Go get em! Already subbed but following with interest!

They'll usually try and take it off the balance; so check, as there is no reason why you shouldnt get it refunded straight to you if you would rather, although it will probably take a bit of haggling. Well done though!

Hi Bones, dont panic. Mercers send out stuff like this all the time. I have been having daily text messages for over three months saying they are taking me to court and sending somebody over. They haven't, and they probably won't as it will be totally illegal while the account is in dispute. It might be worth writing to Mercers to ease your mind. I have a stock letter that I send out every couple of weeks pointing out the lack of CCA, blah blah blah, just so they don't forget. I will post it up here later if I get time, but it is just a mixture of bits from this site. Don't let it stress you out though. The great thing about this site is that you learn quickly how to deal with these people, and that they are nothing to be scared of. Especially Mercers/Calders/Bcard! Empty threats. Get that charges claim in asap and go for the jugular!

Haha! Been having the withdrawal symptoms too. Nearly passed out when my hard drive failed and I couldnt get online. Fixed now, thank goodness!

Absolutely pursue this! This is the standard letter they send first to scare you. I have done the same thing with nearly £600 charges and interest with Mint and they offered to pay in full after the second letter I sent. They really do not want to go to court! Go for it

Thanks DD! Still a bit haywire here but slowly getting there; several large Gin and Tonics have been poured and I thought a new era of calm would descend on the eastend...until... Calder Financial, the charming fellows have started a new game of chase . Just wrote them another letter referring back to Bcard, mentioning CPR, the T and Cs...etc etc etc. Gone all quiet with the MS Bcard and absolutely no word on missing terms/text. Am writing again to Barclaycard themselves to say they have not fulfilled my CPR requests and deciding whether to file an N44 now. I have lost count with how many complaints I must have running with Barclays now. I will reiterate my utter disbelief at why the heavens it is so hard to find my CCA. Thanks for all who have subbed...more news will hopefully be on the way shortly as I get myself organised again.

Ok, been moving so unable to update...received some rubbish responses to CPR, after the deadline I had set, but nevertheless; for the Morgan Stanley Bcard account, I got a standard 'referral to complaints dept' letter and for the other Bcard exactly the same T and Cs and CCA 1978 letter they sent before, from a different name at Legal and Regulatory compliance. Address at top is misspelt and not the address when the card was taken out. More threats from Mercers. Pondering what next while I do some heavy lifting. Hope everyone is well!

You won't get a lot at 13 weeks. They just want to see what you have been applying for, where you are looking, an up to date CV etc etc; my interview lasted less than five minutes. You can only get on the New Deal after 6 months if you are under 25 I think (Not sure exact criteria as there is an over 25s version too); worth asking anyhow. Really push the CORGI registration with them; not sure but I have heard of people getting financial assistance for this sort of thing without having to have been signing on six months. Make sure you can show them exactly why getting it would enhance your employment potential. Also most jobcentres should be able to refer you to a local small business advisory service, who will know a lot more about how to get help with things like this than jobcentre staff and are a better bet for assistance. This is what I did and they really helped. Best of luck.

Yes, that is the next step. Has anyone filed an N244 yet...any experiences desperately sought? Anyone?

Definitely keep all your calls logged!

No response to CPR request and second deadline I set has now passed...

DD, how is it all going? Any updates?

Many credit card companies are sending out T and Cs to try and put you off pursuing the CCA, usually because they either do not have it, know it is unforceable or improperly executed (there is a distinct difference), or simply cannot be bothered to look for it and think you will go away. In my case with Barclaycard, on one account they have sent different versions of the T and Cs four times and no agreement, and on another they have sent an agreement with references to conditions that do not exist. Both of these took four months to receive. With Egg, I got a quick response with an enforceable loan agreement from 2004, but I would say it would be unlikely that they would have something enforceable for an account from 2002. It is up to you how you proceed; you can keep writing to them pressing for the agreement and stop paying them if you want, but they will default you and hound you via phone/DCAs. My experience with Egg is that they are quick to default. There is an alternate strategy for obtaining your agreement: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/legal-issues/173201-why-you-shouldnt-use.html Best to first go down the CCA request route, and claim back any charges that are on the account via a Subject Access Request. The CPR 31.16 disclosure request is a last resort, but one that will possibly obtain your actual agreement and not a constructed copy. I am using it as Barclaycard has sent me a CCA which fulfils some regulations but is poor quality and missing terms and conditions; without seeing the original I will not know if it adheres to regulations. Definitely write and remind Egg that they are default of your request if 12+2 days are up, and that T and Cs are not a CCA; what they do after that will just depend on circumstance...they may try and hide between a 1983 documents act (not sure the specifics if someone else can help here please) and say they have fulfilled your request anyway, but still send it. Have you stopped paying?

Write back...the letter states they have sent you a copy of your signed agreement, but it is just T and Cs. I did get a copy of my agreement with Egg. Is it a loan or a credit card? When did you take it out? They could be stalling you with this tactic/could be an error, either way its not a true signed copy of your CCA, although, as you might see from looking around on here, you are not the first person to just receive T and Cs!

Thanks Slick..going after the charges I think...already sent the prelim letter anyway! Wish I'd done the charges claim for my current account earlier...after totting up charges/ppi/credit card charges it clears a third of my debt. Suddenly things don't seem so disastrous but horrified I have been struggling for so long. No update on the CPR request, just a weird letter referring to token payments?! Given that I have not requested to make token payments on either Bcard it seemed odd and have not paid them a penny since my CCA requests. Didnt say which account it was referring to either? Just said Bcard did not accept payments of less than one percent of the outstanding balance unless approached by a credit counselling service. Threatening phone messages from a woman a Mercers have started again so Im guessing its a tactic to get me to pay...

I totally agree that they should the extra quid and employ brighter people. I have been very lucky with my advisor this time and I totally understand your frustration. I have been through the benefits system forwards and backwards over the years due to the irregular nature of my work, and all I can do now is just smile when I encounter incompetence. Sadly, having more than a single braincell myself, I know how easy it would be to totally run rings around them too, which is a rather worrying thought given the economic state of the country. In my experience, the frontline advisors are the worst. The ones that do the review appointments or start claims are often better...I made a few requests and got to see one of these people regularly which helped. Other times I have literally had to speak to people like they are two years old to explain things step by step. All I can say is keep the faith...

Its not to say I haven't had bad ones in the past. Like Monx I come from a Fine Art background. Agencies and employers have literally run away from someone they generalise as being not committed or interested in holding a job outside of their 'specialist' subject area. It is an uphill struggle just to get to the interview stage, and I would consider pretty much anything! Does not help that they can google my name and check the creative stuff I have been doing, which in their eyes means I won't be 100 per cent committed. It has been hard to communicate this to the Jobcentre. If they gave me a job as an advisor I know I would probably be able to offer more constructive help. Once, I got sent to a CV writer who actually reformatted my CV in a (his words) 'funky' cartoon font, as he thought it would help me get a job at quite a high profile commercial art gallery :D:D Thank god I didn't send it anywhere. It looked ridiculous! But...I do now have a really supportive advisor who is actually being proactive at finding the support for me to set up something myself with some of my technical skills...and I don't think I will be signing on much longer as it seems to be going well. I have to support the jobcentre staff a little bit. I have seen one being physically assaulted and I would not like to do the job myself. Having said that, I know just how damn frustrating the place can be. Unfortunately you do have to think outside of the box when dealing with them, which involves jumping through some of their seemingly ridiculous hoops, but if you do enough digging, it is possible to get something out of them. Just don't expect them to be able to offer you serious career advice... Good luck everyone!

Maybe I could send him an email?

Looks distinctly dodgy to me...as well as badly worded and unprofessionally laid out. Funnily enough, just like some of the bumf DCAs like to churn out. What a surprise.

I have an absolutely fantastic job adviser at the jobcentre where I have to sign on...am I the only one?

Also, just wondering what the general consensus was on making charges claims in the middle of a CCA dispute; I have read elsewhere on the site that it is a bad idea? I do not want to complicate the CCA issue if making the charges claims will do this, especially as I am in the thick of it now with the CCA...? Thanks Slick and everyone for answering my inane and prob quite stupid panicky questions. It must be the thrill of it all!

Sorry to butt in on this thread...in the same boat and claiming back charges from closed accounts...does anyone know if you can still claim back contractual compound interest on accounts that are now closed?

Subbing...in exactly the same position with exactly the same paperwork. Nothing back from my CPR request yet. Keep me posted!

Yes, thanks slick, I presumed you meant 'file' at court! Anxious as it does seem risky; think my Morgan Stanley form is improperly executed rather than unenforceable, but I do want to find out where these missing conditions are

Good luck to you too Bones, I've got my eye on your thread too! Barclays are an absolute pain in the backside to deal with, but sharing everybody else's experiences on here is a great help