I think the site should approach CAB to ask them to give out the web address as an independant place for advice and info.

Paul

Great idea Paul, and other similar institutions 🙂

I'm a member on another forum and read many threads by people in debt asking for advice. When I see someone specifically asking about the options for Scottish residents, I always recommend a visit to this site. Most advice on other forums tend to be for and from English residents and they simply don't apply to Scots. I worry about getting into trouble for signposting away from the original forum because I don't want to be seen as "poaching" but I always make sure that I'm complimentary about the other site but that this site specifically applies to Scotland.

Paul

I was thinking the same. In the last week I've been very aware of ads in newspapers, on TV and Radio.

Very compelling ads urge people to contact companies which have names likely to give the impression of being a national or official organisation.

Perhaps one or more of the experts could offer an editorial piece and somehow highlight the existence of the site. It's a shame it is almost accidental for some of us to find it . For others it is too late after the effects of bad advice and incompetent paractice or both have taken their toll.

Hello plasticdaft, mtm0066, pammy1969, and Pamjo.

Many thanks for all of your thoughts and suggestions.

Paul's idea about providing a list of trust deed firm names and giving people the ability to comment on their experience of them is an interesting one. We've discussed that here in the forum before, partly in connection to an IVA site that does a similar thing south of the border, but we're just not sure that this could be set-up online in a way that produces credible and useful information.

The IVA ratings site results look, to my eye, really quite strange. You've got IVA firms of a similar size where one has very few reviews or ratings, and another has hundreds. You've got certain small number of firms with page after page of glowing feedback that is sometimes at odds with their industry reputation. In short, creating online access seems to create too much potential for skulduggery for the information/results to then be useful or especially helpful.

In terms of approaching CAB to provide our site details to their clients, this isn't something that we'd seek to initiate. If CAB in general, or individual CAB advisers, felt that directing people to this site would be the right thing to do then I'm sure that they would. We're very open to engaging with the free-to-client advice sector and do so behind the scenes from time to time in various ways.

Four out of the six experts from this site have either a free-to-client advice background, or current strong personal links to this hugely important advice sector. I think that's one of the things that contributes hugely to the ethos of the site and the quality of the information provided here.

In terms of getting the message out about this site, we work hard to do what we can but you're not going to see any TV or radio ads from us anytime soon!!

If any members want to help the site extend it's reach to more people, following the example of pammy1969 in mentioning this site on other forums/websites to which they contribute is a really powerful way of helping people to find Trust-Deed.co.uk at the right time. A lot of people reach Trust-Deed.co.uk for the first time via links that have been placed on other consumer and debt forums that they are using.

Thank you sincerely to all of this site's members that have already felt that this site merits a recommendation on other sites.
We don't seek to divert large amounts of traffic away from these sites, but we do operate in a specialist niche and provide information that many other websites aren't capable of delivering because they don't have the knowledge within their membership.

On that point there is one very famous website that we will not name (run by someone known to be an "expert in saving money" or something like that!) where we found a lot of incorrect information recorded on trust deeds and other Scottish debt solutions in their forum. We recently sent their forum team an email pointing out the poor quality of some of the information provided to their members there, and offering to help by answering questions on their forum when others had failed to do so, provided incomplete information, or just got the answers plain wrong.

They didn't even reply! Remember that when you see their leader waving his arms around and talking over other people on the telly!!

Hi TDA, I have also seen poor advice on that site regarding housing issues, eviction etc and failing to differentiate properly between UK legislation/documents and Scottish ones.

I am clear that none of the firms of the experts here would need or want to take out costly media ads but I know local papers will often run an interview piece where a current interest is made known to them. This would be one way to bring the existence of the site to relevant people. Otherwise, the case as it is now, is that readers only have the half page and bigger ads from Middlemen and those who then need to gather in fees sufficient to cover these advertising efforts too. They are of course professionally worded and laid out to push all the right buttons when a reader has struggled with these issues. At that stage We don't know what we don't know. We don't know what to question, far less that there is an element of consumer choice even dealing with debt.

hmm, yes TDA. That particular site is frequented by money saving members of the DMP Brigade. And they can be a bit off with anyone who chooses a method of debt repayment which involves writing off some of your debt. I'm sorry, but I just can't see the sense in entering an agreement which will mean you take 18+ years to pay your debt. Self righteous do-gooders is the rather unkind term that springs to mind!

Oh gosh, did I say that out loud?

I think we should all grant ourselves the title "Trust Deed Forum Ambassadors" and sign post people here whenever we can!

I agree pammy1969-it's just that I have so few conversations with anyone on the topic, it just doesn't come up. We all know because we've benefitted from the forum that there is a large group of people struggling and the experts know because of their client base presumably growing.

Hi TDA, I will mention this to some of the advisers at the CAB's to see if they can use you, although they don't like to be seen as recommending anyone in particular, but worth a shot.

Hi Shona.

It's very kind of you to offer to speak with your contacts, but it's not something we are seeking to initiate from the perspective of the site team.

I agree that it's extremely important for the CAB to be independent and to be seen to be independent. They also have very substantial and high-quality debt advising capabilities in-house of course.

Interesting posts re the free sector and the private sector.

I had a meeting yesterday where the CAB were the initial contact. Im sorry to say, the advice from this particular office was wrong and dangerously wrong. They then responded to one of the TV Ads and the structure of the proposal set up.

Glaring mistake unfortunately was that the review had been a quick on the phone call centre review ( from a Trust Deed expert, expert trust deed etc etc!), papers prepared for signing and it took no account of the HP £275 per month agreement which was in fact not HP, but fixed sum agreement. So the proposal was flawed at the start. Creditors are prejudiced and the income and expenditure is wrong.

I think there is a serious lack of knowledge out there and wish there was a general voluntary centre of excellence with people who had real experience and knowledge. Unfortunately, there isn't.

Rant over, I'll get my coat.....

Mark

Unfortunately the variation in standard of advice given in CAB s is significant on many matters. I have had tenants badly advised re. the impact of notices, sharing of information(asking for references) and return of deposits etc. I am also aware of the voluntary nature of some/most of the advice givers, some are acquaintances of mine or family members. Free advice from non-professionals, in my opinion, has to be followed up with further enquiry. The fact that entirely wrong advice can be given on tuesday in the same office where sound advice is given on thursday is a worry.

Surely between us we can find a way to highlight the forum's existence without being seen as endorsing a specific company if that has to be avoided?

Hi Pamjo.

We already do quite a lot of work to try and make it as easy as possible for people to find the site when they are online.

That's a slow and incremental process, but has been very effective over time. If you go back a few years you'd be lucky to see a new question here twice a week. Last month around four new questions were asked every day with lots more discussion going on in additional threads that had been running for a while already. I'd love to tell you how many people visit and read the forum every day (I think you'd be surprised) but I'd get myself into trouble!

Supportive members of the site, who would like to play a part in extending its reach to others in the future, would be making a major contribution if they were to mention this site in other online forums to which they contribute. I know that isn't allowed everywhere, but where it is allowed it really makes a difference in helping people to find this site. I know a lot of members have chosen to do this already and their support in doing so is much appreciated.