Thank you very much everyone for all your kind help and advice. This site is a total godsend, you've no idea how much it helps to know there are good people out there against the not so good ones. If it wasn't for the help on this site, i'd probably be looking for the answers at the bottom of a whisky bottle!

Hello, I've had ongoing problems with DCA's. Just rang Direct Legal and Collections to set up a direct debit to make repayments as i'm trying to keep them off my back. I told them i can afford £10 per month and that i was wanting to set up a direct debit to pay this. I was told i couldn't do this as they would only accept £10 for 2 months so setting up a direct debit was not worth it. I told them i could only afford £10 and at least they would be getting regular payments. They would not accept this and said i should give them my card details NOW or pay immediately at a pay point using the letter. I really thought this was a bit unfair as i can only afford so much and am making an effort to pay them and they're not taking it! They wanted £35 a month off me ( i can't afford this) and have been recently calling me using an auto dialler from 8am in the morning ALL DAY. I complained about this and told them i would only correspond with them in writing, in future, they were having none of it. Is it just me or are they being awkward?.......any help please?

Good to hear your posts. The more i find out about this situation and hear from other people, the more i am convinced that these companies are just nasty Restons and HFC have been nothing but unhelpful and underhanded in the way they have tried to get money from me, i dunno how these people sleep at night. I spoke to the guy who's dealing with my account at Restons today (am i allowed to name names?) as i needed to set up a standing order to pay the court judgement to them. I asked him weeks ago for their bank details and he said he would send it out, i still have not received them, so his response was, 'not my problem i'm not the post office' - he eventually gave me the details on the phone but how do i ensure that these payments are received, documented and receipted? This is the same guy that pressured me to sign a consent order for £11,000(approx) by threatening me with court a nd not helping me in the slightest by convingly saying this was the only way i could solve the problem and help myself, not giving me any other option and doing all this with an abrupt arrogant attitude on top of it all. I sincerely believe they would encourage that you default on payments to them, just so that they can get a further order from the courts, such as an Attachment of Earnings DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE. I would like to ask again if anybody knows if there is a way at getting back at this lot. Is there any way that a 'customer' treated wrongly or unfairly as i mentioned in previous posts can take them to court or at least have the default notice and CCJ removed, as the way in which they came about getting it was unfair, i have not mentioned all the details but i can assure you i feel as though these people have ruined me. i work full time (long hours) along with my girlfriend and as things stand now we cannot get a house together because of this situation and we were trying to start a family. There must be a way to reverse this.. ....is there?

Thanks again for the help. I will pursue the CCA and i can confirm my account was with Co-Operative Bank, never had an HFC account, the payments to them were for a loan. I think what happened was i gave them my card number for a one off payment over the phone one month then they continued to use that casrd number to take money out, unauthorised. Co-op Bank fraud dept got involved and had to investigate and cancel my card and as i went OD because of HFC i also defaulted on other Direct debit payments so HFC caused a lot of trouble. I really appreciate the help

As a footnote to my complaint there is also the matter that i have requested a copy of the Credit Agreement from Restons and HFC which has not been forthcoming, all i've had from them is a copy of the default notice and a computer screen printout which was supposed to be their statement of the account - now i'm lead to belive that a debt is unenforceable if a credit agreement is not supplied when requested, is this true? Also HFC bank took money from my current account using my card number wothout my permission. Is this unlawful? Please can anyone help?

Phew! Thank you happyalf, you've no idea how good it is to hear someone else knows what i mean! Hopefully we can have some luck on this. I'll also let you know if i find anything of interest, as i have no idea how these companies can basically ruin someones life as they see fit, to make a few quid. There must be way to have this injustice sorted out. I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer. thanks again.

Hello, I bought a computer on credit with Dixons 4 years ago, [2004] when i was working part time. Consequently i was bombarded by mail and phone calls from HFC Bank (who financed the credit) to get more credit from them. Stupidly i agreed an appointment, had to visit their branch and was sold a £5000 loan with extra payment protection and insurance that bumped the total cost up to over £10,000. Now i'm not an idiot but when i went along i thought it was so i could clear my computer payments and maybe get a little more in way of a loan. Instead i was pressured into a higher loan amount with all the extras sold on top and told it was in my best interests as it would consolidate all my other debts. Not very sound finacial advice at all. I came away almost instantly regretting what had happened but was told i could not go back on the decision as the cheques were issued and given to me at the branch and the loan was now in force. I managed to keep up monthly repayments of £150 but as i was working part time and needed to stay alive i had to default. HFC were not very understanding and immediately defaulted my loan and passed it to Restons Solicitors. I then got into more financial hardship and defaulted on future payments and was consequently issued with a court summons by Restons. I called them immediatley and was told if i signed a consent order they would send by fax then i could avoid the matter going to court. This was my biggest worry as i was trying to get a mortgage with my girlfriend and didn't want a CCJ against me. I signed the consent order in a panic as i was told i had no other option. Now the consent order was for £11,500 approx (On A loan of £5000!!!). Once i had done that the court hearing was stopped like they said but now they had cajoled me into signing an agreement on a massively over inflated figure - so i've been robbed blind. I contested this through HFC complaints department and was stalled and stalled, whereupon i informed them i would not be keeping up repayments until i was given a fair and proper hearing. I've since been to court now and forced to pay £50 a month and because Restons have been very underhanded and ruthless they have also slapped a CCJ on me for £12,300 (costs and all). Consequently i've still not been given a fair represention of why i should owe so much and nobody at any of these companies has treated me fairly, they have got me under a contract that i never wanted and added multiple charges, interest etc and have screwed me and i can't do a thing a about it. Sorry this is long and drawn out but please is there any body out htere who can help, i WOULD LIKE TO GET A CASE AGAINST THEM WHERE I GET THE DEBT (AND MY CREDIT FILE) EITHER BROUGHT DOWN TO A FAIR AMOUNT OR WIPED OUT COMPLETELY. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.