Hi there I have TWO hungry Rottweilers who really would appreciate an Early Dinner. When will these DCA's ever realize that 1) they are involved in essentially a TOTAL IMMORAL AND DISGUSTING ACTIVITY and how can anybody working for these types of organisations (and their Solicitors as well) can sleep at night --or even GET to their beds in one piece -- another mystery here. 2) People have learned that these organisations for the most part are basically like School playground Bullies -- no real powers and as they say in Yorkshire all Wind and P--s. 3) Bad business model which becomes increasingly less profitable as knowledge of how to deal with these basic Neanderthals becoms more widespread over the Net thanks to sites like CAG and the like. I'd make it a rule for 2011 NEVER PAY A DCA EVER -- always if you have to pay try and find some way or paying something to the OC. Companies like RESTONS and CAPQUEST need a different approach but you can alway get a final settlement from them since the whole Charging Order process just makes it almost impossible for them to collect their debt in any reasonable time frame --I think you'll see more SD's issued rather than a charging order -- Charging Orders which used to scare people to death aren't really so horrible any more since it turns your debt into an INTEREST FREE LOAN which you can take FOREVER to pay back --and you can usually offer a lowish Full and Final setllement to get rid of the debt. SD's and Bankruptcy threats are another issue -- I suspect we'll see a lot more of these rather than the Charging Order route as they get ever more desperate to make a BAD business model pay. The days of the Gravy Train in buying debts for pennies in the pound and then attempting to collect the full amount are essentially OVER -- goodbye Cattles PLC and others soon to follow. Nobody will succeed in getting a Forced Sale these days for Credit Card debt unless the amount is very large say around 25,000 GBP. For once GREED has got these nasty companies into a bind --their knickers are now really in a twist with this. Happy New Year Caggers And to RESTONS -- HEY HEY WE'RE RESTONS OK HOW MANY LIVES CAN WE SCREW UP TODAY -- please put something like that on any letter on the envelope you send to these low lifes. When they send something its never discreet --always marked URGENT in HUGE letters on their envelopes. I need another slogan for Capquest --sure we'll find one. Another three who need our goodwill blessings for the New Year are CL Lewis plus their solicitors COHEN, Buchanan Cl;arke and Wells and SCOTCALL. Hopefully all this lot will have a DREADFUL new Year --meanwhile the Rottweilers are foaming at the mouth every time I say the word RESTONS. Meanwhile CAGGERS Great XMAS anmd hopefully a debt and certainly DCA free new year to all. Cheers jimbo

Hi there just tell them to Foxtrot Oscar -- your house has been repossessed --what more can they do --even if they go for Bankruptcy they won't get a PENNY and also it writes off the debt. I really can't stand these organisations --they throw you out on to the Street and STILL WANT MORE MONEY. Just tell them to eat s--t and die --there's nothing more they can do to you anyway. For me I think the "Albanian Fixers" might also be a solution but that unfortunately is illegal. However telling the debt collector to Foxtrot Oscar is 100% legal and they can't do ANYTHING about it -- your home has been repossessed and you don't have presumably many more assets. BTW if they threaten Bailiff's you do not EVER have to let them in either so you can tell them to foxtrot oscar as well. Cheers jimbo

Hi all Not necessarily legal but I'd still tell them to Foxtrot Oscar -- if it goes to Court you STILL can offer to make a payment that the COURT will accept -- Not Cr@ppyquest. I suspect that you will get a FAR FAR better deal from a Court in any case. Incidentally if you don't own any proerty let them attempt the Bankruptcy proceedoings -- it will cost THEM an arm and a leg and actually ist's not the stigma it was -- and YOU'VE PAID THESE SLIMEBAGS NOTHING. OK you won't be be to get credit for a while --no bad thing anyway these days -- and you will only be bale to use BASIC banking --although you still can have a "Hole in the Wall" Card but it might be worth calling their bluff --after all these slimebags want MONEY so what do they actually gain by putting you in a position that effectively cancels ALL debts. And it only lasts 6 years anyway even if you are remotely bothered with these equally obnoxious CRA companies such as EXPERIAN and EQUIFAX and the like who operate very much on the edge of the various Data Protection Acts. In ANY debt situation the first action is for YOU to take control -- NOT THEM. Then it's solvable -- Far Far better than letting THEM order YOU around like a Roman Slave working chained to an Oar in Julius's Caesar's Navy. It's about time these sort of companies like Capquest with their NON RESIDENT and NON TAX PAYING directors were told that their presence on these shores is no longer wanted or required and they should leave forthwith. Cheers jimbo

Hi there What I meant -- by way of an example is that say you have arrears of 1,000 GBP they can add costs to the amount of the mortgage outstanding but they CANNOT add these charges to the arrears themselves. So if say they have added 200 GBP for "Costs" you still won't get evicted if you pay the 1,000 GBP arrears. They cannot state you have to pay 1,200 before they will stop the eviction. The costs can be challenged if they are excessive but that's another issue. The extra costs will be presumably added to the principal amount and future repayments might be adjusted -- but they CANNOT add the 200 GBP to the 1,000 GBP arrears in any re-possession hearing. Cheers jimbo

Even if they did -- what would they gain if you hadn't got anything that was even remotely up to the value of the debt. Most Household stuff is worth sweet FA on the second hand market -- and you could always ensure that the property wasn't yours before any Bailiff Visit. Just keep Cars away as that's about the only possibility of seizing anything of any value. For small consumer debt the usefulness of Bailiff's is basically just for THREAT purposes -- nobody is going to get back anything other than a TINY fraction of the debt if that. Bailiff's are an instrument of a bygone age apart from their use in arrest warrants and evictions. Just read the Council Tax and Bailiff Forums to see how totally USELESS trying to enforce debt repayment is using this type of enforcement process. Some of these companies just need to get real --if you CAN'T pay then DON'T pay -- nothing can happen unless you are a property owner and even then you can negociate. These sleazebag companies probably bought the debt for pennies in the pound in the first place --and I would always REFUSE to pay exhorbitant charges whatever a Court said -- although you are on your own if you choose to go down this route. The main thing is for YOU to take control rather than being ordered about by some sleazy pondlife DCA. Cheers jimbo

Hi there I think If the CCJ has an "Interest applied" then maybe the Charging order has one too -- if it doesn't then it makes sense to NOT pay a CCJ and let the GREEDY companies attempt the charging order since this would then STOP INTEREST and the debtor would be better off. IMO (and note this is not a legal interpretation) Charging Orders although disgusting and immoral actually put YOU in a better position to argue for a REDUCED Full and Final settlement since no Court will order a forced sale for things like Credit Card debt ( RESTONS ARE YOU READING -- YOU ATTEMPT TO SCARE PEOPLE WITH THIS STUFF BUT YOU HAVEN'T A HOPE OF MAKING IT STICK) and you can then say well it will be maybe 50 years before you get your money -- meanwhile a CCJ with Interest allowed can just go on growing and growing. Companies just fail themselves due to their own sheer greed. The whole Charging Order business has been grossly overrated these days -- thank goodness> Cheers jimbo

Hi there On Debts of LESS than 5,000 GBP you could take a risk and see if they obtain a Charging Order --Interest on these are NOT payable for ANY debt of less thqn 5,000 GBP whether Consumer credit or not. Since there is almost ZERO possibility of a Court allowing forced sale of a house on this amount of debt it is a risky (although very small one) and unconvential way of getting Interest stopped stone dead. You are then in a position to negociate -- you can wait 30 years or longer before I sell up or you can accept a Full and Final settlement -- make a reduced offer. Charging Orders can sometimes work in YOUR favour too. Companies were hideously greedy to exploit the mechanism in Law of turning UNSECURED DEBT into SECURED DEBT via Charging order --but they don't understand that in some cases it will take them YEARS AND YEARS ever to get any money back --by which time inflation will have reduced the debt to near zero in any case --assuming that the DCA is still in business. On the one over 5 grand then that's a problem -- I think a CCJ can include Interest although you would need to check. If you AREN'T a homeowner and not worried anymore about Credit why don't you just eithe offer them a really low Full and Final or simply say Foxtrot Oscar. All they can do is threaten you with Bankruptcy -- who cares if you don't have anything sellable remotely worth the debt --and it will COST THEM TOO. They can threaten YOU with their Solicitors charges etc but there isn't actually ANYTHING they can do to collect the money. It's not the same for property owners but if you DON'T own property then you don't have much to lose by just telling them to Foxtrot Oscar --you aren't paying a PENNY MORE and thats it. However you *Might* come to some arrangement if the Interest is stopped etc etc. In all these things you need to swing power back to YOU -- YOU make them offer you a choice --don't be controlled by THEM (DCA's Banks etc etc.) Cheers jimbo

Hi there Since those that CAN are paying off whatever they can arrange and those that can't really DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO PAY the whole debt buying business seems to me a hugely bad business model. People are wise now to the fact that loads of credit card debts is NOT a good idea --especially if you are a property owner -- loads of people never even knew about the Charging Order process until it was too late, and aren't scared of DCA's or Credit Reference Agencies anymore. Once you realize that it IS possible to live without credit everything turns around really quickly. Of course there will ALWAYS be people who get into debt but the whole buying of debts won't really be hugely profitable as before -- Credit is not so easily dished out anymore and those that DO get it these days are not likely to have too many problems paying off their loans. The whole DCA model and Debt collection industry has passed "it's sell by date'. Are you sure that the whole link wasn't suggested by such evil vicious grasping companies as CL Finance who I believe got laughed out of Court when they tried to go for a forced house sale for a debt of ONLY GBP 900 OF UNSECURED CREDIT CARD DEBT. Totally disgusting action here which the Judge obviously agreed with. Cattles was their "Corporate Owner" and we know what happened to them. I can't see any SENSIBLE investor pouring in Rescue money for this type of business. As an aside (OT here) but it perhaps shows why our infrastructure in the UK is not as good as it should be -- plenty of people seem to have money to use for these useless and parasitical companies but finding a few bob to fix the Tube or Railways seems beyond us as a Nation. Cheers jimbo

I think there is Case law around to say that CHARGES cannot be added to the arrears -- so this will stop repossession if the Arrears are paid -- but when it comes to Banks and other financial institutions there is obviously ONE law for them and ANOTHER for us. You could tell the solicitors to Foxtrot Oscar -- but they could probably chase you for their fees --however these SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE ARREARS. Banks etc can charge late fees and add to the amount of mortgage outsatnding BUT CANNOT ADD TO ARREARS -- and if arrears are paid repossession is stopped STONE DEAD. You'll have to use another route to challenge excessive fees -- I think there is some Case Law around that proscribes fees must be commensurate and proportional with the amount of deebt being collected and to the real cost of "administration" etc. BUT NOBODY CAN ADD FEES TO ARREARS and this should be stated up front clearly as people faced with repossession situations might just find the extra 1,000 GBP or so some of the lesser low lifes try to add on just too much and NEEDLESSLY face a repossession order. The more I look at the whole DCA / DEBT coillection industry the more I get revolted by it --apart from the fact that the MAFIA might be easier to deal with how can decent human beings even BEHAVE in this way -- who works in this type of business and how can they go to sleep at night realising their actions -- many of which are not lawful have cause untold distress and misery and even forced peeople into suicide. Mabe if you DO work for one of the lower pond life DCA's you could reply stating why ypou get a kick out of working in this almost most disguting of professions known to man or beast -- especially when your organisation has bought a debt fotr a few PENNIES in the pound and you are still trying to collect the FULL amount and threatening to make people HOMELESS as a result. Cheers jimbo Cheers jimbo

Hi all Seasoned Caggers will know the danger of what happens if you get a CCJ and are a home owner. However for newcomers this link is very informative -- also explains that if the debt is less than 5,000 GBP INTEREST CANNOT be added on to the charging order amount either. Knowledge is always useful and helps when you have to defend against unfair, bullying and often "quasi legal" tactics by DCA's and other creditors. http://www.financebehavior.co.uk/news/homeowners-cant-have-unsecured-debt/31/05/2010/ Cheers jimbo

Hi there Restons again URGGGGHHHH ! If only we could get this lot shut down for good. The Charging order in theory says your house *could be* forcably sold but I doubt whether a Court would do this for less than 25,000 GBP of Credit card debt --after all the original debt was SUPPOSED to be unsecured in the first place --that's why this type of Credit has much higher interest charges. If people can simply get an unsecured debt to suddenly turn into a secured one why on earth is this NEVER mentioned on the Credit agreement and then why are the interest charges so high. Apart from the moral implications of this -- check that RESTONS haven't added HUGE "Collection Fees" as these can be challenged. Also ensure if you DO pay these pond life anything GET STATEMENTS OF THE ACCOUNT and RECEPTS FOR EVERY PAYMENT MADE. These guys are notorious for going to Court at every opportunity but don't send out statements etc when required. All in all a REAL nasty bunch to deal with. Cheers jimbo

Hi there Any Court will give you a better deal than RESTONS -- judges don't make forced sales of properties on consumer debt (such as Credit Cards) for less than around 25,000 GBP. Just Google. Actually the whole Charging Order stuff is a bit pointless these days since with almost NO chance of a forced sale the "requesting Company" has to wait UNTL YOU SELL --could be 30 years or more away and they are the lowest on the pecking order if the case does go to Court --- the whole purpose of Charging orders these days is just simply to frightening property ownwrs to pay upmore than they can afford. Their whole use is discredied these days although firms will still go for these -- but they WON'T GET ANY MONEY in the short term. RESTONS always go for charging orders and then tell you to pay up or they will go to Court again and ask for a forced sale --they will NEVER get it of course these days so you are actually in a good positiion to offer a Full and Final -- for example 11,00 GBP on a Charging Order they won't get for at LEAST 30 years or offer 3,500 GBP over say a few months which the CAN get. Greed actually works to your advantage here. Cheers jimbo

Hi there I hope you weren't suggesting that I was making disgusting and inaccurate remarks -- my post was based on PERSONAL experience with this so called firm of "Solicitors". I got involved with a Marbles / HFC card and had a Credit limit of over 10,000 GBP on this --usually increased automatically without any request on my part -- but at that time things were going great and the good times looked like they could never end. Then SUDDENLY everything stopped -- at a stroke -- note no warning or whatever. I was actually working away out of the country at the time -- so a CCJ etc went through. I didn't pay it of course -- and by the time I could have done anything about it Charging Order had been placed on property -- and they wanted to add a HUGE collection fee. Fortunately I managed to get a deal with HFC Bank for a full and final but RESTONS who promised to remove the charging order have done sweet *** all about it and I checked TODAY 07 DEC 2010 and the wretched charging order is STILL registered. Fortunately I have the full and final agreeement -- BUT DO NOT TRUST ANYTHING RESTONS SAY EVEN IF YOU GET IT IN WRITING. Of all the firms I really hate in the UK these two are THE WORST : CAPQUEST and RESTONS. These are the two firms who obviously employ the most nastiest and insidious people YOU EVER to have to deal with with and of the two RESTONS is probably just marginally the most evil of them. I've also complained to HFC Bank who agreed the full and Final settlement why on earth have they NOT TERMINATED RESTON'S contract with them as all they do is bring HFC's name into serious disrepute (I haven't mentioned that HFC Bank actually doesn't have a particularly good name to start with anyway) . I've also complained to HSBC who technically own HFC Bank as well about who they are using to conduct the Bank's affairs. It's HIDEOUSLY bad publicity when HSBC is trying to re-invent itself as "The Global Neighbourhood Bank". If you can get decent accounts out of Restons then good luck but I'm so MAD with this lot that I am going to use every method I know to get this lot shut down FOR GOOD. I'm still pushing ahead with the Companies House complaint --and also going to see if a complaint to HM INLAND REVENUE might raise an eyebrow or two --after all if they can't send out proper accounts chances are their tax returns will be flakey as well. I'm not going to let this one go BTW RESTONS HAVE HAD IT IMO. Cheers Jimbo

Hi there With other people dealing with this I might agree -- but RESTON'S are the NASTIEST firm of so called "Solicitors" ever to inhabit this planet -- they will go to court if you are as much as 2 seconds late with anything you send them. Quite frankly I would send an I&E to a COURT if and when (and being RESTONS it will) a Court case is initiated. Do not give scumbags like RESTONS personal details EVER -- they will find all sorts of ways into attempting to make you pay more than you can afford and if you miss one -- Bang --on go the charges again. Incidentally check also their "Collection Fees" or other charges -- these CAN be challenged as they are usually pretty horrific -- even the Mafia might be surprised at how much they attempt to add on in "fees". I've still got an ongoing dispute with this firm --despite clearing off a Full and Final settlement on a Charging Order WHICH THEY AGREED TO it STILL shows on the Land registry some months after it has been cleared and I have NEVER EVER been able to get a statement of account from this lot. I currently am seeing what Companies House can do in regards to "Inproper Accounting Proceedures" -- I've exhausted the Legal Ombudsman and the OFT -- seems amazing that you can pay a company nerayly 10,000 GBP and STILL cannot get any sensible type of statement or invoice. Cheers jimbo

Hi there -- MOST (but not all) bailiff's have ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT OF FORCED ENTRY -- once you've let them in then that's a different scenario. So NEVER EVER let them in whatever the circumstances --- Court fines (which doesn't include CIVIL debt) and evictions are two cases where they DO have a right of forced entry. Different board but its also worth reminding people that BAILIFF'S have no right of entry for unpaid / late Council tax so those of you being harrassed by the likes of Rossendales etc can refuse to pay them ANYTHING --the Council MUST take back the bill eventually whatever they say the first time around --plenty of posts on the appropriate forum on that topic as well. If you can't pay a Court is unlikely to get bailiff's in. A DCA certainly won't have time or inclination to do this as a) they are unlikely to go to Court in the first place and B) even if they did you could always --even after a CCJ has been issued that you CAN'T pay go back to court who will probably order a 1 GBP a month token amount. If you have a LOAD of creditors and you really can't pay anything then Bankruptcy is a decent way out SO LONG AS YOU DON'T OWN PROPERTY OR HAVE ANY ON MORTGAGE. DCA's operate normally by issuing threats etc that they hope will hoodwink people into coughing up -- actually in reality most DCA's have very little power except in cases where they actually bought the debt. In this case DCA's such as Capquest who do this need to be handled a bit differently -- but thankfully the economic reality is finally coming home to these DCA's that purchasing debts is a really bad and flawed business model -- we've all wanted this whole vile and immoral practice banned for years like it is in most of Europe -- our MP's probably were too busy rescuing thei own backsides to bother with this piece of legislation but ecoomic reality will finally put a load of these really NAST companies out of business PERMANENTLY. I have no problems with OC's wanting to recover debts but this should be done humanely and sensibly -- just passing it off to a DCA at the first sign of a borrowers difficulty just shows how irresponsible the OC was in the first place in granting the loan -- to say nothing of the fact that many agreements were taken out in good faith but circumstances beyond the borrowers control cause people to get into difficulty. I really think NO SELLING ON OF DEBTS should EVER be allowed -- and if a DCA is assigned to collect a debt the whole pass the parcel stuff should be outlawed. There are many cases on this board where one DCA has been seen off only for another to turn up like a cockroach infestation. Cheers jimbo

Hi there ALWAYS demand a PROVE IT statement from a DCA to verify that the bill is yours. After that try and get the LEGAL AUTHORITY that the DCA actually has the power to COLLECT the debt in the first place. Anybody can say XXX has asked me to collect YYY on their behalf -- even if they enclose the original bill they will probably be stymied by this request. If they don't give you the LEGAL AUTHORITY they actually have to collect the debt then you don't have to deal with it any more until the SEND IT. If you get any more threatograms BEFORE they have satisfied the legal request then Harrassment etc notices are in order. After all in theory what's to stop me sending say to say DCA "SCOTCALL" a note from "Sid under the Railway arches" that says You OWE ME xxx GBP. Make sure that every request you ever get from a DCA has 100% legal correctness. Remember the days of Railways "Working to rule" -- if the rule book was 100% applied no trains would ever move --I think even these days a TGV / High speed train technically needs to have a red Oil Lamp hanging on the back of the engine / last carriage. Of course they don't actually have them anymore but legally they might still be required. Also if a request is passed to another DCA go through the same routine. DCA will get fed up so DCA B (lower inj the food chain) will probably send increasingly ominous threatograms such as "Doorstep Collection" and the like. Cheers jimbo

Hi there If they threaten Door step collections then this violates any proper behaviour on how debts are supposed to be collected so a "Bog Off" letter might be in order as a MINIMUM. Get complete authority from them as to the debt AND THEIR AUTHORITY TO COLLECT IT. It's not sufficient to say XXX says you owe YYY and we are collecting it. First of all they have to produce the original bill and ALSO THE AUTHORITY UNDER WHICH THEY CAN COLLECT THE DEBT. No good saying Company XXX has requested me / appointed me agents to collect this debt WITHOUT SUPPORTING EVIDENCE. Too many people just fold when a DCA starts the threatogram machine rolling with totally asinine proposals like DOORSTEP COLLECTION. Who do they think we are for heavens sake. This isn't Toy town and Mr Plod. Most DCA's have extremely poor paperwork and even if they can get hold of the original bill from the OC most of them wouldn't have a clue about presenting the LEGAL authority they have of collecting a SPECIFIC debt -- they might present a credit / debt collection agency's license which means that they can collect debts but you need to make them prove that they have the authority to actually collect YOURS. 95% of them would probably fail at this hurdle and attempt to pass the debt on. You'll probably get another few letters from even lower bottom feeders --eventually it will just disappear. Cheers jimbo

Hi there A CCJ will not stop you selling a property. Also it doesn't reduce any amount you get for the property. The next stage if the CCJ is not satisfied is for them to get a Charging Order -- at this point they can take money put of the account from the proceeds of sale but only AFTER higher priority creditors --usually the Bank / Mortgage company have been paid. It takes several months to get the charging order so the chances are your Sale will complete first. Just spin out the CCJ issue for as long as possible so you can get the property sold --then tell cr@ppyquest to Foxtrot Oscar. Meanwhile if the CCJ was wrongfully or vexatiously issued just sting CQ for as much as you can get. It's high time these parasites with their NON RESIDENT (for tax purposes) Directors were hounded from our shores FOR GOOD. Cheers jimbo

Hi all Got a nice XMAS card from Scotcall --amazing how even in the snow and Ice these letters appear when nothing else is moving from Roads to Air. It said Your Debt has been passed to us if you don't pay up Doorstep collection in big red letters. 1) No mention of legality of Debt OR THEIR RIGHT TO COLLECT IT - just saying Debt has been passed to us IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Orgiginal Harassment came from Buchanan Clarke and Wells who never provided evidence of debt either. DCA's cannot just play Pass the Parcel without also including their authority to collect the debt -- Not good enough to say 'Debt has been passed to us". 2) DOORSTEP COLLECTION THREATENED ABSOLUTELY NOT ALLOWED -- apart from the fact that if they were stupid enough to attempt this the Rottweilers would have an Early Dinner and of course under ENGLISH Law which these Scots bozos obviously don't know about only certain people have an implicit right to visit your front door -- can't remember it but its eshrined in Case Law. This now makes this an EXTORTION case --making a threatening demand for money without due authority. I've written back to this asinine set of people saying that we can settle the extortion issue amicably out of court if you agree to close the file so no further communication is sent and enclose my compensation fee of 500 GBP. We'll see what happens to this one. Cheers jimbo

Hi there The only other blot on this horizon was the Increasing use of Charging Orders under the last Brown govt. This was a particularly nasty backdoor scheme of turning UNSECURED debt into a secured debt on your home --totally DISGUSTING practice especially when the original CCA calls the debt UNSECURED DEBT which is why higher interest charges are levied. However these days the Courts do not like any idea of getting people to sell houses etc for consumer credit card debt so if you have any of these charging orders just sit tight as the amount will be eaten away by inflation etc over the years. This is NOT a decent or quick way for a company to make money any more. For a "Forced Sale" these days you need to have consideably more than 25,000 GBP outstanding and even then its unlikely that a Court would order a forced sale. In fact because of their greed you could be in a stronger position --just say I am not likely to move for over 30 years so you will have to wait a LONG time for your money --assuming you are still in business - but I can offer a Full and Final settlemne of XX% and make it small too. These companies usually bought piles of debts for pennies in the pound hoping to "Get Rich Quick". Don't make it happen for them. I think a lot of people realize now that buying debts is just not worth it --and as for the "arrestment" of Bank accounts --easily avoided via "Parachute" and European accounts. For the new year "A Cagger a day exterminates a DCA". Cheers jimbo

My advice here although not of any LEGAL quality is just to say I'M NOT paying and that's it --let them go to court and if they do they chances are you'd only have to pay a token 1 GBP a month. Sometimes the best solution is just to tell these people to "Bog OFF" and let THEM make the next move. So long as YOU are in control it's dealable with. NEVER let these lowlifes and scumbags RULE YOUR LIFE. I assume you don't have any property so no question of charging orders either. Sometimes one has to do what is PRACTICAL rather than the strict legal interpretation of the law and in this case as soon as the DCA realizes that you have NO money then even the most SOLID case on the planet wont earn them anything. Also if the loan was taken out in 199X it is likely to be Statute Barred so that ends it stone dead right there --you can walk away happy. SB trumps everything else. Cheers jimbo

Hi there CRA's also need to have transparency -- if Credit say is refused NO ONE is ever given details of WHY a refusal has been given and it's also impossible to challenge as they say "This data and the credit scoring is CONFIDENTIAL". This whole type of stuff needs to be busted open too. If I am summonsed there at least is a reason on the summons as to WHY I am being summonsed so you can argue the case but the CRA's seem to be ABOVE the law --no reasons or explanations so how can you mount a challenge. Anyway I'm sure this whole STINKING CESSPIT of DCA's etc isn't long for this world --it's a bad business model and thanks to sites like CAG most people can now fight back too. It's actually worth pursuing this one BTW --apart from the dubious moral issues of debt buying and selling at least we can get rid of the real rogues who just prey on people's ignorance --such as the notorious Bryan Carter who I believe is a well known "friend" to seasoned caggers. Cheers jimbo

Hi there While none of us enjoy getting into debt and its often not our own fault either it's the VILE, STINKING and often "quasi legal" methods of attempted collection by DCA's that I suspect really irritate people beyond measure. These DCA's generally only exist because they bought debts often for pennies in the pound and they operate on SHEER GREED thinking its an easy way to make money whatever the consequences. In a lot of EU countries this practice is ILLEGAL -- Debts must be dealt with either by the OC or an agent acting on the OC's behalf. You can't get companies like CL Finance, Capquest etc etc "buying debts" and hounding people to death. Outlawing the selling on of Consumer Debt should be enforced throughout the EU -- this would be one law that the EU commission could easily pass and it would undoubtedly get massive popular appeal too as well as putting some of the nastier companies such as Capquest and solicitors such as RESTONS permanently OUT OF BUSINESS. Cheers jimbo

Hi there If you can put down a sizeable deposit the Credit Rating doesn't really figure too highly in a Mortgage application anyway. In fact you could probably argue that even with a load of CCJ's that eventually WERE satisified you could be better off getting a mortgage than someone with ZERO information on a credit file. Strange but true in this murky world of credit / debt collection etc etc. Just pay off what you can with the BEST possible deal --if you can get a full and final settlement at a fraction of the original --go for it but ensure that it is FULL and FINAL and the DCA can't pass on the rest to another DCA for further action. Cheers jimbo

Look guys -- If you have any debt problems WHY EVEN WORRY about credit files -- just take it from me that THAT PART OF YOUR LIFE IS NOW OVER -- you can live easily without credit and nobody can harrass you any further about whats on your Credit file. The best way is to tell them all to foxtrot oscar --once you've got out of debt don't bother again with credit cards etc etc. It really IS NOT WORTH IT anymore. Believe me on this board most of us have been there and done it. Debt FREE is really the way to go --so you take a month or two longer to get that nice new gizmo --but when you buy it you'll get a LATER model at a cheaper price in any case. Cheers jimbo