Thanks for the replies so far in answer to 'life goes on' - after my initial conversation with them i was then sent a new tax credits form with all the details on, to which I couldnt see or pick out the fact that my partners wage had been reduced to nothing! as it was still also showing the £40k amount on different lines on the form when i rang up to query the increased amount of credits and said surely it was wrong they confirmed it was correct on the phone obviously going by the fact the lady previously had deleted his income I'm in a no win situation really arent i, they made the error initially, the forms are difficult to understand as it is, i queried it, they've won!

To try and cut a long story short in the hope that someone can offer me some advice (as cant get to the Citizens Advice until next week) In 2009 I had a joint claim with my partner, we only recvd the bare minimum of £10 a week as my partner earnt approx £40k I rang them and advised them that I was now self employed (I was selling my handmade crafts and wanted it to be legal) and that I would earn approx £100 at the end of the tax year, this was an estimate that I gave them A new tax credit letter came through that said my credits would go up to over £100 a week!! I questioned this by calling them up as I couldnt understand the increase, I was confirmed this was all okay and the figures were right To my dismay, I rang at the end of the tax year to confirm I had in fact had a minus in my self employed earnings to be told that by looking at the records I had been overpaid The initial call I made and the girl who took it, actually took my partner off the system and said that it was a joint claim as we now only earned £100 a year!!!! between us!!!! The shock was unbelievable and I broke down and explained everything to her I went through the dispute and the answer I got back was that no calls could be found to prove that I had rang and questioned it so therefore I had to pay the amount back! Again the shock was too much and I broke down At this time I remember ringing from my mobile phone so knew it would be itemised somewhere so I applied for copies of all statements (which never arrived) By this time the new tax credits came through and I like an idiot admitted defeat and they agreed to take the new £10 a week tax credit as payment towards my overpayment! My overpayment is £7000............... Today I recvd a letter with a paying slip saying I need to pay £6800........... Again the shock hit me and I rang them up in tears and explained this whole sorry mess again, to be told there was nothing he could do but offer me £191 monthly payments to reduce and pay the bill off! I am beside myself *The reason this all came about is because of the girl on the phone deleting my partners details, this isnt enough and tax credits said I should have read and reread the new tax form that came to me, which I believe I did, doesnt everyone just look at the figures! To be honest I just didnt see that they had reduced my partners details to nothing amid all the numbers on the form *They are saying that because they cant find my phone calls I have no proof that I didnt enquire about it!! Please help, I've contacted vodafone again to send ALL statements for this particular phone number (which I now dont have and hope they can still help me) I'm going to see the citizens advice next week Is there anything else I can do, can I not state that from the initial phonecall the error is in their hands! I seriously cannot pay this money back, my partner works away a month at a time and I am left at home with two young boys. Struggling to make ends meet now. Please help with advice, it would be appreciated so much

***Huge Update*** A week ago Lloyds TSB themselves sent me a letter! I contacted them (as them I do not mind but AIC I do) They said that the debt company working on their behalf had not had any satisfactory payment from me!!! So I stated my case and how they had treated me and how I couldnt believe a company as big as Lloyds were using a disgusting company like that! bla bla bla Anyways my account is now out of AIC's hands and back with Lloyds, which to me is fine, I'm back to paying the £10 a month I was paying 8 months ago! which is all I wanted to do with AIC! I know I havent managed to get away with clearing the debt but I'm happy with the outcome and I just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyones help on here, if not just for managing to calm me down when AIC were on my back Thank you Thank you Thank you xxx

thank you thank you thank you dipply75 you've put my mind to rest and that letter will be in the post today. thank you x

its been a while but today they've contacted me again via text (twice) 'My Name - your account is being actioned today. I can only stop this if you call at AIC immediately on my direct line 01412283017 (then my ref num)' has anyone else recvd a text like this! does anything come of it they sit quiet for months then bam! i still havent recvd a cca letter from them after i requested one. if it goes to court, im just going to have to say what i've done, how they've spoke to me and what i've tried to offer them!!! just have to see what happens. bloody company

Ho hum I havent done anything since not getting a CCA confirmation from AIC Now they are starting to call me again, I never answer the phone to them as its such a battle to 'talk' to them! I read a very interesting article in the Guardian the other week which made me think about companies like this! Where do I go from here, I know I can do the telephone harrasment letter now, (as before they were not contacting me) Am I been more black listed because of this company and do they have the power to send baliffs to the door or me to court!!!! because from the article i read, the impression i got was no to those questions!

thanks for all the replies, im stuck though, dont know what to do for the best, do i write again! or do i just wait for a bit longer? will they ever contact me! i've heard nothing from them, yet this debt still stands

brilliant thanks guys for replying so quickly its not a CCJ, so it hasnt got to that stage, but like i've said before, my main thought is that all i wanted to do is pay my standard payment like before, and now i'm paying nothing, and that worries me more than anything! cause to me that means its just going against my name and will affect me in the future!! dam Allied international, they are bloody awful!!! from what i've read on here, reporting them to the trading standards (up in glasgow) is a waste of time!!! nothing comes of it!!! is there a standard letter i could just copy and send to them or shall i not bother! x

Right hello everyone What do I do now.. Today (29th) is the date that they should have got back to me by regarding my CCA (12 working days ex weekends) So what do I do now!!! please Thanks for everyones help so far, its helped tons. x

its ridiculous isnt it they near on scare you half to death (in my case) and then when you take the lead, they go and hide all i want to do, is continue to make my payment, thats not too much to ask is it!!! and these guys are a joke. I have a family to consider here and they cant get anymore out of me from what i was paying before!!! i will update as soon as the 12 days is up and go from there. meanwhile im not making any payments at all!!! which bothers me more than anything, because of a stupid relapse on my part last year i missed 2 or 3 payments out of 7 years!!!! and now im been treated like this!!!

Right an update, I sent my CCA request and the royal mail website shows it was delived from their glasgow delivery office on 11th July 2008, so I assume someone has signed for it then. So they now have 12 working days right? so that will be 29th July (exc weekends) I'll let you know if I hear anything and then what to do next!

i have to admit i was one of those panicky peeps - hence the username anxious!! lol but since i found this site i've relaxed ALOT i too have had that very same letter from AIC, I've just sent them my CCA request, so im just waiting from there really. you guys and gals are just great on here, wouldnt have known what to do without you all x

Hi Shaw Its the same with me, my debt was passed to BLS Collections and suddenly its with Allied International and they are awful!!! I sent them a cheque and financial statement, they cashed my cheque and are now saying that Lloyds TSB are refusing to accept my offer!!! even though they cashed my cheque!!! I've sent my CCA so am awaiting that now... Good Luck x

Hi Chatty How is going with your dealing with AIC at the moment. I too am having dealings with them!!! Just sending my CCA off now. x

update - 6.20pm this evening (7th july) wow this is like a diary lol Mr Woods actually called me back! He said you rang and left a message, and I said yes I did - a few days ago! He asked what the problem was, and all I said was (as I know that you guys told me not to get into a conversation on the phone with them) - god I'm actually shaking!! lol - all i said was 'yes i spoke to you, you said you would contact lloyds as a way to deal with this and two days later i get a letter stating about you trying to claim for my house!!! so i just wanted to know how you can contact lloyds in two days and come up with that letter!' he said 'no miss **** I told you I would contact lloyds as you are not prepared to pay the bill in full!!!!!!!!!!' I said 'you did not say that' and then i felt that he threatened me because he said all calls are recorded so i know what i said so i said if thats the case, i would like a copy of that tape - because what you've just said is untrue and from now on i will only deal with you in writing!!! and i hung up!!!!!!!!! shaking shaking shaking - all i want to do is pay monthly because thats all i can do!!! and these people just wont listen to me apart from sending my CCA tomorrow (was gonna do it today but my partner is currently up A&E!!! ill - so got normal life going on too) im going to pop into the Citizens advice and see what they can do to help me too. Really appreciate everyones help on here so much anxiously smiling!! lol x