It begins harmless enough. You make a request at the bank to have a negative balance in your account, leaving you in the red. The amount is small and seems manageable. Over time, the amount grows. Left ignored, it gets out of hand. The result: €9,000 euros in debt. The insurance company, telecom provider and post order company are all knocking at your door asking for what you owe them. After years of ignoring the state of her finances, it was Rianne’s (25) mother who intervened, and sought help for her daughter.
Charge It To Experience
Rianne: “New clothes make me happy. I follow the latest trends on social media very closely. With my part-time job in healthcare, I earn enough to be able to buy my favourite pieces of clothing. Having a negative balance by the bank, seemed to be a simple way to have extra money to spend. With just a few clicks of the button, I can get access to an extra €1,000. This, plus discovering online shops where you don’t have to pay directly, made it easy to spend money I didn’t have.”
Rianne: “But the debts quickly piled up. And it was difficult to stay on top of all of it. It felt like there was always this gray cloud hanging over me. I didn’t dare tell family or friends. I was ashamed and it depressed me. In the meantime, the bills kept coming in. My stomach would turn each time they arrive at my door.”
Anke, Rianne’s Mother: “For a long time, I didn’t think that anything was wrong. She lived on her own and earned her own money while completing her studies. I had no idea that she would buy so many new clothes. She made me believe that she was borrowing clothes from her housemates.”
Making matters worse, Rianne’s father passed away unexpectedly. He was responsible for the financial affairs of the family. Rianne’s mail was still being sent to her parents’ address. It was her father who would bring these piles of letters to her. But with her father gone, her mother, through accidentally opening one of these letters, discovered the dire situation that Rianne was in.
Anke: “I was perplexed. It was a bill from an online store for a shocking €6,000. How could that be real? I thought for a moment, this is probably a mistake.”
Anke decided to speak with Rianne. She had also discovered that the insurance provider hadn’t been paid for years. “That is another story: whenever you fail to pay the insurance provider, the premium suddenly becomes 30% more expensive. This was the last straw. Rianne needed help.”
All Is Revealed
Together with her mother, Rianne approached Faircasso, a social debt collection agency that helps people to overcome debt instead of succumbing to it. “We had to change our course,” shared Rianne. Crying on the phone, Rianne described her situation to the agency: the stress, the debt, and her father’s passing. It was far too much. She didn’t know where to begin. Responding to her situation, Faircasso offered step by step guidance.
Anke: “It was a relief. Here was an organization that truly listened and worked to find real solutions. Because, before my daughter could start on building her adult life, she first has to deal with her debt. And this is not solved by more bills. Faircasso is also helping Rianne preventively. They are helping her avoid incurring debt in the future. It hurts to see your child in such a problematic situation. The sky-high debt was weighing heavily on our shoulders and on our health. We were in a vicious cycle that was difficult to break.”
"I can see the light at the end of the tunnel again."
Rianne: “I’m happy that we approached Faircasso. It was time to get out of that cycle. Money was directing my life. Debts are so easily made this way, specially when you’re young. But you can feel the consequences for years to come. Online shopping is now a thing of the past for me. Every month, before I use up my money, I make sure I pay off the bills that I still have standing. If anyone should find themselves in debt, I hope they reach out to Faircasso. Because of them, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel again.”