I paid off my account and closed the card down well over a year ago. Last week, out of the blue, they sent an account statement to my old address, showing the balance as £2500 (my old credit limit) with £2500 available to spend and £0 to pay on the statement! I'm really annoyed as it looks as if they have not closed the account. On Credit Expert the account shows as closed and settled with a zero balance, over a year ago. Anyone else have the same, or any idea about what's going on? Thanks lapchien

Perfect, thanks for the link.

Yes I do agree with what you've said. I moved to this larger property when my Mum was living with us, and I had a ton of stuff, but have been dumping a load and selling stuff on ebay (£800 so far!). I had a range rover that was costing me £1000 to pay for an run each month, I swapped it for a 59 plate diesel Golf which costs less than a quarter of that to run, the last big expense is the rent, £1150 p/m plus bills. Having an Aga really does not help. I've been looking on rightmove for 2 months for something smaller and there does seem to be a lack of decent suitable properties, I will keep looking.

There is NO "fraud" - we are friends and as I have always had a good job I suppose I have supported him. He has all sorts of issues in his personal life, illness, drugs, drink etc - if it was not for me I am sure he would be dead by now! I just cannot support him 100% whilst he looks for work - when he was on JSA and CA before he paid me most of it. I'm going to be speaking to our company solicitors tomorrow to see if they have any expertise in these matters, and may swear an oath that we are not in a partnership - if that may assist. I know that the so called moral majority on here and elsewhere may just have read these threads with raised eyebrows, however the TRUTH is that we are NOT partners, he is his own person and he may now be 'on the streets' as a result of all of this.

I just do not see why I should have to support him if he is NOT my partner. He could not get a job in care - he's not a carer, and caring for my terminally ill mum nearly sent him round the bend.

When he was in receipt of carers allowance he did also get a little top-up of IS. He gave me all but £10 of all his CA to pay for his room and food (paid direct to my account so it does appear on my statement). I only pay the bills at the moment to prevent him from starving!

It's a bit complicated! He was on carers allowance, looking after my mum, who I lost in January. Prior to that he was on JSA. The tenancy is in joint names and as am in FTE I pay all bills 100%. We live in a 4 bedroom house.

I've lived with my best friend (100% NOT as partners - we are blokes!) for 10 years, and in that time I have always worked, never even signed on or claimed any benefits. My mother lived with us until she passed away in January, and my friend cared for her and received carers allowance. A few weeks ago he claimed JSA and this has been refused as it is deemed that he and I are living together as partners. This is totally not the case. He wants to appeal this, what is the best way? Do I have to swear an oath if that helps?

Typical of these morons to ignore anything you've said in your letter and sent a response that only suits them!

Good points here - in reply to the OP, I would say that the original institution who lent the money has long since written off the debt and claimed full tax relief for it, yet the sharks who then buy it try to recover the full amount - surely that's wrong!

Yet another reason never to deal with the evil Homeserve or Reactfast (owned by Homeserve): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15506778

Update - so I have now seen the letter, it's from a company called Marston, is goes, "this execution has not been settled and we now write to give you fair warning that our officers will attend at your premises with removal contractors on ... blah blah'

I'll have to see what paperwork they were left, I'll report back once I have seen it.

I think they are court appointed bailiffs, there was something about a letter from a sheriff a few weeks ago.

My sister and brother in law own their own house, and their 26 year old son lives with them. He has a debt of about £1500 and unbeknown to his parents it has gone through the courts process and they have bailiffs knocking on their door seeking to recover the debt. My brother-in-law has told them that it is his own house, and his son owns nothing in it. He has produced evidence to the bailiff on the doorstep that he owns the house and his ID, and the bailiff said that they would update their records. However, they continue to knock the door seeking recovery, and now my brother-in-law is forking out a few hundred quid of his own money to 'make them go away' for a bit. Sorry if this has been asked before - how can they stop the bailiffs coming to their door? Is there a letter template for the court / bailiff company? (Btw, the son has no assets or property, no income, not even signing on). Thanks Lapchien

On BBC Watchdog tonight (08/09/2011) there was a 'plumber' featured called Mohammed Shamraz. This guy was trained and employed by Reactfast, a company bought by Homeserve last year.

I've got nothing but contempt for these cowboys - and to prove it, Watchdog on BBC1 last week featured a guy called Jim Pharoah who had been trained by Reactfast, who are owned by Homeserve - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2011/04/rogue_drains.html http://www.reactfast.co.uk/htm/news_money_down_the_drain.htm

Homeserve cannot cope - they are a massive company (in terms of revenue), spend their money on a helicopter for the chief exec and his flat in the south of France, when customers need them they fob them off - if your boiler costs more than £200 to repair it they will knock back your claim and say it's beyond economical repair and refuse to pay out. Save you money on premiums, just bank it yourself and have a look in the YP or online for an emergency plumber (but check the small print in the YP and online, as Homeserve are known to present themselves as multiple brands). HOMESERVE - STAY AWAY

Complaint duly sent.

Must be confetti time at worst cretins, I had one of these as well. Isn't there an OFT guideline that says they should not pursue a debt where it is not certain that the person they are contacting is the debtor in question?

Gawd - Crackpot and Marlin, what a combo!

What a tidy little thread this! DCA effectively hoodwinking it's 'client' surfhair, then getting greedy and demanding more. Surfhair can't afford more, finds this site and kicks them into touch. Beautiful , just beautiful. Surfhair, don't forget to ask for you £1 back.

I had these morons chasing me for a while last year. Before that I used to bury my head in the sand and be worried that they would turn up at my door. A few weeks on this site and letters sent, they went creeping back under their stone. I found out that they also searched my credit files, I threatened them with court action and they removed all traces. I don't get bothered by these or any other DCA's any more. I actually miss those silly little letters 'demanding' this and that. My credit history is poor but has been excellent for the last 4 1/2 years. In 18 months I should be a 999. Remember, these collectors have NO authority and NO power. If they turn up at your door tell them to bog off or call the police. If you feel threatened by them complain. Push them for absolute, legally watertight agreements and proof that any debt is due. These bottom feeder DCA's are passed a list of folks with an amount and details of the original account in a spreadsheet, and their employed monkeys just ring around and generate spurious letters to try to frighten people into paying. They have bought these accounts for a few pence in the pound, the original creditor having written off the debt and claimed tax relief. Yet these DCA's are allowed to buy an account and make money from it! The whole industry stinks, don't let them get away with it.

It breaks my heart to think that anyone would pay even 1p to these idiots. DON'T PAY THEM A PENNY - demand that they 'prove' that the debt is owed by using one of the letter templates on this site. Maybe the one known as the 'prove it' letter? On receipt they are legally bound to respond with 'here is the proof' (very unlikely) or 'sorry we're going away now' (highly likely) before going after a softer target. How old is this debt? If it's been 6 years since acknowledgement or payment then it is statute barred and they can't touch you.

I agree and certainly will.