Going by the content of some of the letters... yep

That's the whole problem BB; we had an agreement with Wescot but we couldn't pay on the day they wanted. We told them this, made a payment and were due to make another when Debt Managers contacted us about the debt, we wrote to them saying we were confused, then L-TSB wrote and said DM were now handling it, we complained and L-TSB ignored us, then Iqor contacted us and now Wescot again.. . The FOS invented a complaint because they didn't answer the one we raised; and now we are left no further forward and having to negotiate again.. . and probably again and again and again... I am still so very angry

Shame, as I really don't see why we should continually have to negotiate a payment plan with one DCA, make a payment only for it to be moved on to another and another and another... They need to man up! I also don't see why the FOS should get away with ruling on a complaint of their creation rather than the one we asked them to look at. Sorry, really really really angry with the FOS and L-TSB right now... red mist descending! :-x And yes, we did SAR them and there is about three tonnes of paperwork to go through.... I do know that with another debt (they have gone quiet on) they couldn't produce the CCA and used the money included with the request as a payment against the account!

I'm just fecking furious that we have to negotiate all over again... and who's to say they won't start the music again once we have? Is there a complaints procedure for the FOS... I mean; can I complain about them and the decision...

I would have thought that our letter telling them that they hadn't answered our complaint but invented one of their own was a good enough hint that they could take their "final decision" and whistle dixie!

Thank you for your letter of the 5 February 2013, your comments have been noted. However, please note that our complaints procedure has now come to an end, as the ombudsman has issued a final decision. Therefore, we will be unable to enter into any further discussions about the merits of your complaint. We need to know whether you accept or reject our final decisions by 1 March 2013. If we do not hear from you, in writing, by 1 March 2013 then neither you or Lloyds TSB will be bound by the final decision. If you do decide to accept our final decision, you should sign, date and return the form enclosed with our letter of 1 February 2013. Comments... suggestions... ideas... I have a few of my own but they would fill the swear box!

Thank you!

OK, this is what I have so far (and I borrowed a lot of your comments so thank you)... but I am not sure what to say to close the letter (as I may end up being rude)... or whether I am to return the form they asked us to sign... I want to send this but what, realistically am I asking them to do; revisit their final decision or am I escalating it to the head honcho??? Sorry for being a bit thick I write with regard to your “Final Decision” dated the 1st February 2013 and received by us on the 4th February 2013. I have to say that once again I am staggered by the contents of your correspondence. You say that you have “considered all that XXX and Lloyds TSB have said and provided, in order to decide what is fair and reasonable in this complaint”, a statement that is truly astonishing as the complaint made has not actually been addressed. “While the debt remains outstanding Lloyds TSB is entitled to instruct different recovery agents. The delay in making payments following the agreement with Wescot was unfortunate because it resulted in Debt Managers being instructed which understandably caused XXX some confusion. But I do not consider this merits and award of compensation.” I would appreciate it if you would provide me with proof as to where in any of my correspondence with Lloyds TSB, its agents or yourselves compensation is requested. I would also like to bring to your attention the following paragraph, taken from the Office of Fair Trading 'Debt Collection Practices': PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL HARASSMENT - multiple businesses attempting to collect the same debt at the same time can cause harassment, where more than one party is engaged with the collection of the same debt (and this could include the creditor and their agent debt collector as well as multiple agencies), actions will need to be carefully coordinated and the timely communication of accurate data about the status of the debt and the circumstances of the debtor is key. “I understand XXX has not made any payments since May 2010. I urge XXX and Lloyds TSB (through its agent) to work together to agree a mutually acceptable payment plan. If she is experiencing financial difficulties, I remind Lloyds TSB of its responsibility to respond positively and sympathetically.” It has never been the intention to avoid paying what is genuinely due, but it is certainly not realistic to expect payments to be made a) on a date when the money is not physically available and b) when the initial lender keeps changing their agent and expecting renegotiation to take place on each occasion.

Thank you for your help CitizenB... this is the response from the actual ombudsman, we already rejected the first effort from a minion lower down the ladder! I will work on something and post it here later. Thanks again Mo

I agree, their responses are idiotic... it is like they are talking about something completely different... I know we have to pay, and we accept that as we have been down the documentation route; I just don't see why we have to negotiate, negotiate and renegotiate... we made an agreement; they picked a date, we told them we couldn't pay on that date but we could pay on X date... we paid on X date but they moved it on down the line of idiots anyway!

We have the ombudsman's response and they have not found in our favour. We have to sign a form saying whether or not we accept the decision, and if we don't then neither party will be bound by it. The finding are as follows: I have considered all that XXX and L-TSB have said and provided, in order to decide what is fair and reasonable in this complaint. While the debt remains outstanding L-TSB is entitled to instruct different recovery agents. The delay in making payments following the agreement with Wescot was unfortunate because it resulted in Debt Managers being instructed which understandably cause XXX some confusion. But I do not consider this merits an award of compensation. I understand that XXX has not made any payments since May 2010. I urge XXX and L-TSB (through its agent) to work together to agree a mutally acceptable payment plan. If XXX is experiencing financial difficulties, I remind L-TSB of its responsibility to respond positively and sympathetically. I am currently spitting feathers at this because they seem to have completely ignored the whole point of us contacting them; and that was because we had an agreement with Wescot, we couldn't pay on the date Wescot wanted because we didn't have the money then, we made the payment on the date the money was available to us; they moved the debt on, first to Debt Managers and then to others. We were not prepared to "throw money into the ether and hope that it stuck to the account"... we wanted L-TSB to stop playing "musical debt collection agencies" so that we could make the payments to one company and know that the payments were going to clear the debt... is that unreasonable??? Any ideas on where I can go from here. Obviously I am not going to accept the decision; and I want to write to the ombudsman and tell them exactly what I think of them... but as they have ignored and misunderstood what I have already said *throws hands in the air in frustration* All help will be gratefully received Thanks Mo

Wescot have written today asking why they have not heard anything from us with regard to the debt and the ombudsman. That could quite possibly be because we haven't heard word one from the ombudsman... do I have to reply to them. On a side note - the place I work at has been receiving recorded messages for an ex member of staff to call Wescot - I took great delight in calling them back today to inform them that the ex employee has done a runner back to Morocco!!!

Thanks - will go and do that

Case has been passed to an ombudsman for review. .. and funnily enough the debt has been passed back to Wescot. .. and they are threatening legal action! Emailed them a "being investigated so kiss my xxx" using a disposable email to both their addresses and a hard copy in the mail (do I need a proof of posting for this?). .. FOS called and asked if we had contacted them as I have been forwarding on all correspondence received to be added to the file...

On the 24/11 I ordered two items from a musician's website. The store part is run by his wife (I know both of them through gigs) and I have had no trouble before. This time I have received nothing and she is ignoring all my emails asking if the items have been sent. There is no delivery info stated anywhere on the store or on my emails confirming the purchase (the last time I ordered the item turned up in two days along with a personal note)... Can't think what is going on and don't know what to do. Loathe to open a PayPal dispute because I thought we were friends of a sort (known him since the late 90's and her mid 00's). As there is no delivery information provided, and as she is apparently ignoring me (as I know she has been online at the website) what do I do next? This was a leaving gift for someone, something that I made clear in my emails... Help???

I'm looking; I'm taking two college courses; and I am doing my best to put up with it until I find something else... Just sometimes you need to "vent the steam" Sorry if my post annoyed you or dragged you down... wasn't my intention as you've all been so kind Mo x

I am just a lowly administrator who has taken on a lot of the work that the manager is supposed to do - he doesn't even know how to turn on a computer... I have to check his emails and print them out for him to action* (*which means shred and pretend he knows nothing about them)! He spends all his time on the "floor" saying he is too busy to do anything (but has plenty of time for coffee/fag/larking around breaks). Work has gradually got worse and worse... boss has said about three words to me since 11:45am on Thurs... he asked me to do something which I am not allowed to do (pay someone petrol money out of petty cash when it has to go through expenses and the person doesn't have business insurance so shouldn't have been driving boss around and may not get his expenses paid because of this) and he got the hump... he didn't come near me all day yesterday... didn't say good morning... didn't come up to our shared office unless I wasn't there (came back from the bank to find notes on the desk)... he has become a right miserable sod lately... and two other staff were ignoring me too! If it wasn't me who would get it in the neck I would just do as he asked and be done with it... but I know it would come back and bite me on the arse not him so I am not prepared to break the rules! I have covered for him so many times - not any more... doing my job properly and no more.

Letter sent, with a few minor tweaks (I told her that I want all evidentiary correspondence to be passed to the ombudsman for review)... will see what happens... which I am sure will be a big fat zero!

Hi Emmzzi; I was right... it made absolutely no difference... as of 2nd January 2013 I will be working 20 hours a week. He wouldn't entertain anything other than what he thought he and I had already agreed Oh well

Hi; we appealed and we got shot down again... so later on today I will be sending them this: I am in receipt of your letter dated the 26th October 2012 and, to be perfectly honest, I am not disappointed at your decision, but I am more than a little stunned at how you reached that conclusion. An agreement was reached with Wescot Credit Services Limited on the 31st March 2010. As I have stated on previous occasions; they requested payment on a date when it wasn’t physically possible; and so the first payment was made on the 20th May 2010. We then received a letter from Debt Managers on the 24th May 2010 stating that they now held the rights to collect on the debt. After numerous and somewhat threatening communications from them I wrote to them informing them that we had an agreement with Wescot, and when the next payment was due. At this point we had received no notification from L-TSB that the debt had been moved to them; we only had their threat-o-grams to prove it. More threat-o-grams followed; and my mother (obviously to my mind) decided that she was not prepared to risk sending a payment to Wescot if they were no longer collecting the debt. I don’t know about you; but throwing £20 notes into the ether, not knowing where they are going or if they will be credited against the account is not an action we were prepared to undertake (and still aren’t). We wrote to L-TSB, asking them to please explain how someone was supposed to make payments against a debt when they were playing “musical debt collection agencies” and weren’t following the proper procedure by notifying us of the change. Anyone can ask for money; it doesn’t mean that they have a legal right to have it. L-TSB completely ignored this letter; in fact the only letter we had from them was threatening legal action themselves! By your response it appears that it is perfectly acceptable for banks and debt collection agencies to send out threat-o-grams, ignore correspondence from people trying to do the right thing by asking for clarification; and expect people to negotiate on numerous occasions while throwing money in random directions in the hope that some of it sticks to and begins to clear their debt. If this is true then I fear that there is no hope for the man on the street. We can never win; can we? Please will you arrange for our case to be reviewed by the ombudsman as per the final paragraph in your letter. Yours sincerely

Thanks Emmzzi, but in the end it won't matter... they do what they want here, always have and always will. Don't see the point of X getting in his car and driving to see me to just pontificate a load of hot air before getting to the point. I've seen it happen to others and I'd rather it was done. Thanks again x

Well, the CEO and my boss decided between them last night to bring the meeting forward to today... and I only got told this morning... no text, no call. I have just been down to speak to my boss and I have told him the following: "When X calls to tell you what time he is coming, tell him not to bother and to just do what he wants. If he wants to cut my hours then cut them, I don't have any fight left and he will do what he wants to anyway" So sick and tired of being the string to his cat... just don't have the fight left in me any more.

Hi Emmzzi and thanks for your reply. Health isn't great; been seeing GP a lot lately (my condition is worsening) and saw a Rheumatologist a couple of weeks ago... his recommendation was to "remove or physical and psychological stress from your life" The sad thing is; the hours ARE there, he just doesn't see it and doesn't believe it.The other homes in the group only have 15 to 20 hours admin; and one of the visiting managers said today that that isn't enough for her home... and other managers (H&S Manager for one) says the same. Even the girls at HO who I deal with on a daily basis say so but... I have been looking for Admin roles; although I wish I could find something that I could do from home... and I am also thinking of self-publishing a novel that I have written. I don't have a union rep... just a boss who sometimes does a convincing impression of an ostrich!

Hi About the last week in August the CEO of our group took my "appraisal" where he proceeded to tell me that I was a victim of my own efficiency with no people skills. He said that he could "no longer swallow coming into the office and seeing my desk clear" and that I had three choices: 1) Cut my hours down to 20 from 40 and look for a part-time job 2) Cut my hours down to 20 from 40 and he would look for a part-time job for me 3) Leave He said that he might well be cutting off his nose to spite his face, but that he couldn't justify my salary to the Board. He told me that I had "failed a supervision role downstairs" (we are a nursing home and the ground floor is the home and upstairs is admin). I and my immediate boss have no recollection of me doing any supervision job as I don't have the qualifications to supervise nursing staff and would never dream to try! He told me that he would talk to me the second week in September and left it at that. The second week in September passed and nothing happened. About the third week he asked me if I had found anything, which I haven't. More time passed and nothing was mentioned. My boss told me to keep my mouth shut and go with the flow so that is what I did. Then last week I happened to ask him if he had heard anything and it turned out that the CEO had said something and requested that when my supervision and appraisal was done that it was noted "in writing" that my hours needed to be cut. I made a point of saying that the work load had increased, that I was doing stuff for visiting consultants, that I had taken onboard some of the work that our new maintenance operative said was "not in my job description" (running to and from the GP surgery, emptying the kitchen rubbish bins etc), organising a funeral, doing stuff for my boss, doing personal projects for the CEO, and that I had been looking but hadn't found anything. Today the CEO called me and says that he wants to have a meeting with me on Monday at 10:30am even though he is here on Thursday (that's my weekend screwed then!). He is also being very "professional" with me on the phone, even though lately he has been trying to crack jokes with me etc. I am now at my wits end. I have always done the job to the best of my ability; making sure that everything is always done and done properly. There are times when I can be sitting around waiting for something to do or for the phone to ring, but there are other times when I don't come up for air! I have Fibromyalgia, B12 deficiency, PCOS, IC, OAB and Asthma, and I am scared about looking for another job because my health only just about allows me to do this one. I work from 8am - 4pm (at the CEO's request because I used to work 8 hours a day on flexi-time but he said they needed someone here between those hours to cover the phone etc). I give everything to my job, which normally means that I end up going home and crashing out for a few hours just to give my body a chance to recover. I can't afford to lose nearly £500 a month. Any help, comments, suggestions, lengths of 2x4 round the back of my head???

Yep... doesn't seem to matter to them...