Today I rang the TC helpline to ask a question about my renewal, which has been held up because I went self employed at the beginning of this year and have only just received my accounts from our accountant. When I got through I was asked if I had previously worked for a Government Department (I had - HMRC back in 1987!!) as my case was locked and they gave me the number of TCO Preston 12 to call. I called Preston 12 and just got "our lines are busy" message before being cut off. I again tried to call the normal helkpline and this time got to speak to a really unhelpful person called Stepehen McGinchey. I explained I needed to speak to someone urgently re my renewal and was told that he couldn't do anything to help, I just had to keep trying Preston 12 until they answered, but that they were open until 8pm. By this time I was getting worried thinking that my claim had closed becasue of the delay in renewing, so after unsuccessfully trying to get through to Preston 12 still, I rang the Helpline again and this time a more helpful lady gave me the number of Preston 11 who explained that a "computer update glitch" had transferred all ex-employee claims going abck over 20 years to the "HMRC employees team at Preston 12. He managed to get me put through to Preston 12 who answered my question, but then told me they couldn't take a renewal over the phone as they had no recording facilities (obviously HMRC employees are not under suspicion like us mere mortals) and that I could either post my renewal form back in or ring the Helpline back in a week's time when my claim "should" have been transferred over. I don't mind having to post in my income details, but I do mind going through all this and still being made to feel like it was me who caused the issue. Not once did anyone make an apology for HMRC's error. I'm thinking of raising a complaint. Has anyone else had this?

Lol - you'd be forgiven for thinking they were respectable ;-) The UK company is based in Sheffield, but I can't drill down into who they represent.;-)

Anyone know who this company's clients are/ had any experience dealing with them? They turned up at my old address a week ago hassling our tenants, but I don't want to call them until I have some idea of who I am dealing with

After getting Lloyds to finally accept that my accounts with them are in dispute whilst the OFT case rumbles on, I now find out that they last month they have registered defaults against me arghhhhhhh! Is it me, or is anyone else losing the will to live????

As well as a request for the CCTV footage alongside the claim you also need to notify your bank you will be involving the police as this is a fraud matter (I would do this now just to get your complaint on record). One Sunday sometime ago my husband went to a Halifax ATM to withdraw some money. He withdrew the cash and requested a printed receipt, which when dispensed clearly did not refer to his account. Upon checking his balance, it showed no details of the debit he had just made, so confirming the money had come out of someone elses account. The following Monday morning, whilst he was outside his branch waiting for it to open so he could let them know what had happened, he received a call from them asking if he "had anything he wanted to tell them" about his latest cash withdrawel. He explained he was outside, but they got very heavy handed and threatened police intervention!! Of course, when they opened the door and saw he was there, along with the balance print out etc they changed their tune dramatically. Unfortunately they were very vague about how their mahcine could have allowed him to withdraw cach from a strangers account using a totally different card. These mahcines do make c*ck ups and you also need to file for a copy of Bank Machine Ltd reconciliation apperwork in any court calim.

Help needed please guys

My LTSB claim had been simmering quietly on the back burner in anticipation of test case results, when about a month ago the plagueing phone calls from Brighton kicked off again along with a call from their lawyer telling me my accounts were not in dispute. Then last Friday I receive a default notice/termination notice for my current account and a default notice for my loan account. I must admit my eye has gone slightly off the ball due to the time this is taking, but as the claim is outstanding and they rolled all my accounts into one, I can't see why they've suddenly started on the offensive again and I'm not entirely sure how I should respond. Any ideas???????

Great, thanks for that. I''l get letter M in the post to them now and see what happens!!

Well done! We'd obviously need a SAR for that, but I don;t want to go down that route if we don't have too. Or just did you go on the assumption there would be charges accrued?

After receiving some excellent advice on how to deal with Thames Credit I am now back again to ask about this other lovely company. They have written to the OH about an MBNA debt, which again I am fairly sure is out of time (all from around the same period in his life). However, despite my belief no payments have been made since early 2001, there is a default registered in March 2004 showing on his credit record, which I would like to try and remove. My question is about what letters and in which order I should send them. My initial thought is to go with the Statute Barred letter and if they can't prove it's not, then send them a letter requesting a true copy of the default notice. In the event they prove it's not statute barred I would then CCA them and again go for true copy of the default notice. Is this the right way to go about it?

Can you prove that they did have your new address? I've got a complaint with the Data Commissioner going on at the moment because of a 1 month in arrears marker by First Direct on my current account, full story here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/data-protection-default-issues/116160-unpaid-cheque-recorded-arrears.html

Hi there No I don't have a thread for the Lloyds loan problem. Briefly, I applied for a payment holiday in September last year and they refused as I am reclaiming charges on current account and they told me that as far as they are concerned if I'm in dispute with one account I'm in dispute with all. Hence I stopped making payments on the loan, sort of thinking it might push them into a settlement, but now they've recorded my account as in arrears.

This may seem like a silly question, but as I am just getting around to the FOS complaint it has occurred to me that I'm not sure what matter I should actually make the complaint about. Am I complaining that they continue to harrass us for payment although the debt is statute barred or is it that they have refused to send me details of their complaints procedure/statement of account? I'm assuming that the OFT complaint should be around harrassment?

Anybody there??

Hi there Take a look at this thread of Surlybond's (the CRA martyr), basically thereonce an account is satisfies there is no legislation which allows your data to be continually processed. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/legalities/30662-scanned-copy-experian-letter.html I think this should answer your question

Due to my ongoing claim against Lloyds and their decision that as I am dispute on my current account, I must also be in dispute with my loan account, I have a lovely 6 months in arrears notice sitting on my credit file. Recently this has hit back at me twice as two other creditors, First Direct and Next, have run the monthly credit scoring (which I apparently gave them permission to do when I opened my accounts), and decided I am a bad risk. First Direct have withheld my cheque facility and Next have dropped my credit level by £1000. Has anybody had this experience before/ is there anyway I can revoke the permission I gave to run continual credit assessments??

Ok, letter to Thames as per ODC advice and complaints to the relevant bodies will be winging their way today! Hooray for CAG!!

Next chapter in the saga, we have now received letter as follows: Dear Sir We have written to you previously in respect of y9our above account. There has been no action on your account for several months but the debt will not be written off and the default will remain registered on your credit file, showing as unsatisfied. The balance outstanding now amounts to £2.936.76, including any interest that may have accrued. Is you cannot pay the full balance immediately, we will discuss a monthly payment arrangement with you. Our negotiators are understanding and have been trained to assist customers such as you. They may be able to make suggestions to help you discharge your debt. We repeat that this debt will not go away, so it is in your best interest to call us. Please help us help you. Not quite sure what to do next. I know the debt is statute barred, they have refused to acknowledge this or send a statement of the account. I am also still awaiting a copy of their complaints procedure. Should I just ignore the letter - the 6 years on the default is up soon, so they are misinforming me when they say it will remain on the credit file.

Thanks again!

I'm probably missing something really obvious, but is there a template anywhere for complaining to the FOS re ignoring request for complaints procedure?

Oh good, I'm glad I don't have to write another letter for the moment. Thanks for all the support!

I have now received a reply to my second letter to Thames and (surprise, surprise) it is a stamped photocopy of their original reply detailed earlier in this thread. Not sure what to do next, should I just send them another "copy" of Curlyben's letter? Is it worth making a complaint to FSA now?

My account history with them was fine, until I started a new job in April. There have been problems with salary payments not going in on a specific day, which meant a couple of times direct debits were unpaid. I explained this to FD and they seemed fine about it until August when they called me and insisted on doing a financial check. Even though it should more than adequate dosposbale income each month, they revoked my cheque book and mentioned some adverse credit on my file. I got quite cross about this as what the hell has adverse credit on my file got to do with them unless I am asking for further credit? It's actually my loan account with LTSB which is in dispute, but I don't see why I should have to discuss that with FD and I told them so. It's since then that things have started to happen, culminating in this latest addition to my credit file. Could this be classed as retaliatory behaviour? I've filed a complaint with the Data Commissioner, perhaps I should complain to FSO also?

Should the CRAs stop showing the default once 6 years has passed?

2nd letter, courtesy of Curlyben, posted to Thames today. Just another quick question, Thames have also got 2 other defaults registered against my hubby at our last but 1 address, but have not contacted usabout these as yet. Do you think I should send them the statute barred letters now, or wait for them to contact us regarding the aledged debts first???