I’ve had many queries and sadly mostly complaints about consumers who are already under debt review, but are just not getting the type of service they deserve from their respective Debt Counsellors, more importantly, the service they are paying for…

This leaves an incredibly bad taste in their mouths and results in them wanting to transfer to another Debt Counsellor.

So firstly, can a consumer legally transfer to another ‘Debt Counsellor’? The answer is emphatically… YES!!

So what is the process involved in order for you to transfer from one ‘Debt Counsellor’ to another?

The process to follow when you want to transfer from your current Debt Counsellor to your new one is as follows:

1.) You need to email your current DC and submit the following:

a.) A (motivation) letter stating why you no longer wish to be their client. This letter will state your unhappiness, basically why you want to transfer to another DC

b.) You also need to request a Form 17.7 from your current DC (the most important document)

2.) You will need to provide your new DC (the one you want to transfer to) with the following documents:

a.) A copy of your ID (Including your wife’s if you are married in community of property)

b.) A dated and signed Power of Attorney

c.) Your Form 17.7 that your old DC needs to give you

d.) Your current PDA (payment distribution agency) statement/copy of your court order (depending on which phase your debt review is)

Once you have sent through all the required documentation, most importantly Form 17.7, your new Debt Counsellor will do the rest.

The waiting period should really not be that long.

One calendar month should be sufficient time to sort all the important admin out. However, please note that no Debt Counsellor loves to lose clients, as this is a lost stream of revenue and very bad for business. So this means that your current Debt Counsellor may not be too keen to play ball and just effortlessly allow you to leave their books. They may not be as responsive to your calls, or not allow you to leave, especially if you have outstanding service/aftercare fees that are owing to them. So make sure you’re not behind on your payments otherwise they are within their rights to withhold your file from transferring.

Should this be the case, it may take a bit longer for you to transfer over to your new Debt counsellor. As your new DC needs to take up the case with the NCR.

It is critically important to note that should you experience this, at no stage are you encouraged to stop making your PDA payments, as this will only harm you as your creditors will not receive their money as per your new (debt review) contractual agreement, and will be within their rights to take legal steps against you.

Hopefully you will be happy with your new Debt Counsellor and they will guide you to the end of your debt review term and onto financial independence again.