How To Write Off Credit Card Debt Legally

There are many ways to write off credit card debt legally.These can be divided into two broad types: writing off the debt because the original credit agreement was not properly drafted according to the various U.K.laws which are designed to protect consumer; and writing off the debt as part of an instrument such as an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).

These are two equally powerful and perfectly lawful actions that anyone can take to write off their credit card debt legally.The first is as lawful as the second, although it has been subject to a lot of derision in the media recently because of vested interest in the banks.Furthermore, these two types of action may be used together to dramatic effect in wiping out individual debt until it is a small fraction of the original amount owed.Then that amount is paid off over a number of years.

So let's take the first type of action by which you can write off credit card debt legally.This is where you check that the original contract was properly drafted.When the Consumer Credit Act of 1974 was amended in 2006 it had a section taken out which ensured that any credit agreement signed before 6th April 2007 (not an arbitrary date, but the first day of the financial year immediately following) had to include certain details known as the prescribed terms written into the contract.These included the size of the loan or agreed credit limit in the case of credit cards, the interest rate and other metrics related to the credit agreement.It also had to be signed.

You start the ball rolling here by asking the lender (or the owner of the debt, if it has defaulted and has been bought by a debt purchasing company) for a fair copy of the original credit agreement.Here is where debt purchasers usually fall at the first hurdle, as most debts bought by debt purchasing companies are bought in bundles or job lots, with little or no regard for the necessities of accompanying legal documentation.These firms buy debts at a fraction of what they were originally worth and try to convince you to give them the full amount of the original sum.They don't generally care about the paperwork.

If they can't produce the original document then the debt becomes unenforceable and you've won.Not even a court could enforce recovery of it.But if the original credit agreement is produced and you have access to a copy then you can scrutinize this to see if it contains the prescribed terms.If it does not contain ALL of the prescribed terms then again the debt is unenforceable, and again you have won.

The second way you can write off credit card debt legally is to take out an IVA, as described above.A qualified insolvency practitioner will help you with this, and will work out your income and expenditure.S/he will then come to an agreement with your creditors and the bulk of the debt will be written off (sometimes as much as 75%, although claims you see in adverts of 90% are ridiculous) and you will then be left with a structured settlement which you will pay off over five years (six in Scotland, where it is known as a Protected Trust Deed).

When used together as a means to write off credit card debt legally, you may indeed reduce your debt to around 10% of the original (this may well be where the above mentioned crazy claims come from, but they're just not telling you the full story), but only if you use both perfectly lawful procedures.

About the Author

If you wish to drastically write off your credit card debt legally then visit Write Off Debt and download the free information pack and/or make an appointment for an informal chat on the phone at any time you choose.

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The Intent Of A Customer Satisfaction Survey

When you receive a customer satisfaction survey, whether it is at a hotel, restaurant, or through the mail, from a company you purchased something from, it is more than just an obligatory management initiative for your inconvenience.Fill it out and it is read and analyzed by the company, having a potential impact on their business as a whole.Companies need to know how to focus their efforts on appealing to customers, and maintaining their loyalty.The more specifics they have, the more resources they can utilize for a new strategy, rather than spend money on campaigns that are not effective in drawing customers.

Customer satisfaction is considered the root of a business's positive image and success.Where do they get them from?Sure, an organization could design one in-house.They can be as simple as a handful of questions on paper.Creating an effective one, though, requires the dedication of distinguished resources.If a company doesn't already have such a department in place, they could outsource to a third party company that specializes in such document preparation.They will have resources such as online affiliations, marketing specialists, and offer a third party evaluation of how the questions and format should be prepared.

Many companies opt to do just that; enlist third-party entities to help with the implementation of these assessments.There are hundreds of organizations that offer these services.Organizations can conduct the questionnaire if a company so desires, and even offers standardized questions.Topics universal to all customer-based companies are covered.Once all the information is acquired, the business can immediately compare it to an average score or score it based on typical high or low scores for that category.

There are many places on the Internet where one can access survey templates.Even individual questions can be accessed, so someone can put together their own and have the appropriate questions gathered.They can be tailored your own way; others are built into websites and can be automatically scored when submitted.The variations are endless.

Look up customer satisfaction surveys on Google, and there are in excess of 5 million page results.Not only can you access the site and services of big name companies, but there are many others.Smaller companies may offer what you need more so than a larger corporation.Prices will vary, so doing your research and price shopping is imperative.Various services are offered as well, available for subscription.You can opt to have one survey prepared, or a whole marketing team to help you determine the venue in which to pursue.

These are just a few examples of how you can put together an assessment by enlisting the services of companies on the Web.With just a simple Web search, there seems to be thousands of such entities.It's almost as if customer satisfaction surveys were part of an industry of their own.On that similar note, the American Customer Satisfaction Index has a website that lists various scores, tabulated by company or industry, comparing the customer satisfaction of each.It even compares the change from the previous year.All data is derived from customer satisfaction surveys.

Also important is the means of getting people to complete the survey.They are usually written in a friendly, thankful manner, making the customer feel important to the organization.They can be found via a link on a website, or included within a product package.They sometimes detail the chance to win something free or to even win money.Many institutions have opted to put information on the receipt detailing how to complete the assessment.

The prevalence of customer satisfaction surveys alone signifies their importance.You have a choice of filling one out or not if you get one, but realize that it is more than just a piece of paper.The company is trying to focus its marketing strategy on the most important thing customers are seeking in their products.This saves time and money, and gives the company a better chance to thrive.

About the Author

Andy West writes for NBRI, a reputable company helping business owners explore venues to implement a customer satisfaction survey.

For more information visit NBRII.com.

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Flexible Working and Teleworking - Five Strategies For Success

Flexible working and teleworking are taking the world of work by storm. And they will become even more important in the UK from April 2009 when the Government plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all parents of children up to 16.

Many businesses are nervous about the change. But there is mounting evidence that flexible working leads to increasing productivity and reduced overheads, quite apart from the positive impact on work life balance.

So what are the challenges that business managers and employees face with this new way of working?

Some bosses wonder how they are going to manage their staff or check they are working when they can no longer see them at their desks.

And some employees wonder how self- motivated they will be if they are remote working and are worried that they will miss the office banter and camaraderie. This may be a particular worry for younger people and those without families living at home.

But there are many proven ways of overcoming the challenges of flexible working. Here are five key strategies that will make the transition to flexible working a smooth one for your business.

The first strategy is to make the most of ICT. Use teleconferencing and instant messaging as a way of keeping the team in regular touch with each other. Set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) so your staff can work remotely or on the move as effectively as in the office. Use laptops, BlackBerries and other technology so your staff can work anytime, anywhere, increasing productivity.

Secondly, be clear about what the specific outputs are that you expect from each employee and make this the way you evaluate their performance. Flexible working is all about management by output. The days of 'management by eyeball' are about to end.

The third strategy for successful flexible working is to maintain close communication despite not working at the same location Those who are most successful at flexible working are usually those who are the best natural communicators. Natural communicators manage to transcend the issue of working in remote locations and maintain effective communications with colleagues. One simple trick is to make sure you speak regularly on the telephone. Do not lapse into the habit of having only email contact. It is far easier to detect any underlying issues or concerns when you speak on the telephone and it is also easier to motivate your staff

Next, it is vital to have regular team get-togethers if some or all of your team work remotely. Regular face- to- face team meetings, say every week or fortnight, help keep everyone on board with the overall vision. These meetings also help motivate your remote workers and help them see where their role fits in. What's more, meeting up socially really helps to keep that all important team dynamic going. Some staff who are flexible working miss the social aspects of working in an office and so regular get-togethers will help fill that gap.

The fifth strategy is to recognise that people do have a life outside work and make sure your staff know they are not expected to be on 24 hour call, just because they are remote working. When they have the flexibility to work remotely rather than in the office, many people tend to work longer hours than before.

This is partly because they use some of the time they would previously have used on travel to work actually working instead. They also tend to work when they are at their personal peak, whether that is early in the morning or late at night. Indeed, this is partly why flexible working and teleworking tend to lead to improving personal productivity.

However, some remote workers find it hard to switch off and this can lead to stress and health problems. So make sure your staff know they should make full use of the Off button on their mobile phones and computers.

Follow these five strategies and your business can enjoy the advantages of flexible working, with increasing productivity, reduced costs and improved work life balance.


About the Author

Julian Cowans is Project Manager of actnow flex, a project funded by the South West Regional Development Agency, Cornwall Enterprise, BT and other partners. actnow flex offer a range of tips for managing flexible working employees for UK businesses.

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