I asked them for a copy of their complaints procedure as it clearly states in their response that "a response will be received within 10 working days" (I got absolutely nothing at all for nearly 2 months) whether this is an 'internal standard' or not is irrelevant, if you can't meet it don't publish it! I never gave them an address other than my email. They refuse to communicate by email even though they accept appeals against tickets by email. The fact was I was loading a vehicle with heavy goods and there are no bays for loading in the road or surrounding area even though I was told I could park in one by their own warden who could not direct me to one. There are no other options as it is a permit holder area.

Hi, In August I managed to obtain a parking ticket whilst loading/unloading my car with my student son's goods in his student house in Hove Brighton. You cannot stop at the front of his house and you have to stop in the road at the back of his house. The house has double gates you have to lock from the inside. Directly outside the property at the rear there is a dropped curb with double yellows, a disabled bay next to it belonging to the neighbour who never parks in it but always takes up space in the pay and display bays - Grrrr!!! The rest of the spaces are permit holder only with no time frame for stopping for unloading/loading. As I was locking the gates from the inside (you cannot lock them from outside) and walking from the front to the back of the property (which is one road away) one of their lovely parking wardens issued me with a ticket for stopping in the permit holders bay. I could not stop in the pay and display area as there was no space, you cannot park at the front of the property as there is a pelican crossing, I did not want to stop on the double yellow lines or in the disabled bay and this was the only alternative as there was nowhere else to load/unload. I did ask him at the time where I could stop to unload/load a vehicle and he said "there are bays around here" but could not direct me to one, I had already told him I had looked and asked him to tell me where the nearest one was but he didn't know. It is impossible to stop and load in the road my son's house is in unless you can find a pay and display meter empty and buy a ticket, which I would have done if that had been possible. I literally stopped for 5 minutes to shut up the rear gates after we had them open for the loading/unloading. The warden told me to make an appeal against the fine. So I appealed against the fine through their online system and got a return email stating that they would reply within 10 days. 10 days later no response, in fact it took them from the 13 August until 8 October to make a response stating they could not enter into email correspondence but needed an address to communicate regarding my challenge. I have since received another PCN in regards to this by post. Question is as they have not responded to my challenge within their own time frame can I use this in my challenge? It wasn't even as though it was just outside but nearly 2 months later!! What should my next move be? I was going to print off the challenge I had already made by email and their response showing they are way outside their own time frames and use that in my challenge. Am I going down the right route here?

Hi there pivn Have you exhausted the university's complaints procedure? Working in a uni and dealing with student complaints I would advise you to follow the university complaints procedure to the letter. http://www.wmin.ac.uk/pdf/complaints%20procedure.pdf This is the link to their online complaints procedure - not much detail there I'm afraid. When you complained to the course leader what action was taken? Did you and your fellow students put the complaint in writing? Did you follow up with the course leader what action was being taken to resolve the problem before you decided to complete your course elsewhere? Did you inform the correct department (finance/student enrolments) that you were withdrawing and completing elsewhere and do you/they have details of when you did this? Did you ask for reimbursement of the fee then, if so what was the response? Did any of your fellow students leave and complete the course elsewhere (this may help your case) or did they stay and complete at Westminster? If a substantial number of good students failed or did poorly in the unit that may indicate that there was a problem with the teaching and may help your case. When you say that you have written to them but they keep saying it is "being delt with" is this in writing? Have they given you an expected timescale for the competion of the investigation? If not, ask for one! I would expect to have heard something by now as you say you wrote initially in March which is now a good 3 months ago, they are allowed reasonable time to investigate, but in the circumstances (ie. not the summer holiday period) I would say that sounds excessive. Sometimes they hope that if they drag their feet you will just give up and go away! Once you have exhausted the university procedure, and if you are still unhappy with the outcome, you can complain to the OIA (Office of the Independent Adjudicator) they are a body set up independently of universities to act as an arbitrator in these sorts of situations. But I must emphasise that you must run the course of the university complaints procedure first as the OIA will not look at the case otherwise. You will need proof of your case, ie. the complaints made about the poor teaching etc. which were the reason why you enrolled elsewhere to complete your course. Keep all documentation and most importantly you need to know what you want as the outcome - which I presume is your money back and some compensation for the inconvenience of changing universities to complete your course etc. I don't agree that you should just chalk this up to experience and let it go, it's not just about money. The same problem could well happen to other students next year and nobody wants that! Take a look on the OIA website www.oiahe.org.uk for advice. Good luck - bad lecturers give universities a bad reputation!

Thanks for the replies, All I can think of is that the issue here may be something to do with the new laws on credit card borrowing and responsible lending etc. Companies seem to be doing "checks" on people. A friend of mine had her card limit "reviewed" by her lender and decreased - although they didn't say why - from what we could gather, it was because she had been made redundant and had been out of work for 6 months and had gone into arrears on her mortgage and a couple of other small bills, she got a CCJ for something really stupid, I think it was water rates or something. She has kept in constant contact with her mortgage lender and everything is fine with them! She is back in work and has made an agreement to pay back the arrears so there is no problem with her mortgage lender at all. She has always kept up the payments on her credit card as she knew she might need it for day to day usage etc. She is now back in work so there is no problem - but they still decreased her limit! They seem to be checking something although not sure what it is...... My partner's bank (HSBC) knew he was separating from his wife as we had to borrow some money for the deposit for our house. The credit card (which is also HSBC), is the one quering the address. The bank account seem to have no problem and have not queried anything only the credit card seem to be quering this! Thus the conclusion it has something to do with the new lending laws.... The main reason he didn't bother changing his details with everyone is basically because we do not expect to be at this address for more than a year, so it didn't seem worth it, especially as he still owns the other house so effectively it is still his property and he has every right to have his mail sent there. He visits the property at least twice a week to see his kids so there is no problem contacting him there. As I said, his wife has no problem with it. He hasn't changed his address through online banking etc. just kept everything the same. I'm just concerned about what they are checking and why, and why they are going to so much trouble to look for 'his other' address? I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had any issues similar to this with their lenders.

Hi everyone I'm posting this because my partner and I moved in together in September last year. He is currently going through a divorce and his soon to be ex-wife is still living in the marital home. As the place we are in is currently rented for a year, he was hoping the divorce would be well under process by the time our tenancy is up and we would be looking to buy somewhere together, he has therefore not bothered changed any of his bank details etc. over to this address, all his credit cards and bank accounts are still being sent to his "home" address. Anyway he received a letter from his HSBC credit card (don't have the letter with me so I can't give the exact wording) which was sent to the address WE live at NOT the address his account is registered at. The letter asks him to contact them regarding his account giving a telephone number but no other real details. I would like to emphasise the fact that he has a very good credit rating and he earns a very good salary. I dont even think he has much of an outstanding balance on this card as he reassessed his outgoings when he remortgaged just after moving out and paid off most of his personal debts. He owns the other house still and he pays the mortgage on it, even though he is not currenly living there because of the divorce proceedings, and his ex-wife has no problems his mail being sent there. Why then, would his HSBC credit card be fishing around looking for him at a different address? His bank account is also with them and he has had no contact from them concerning this. He does all his banking etc. online so very little actual mail is received at his old address anyhow. I have heard something about banks reviewing credit limits on cards annually when they want to offer a increase in the limit. Are they therefore making checks on people? Are they registering all this with the credit reference agencies, because it may make him look like he is being fraudulent even though having his mail sent to the address of the house he actually owns is surely not illegal is it?? I agree that it is responsible for the banks to not offer huge credit increases to people who are seriously in debt, but what sort of searches on information are they undertaking? Any info on this appreciated.... is it just more "Big Brother is watching you" action by the banks????

Thanks for your response to that 42man..... apologies for not updating on this post for a while my mother has been in hospital having a serious operation and other things have been put on the back burner! I haven't sent the letter off yet, although I had gone to the post office and got the postal order etc..... It has only just come back in my mind again as I have had another letter from Legal & Receivables, here is the basics of the letter: "our records show that, despite the service of a SD (never received it went to old address!) you have failed to settle this account. Our client is currently considering the issue of petition for bankruptcy based upon the demand made. However prior to commencement of such action we are instructed to propose a balance reduction for prompt settlement." They are asking for around £900 which is about a £300 drop. It then goes on to say that this is without prejudice and they have the right to reclaim the full amount etc. Anyone have any idea what this bunch are up to??

They are a debt collection agency. Whatever you do DO NOT PHONE THEM! Never deal with these people by telephone they will try to get you to admit/agree to all sorts of things. I have been contacted by them before. They are probably fishing to see if you still live at the address you are currently at. Do you have any old outstanding debts? If they have not stated in the letter why they are contacting you then beware, they are probably pursuing an old debt and fishing around to see where you are.

Thanks for your help on this.... I am just using the template for the CCA letter on the site and hopefully will get it in the post today or tomorrow - need to go buy a postal order! I really think they are just trying to put the frighteners on to get me to pay a huge chunk of money (which I don't have!) without realising they are chasing a debt I may not have to repay and that is in fact incorrect due to the charges added by the bank before they defaulted the account.

Hi, I would like some advice re an old debt that is being chased by Allied International Credit which is now being pursued by Largo Legal and Receiveables. Once upon a time I had a credit card with NatWest, I then had an accident at work and subsequently went behind on my payments and my account was closed with Natwest - I can't be sure but I think this was in 2001? In 2002 Allied International started chasing me for the debt and I wrote to them twice in early 2003 asking them to send me their details to set up a standing order to make monthly payments. They never sent me any information to do this so didn't get paid - I was a single parent with two young children at the time and had other debtors chasing me for payment as well! Anyway.... last year I moved house and I am currently having my mail redirected. Allied International/Fairmile Partnership/Largo Legal & Receivables have started chasing this debt, presumably as it will be statute barred soon as the last time I contacted them regarding this debt and acknowledged it was in early 2003. Fairmile Partnership threatened a statutory demand last month. Apparently, according to a recent letter from Largo Legal and receivables, it was served at my previous address recently. Please bear in mind that I only know any of these details as my mail redirection has not run out yet! ALL correspondence relating to this debt is being sent to my old address and if anything is hand delivered there I will not receive it. I do not know the new tenants as they moved in a few months after I moved out. I did not leave a forwarding address as my mail has been redirected. Anyway the debt is just over £1K and additional charges have been added since I offered payment back in 2003 and never received a response. Also some of the debt would have been charges on the credit card for missed/late payments etc. due to my accident so I would dispute the amount anyway - since learning on this great site that I can do this! Has anyone here had any dealings with these companies and can offer me some advice? I believe if I hadn't offered payment back in 2003 this debt would be statute barred by now, but as I genuinely wanted to sort things out I did offer to make payment. The only reason I didn't was because Allied International never sent me the information I needed to set up the standing order. I have no assets, I live in a rented property and still have a lot of outstanding credit card debt, although I am managing this at the moment and trying to get my credit rating back together! So by making me bankrupt, which is was is now being threatened unless I telephone them "to discuss this matter further" as "no further reminders will be sent". Should I CCA Allied International to see if they actually do have the legal right to pursue this debt? Although I am very reluctant to give them my new address!!!! For looking at other threads it also seems that these old debts are being dredged up by debt collectors a lot recently. I have no intention to telephone them - one of the things I have learnt on here is not to phone these sharks! They do not have my new address and the new tenants of my old address have obviously not told them I am not living there - they could have put the statutory demand in the bin for all I know! Will they make me bankrupt for a credit card debt of just over £1K? Will they actually pursue it through to this or are they just trying to frighten me into phoning them? I don't want to be bullied by these people into making a repayment plan that I cannot afford to stick to as from reading some threads it sounds like they demand huge amounts of money each month and are really nasty to deal with. I don't therefore want to give them my new address or contact number as they will really be able to harass me then! Any help really appreciated!! Many thanks

Right, I have just received another letter, forwarded from my previous address, regarding this debt. It is from Largo Legal & Receivables - anyone out there had any dealing with this organisation?? Apparently a statutory demand was served at my old address - I have not received this as it was served at an address I no longer live at! I presume the new residents have not contacted these people to tell them that I no longer live there? May well have shoved the stautory demand in the bin for all I know! Anyway the letter says that I owe this debt to Allied International Credit and they are threatening to apply for bankruptcy. Please also note that the amount has also increased from the original debt back in 2002 with no explanation! The amount is just over £1K - would it be worth bankrupting someone with no assets for that amount of money? Letter says You were served with a Statutory Demand (this went to my old address so I have never been served!) in respect of the above amount and to date we have received no response from you. We will now look to commence Bankruptcy Proceedings against you, upon expiry of the Statutory Demand, and accordingly invite you to contact XXX on XXXXXXX to discuss this matter further. You are no doubt aware of the sanctions Bankruptcy will impose against any assets (I have no assets, live in rented property and have loads of credit card debts!!!) you have and it is therefore in you best interest to contact the above named to discuss this matter further. Should you have any doubt as to your position you should seek your own legal advice. Please note that no further reminder letters will be sent in the event that you fail to contact this office upon immediate receipt of this letter (please bear in mind here I no longer live at the address that they keep sending this correspondence to and have delivered the statutory demand to!). The above reference number should be clearly quoted on all correspondence to this office together with your name and address. Yours faithfully Legal & Receivables Ltd T/a Largo From reading the letter I get the impression they want me to phone them and admit to the debt and bully me into some sort of repayment plan. I am also sure that some of the debt is for charges levied to the credit card account by the bank. Reading through some of the threads here I believe they cannot use a statutory demand/bankruptcy against you if the debt is in dispute? My dilemma now is, do I contact Allied International in relation to the debt and dispute it? Should I CCA them? I really don't want to tell them my new address and start the harassment that I know will happen because the debt must nearly be statute barred - it would be statute barred if I had not asked them to send me a standing order form in early 2003, therefore admitting to the debt! I wonder if they have kept that letter on file.... What should my next move be - if anything? - I have not received the statutory demand, the amount would certainly be disputed as additional charges have been added since I last contacted Allied International in 2003, and there would have been charges made by the bank on this debt anyhow that I would now wish to dispute. They have obviously just shoved the statutory demand through the letter box of my old address and have not checked to see if I still live there. Can I be made bankrupt in my absence as it is obvious these people have not even checked to see if I live at my old address? Any help on this matter greatfully received!!! Thanks

Thanks for the info! My worry is that I did acknowledge the debt to Allied International in early 2003 when they contacted me. I asked them for a standing order form to make repayments - I have the old letter saved on my computer so I know the exact date etc. that I wrote to them! - stupid me, if only I knew then what I know now!!! But I know I haven't made any actual payments since 2002 as they never sent me the form to make any payments - how efficient of them!!!! This is exactly the sort of thing that the Observer article is talking about - and it sounds like loads of people are experiencing the same problem...... citizens advice must be busy! I'm so glad that I've found this forum - there is loads of good advice on here. This is where I get to the moral dilemma though - as I have had no contact regarding this debt for over 5 year and the debt is well over 6 years old. Do I own up to it or wait until I know it will definitely be statute barred in about 8 months time as that is when I had the last contact with Allied International acknowledging the debt. The thing is if the DCA's were more respectful, honest and evenhanded more people would be more likely to acknowledge their debts and pay them off! But as I say.... no chasing for over 5 years and they don't know my new address as yet - the only reason I heard about this was because I had my mail redirected when I moved house! If I contact them then the harassment will start up all over again......

Thanks rory32! Once I have SAR'ed them and have all the information, I expect the charges on each account to add up to not far off the outstanding balances minus the charges. I was defaulted for not making payment due to the account being in dispute because of the excessive charges added and I really need to sort out my credit rating as my new partner and I need to apply for a mortgage in the near future. Has anyone any experience in dealing with Capital One over negotiating final settlement on this sort of issue? Many thanks

Hi I am going to SAR Capital One over two credit cards (one visa and one mastercard) that I had with them which they added ridiculous charges on that I refused to pay (long story - they didn't set up my direct debit from my new bank account after being informed twice!) Becuase of this I defaulted on the payments but was also charged excessive overlimit fees (because of all the charges for missed payments!) Anyway do I need to SAR for each account or does a SAR cover all information held on me by that particular company? Many thanks

I'm really not sure about checking my credit file. I have just moved house, all correspondence regarding this has been forwarded by the post office redirection service. If I check my credit file surely this will update my address details? I have seen all sorts of stories on here about DCA's coming out of the woodwork when people check their files and update their details..... I also have a not-so-old debt with Captial One that I want to sort out, they doubled my debt with them with charges so I am definitely going to SAR them and claim back the money!

Hi B3rty The actual bank account number I have on the paperwork is the correct one, although there is absolutely no mention of the credit card account number. I know the credit card debt was larger than the overdraft debt. As the was account closed so long ago (around 2000) I haven't got any of the paperwork and can't remember what they actually closed! I have no recollection of receiving a default notice, but as I say it was so long ago that I really can't remember. If I SAR someone who should it be? HSBC or Marlin? Thanks