No one expects the Spanish inquisition!!! Actually the Spanish inquisition might have been easier, although I suspect I would have been put to death years ago purely because HSBC could have bribed the right people in those days... as it happens I don't think HSBC even noticed me, I think I was just caught in the machine and it took a hell of a lot of kicking and screaming to get them to take notice and let me out... anyway the good news is following a FOS review of my case back in May and a complaint to the credit reference agencies, HSBC's hounds have finally removed the default from my credit record, so that's April 2007 to December 2013, doesnt time fly when your having fun!! Hopefully that will be an end to my dealings with HSBC. Lessons learned: dont be poor because your a sitting duck and they can and will ruin whats left of your life. Happy new year

Do you have separate written orders (contracts) for the separate works you have done? and have you continued to provide the services/works you were instructed to provide under both until the lack of payment? It appears you have a breach of contract but you have to be careful legally, who has made the breach? if you have parallel contracts you cannot (and nor can they) mix them, each contract stands on its own merits, you have to fulfill your obligations under each contract separately. If you have patents for the product I believe you can withdraw your approval from the company you have supplied and force them to stop them selling your product... but you need to talk to a legal professional to achive this.

Does he have a contract? self employment is a tricky thing (I did it for over 20 years) my view was always if they don't need you anymore walk away... I know thats not good from a domestic point of view, the alternatives are to drop his rates and see if he can undercut whoever has taken his place or to find a new client

My thoughts are with him and his family a great CAG member and a font of knowledge to all that were helped by him. Pete

Hiya Freaky my old mate, how’s the sheep , and so to continue the saga... I had lost in court, my first and only loss to date, so I owed them the money we had been arguing over for 3 years, fortunately this was my second claim so we were only arguing about 4 months bank charges, around £500. I was also out of work and claiming benefit at this time. HSBC did what they had been trying to do for a long time and within days had assigned (sold) the balance of my account to a DCA who were in actual fact very understanding and agreed I could pay this debt off at £10 a month which I did without fail. January 2012 - I receive two letters, one from HSBC stating they have sold the account to a company called Sigma SVP1 Limited (Sigma Red) and one from Sigma Red asking for the outstanding balance of the debt. I wrote back to both stating this debt had already been sold and I was happily paying the first DCA and had been since December 2010. I was told to stop paying the first DCA immediately and to pay Sigma Red. Now, I have moved on since I took pleasure in running these idiots around till the cows come home although I was tempted but PD told me to pay it and get it out of the way as I was working again by now so I did just that, I sent a cheque for the balance of the debt, less what had been paid to the first DCA... All cleared up and settled?... nope, I got a solicitors letter saying I would need to prove the existence of the payments to the first DCA and Sigma Red placed a default on my credit record. Now call me an old softie if you like but I actually still trust these idiots to know what they are doing so I actually don’t have any records of the agreements with the first DCA or the payments apart from the monthly direct debits from my bank on my bank statements. I wrote back pointing out to the solicitor the only way I would be able to prove anything would be with a subject access request which would cost me £10 but HSBC are bound by statute law to keep records of their dealings. I also sent this letter to the FOS asking them to investigate and review the credit licences of HSBC, Sigma Red and the solicitor. Sigma Red seem to have gone quiet and I await the response from the FOS. Ho hum, things should be so much easier than this when you live on a narrowboat Pete

Yanno the scene from pirates of the carabean (at worlds end)... when the black perl comes up over the sand dune.... ... my thread is back and I aint in Davy Jones Locker

Like the fact that the moron took the nice shiney red one not the gold one

Another great Brum meet, PD and I had a brilliant time, thank you all for comming it was so good to see everyone again even after I have been AWOL for the last few months... even on this thread!! . Have to agree with Caro, it was good to see Broad Street in full swing, loads of people enjoying themselves (fairly lol) peacefully, even into the not so early hours. There was some fantastic fancy dress about and more than a few young ladies that would have had had Maroon going into full "father" mode where were they when I was 17!!! (ducks slap from PD) . Again thanks fore a brilliant nite pete

someone called??? I can report all appears quiet on the western front again now.... even the helecopters have gone lol... yep 7:30 looks good to me and I can promise there will be plenty of policemen around too lol see you all tomoz pete

The City isnt locked down, some of the shops have shut early, and some offices closed early (more likely to be because it was a sunny evening lol).... the trouble here appears to be relativly small scale, just a few yobs breaking into shops and stealing stock... I have the phone number of the P&P so I will call them tomorrow and ask what their plans are for the weekend and what the police have advised them to do but at the moment PD and I are still planning to be there Pete

telephone

chess set

just then George said

Exhaust Pipe

Status Quo - Down The Dustpipe