Thanks Emma, when we moved, all the bills were put into my husbands name and from his account as I was on maternity leave and had nooo money! I e-mailed the consumer council for water with the details of my problem yesterday and I got a letter from them today saying that as I hadn't exhausted UU's complaints process, they could not deal at this stage but they had sent a copy of my e-mail to UU and basically told them to get a move on! Unbelievably, I got a call from UU today telling me that in fact, they owed me around £20 and I should apply to the court to get the CCJ set aside!! Now I have 2 questions - should it be me that applies to the court to have it set aside and do I have any right to compensation for the fact they wrongly issued a CCJ and I was turned down for a loan as a result of this? Any thoughts???

Will do Steven, got my letter today confirming they have until 3rd October to reply as deemed served from today.

Had a little scout around on the internet and found the Consumer Council for water so have submitted complaint via themselves. Also looked on United Utilities website to see if they make any reference to what might happen if you don't tell them you are moving and erm, there's nothing at all on their site.Maybe a line that says, 'If you don't tell us you are moving, we will take you to court for not telling us and send you a bill for a random amount'That seems to cover their policy!Lets see what happens next!

Thanks Emma, I tried to get it but as it was an old mobile and about a year ago, I can't seem to get a copy of the information. I sent the letter off to UU and have given them 14 days to reply and as per, have heard nothing except a Telemessage which told me that I owed £200 and something pounds...which I don't!!!!! Am getting so frustrated with this one - can I take legal action to get the CCJ put aside and can I take any legal action against them and how do I go about it!!! Please help!!

Thanks all for your comments and support. Checked with the court today and they have recieved my N1 and POC but they have not yet sent it out to the defendant but will do over the next couple of days. They have given me a case number - do I need to note this anywhere?

Well, it took some time and numerous e-mails but I can report some success in that they have reduced the cancellation fee to just over £20 which is a result!! I did have some problems with them referring the matter to Wescot and random solicitors but think will accept this reduced figure and pay this as it is less than half of their original requests. All their e-mails were very polite and helpful and don't think I will get much further if I push it. Any thoughts?

Scarlet, Thanks for your reply - does make me feel a bit better!!! Anyway, with one thing and another, left this on the back burner for a bit but now had a letter from Concilia Debt Recovery basically threatening 'further action' if I didn't pay. Rang them and explained and the bloke seemed ok to be honest and gave me a number to contact UU on. Told him that had rang and e-mailed and was still waiting for a response so was going to send formal letter of complaint. Think your advice very sound though and will give them 14 days and then refer to ombudsman.

Have found this in the very very very small print on Barclays website "4.9 We may refuse to make any payment if you do not have enough money on the account at the close of the working day before the payment is due to be made. In deciding whether you have enough money we take account of any authorised card transactions, any overdraft or Reserve limit, any cheques we are treating as cleared, any instructions to make payments and regular payments due for payment that day which have not yet been paid from your account. We may tell you if you can make payments from your account against cheques which are not cleared. We do not have to take account of regular credits or any amounts received after we have decided not to make the payment." However, if they have not done this for the last 12 months at least, surely this would amount to a change in the way they manage my account and as such, the following terms should apply: "13.2 We will tell you about any changes which are to your disadvantage by: - advertising in the press; - sending you written notice by post or computer; - putting messages on your statements; or - text (or similar) messages. We will tell you about any other changes using the above methods, by notices in our branches or by information given on our website. 13.3 Apart from changes to our interest rates which we can apply immediately, we will normally give you at least 30 days’ advance notice of any changes which are to your disadvantage. We may introduce changes immediately and advise you within 30 days of the change if we reasonably consider the change is not to your disadvantage" I have telephoned and asked for a copy of the T & C's that I signed up to and I have been told that Customer Services will reply to me by letter within 3 - 5 working days. Have a feeling that I will just get quoted Section 4.9 as above though. Anyone got any ideas - surely this can't be right??

Hi All, Am staggered by Barclays latest ploy to rob their customers blind! My husband and I have a joint account to which we pay money from our sole accounts on 20th each month (payday). It goes in the same day as the accounts are all in the same branch. I was not pleased then, to recieve a letter from them telling me that they had bounced my mortgage payment due to insufficient cleared funds in our account. Now I know the money was in the joint account because it certainly wasn't in my sole account!! I rang up to query this and was told that since the introduction of the Reserve Account (which we don't have), for a payment to be made, the money needs to be in the account 'THE PREVIOUS DAY'!!. I was told that this had always been the case, but they had let it go??? How can they charge me because the money wasn't in the account the day before the payment was due? It was in the account on the 20th, which is the day they bounced it?? Can someone please help!!!!!!!

Got a letter from Cap 1 in relation to my 2nd account. Says the OFT hasn't told us that they are obliged to refund any default sums and they have offered refunds as a gesture of goodwill - how kind! They also say that as they have sold my debt to Robinson Way and while they are happy to honour the refunds they have offered, I need to contact them directly to arrange repayments. They won't provide a breakdown of their costs as this is confidential business information and they look forward to recieving my signed settlement form so that we can put this behind us and save the courts valuable time. Is this their usual response?

Mr Lex, Thanks for your reply - it did look suspect to me, I must admit. I think it's quite irresponsible to be honest, it will only be used by people who go up to their overdraft limit - and will then get them into more debt but, because it is a 'usage fee', you may not be able to reclaim those charges as you are paying for the 'service' of the increased overdraft? In most cases, you used to be able to increase your overdraft at no charge by phoning the bank. In my case, they refused because they based it on how much money was going into my account and said they could not increase it. Now, without any request from me - they effectively have? Bizarre really, now they can charge me more for it, they are suddenly able to do it? Time to opt out methinks!! Thanks Jackie PS.Is it worth highlighting your comments as a 'sticky' as am sure loads of Barclays customers may have had this facility added to their account?

Completed N1 but just got to wait for Medicash cheque to come in and pay the £65 court fee!!! LBA sent for second account today.

Hi All, Just thought I would share the contents of a letter I recieved from Barclays titled "Important changes to your current account from 18/08/2008 - please read carefully" Basically, they are introducing a 'reserve' which is an increase to your overdraft limit. For example, your existing overdraft may be £2000 and they will add on a 'reserve' up to £3000. They will honour all payments up to this amount, however if you use your 'reserve', they will charge you £22 for every 5 days you are in it no matter how many transactions are made. Once you have gone over your 'reserve' they will charge £8 per transaction, whether they honour it, or return it. You have the right to 'opt out' of this scheme but it will be applied automatically from 18 July. (Naturally I didn't open the letter so I am now in this scheme) I'm not really sure what impact this is going to have, in some ways it does seem better than them charging you £90 per month in charges but am rather concerned that you could be charged up to 6 x £22 fees in a month and as these are 'usage fees' rather than charges are you stuck with them? Also not too keen on the 'enforcement' of it, what if you didn't get the letter, didn't open it, didn't understand it etc etc etc. Are they giving me an extra credit facility that I haven't signed for? Any thoughts???

Thanks Lemon Twist - let me know when you start up your own insurance company and I will give you all my business!!! Letter to go tomorrow x

Oooh D Day is here!! Heard nothing from Cap 1 with regard to my LBA so as 14 days now up it's time to take action! Think read somewhere not to use MCOL with credit cards for some reason so will have a go at the N1. Fingers crossed won't take too long!!

Dpick, Thanks for your reply as well - mine wasn't due for renewal but I couldn't afford to pay NU what they wanted to insure my new car until renewal time!

Lemon Twist, Thanks for that - still seems quite unfair though doesn't it? Am going to write them a letter anyway I think and appeal to their better nature? I have been a good customer to them and this will give them an opportunity to show how valued I am (still currently have life insurance with them)....Worth a try anyway as haven't got £49.60 anyway!

I've just read this thread with interest as I'm in the same position and being threatened with a 'cancellation fee'. I can see they have you over a barrel but I would argue that this is not explained to you when you give your details over the phone although I accept it may be in my T & C's. My other dispute is that I have been with ins co for over 5 years and never claimed so I cannot have 'cost' them very much at all and to charge me a 'cancellation fee' because they want to 'encourage' me to stay with them seems very wrong. I have other policies with my insurance company and I want to cancel them as well. Is there any point in complaining to my ins co about this - I have been a very good customer to them and now they are threatening me with court action over £49.60 despite the fact I have paid them in excess of £4000 over the last 5 years and never claimed a penny? Is it worth a try? Jackie:(

Hi, Wondering if someone can help me here. I had car insurance with Norwich Union for over 5 years and never made a claim. I asked them to quote on my new car and it was astronomical so went with another company. I have paid every month by DD and never missed a payment. As stated, I have also never made a claim so I have cost Norwich Union nothing to insure me. I have had a letter from them demanding £49.60 'cancellation charge'. Now, we know that the 'penalty charges' from the banks have to represent the cost them for a customer going over their limit etc - is there anything similar regarding a 'cancellation charge'. I haven't got £50 to pay them and it actually cost me money to cancel with them, phone calls, sending document back etc etc etc. I am now being threatened with court action. I should add that I also have life insurance with NU and have found another company will cover me for £20 per month cheaper but are NU going to charge me for cancelling again? The issue is that for me, NU are not providing competetive products so why am I having to pay out extra because of this? Jackie

Thanks Steven - will bear it in mind and see how we go. I am challenging them on 2 accounts and got a similar letter today regarding the second account, once again offering me about half the amount I am claiming and then very kindly offering to let their DCA know that they only need to threaten me for a reduced amount! The funny thing is that the amount the DCA are chasing me for is about the full amount of charges levied by Cap1 - interesting! I was wondering whether to reply saying, thanks for offering me half the amount you owe me - how about I pay this to you and you accept half the amount you reckon I owe you!! LBA on second account off today.

Haven't done much with this one at the moment as have been busy chasing Cap1 for some much needed cash! Naturally haven't heard anything from UU but neither have I heard anything from IJ. Got evidence from solicitors to show date that I left property and have got bill up to the date we left the property and evidence that we paid every payment on the due date. Their case seems to rest on the fact that they say I didn't tell them I was moving house but surely they can't try and enforce court costs when the judgement has been wrongfully made against me and I can prove I didn't owe them any money? Can anybody point me in the right direction? Many thanks Jackie

Got a bit of a query if anyone's on? Been reading other threads and there are a couple who have asked for CCA? If this goes to the court stage, which I assume it will, do I need a copy of my original credit agreement and the terms and conditions that I signed up to at the time??

Taken ages to make a start on this one but finally sent prelim letters off for 2 accounts with Cap 1. I paid a 'reduced' amount to a DCA some years ago for 1 account and another DCA are pursuing me for 2nd (although have been advised in dispute). I marked 14 day deadline on calendar (7 July) and prepared my LBA. Got a letter today relating to one account which was really really nice and fluffy and offering me money back! Well, when I say nice, the amount they were offering me wasn't particularly nice - in fact it was less than half the amount I was claiming in charges alone - let alone interest! They state that the OFT has challenged the level of default sums and as such they are reducing the amount I was charged to £12 and giving me an extra £20 as an acknowledgment of interest that I may have incurred. Was a bit puzzled by that bit as they know I have incurred interest as they were the ones that charged it - and it was considerably more than £20!! Anyway going to decline their offer via my LBA and see what happens!

Ok, couldn't find solictors letter so they are sending me another copy. Sent e-mail to UU yesterday via their website asking them to reply to my earlier e-mail promptly as am being plagued with calls from IJ. Reply came today Dear Customer Account Number xxxxxxxxx (address) Thank you for your email of 13 May 2008 regarding the demands made by intrum Justitia and Irwin Mitchell Solicitors for the outstanding amount at your old address. I apologise for any misunderstanding cased by this to you. During my investigation into your account I can see that my colleague has called you previously to discuss these charges and also advised you to call the Debt Collection agency as they will be able to arrange a payment plan for you. Please call intrum Justitia on 08703338020 to discuss this matter. Your account is still outstanding; the correct amount that needs to be paid off is £116.25. As advised by my colleague via the telephone on 13 march 2008 these are for court costs that need to be paid on your account, these were applied as no proof was sent to us with regard to the move out date from the above address. As mentioned previously please call intrum Justitia as they will be able to arrange a payment plan with you that suits you, or if possible, you can pay this amount off all at once. I would also advise to call Irwin Mitchell Solicitors and speak to them about setting up a payment plan with intrum Justitia. I have replied to you in line with step 1 of our complaints procedure. If you would like any information about this reply, please call me on 0845 309 3003. Our office is open Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Yours sincerely xxxxx Hang on? IJ are chasing me for £253.49? Where has the £116.25 come from? As you will probably all know, there is no way that IJ are going to listen to anything I say, they say it all has to come from UU. Anyway, here is my reply. Dear x, Thank you for your response. As I mentioned to your colleague on the phone, I did inform yourselves that I was moving out. I called 2 weeks prior to moving, only to be told that you could not take the information that early and I would have to call back on the day, which I did. You cannot find any record of this call. I also informed your colleague that I would not be paying court costs when I can prove I did not owe you any money. As your records will show, I had never missed a payment all the time I lived there and I would like to know what steps you took to find out why payments had stopped. I feel it is unreasonable to expect me to pay court costs when you agree, I did not owe you any money. I assume that you took me to court based on your belief that I owed you money, but now that it is clear that I do not owe you any money, the findings of the court would be overturned. I would also like you to explain where your figures come from as Intrum Justicia will not accept any information from myself, they say it needs to come from you. Also, why are Intrum Justicia pursuing me for £253.49 when you state I owe £116.25? What would have happened if I had paid £253.49? Thank you for your contact details, I would prefer contact in writing to pass to my legal advisor please. Regards Jackie J Does anyone have any advice about where I go next please????

Tau! Love it! Love it!! What about adding PS. And give my regards to Intrum Justitia. x