Hi Rosered22, No nothing happened. Do not give in they just want to scare some more money out of you. The way they behave is borderline criminality and they know it. Just ignore them don't reply and don't worry about it, they rely on panicking you into compliance. They don't have a hope of winning any case against you in any court. Rgds, Strangerinastrangeland

Hi Asterion, In answer to your question I have not heard from them again, their main tactic in the end is to threaten your credit status will be damaged by a county court judgement so you had better pay up. The girl at 'arvato' starts off with this tack, you just pay us then ask for a refund, then when you say no, she acts suprised and says 'oh dear that will damage your credit history'. Next they send more letters 'pay up or it's 'smiths for you!' with a threat to send around a debt collector. To which I replied OK if you do I'll call the police, (because without a county court judgement they can't legally send anyone). Finally the dreaded letter from 'smiths' saying "pay up, a county court judgement will cost you £150 but if you pay us directly now you won't have the judgement damaging your credit rating" this communication had no address just a po box and no personal signature and it looked like it had come off a fax machine. That was in May, since then I haven't heard from them. Ignore them I don't think they could ever mount a case yet alone win it. They would have no evidence or reliable witnesses, it would be a total joke. My advice would be don't pay them anything and don't even waste your time replying to any of their letters, don't even bother to pick up your phone. Grit your teeth fight back the panic attacks and don't give in. Hope this helps

Hi, I am also having trouble with 1&1 Avarto finance and Smiths I am pretty sure they are all the same pseudo-criminal organisation. I had a one year only hosting contract with 1&1 paid for by credit card in advance, I did not intend to renew since in fact I had taken it out on someone else's behalf. They did what I understand is a fairly common trick of theirs try to take payment from a credit card automatically for hosting without prior notification but since the credit card in question had been lost or stolen in the post it had been cancelled. Their terms and conditions state that a contract exists between the client and 1&1 when payment has been given and received. In this case when payment was not given there was no contract for a second year. The first I knew that there was a problem was when they informed me that they had automatically renewed and I now owed them £23 pounds odd plus £15 fees of the debt collectors arvato if I didn't pay up within 15 Days but the letter only arrived with four days to spare! I went through an elaborate cancellation proceedure within the time they proscribed but they delayed the cancellation until after the payment was supposedly due. At the most if I did owe them anything it would be this overrun, which I would have been grudgingly willing to pay, however I stubbornly refuse to give in when I have been given no chance to negotiate or otherwise or have any intelligent feedback from these idiots / crooks who simply demand money in a three stage process in escalating amounts. I am now up to the stage where 'Smiths' is demanding £150! So let them take me to court! I will be happy to attend and defend myself against a bunch of shysters. It has to be the county court of my choice not theirs so I shall choose the one in my area. Smiths and arvato seem to be at the same address. Smiths communication is signed rather tellingly Smiths!