Just an update, regarding the transaction, they've said there's absolutely nowt they can do until it clears. However, earlier today, I sent an extremely strong worded, but polite, letter to the CEO, Eric Daniels. I told him that, similarly to the charges the bank adds on for unauthorised overdrafts etc, I was charging them £13 for the phone calls I had to make (which is what they cost me) and £150 for the food I lost as a result of them refusing to either cancel the transaction or temporarily extend my overdraft. I got a call at 2pm to say that they would be paying me £175 for both I'm fairly satisfied now! Working fridge freezer and non-deadly food, here I come

Yesterday I noticed £62.50 missing off of my available balance, and immediately called Lloyds TSB. I informed them that I had not made this payment and wanted it refunded. I have no Direct debits or standing orders set up on this account, an there was nowhere else it could have gone. I paid £320 into the account at 4:30pm and by 5:05pm £62.50 was gone. The bank have said that, unlike more intelligent companies like Santander, they cannot see who the payment is being made to, and so they will do nothing about it until the payment clears, which is 3-5 days, and then it will take 48 hours to be refunded. Well, I had £370 in my account, had spent £70, and left £300 in there, £50 for food for my son, & gas and electricity for the rest of the week, and £250 that I had just got a loan for to buy a new fridge freezer lastnight, as my freezer had broken in the afternoon, and only had 12 hours storage facility in a power cut or failure, and so I had to act fast to save my £150+ worth of food in my fridge freezer. Anyways, thanks to This disappearing money, I couldn't afford to both pay household costs and buy the second hand fridge freezer that I had agreed to buy. After an hour on the phone to Lloyds I was told that as I have a temporary overdraft with collections, they cannot even extend my overdraft until they can refund the money. I don't understand how a bank who is supposed to look after my money cannot even tell me who is taking my money until it has cleared, when my husbands bank managed to identify the transaction, tell him who it was paid to, and stop it immediately! What can I do in the mean time? Do the bank have any responsibility in this?

After having checked, there is a sticker on the bottom with a product key. It doesn't say which OS it is though, however when I type it into the laptop it says that it isn't a valid Windows 7 product key? The laptop was advertised with the OS as Windows 7. The store told me to bring it in to let the "guys at the back" have a look. What are my legal rights? Other than threatening to report them to FACT, is there any other legislation I can throw at them? Thanks

Hiya. I bought a laptop from Cash Generator in December last year. I went to install some software from the Microsoft website this week, and got a big pop-up telling me that my laptop is not running genuine windows. When I bought the laptop, I was informed that the operating system and software had been installed by the store, and that they had done a full system reboot. One thing is, my receipt says that the laptop's software is not included in the warranty. I'm just curious, are they legally allowed to be installing a non-genuine version of Windows 7 on the laptop? I don't want a refund on the laptop, as it's the only one I've got, and it's full of my personal information, and I can't afford an external hard drive to back it up with. Plus, other than the software, I'm happy with it. Is there anything I can do about them installing this operating system? Also, is it illegal? I can't get any of the updates I want for my laptop now, unless I pay the £140 odd for the genuine version of Windows. Can I get the store to pay for this? Thanks in advance for your help x

Have made sure all doors, windows etc are locked and secured, and luckily neither myself nor my husband drive, and we don't have a shed etc, so that's all good And Ploddertom, if you mean the period of time the bill is for, it's from September until March, but apparently if the council tax account defaults, the whole years bill becomes payable immediately?

I was just thinking at least if I send that letter, and have proof of postage etc, that if at any point they try to get an arrest warrant it proves that a) I was not unwilling to pay and b) That a reasonable offer of payment was made.

I am just about to post the following Do you think that covers it? All doors and windows are locked. Quick question, I know once a bailiff gains access through the front door, he can then break down subsequent locked doors. We have a plastic type front door with a lock, which we usually leave unlocked when we are in, and then after that a front door with both a Yale and a Chubb lock, which we keep locked. My question is, can he break down front door number two if we leave the porch door unlocked?

He says it states on the letter that £100 is the fee for levying distress? Although he acknowledged on the phone that as of this point, I only owe £523.81, but if I wanted a payment arrangement, it'd be £623.81 including the cost to levy the goods?

Right, so after speaking to both the council and the bailiffs, I am left rather peeved The council refused to set up a payment plan, and directed me towards the bailiffs. The bailiff was willing to set up a payment plan providing I levy my goods. I politely told him NO. I pointed out that there is no legislation requiring me to levy my goods in order to set up a payment plan. He then said that there was no legislation requiring them to set up a payment arrangement if I don't. He also wanted the full balance paid off over 6 months, which is not possible, I'd be paying £10 a week at most, but as I'm not in receipt of JSA or IS, apparently I'm not entitled to a longer repayment period (I've just finished my maternity leave, and have decided not to go back to work, but because my husband is working, we're not entitled to anything but tax credits, which we already get) We are entitled to some housing and council tax benefit, but we haven't applied yet as my notice at work hasn't expired yet, so I'm technically still employed) Also, the LO is for £520.81 Grr. What can I do?!

The council is Solihull Council. They won't have sent any letters to any other address as I've only lived under Solihull Council for 4 months, so the only address they have for me is the current one. My husband said that a letter was received just after Christmas stating that there would be a court hearing, however the letter arrived 5 days after the hearing was due to take place (good ol' Royal Mail, eh)

No, no court documents so far. Am snuffling through the forums as we speak!

I woke up this morning to find that there was a hand delivered letter from Jacobs Bailiffs in my porch for £622.81 unpaid council tax (I've only lived here for 4 months!) When I phoned them to make a payment arrangement, they said that they would only make a payment arrangement if they could come and make an inventory of my items. It also says on the letter "Any arrangement is subject to an immediate payment and the debt being secured against your goods by our bailiff re-attending and meeting with you" It also says all payments must be made to the Bailiffs and not the council? Is this correct? Is there no way I can do this without having the debt secured against my goods?