to PM me or post here. I'm glad to help in any way I can. Credt card companies and debt collectors are lower than the dirt beneath my shoes as far as I'm concerned, their underhanded tactics and taking advantage of people that may not know their rights peeves me off to no end. Please take care of yourself and don't let this bring you down, there IS a solution. Debt is no reason for self harm or suicide, you mean soooo much more than a few outstanding balances you have. I know it's hard to see now, but you will pay them off and you WILL get them taken care of, you just need to be proactive about the path you choose and follow through 100%. Making the decision to be debt free is the hardest part, getting there is the SECOND hardest part.

 

Please relax and take heart that this is not the end of the world. You will come out of this ok, credit rating can be rebuilt, nothing has been damaged beyond repair and the circumstances were beyond your control. Stay strong and keep your chin up!

[Binoo]

Ok, your interest rate is 19% and you list a lot of payments that you 'made'.

 

What is the total amount of credit card debt that you have? $15,000?

 

Do you have your bank account set to your email so that it confirms when you make payments?

 

 

I have my HSBC account set online. HSBC refuses to do my credit card payments at the branch for some reason so I can only do it online with them. I have all my confirmation numbers. I have screenshots as well. Although one of my payments said it was confirmed the creditors said they never received it. When I called HSBC they said they lost it. I told the creditors this and that I had proof that I made the payment but they said it didn't matter.

I have also made payments at another branch [ RBC ] with the tellers. That is much more successful, however, even though I received a statement from my Mastercard saying that my minimum monthly balance was 397.01 [ and I paid that in full ] when I called the creditors to let them know that I paid the full minimum payment and I had my confirmation number they said it would count towards nothing because they sent me an incorrect statement. I actually owed over $500.00 that month. So they refused to give me the offer that they had backed out of a month earlier because of my lost payment.

 

This is bull****. I've been fully cooperative and they keep finding ways to get out of this offer. THEY sent me the wrong bill.

[Shortpants]

My parents gave me the name of some office that can help me with my debts but I have to pay them a fee. I can't even afford it.

 

NO!!! There are legit credit counseling services that DO NOT charge a fee. If you are in debt already, why would you be charged for services? Sounds like a no brainer to me!

[russ978]

Mastercard saying that my minimum monthly balance was 397.01

 

Ok...maybe I'm not asking this the right way.

 

The minimum monthly balance is how much your minimum payment is. So when you're paying 397.01, that is a payment towards the interest on your debt and a little bit of principal.

 

What is the TOTAL AMOUNT that you owe on the account, if you're making a payment of 397 at 20%, I'd estimate that you owe ~20,000.

 

How much do you owe?

 

Do you know how much you owe?

[IntotheWild]

I just noticed this was in the suicide forum. Gees, don't let a few debts get you that far down in the dumps. Debt collectors are kind of like monsters in your closet... for the most part, their power comes from the fear you build up in your own head.

 

Seriously, go talk to some debt attorneys. Don't worry about being broke or that you can't pay them anything right now. Believe me, debt attorneys are use to dealing with broke people (obviously). They'll be nice to you and they'll work with you.