This topic was closed on 09 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

Hello again, Thank you very much for your replies. I'd already spent hours looking through the forums and have learnt so much useful and relavant information but was just feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all the information, and quite how to apply it to my situation! Thanks though for taking the time to reply, trundlecat - I now know how to take the first step to to getting out of this siuation - thanks for your offer of help, as you say hopefully i'll be able to find everything here, I've downloaded some sample leters already. Hopefully i'll be able to help someone else in my situation when i've sorted this out! Cheers then, Milly

Hello, I have just stumbled across this site and am hoping it will help me get out of a situation that I got myself into but feel has spiralled out of control into disproportionate costs. I've looked at the FAQ and other threads and haven't worked out what I need to do so any advice would be very much apppreciated. In January 2005 I split up with a boyfriend and moved out of the flat we shared, there was quite a lot of admin/paperwork etc and I stupidly didn't update the bank with new details. Over the few months I had 2 or 3 (i think - need to confirm) direct debit phone bills refused by my bank (RBS) as I had insufficent funds. The bills weren't paid but charges were issued (£28 a time I think). This took me overdrawn... ... after getting a message on an old phone in April 2005 I called them, charges had been made on top of charges as it meant i had an unauthorised overdraft and it was up to £180. I agreed to pay £35 a month till it was paid back. I paid once over the internet and the payment apppeared back in the acct i was paying it from and I very stupidly left it and didn't follow it up. (or make more payments:-x ) Anyway - didn't hear from them ttill last week when i gat a message on the same old phone number from debt collection agency. I called them and was told I owe £430. I called RBS and they sent me statements from minus £250 till now. I'm going to ring them on monday and get a breakdown of charges since i was last on £0. Assuming they send this to me where do i go ffrom there, am i right to think that all these subsequent charges that brought the debt up to £430 are unfair as thay are based on an unlawful charge. I didn't spend a penny of this debt and it seems a rather unreasonable punishment??! If so.. do i arrange repayments with debt collection people and try and claim the money back from RBS, refuse to pay at all, or what? I know that compared to some people this debt isn't huge, but I don't earn much and it is weighing very heavily on my mind. If anyone would be kind enough to talk me through where i stand i wouldbe very grateful indeed, Many thanks, Milly