Lovely to hear that you are home xxx

Thank you very much xx:)

There are just so........ many good, honest and genuine people out there, being hit and paying up to this purely money making '[problem]'!!!!! I just felt that I had to make a point and stand my ground! I know for a fact that I didn't owe it. I also took the decision that I wouldn't pay it - albeit a paltry sum of just over £11?? With all the correspondence that I've had - letters from 3 debt collection agents, some extremely threatening!!! It must have cost them more in administration than they could ever have hoped to recover? Sadly, most people I know would pay up after the first letter by such an agency, even after having left that network some 3 years ago! In fact I know of people that have!!! Perhaps considering it as an oversight on their part - but just how much money are these totally innocent people paying, that really isn't a debt at all and certainly isn't owed to that network, or anyone else? I've never owed so much as a penny in all of my life! If I'm given too much change in a shop, I'll correct them myself & give them back the extra! It would have been very easy to just pay up and smile...... which I think most people would do (indeed I know of 3 that have), for such a paltry sum - but, if 1,000 people did that, or 100,000 how much money would that make these people for money they were never owed in the first place!!! The nice lady at 3 (and she was a very nice lady and very apologetic) admitted verbally that their accounting system was at fault and was being addressed. My advice is - if you think you've got nothing owing to them, fight it! If you know that you owe them - pay them. I'm still waiting to hear if it's affected my credit rating - given the sheer amount of loan/credit offers I get daily in my inbox - I very much doubt it! Good luck to you all and thank god I'm now with o2!!!

Hi Tadg, I am glad to get this out of the way, such a small amount and yet so much trouble !! Your right of course, I need to see my credit file is clear, then I plan to do just that. There is a lot yet to be answered, but it seems I have the DCA's off my back. I also intend to send this letter to Red and the rest of what I now know as the 'Leeds losers' http://www.consumerforums.com/resources/templates-library/86-debt-collectors/585-letter-following-up-after-a-debt-collection-agency-has-closed-its-files- I daresay I'll be back and let you all know how it goes. Thank you for your input Mrs Lex

Back again I have just had this letter from RED, RED DEBT COLLECTION SERVICES P0 Box 203 Leeds LS11 1BG Our Ref: Original Creditor: 3G Mobile We thank you for your email of 18 May 2009 and apologise for the delay in our response. Our standard procedure is to place our collection activities on hold while customer queries are being investigated. It appears however that due to an administrative backlog your previous email received on 15th May 2009 was not processed until 30 May 2009 which resulted in the letter you received on the l8th May 2009 being sent to you in error. Please accept our sincere apologies for this oversight. We have been advised by 3G that they cancel direct debit instructions when notice of cancellation is received, requiring the final bill to be paid by alternative methods, and we had requested copy statements from them to see if this had been the case. However, under the circumstances and as a gesture of goodwill we have decided not to pursue the matter further and have now closed the account down on our system. A request will also be sent to the relevant credit reference agencies instructing any registered defaults to be removed: We trust you will find this agreeable and apologise again for any inconvenience caused. Yours sincerely ******* ********* Customer Services For your security calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. Registered Office: Enterprise House, 1 Apex View, Leeds LSI 1 9BH. Red Debt Collection Services is a trading style of Lowell Financial Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under Company Reg No: 45b893€. c Consumer Credit Licence No: 528607. L2RDEF ................................................................................... I would just like to take time and say a big thank you to everyone that has contributed to my thread, you have all been a great help and support over a stupid amount of money. I wonder how many people have just paid this type of 'Demand'. There seems to be a few on these forums. Thank you all Mrs Lex

Hi everyone, After sending the above letter to *3* and Red Collections, I received the following reply from 3G :- Dear Mrs Lex, Re: Account ********** I am writing in response to your recent communication and the concerns you have raised regarding the contact you have received from a Debt Collection agency. Please accept my apologies for any frustrations you may have experienced during your recent dealings with us. As subsequently confirmed, I have now cleared the outstanding balance from your closed account with 3, account as a gesture of goodwill. This will prevent any further communication regarding this account. Our Consumer Credit department has been instructed to remove any negative entries, applied to your credit file as a result of this account However, Credit Reference agencies can take upto 28 days to amend their records. Should you wish to discuss this matter further, please contact me at the Executive Office on 08707 330295. Our business hours are 9am until 6.3Opm, Monday to Friday. Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention and I trust that my actions will meet with your approval. Yours sincerely, Rochelle Findlay, 3. Executive Office .............................................................................................................. I'll check my credit file in 28 days and make sure they have !!. Mrs Lex

In all fairness - you're probably better off making up your own stuff but using gluten free self raising flour as a replacement for normal flour, plus add a bit of xantham gum and just experimenting? Tesco's gluten free lasagne sheets - are superb!!! My gluten tolerant family actually think they taste better? You can also make lovely home made dumplings - that do initially sink - but rise and still taste lovely - add a few herbs into the mix, or a couple of ounces of cheddar!!! Never managed to find/make a decent bread mix though - so have given up and either have Tesco's GF crumpets (but they need a good topping - to give them any taste) or make potato cakes - again mashed potatoe (plus anything else you want to add - perhaps a bit of onion, herbs, cheese, bacon) and just dust them in GF flour then fry/grill them? Hope this helps?? I cannot tell you how much I miss plain and simple buttered toast!!! If you do find a recipe for bread that isn't like chewing a flavourless brick - please do let me know!!! Sadly I can't help you on the cake front - because I haven't a sweet tooth! I bet you could make some flap jacks though, or rice crispy chocolate cakes? Good luck experimenting and please share your successful findings!

Hi to you all, I have an alleged debt with Three Mobile thats over four years old. I know this account was clear before I moved to O2. The first I knew about it was back in December when I received a letter from Lowell's claiming they now held the debt for the sum of £11.20. I sent a 'Prove it' letter and heard no more about it. Next came a letter from MacKenzie Hall. (you can see where this is going) Another *Prove it* letter and again no reply. Next up was Buchanan, Clark and Wells, signed by all three of them !! another *Prove it* letter and yet again, no response. Today a letter turns up from 'Red' via Lowell's, saying they now own the debt. So off goes another *Prove it* letter, unless anyone knows of something stronger ?? Many thanks for reading this. Mrs Lex

Case

Simon said the words last night. 'That was fantastic, I am exhausted' If he thought that was good, look out :o and it's the semi finals tomorrow night !!

Tesco gluten free spaghetti is very good. It needs cooking a bit longer than it says on the pack and has to be rinsed well, but you can't tell it from the real stuff. Well, Mr Lex can't

No Way Webby, Jack Bauer is much harder than some old 'Chuck Norris' replies, Thats just 70's stuff !!

Hi everyone! Many thanks for all your extremely welcome advice and recipes - all very much appreciated and thank you so much for taking the time to research the various recipes. Just got to remember to buy the flipping baking powder - arggghh!!!! Yummy beef and beer casserole cooking away merrily - but never mind, at least Mr Lex and the family can have their dumplings. Thank you Lula for the warm welcome but I usually let Mr Lex post for me - he loves this forum and can I take this rare opportunity of posting myself to thank you all for your continued support with his 'not smoking' campaign. He's doing brilliantly but I doubt he could have done it without your goodselves. Take care all and hope to meet you all again soon. Love Mrs Lex

Hi Zoot and everyone else, Have you found a good flour for making dumpling's ? I have just found a recipe to die for, Fillet steak, Oxtail Pudding and Braised Veggies. So that's Christmas sorted However I don't want to spoil it by producing 'cannonballs' instead of Dumpling's. Do we have a recipe page anywhere ? If you used 'Chuck steak' instead of Fillet this could be a winner !! Mrs Lex

Thank you Jowalshy, Two loafs on the way, great, they take pay pal. Big shopping spree coming up to try all the others that have been suggested. Thank you peeps for all the advice Mrs Lex