Nathan's comeback story

Nathan’s background

Unemployment, a relationship breakdown, and mounting bills were quickly taking a toll on Nathan whose circumstances suddenly changed during the global pandemic. He considered his job to ve fulfilling and he enjoyed helping those in need, but it was not seen as an essential service. Trying to find ways to survive and living day by day, he began to extend himself with credit.

The debt

Nathan purchased an appliance on credit, to sell it for cash. He was using this cash to put a roof over his head until he was able to find work again. Although he was unable to make repayments, he kept in regular contact with the initial lender and as time passed, Nathan found his footing with employment and suddenly his circumstances had changed again - this time, for the better.

Journey with Pioneer

Things were looking up for Nathan, who was now starting to make plans to pay back his debt. When he received his welcome letter from Pioneer, he reached out expressing a strong intention to close the account as soon as possible. Nicole, his Account Manager, was more than happy to help. She listened and guided Nathan through his options, one of which was to settle his account at a discounted amount. Unable to make a one-off payment at the time, Nathan opted for a fortnightly repayment plan instead. 

Nicole, sympathetic to Nathan's challenges and having seen countless others in similar predicaments, went one step further. She set up a repayment plan that he was comfortable with and extended Nathan's discounted settlement offer, giving him more flexibility to do what he had set out to do initially; close the account as quickly as possible. "Helping Nathan and providing him with an option that suited him best at the time was extremely important to me. I was able to guide him through solutions that exceeded his expectations and it felt great to go that extra mile to help him." she said.

The outcome

Nathan who was already grateful for the flexibility Pioneer offered, and together with Nicole explored a final option to settle the account for good with part-payments. He was able to close the account within months, improving his credit rating, meaning that he could finally set his sights on home ownership. As he looked back on his journey, he expressed his gratitude for Pioneer's unwavering support and flexibility. "I was impressed with the flexibility Pioneer offered. Most times people who get into debt are going through some issues such as unemployment, mental health issues and are reasonably helpless to avoid the debt or once in the position of debt the above issues hinder repayment. I think that showing empathy and flexibility will create goodwill amongst your debtors and hence they will be more likely to make genuine efforts to reduce and finalise their debt" he said.

How Pioneer helped Nathan achieve financial freedom

• Nicole applied empathy to Nathan's situation and tried to come up with different ways to help.
• Nathan's willingness to engage with Pioneer, and his honesty, made it easier for Nicole to guide him through solutions that would help him close his account. 
• By offering a discount and part-payment option, Nicole gave Nathan the ability to pay back his debt quicker.

This account was closed in December 2023. Names in this story have been changed to protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals involved. The image is for illustration purposes only, captured by Caleb George.