Hi, have a look at my thread - followed a similar pattern to you. Am now at the last stages of the claim and awaiting a court date. Try to stick to the deadlines that you either give or they advise on here and just keep looking through all the threads on here - I found all the advise with regard to filling in the N1 and the AQ if received, which unfortunately it was ! Any questions, feel free to ask again and I hope I can help - many more people on here who are more knowledgeable but am happy to try and help.

Friday 25th May - AQ received (form 150) from the court. I filled in as per the help and advice from here and attached my Draft Directions. Saturday 26th May - posted the originals to the courts - copies each to Wragge & Co and A+L. Waiting game again then !! Looking at other threads posted, it seems that when I get to the alloted time for Wragge & Co to send in their AQ, start phoning the court and asking possibly for the court to make a judgement. However, it seems that the courts give the defendant virtually 4 weeks in total to respond but I suppose worth chasing. Just hoping that Croydon County Court isn't as busy as some and I get a court date sooner rather than later - would hate to have to wait until August or September.... so far off and I just want to get it done and dusted now.

Thats all you should need Vodster. Good luck with it

Hi again Vodster Dont wait for your new award. I didnt have mine - i filed my claim mid April. When I went to the court - I had my old awards and they turned me away saying I needed the new one. I said they hadn't been issued yet and she went to get advice and said a bank statement was fine as long as it showed the money still coming into your account from the tax credits. Thankfully I happened to have a statement that had arrived the day before in my bag and it showed my payment coming in. They took a copy of this and accepted that. Just take your old awards and a recent bank statement showing that you are still getting the money. Good luck with it.

Hi I went to the court in person because I wasn't paying for fee. Am on working tax credit and child tax credit. If you look up local county courts on website, you will find your nearest one and also on there, there will be a form to fill in EX160 (i think) - this is an exemption form that you will in to take with your N1 (i think again - claim form). When you take both forms in - you only need one copy of exemption form (3 of the other with a schedule of charges). You will also need to take photocopied documents incl originals of the benefits you are intending to use so as not to pay..... NOTE : the court said when I went that you had to be in receipt of both work AND child tax credit to be exempt. If you have other benefits ie : income support etc, then that should be fine. Hope this helps. Look on my thread (search vintage72) and I have listed there the process I have taken.

I filed my claim on the 3rd May and I received 2 days ago from the A+L solicitors - saying they are going to defend. Today I received the pack from the solicitors (defence pack) and also under separate cover a cheque from A+L for £2446 - I am seeking £5500 (incl 8% court interest). They have sent with the cheque the standard letter saying that OFT think £12 per charge is reasonable (but I notice that the wording is for credit card charges - not bank). They are obviously trying to scare us. Thank goodness for this site. I have returned today the cheque torn in 2 with the rejection letter number 5 on here and now we shall sit tight again. I will keep you posted.

I am at the same stage as you - I filed my claim on the 3rd May and I received 2 days ago from the A+L solicitors - saying they are going to defend. Today I received the pack from the solicitors (defence pack) and also under separate cover a cheque from A+L for £2446 - I am seeking £5500 (incl 8% court interest). They have sent with the cheque the standard letter saying that OFT think £12 per charge is reasonable (but I notice that the wording is for credit card charges - not bank). They are obviously trying to scare us. Thank goodness for this site. I have returned today the cheque torn in 2 with the rejection letter number 5 on here and now we shall sit tight again. I will keep you posted.

UPDATE : Phoned the court yesterday - taking at least 10 working days to be written to, the lady there asked me to wait until the end of the week and then chase again. So still the waiting game !

Hi all, Went to the Court yesterday and filed claim. They are very particular about payment. You have to be in receipt of Working and Child Tax Credits but thankfully I was. However, because the new awards haven't been sent yet by the Inland Revenue, the Court wouldn't accept last years notices and insisted on seeing a bank statement. Thankfully, I had one in my bag so they are now processing the claim. Within 5 days both A+L and I should be written to and then its the waiting game again. I will keep you posted ! Fingers crossed for me guys and gals !!!!

Hi Guys It's been a while - so thought I'd update you...... 2nd Feb - sent my DPA Request with a postal order for £10 - on the 40th day, I telephoned them and politely told them I was going to complain and take the matter further having not received my statements. Amazingly, a manager 'managed' to look into the matter AND call me back one hour later !!! Sincerely apologetic and said they would be in the post that day. Sure enough - following day a huge bundle arrived...... totalling £4,635.00 charges !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 21st March - PRELIM sent - recorded delivery - signed for on the 22nd. Low and behold, no acknowledgement in any shape or form but biding my time 4th April - LBA sent - recorded delivery - signed for on the 5th. Low and behold, you'd never guess - no acknowledgement to date.... but once again, am biding my time. Week today and I will be filing my N1 and will get an extra 8% on the lot - totalling over £5,500. Due to not having any money - wonder why ! - I am going to the court in person, am in receipt of Working Tax Credits, so have preliminary filled in from the site links the EX160 which exempts (hopefully) me from paying court fees. Also filled in the N1 form. Telephoned the County Court and they were extremely helpful, don't need to get the exemption form filled in first (even though it says so on the court form) - take it all in together and gets filed. It's frustrating not getting a reply from the bank but bigger fools them, they will have to pay an extra £900 or so in charges when they could have paid up sooner. Will keep you guys posted !

Can someone please explain the whole contractural interest thing to me. Have gone through nearly every thread and forum and sti9ll struggling to find explanation of how to work this out. Also the spredsheet - Excel to help me set out my claim.

Hi all - Today I came to your site and so glad I did. I feel enpowered from the knowledge of you guys. So firstly, a big thanks. I am sending tomorrow the "Data Protection Access Request" to the A&L and am probably looking at at least £5k of charges over the last 6 years but could be considerably more ! Thanks guys also for posting a list of 'parachute accounts'. After 5 minutes on the phone - Iwas accepted for a Cashminder account via Co-operative Bank. At least it means I can have an Electron card etc as the Abbey Cashcard account was all but useless. So, watch this space !