You want to give it *at least* 6 - 7 working days to clear in order to get no interest charge. Try and budget from the 10th to the 9th of each month, and pay on the 9th by debit card - that way you'll be getting the benefit of the £100 "float" with no charges. If you go down to the wire on paying, you run the risk of missing the payment and getting lumped with interest.

Slightly off tack, but not worth a new thread(?) is there a way to sue these turkeys if they've put searches on your credit file?

Funnily enough I just got a phone call off these a-holes about 30 minutes ago. I'll be sending them a SAR in the morning for their trouble.

As requested by a Mod, by I don't know why, heres a thread for people who get xxxxxx off by Argos in cahoots with eBay. As you can see from what happened to a friend of mine (below) you're not alone - Argos habitually sell off their damaged returns and other tut as "Brand New" on eBay, and eBay allow them to do it again and again and again. If you want the truth about Argos and eBay before you get ripped off yourself, check Argos feedback and you'll see how many people get caught by their dishonesty. My mates case: Re: If you have Argos Problems Be warned, this an example of what Argos call "Brand New" and ebay allow Argos to advertise as "Brand New". argos_mixer_7.gif argos_mixer_6.gif http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/...view=slideshow A private sellers account would be closed down after at most a couple of examples of this level of mis-description - yet if you read Argos' feedback they do it constantly. Argos will not replace an item with a new one and will expect you to send it back to them "for inspection" before refunding using the worst courier company on earth, Yodel, who will often simply lose it in transit giving Argos an out, or it will arrive with Argos damaged and they'll wriggle out that way. The best advice is dont use them. In knowledge lies wisdom Mo - not even a bar-stool lawyer, but I'll help where I can...

As others have mentioned, a vanquis card is legitemate - albiet potentially expensive - means to repair your credit. Just make sure you a) pay your balance off each month in plenty of time, and b) don't try to skate right up to your due date because they *will* flip you over into interest at the slightest (usualy bad) excuse, and c) be very aware that they will pull all sorts of stunts to line their pockets, so ALWAYS keep an eye on your account, prefferably on a daily basis. A favourite stunt is the "VALUESAVER 08004083990" un-authorised debit. This is a phone call that you get from Vanquis offering all sorts of wonderful for nothing, which you duly accept. A month or so later you'll get the un-authorised (because you didn't agree to pay anything, right?) charge from "VALUESAVER 08004083990". When you get it, ring the 0800 4083990 number and deny having an account with them (because you wouldn't have authorised it, right?) - they will tell you that you have an account. Deny it, saying you have signed up to nothing. They will tell you "you don't have to sign" - you may laugh at them at this point if you wish. Ask them to provide evidence of your agreement with them. They will ask for your postcode, give it, then your name and you'll be given your "Account number". State that you would like them to return your money within 24 hours or you will be contacting the police to report the fraudulent transaction as you did NOT agree to the account and did NOT authorise anyone to take money from your account. They will say they cannot refund within 24 hours it will take about 7 days. Accept this, demanding a letter stating that your phantom account has been closed. They will refuse this, but close the conversation by informing them that you have recorded the conversation and if any further transactions appear on your account you will immediatly contact the police and hand them the evidence contained in your recording. Put the phone down rather than listen to some muppet tell you how "you shouldn't record phone-calls!!!"

Raye Summers will at best pass it on to someone else, but Argos are professional pass-the-parcel experts and it's only worth writing to any of them in order to prove at a later date to a court how bad a company they are. As always with Argos, the best advice is not to buy anything from them in the first place.

Be warned, this an example of what Argos call "Brand New" and eBay allow Argos to advertise as "Brand New". http://s1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb384/glen_b_uk/?albumview=slideshow A private sellers account would be closed down after at most a couple of examples of this level of mis-description - yet if you read Argos' feedback they do it constantly. Argos will not replace an item with a new one and will expect you to send it back to them "for inspection" before refunding using the worst courier company on earth, Yodel, who will often simply lose it in transit giving Argos an out, or it will arrive with Argos damaged and they'll wriggle out that way. The best advice is dont use them.

Write a polite email to this address: [email protected] Start it with all your order details and the name of whatever Argos creature(s) you have been being fobbed off by. Then your name and address. Then ask Raye Summers : "Could you advise me please as to what legal recourse I may have available to me via the Online Facility at Northampton Crown Court? Is my case covered by the Sale of Goods Act? I would appretiate your answer within 7 days." Put it just liike that and not as a threat. Add Thank you, and Yours Sincerely and hit send. See what happens and report back

Anyone who buys anything from Argos on eBay deserves to get ripped off. Read their feedback page - they habitually and knowingly list used items and damaged returns as being new - not even "New Other" but New as in brand spanking new. They knowingly list items they don't have available and hold on to peoples money. eBay of course do sweet FA about it - whereas a private seller who has a sale go wrong - often due to a dodgy buyer - gets bullied and their visibility in auctions reduced by eBay for months.

Anyone else going to be whacked with a £100 fine for driving a van with an XUD engine in it after January 3rd? For the un-learned - Boris is going to be hiting anyone driving (for instance) a Fiat Scudo / Peugeot Partner with the 1.9D engine in it for £100 if theypoketheir nose into outer London. Strangley though, if your Fiat Scudo / Peugeot Partner - built on the same day in the same factory and fitted with the exact same engine - has windows and is badged as a Fiat Ulyses / Peugeot 806 it's no longer a menace to Londons environment and gets to visit London for nothing. The same engine is fitted in the Citreon Xantia and many other PSA cars - which also travel free and un-fined. Does anyone know how Boris has come to this decision? Does Boris know that the XUD is one of the few engines that can run unmodified on pure veg oil? Anyone else going to affected by this silly and obviously arbritrary ruling and fancy getting a campaign together?

Bit of a wierd one... just got back from the pub, and met an old mate down there who's having a hard time of it at the mo. We got talking and basically he is skint, and has no work, so I asked him why he doesnt sell his van. Turns out that it still has finance on it, but it's wierd... I'll explain, and if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions on it, I'd be grateful, because the guy isn't a whine or a shyster, he's always worked hard but he's really in the cack right now. OK, her'es how it goes: He's got the van - probably worth 1500 - 2000 He bought it on finance in 2003 - he's sure it's finance and not a personal loan, and is fairly sure it was lease purchase, not lease, and done in his personal name, not a usiness name (he's a sole trader) He paid (he thinks) about a third, then his marraige went west and life fell apart etc But the odd thing is - they have never come after him for a penny. It's as if the documents have been lost and the loan never exsisted. Now obviously, he could do with the money, but - how does it stand legally? I'm fairly certain from what he's said that any chasing they did now for monthly payments would be statute barred - but what if he sold it and it flagged up on HPI? Would they still be able to come after him, or have they effectively waived their rights by their own lack of action / incompetence. He actually has changed the name on the V5 from his old trading name o his own name a few years ago which didnt prompt them to come after him, and neither have his two changes of address over the years. It really sounds as if they have lost any record of the agreement. I wouldn't normally ask this sort of "dodgy" question, but this lads in the cack for no doing of his own and could use a break, so does anyone have any opinions or insight they can offer? Cheers Mo

Just a quick reply of support. Santander are cretinously incompetent, and I wont bore you with the litany of rubbish I've had to deal with from them, but one thing I have learned is that - if you have the gonads for it - you get an almost efficient response from them if you go into your branch, ask to use the branch phone to contact customer services and have out with them in a loud, forcefull but polite voice - letting them know that you are in the branch and you want to be connected to a manager (always take it higher,the poor peeps you get first are just cannon fodder and palm-you-offs). This has worked for me several times on a number of different complaints - one of which they ended up sending me a hamper and £100 for. Try and do it - you'll find that your fellow customers (and often the counter staff LOL ) are extremely supportive as they're sick to the back teeth of Santander as well. Good luck x

Thanks for the explanation.

I don't suffer from any comprehension problems Spam, nor was I trying to "win one" over you, but what you wrote was misleading, and thats dangerous when you're in the middle of something and some bunch of thieves is asking you to sign something. I speak from experience: I've been through exactly this with Cabot and their chimps. The claim does NOT have to be "re-served" - the claim STANDS, as originally put, and is contested on the basis that it was originally put - entirely logical if you think about it, otherwise the plaintiff could simply serve a differently set out claim, this time in full knowledge of what the defendent used to get the original claim set aside.

Not 100% (or even 50%) up on N-o-t-B law, but - can't a Sherrifs Warrant only be set up by a court case? What happened at the court case?