Women In Debt Customer Feedback

Georgina says:

"I am having the most amazing time working at Women In Debt. We have talked to some really courageous women, whose stories have made me cry, but we always end up with a laugh at the end of our calls. I know we are doing everything right for our ladies because so many tell us so. Thank you ladies for letting us change your lives.

I have selected a few testimonials and client stories that you may relate to with your own debt problem. They might also inspire you to pick up the phone for some real and honest debt advice. You can also read my own 'woman in debt' story here."

Jump to Testimonials - Jump to Client Stories

Testimonials

"It's amazing how different my life is now, knowing that someone is dealing with my debts. A large weight has been lifted off my shoulders"

"Can I take this opportunity to thank you for all your help. It has made such a difference not having to worry so much over money all the time."

"Thankyou so much for understanding, it has made me feel a lot better knowing i have women in debt on my side, thankyou for the lovely telephone manner and putting my mind at ease"

"Thank you so much for your help and humour.... it really is appreciated x"

"Hi Georgina, Firstly thank you for your phone call, I already feel far better and not so worried having spoken to you tonight."

"I actually slept last night because all phone calls seemed to have stopped by yesterday afternoon."

"Hi, at the risk of sounding like one of those clichéd soundbites from the adverts, I just wanted to say that for the first time for I don't know how long, I can actually see a little glimmer of light at the end of my horrible dark tunnel! I walked to work this morning and didn't feel as weighed down as I usually do. I feel as though I've taken a significant step forward and whilst I know it's not going to be easy, I know it has to be better than pretending everything is okay!"

"Sometimes I feel like I am quite strong and yet other times I just feel cornered and I cannot even concentrate on my work, thank you for your support."

"Hi, thanks for your help yesterday, it was really nice to talk to a 'normal' person (meant as a compliment!). You have certainly made me feel a little more in control of the situation, and I will keep you informed of how I get on."

"I am going to do my best to get the money together to go bankrupt, and hopefully will get there soon."

"As I said, I cannot thank you enough for just a listening ear and a bit of understanding - it means a lot. Speak soon"

"Hi Georgina, it was really nice talking to you and I actually feel much better for doing so as you totally understood."

"You really are debt angels, thank you everyone at Women in Debt."

Our Clients' Stories

Robert was a 'man in debt' who needed our help when payday loans got out of hand
“The story about how I got into debt is probably best described by one word – organisation – or rather lack thereof! I was always living on a ‘month by month’ basis, never really looking at how much I would have coming in or going out. If there was money I would spend it, if there wasn’t I would borrow it. The problem is that when you initially start borrowing you can easily get credit. I was enjoying an adequate income and an impeccable credit history and my bank duly agreed in no time at all to lend me £5,000. But it didn’t stop there. Lack of budgeting obviously meant I needed more and more money. Then I went to full time study, part time work and started to have children. When I ran out of money in those days things were a bit more urgent – we had to pay rent, heating, and buy nappies, food etc, which is when I got in with the payday loan sharks. In all honesty, most of them aren’t that bad if you are looking for a one off solution. But it never is just a ‘one off’ – the interest rates are literally through the roof meaning repayments are high. Soon, I found myself in a situation where I needed to take another payday loan to pay the minimum payment on my other payday loans and so on and so on. Never mind the fact that, once you are in a situation like this, you will be constantly miserable and depressed. Therefore, once you’re in this spiral, you need help. I suppose as a man, especially with family, the first step is to admit that you are responsible for the pickle you’re in and that you need debt help and advice. I came across Women in Debt through my fiancée who was speaking to one of Georgina’s colleagues, so I thought it was at least worth a chat. This was the best decision I ever made. Women in Debt spoke to me at my convenience, including weekends, and took the first step of helping me out of what was a desperate state by looking at my income and outgoings every month. That for me was the secret – to budget and to get organised every month. I quickly set up a Debt Management Plan with Women in Debt for an extremely competitive fee that stuns every financial cold caller that rings me. They handle everything for me including negotiating repayments and keeping the most aggressive loan sharks off my back. I finally managed to get my life back on track thanks to Georgina and the team at Women in Debt, even though I’m technically a ‘Man in Debt’!” - Robert

Jodie is a working lady whose debts spiralled out of control
"I approached Women in Debt as I could not see any end to my debt problem. I had lived with it for nearly 10 years, assuming there was nothing I could do about it. My husband would often tell me to get debt help, but I assumed because I had a regular income there would be no help available to me. Also I knew I was the only one to blame for my situation. It was so stressful and depressing living with a contestant overdraft – wages coming in but not getting me out of the red every month, constantly living with a minus bank balance, never seeing the credit card bills decrease. After an internet search I found Women in Debt. I looked on their website, but as this was all new territory for me I was hesitant, so carried out some research on Georgina herself and her company. Finally deciding to contact Women in Debt was the best thing I could have done. Georgina was at the end of the phone straightaway and just after one initial chat I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. I passed all my information over, and within a matter of days my debts were all being dealt with – Women in Debt handled all the correspondence and the process was completely stress-free for me. My Debt Management Plan was accepted by my creditors and my repayment plan was in place in no time. I am now in a position where I have just one single monthly payment which is affordable for me and the worry and anxiety has been completely removed. I would go as far as to say Women in Debt have changed my life and I plan to continue working with them for as long as I need to become debt-free." - Jodie

Edith is an older lady who was struggling to cope with debts on a fixed income
"I am 73 years old and three or four years ago, I found myself in dire straits. I was deep in debt with what seemed like no way out. I was devastated with nowhere to turn. I was deeply ashamed and was unable to tell anyone. I had taken out a loan which I could no longer afford to pay. I had numerous credit cards which I used willy-nilly – I am not at all good with money or cards. I was on a fixed income and was unable to meet the demands of my creditors, although I was using the credit cards to rob Peter and pay Paul, which is never a good idea. Then I read an article in The Daily Mail (written by Liz Jones) about Women in Debt. Until that moment, I didn’t realise that so many women needed help with debt – I’d thought it was just me! I rang Women in Debt and spoke to Georgina, who immediately made me feel that I was not the pariah I thought I was. She gave me debt help and advice, and did everything she could to reassure me and take all my problems away. She set up an affordable Debt Management Plan for me and since then has been my lifeline. I no longer have sleepless nights over my debts, and know that if I am in doubt I can ring Women in Debt and they will help me." - Edith

Debbie's life was ruined by her partner's gambling debts
"I was young and naive when I started getting into debt. It all started from a previous relationship – unfortunately for me he was a compulsive gambler. I was oblivious to how much it was going to affect me in the future. I don't want to go into too much detail about how gambling can affect those around you, but I was left with loans, credit cards, store cards etc, all in my name. When I had my son I realised the situation was never going to get better so I made the decision to leave. It's not been easy. I work part time hours and for four or five years I struggled every month trying to pay the bills and also find the money to pay off the debt. My ex gave me money when he could but being a gambler he didn't always have it. Trying to cope and get by was extremely hard. I felt so alone and would sit up all hours of the night feeling trapped and feeling like there was no way out. Every day was a living nightmare, dreading the postman coming with yet another reminder. It was embarrassing too, although I managed to hide the extent of my debt problems from close friends and family. On the outside I looked like I was coping well but on the inside my stomach was in knots. I am by nature a strong person though and knew that, one day, I would find a way out. I remember that day. I was sat surrounded by bills from my creditors and I knew I needed debt advice. I had looked into how to get myself out of the debt, but it was all a bit of a minefield! Then I found Women in Debt from searching the Internet. It took me a day or two to build up the courage to call them, but it was the most important phone call I ever made. Georgina answered my call and immediately I felt at ease talking to her – at last there was someone who understood what I was going through. She was friendly and so lovely with me. We talked about my debt and she explained that she could help by negotiating a Debt Management Plan with my creditors. I would need to pay just one amount to Women in Debt each month and Georgina would do the rest. The relief I felt was so great I think I actually shed a tear after that phone call! Women in Debt have taken the pressure off me. I know I'm still in debt and of course it is still a worry, but to not have to dread the postman, being able to sleep at night and knowing if I need anything at all Women in Debt are only a phone call away has made a massive difference to my life . Unfortunately my ex passed away last year leaving my son without his Daddy. The debt he was in played a big part in him being taken too soon from us. I feel like I can look to the future now, thanks to Women in Debt. If you have found yourself in a situation like me, all I can say is please make that call today to Women in Debt. They are there to help. They understand what you are going through and want to help you. Don't struggle in silence like I did. I can move on now and look forward to what the future holds – you can too with their help." - Debbie

Penny was too embarassed to tell her husband about her debts
"I have always been 'bad' with money. When I met my husband-to-be, he bailed me out of a £3,000 debt so we could start our married life debt free. However, two years later, I was in the same situation again and once again, he bailed me out. In June 2011 (23 years later), I got to the situation where my take-home pay did not cover all the credit card and loan accounts that I had accrued over the years. Every time my overdraft limit was reached, I would apply for a loan to clear it or increase a limit on one of my many credit cards! I sat down one morning and worked out that I had amassed a grand total of £28,000 between loans and cards! By this time, I knew I needed help with my debts. I got myself into a real state but didn't feel that I could tell my husband after all the promises I made to him. So I mentioned it to somebody at work who had been in the same situation a few months before but had been too embarrassed to say anything. She told me about Georgina Earle, the debt adviser at Women in Debt, and gave me her details. The next morning, I wrote down ALL my debts and repayment amounts and picked up the phone to Georgina. It was difficult to admit that I had got myself into such a mess but she was so understanding and easy to talk to that it was actually a huge relief and I felt like a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders. That very same day, I cancelled all my Direct Debits to my creditors and my problems were now in Georgina's capable hands. The debt doesn't magically clear but I can now manage the repayments that Georgina negotiated for me. I can honestly say that my life feels a lot calmer since I made that call! Thank you SO much to Women in Debt for your debt help and advice!" - Penny

For TH, business problems led to personal debts as well
"I called Women in Debt in September 2010 as my husband and I were in a terrible amount of debt. Ten years ago we had a thriving chain of chip shops in the North of England. Over the past 10 years though more fast food chains moved into our area and custom has gone down. Over a period of time we sold two of the chip shops allowing us to focus on the one with the least competition and the strongest turnover. I didn’t know though that my husband had been taking out loans on the other two businesses before we sold them and carried debt over onto what I thought was a thriving business. The bank wanted to withdraw our overdraft and force us to sell the business to repay the debts. As well as owing money to the bank over our business we also had personal credit card debt and a personal loan and overdrafts amounting to £24,000. Women in Debt helped me immensely, not only did they make me feel like I wasn’t alone out there with this sort of problem; they listened to why things had got so bad and didn’t try to talk down to me. We did some practical things like a full financial account of our business and personal debts and talked to another company who are dealing with the business debt on our behalf. I am so relieved that we can continue to trade and are in the process of agreeing with the bank something formal to repay the debts and at the same time Women in Debt have helped structure our personal debts into a Debt Management Plan." TH Oxford

This lady couldn't make ends meet after separating from her partner
"A big thank you to Women in Debt - you were great! I called Women in Debt after searching on the internet for a company that dealt with women’s debt problems. I have just come out of a relationship and have a severely disabled daughter who is now 9 years old. Because of my daughter's disability it means that I can only work part-time and now I don’t have the support from my partner I am feeling the strain financially. I owed just over £23,000 but it was the repayments which were unmanageable and I had been falling behind for the last couple of months. Women in Debt went through all of the money I had coming in; my small salary, my child benefit, housing benefit and child maintenance and then she looked at my household outgoings; everything I needed to keep the roof over my head, heat and light and food for me and my daughter Amy. Then she looked at how much in total I owed on my credit cards and catalogues and what I should be paying each month to them. I could only afford £210 a month and should have been paying over £400. Women in Debt have put me in a Debt Management Plan and I pay them what I can afford each month (£210) and they distribute this to my creditors for me. The only money I had to pay them was the first instalment of £210 and then they take 15% each month after that. I can’t tell you have easy it is now, I don’t have to think about what is coming out and when it is coming out – it’s just one payment each month. Thanks again ladies" DF Lancashire

JT is determined to become debt-free and make a better life for herself and her daughter
"I feel so ashamed that it has come to this to be honest, that I have let myself and my daughter down but I really want to get myself out of the mess I am in and in a few years be debt-free. This for me was the last straw and something that gave me the courage to get help and come to you. I have been as honest as I can with my finances and with Women in Debt. Thank you for being so understanding with me and helping me and my daughter to have a better future" - JT Lancashire

Sadly, many women like CR incur debts after suffering financial abuse from a partner
"I called Women in Debt when I was in desperate need of debt help and advice. I was in a very bad relationship and could not afford to leave my partner as many of the debts were in my sole name. I asked Women in Debt if there was a way that I could sort out these problems without my partner knowing as I needed to do this before I left him. Women in Debt helped me to sort the debts by referring me for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). I have just found out that my IVA has been accepted and have now left my partner and starting a new life. Thanks to everyone involved at Women in Debt." - CR Lancaster

FC resorted to stealing to fund her credit card repayments
"I have had a spending problem for many years now and have been hiding the debts from my overspending from my husband. He did not believe in credit cards and there was no way I could talk to him about it. It feels like I have spent all my life hiding the letters from him and dodging the phone calls - it got that bad that I started to steal things to sell to cover my repayments. It was when I was doing this that I heard about Women in Debt. I wish I had called before because when I spoke to Georgina on the phone she explained I wasn't alone and I had taken the first steps to sorting out my life! She explained to me that it would be better telling my husband about the situation than him finding out from the police if I were to get caught. As well as this advice I was given some practical advice on my debts, I got a full list of my income and expenditure with a repayment plan so I was able to approach my husband with a solution to my problem rather than just expect him to pick up the pieces of my mess. My husband didn't leave me, he was sad that I hadn't shared my problem and that I had been suffering for all these years. Thank you Women in Debt, especially you Georgina" - FC Birmingham

What's your story?

If any of these stories have brought debt fears to the front of your mind, or if you feel like any of these ladies did before coming to Women in Debt, then please ring us today. Our supportive team of expert and friendly advisers are here to help. Call now on 08000 886 676 or take our FREE online Just-A-Minute Debt Test! Or click to complete our Debt Enquiry Form and post back to us FREE of charge.

Whatever you choose to do, you are not alone. If you can't share your worries with loved ones then share them with us!