Thank you for some of the replies but I haven't a clue where you're all going with this. You're all running away with this issue and getting off on discussing this stuff over my head. The whole point is that Vodafone have been told before that the person does not exist on my phone number. They have now passed that info to a Debt Collection agency knowing it to be false. I am at breaking point with my own problems - I post on forums to get a bit of help here and in the past it's been very good - and yes - I have contributed to this site before anyone brings that into the equation, and sometimes for light relief, but mostly to just spend some time trying to block out the pain of my own life. I don't need this stuff about CC or s10 anything - I haven't a clue what you are on about and I'm bloody tired!!!!! I have done nothing wrong and I don't see why I should now have to spend money and lose out when I'm struggling on lousy benefits because Vodafone haven't just refused to correct their info, they've now used that wrong data to allow another agency to make my life even more hell.

I'm becoming partial to fava beans!!!

I've only just seen this and am deeply saddened. All I can add is what so many have already said. It seems only a few months ago that we had a joke about contributions to the biccy tin, office mugs and the washing up liquid. So sorry he's gone - such a loss to so many people. May he be giving the angels as good a laugh up there as he did for us here. Thank you Rooster - for allowing me to share that little bit of my life with yours.

I think having to take a decision to report anyone is not easy at all. I've had problems with one of my neighbours and I've no idea why they've been antagonistic to me from the start - but then again, I won't drool all over the bloke like he's the last man alive. You kind of worry whether you're doing the right thing, or being picky and not 'tolerant' enough - and there's always someone to tell you to get a life because their situation is allegedly far worse than yours. But it's your life and it's what sits well with you that matters. Now I've made a formal complaint about my neighbours (and I'm being ostracised for it by a couple of other lone women, because apparently I should let the fat slobbery git make my life hell and be grateful for the attention!!) I wonder why on earth I didn't do it long ago before things got so bad for me. I don't feel bad because I know how many times and how much effort I put into trying to get on with them, and resolve the issues amicably. Some folk just don't want to do it - and ideally the sooner the problems are raised officially, the easier it is to deal with it, rather than let things go from bad to disastrous when it take much more to get it all back on track. Hope SS do take some action to help the mum look after her kids - or find a way to keep them safe and looked after.

PHWORRRRR - that pic wasn't there when I started to post!!! Look at them nips too!!!! *Goes off to fan meself vigorously*

I don't - they're useless when it comes to really protecting animals that need it. I called them about three dogs that were left in a car, in the blazing midday sunshine one summer and all they would say was to call the police as it wasn't an RSPCA matter. The police said they could do nothing unless the dogs died!!! Speechless. As for the grey pests - I thought we were supposed to be helping them to decline???? I even had a neighbour have a go at me because, by feeding the birds in the winter, I was encouraging the squirrel population!!! What am I supposed to do - stick a ruddy sign up that says "Grey squirrels not served here!" Sheesh!!!

Does anyone know the law about keeping the wrong details on record? eg - you move into a home and get someone else's mail which you then send back as 'no longer at this address' and eventually when that doesn't work, you contact the company and formally inform them that the person is no longer at this address. They agree to remove the details from the record of their old customer. Then, years later, you start getting pestered by them again. Is this against the law - that they have not updated their records but have kept what are your details on someone else's account despite being formally informed that the person no longer lived at the address etc? Is this something that the Information Commissioner would look at? 8-)

Oh no - I don't have the same name as anyone - trust me on this. I don't see why I should have to give my details to them - I don't want my details attached to this mess - it's nothing to do with me. When you start giving your details to some eejits who refuse to take 'no' for an answer, you have no idea what they do with them!

Hi there I've had Vodafone contacting my home phone number asking to speak to someone who is nothing to do with me. Despite telling them that they had the wrong number and repeatedly asking them to remove my number from their records, they did not. When they first called, they did not say who they were but I told them they had the wrong number and to please remove it from their records. So I dialled 1471 to find out who had called, got the number and when I called it, it was Vodafone - a message said something along the lines of Vodafone would have tried to contact as there was a problem with "your" account. When they called again I was out, and then again they identified themselves and I repeated that they had not removed my number from this persons account and to stop harassing me. NOW - I have a message from Buchanan Clark and Wells demanding that I contact them - and I can only assume its effin Vodafone again!!!!!!!!!!!! I have enough problems managing my own life - I'm on JSA and have health problems increased by stress and cannot afford to start chasing or fighting these bloody eejits. What do I do? Can I report them somewhere for refusing to remove my details which are being used by someone else who is nothing to do with me? Even more - Can I sue the barstewards for harassment as I could do with the extra cash to replace my very ancient mobile phone and get one that works all the time?? Am effing peed off with this - it's costing me now to try and sort this out!

Hi Leilani Bit more advice from experience: FOS will not take into account the fact that the bank used your benefits to pay the fees. I don't know if this issue is ever going to be resolved, but right now, they seem to be fairly intransigent about requiring the banks to act on a case of hardship and pay back any benefits money. However, you do now have something to go to the FOS with - and that is the fact that Barclays could have explained to you months ago that you could have opted out of the RUF plan and arrange to have your account put into a repayment status, but failed to do so. This put you at a serious disadvantage as the bank failed to notify you of your rights and options, allowing them to continue charging you and increasing your burden of debt. *nods to Slick*

Just to add a bit about Paypal....... Whilst it's obviously very costly to send £1 to the actual site, if a small group of people who know or trust each other sent a small donation of £1 or £2 to one person who has a Paypal account, by using the 'Send Money' option, selecting the Personal tab/ Gift, using existing funds within their own Paypal account, that is free for both parties. That person could then send the total donation to the website as normal. The 'free' option for sending money cannot be used to donate to the website because that would raise flags with Paypal and they'd sanction the website account. But it would mean that small groups could band together to raise a more feasible sum to then donate to the website.

BF - I would suspect that most people either are not reading the posts about this or have their toolbar in place and are unwilling to install another one. Is it allowed to send out a more simplified version of your post by email to ask for donations? If all the recently visiting new members realised how dire things are and contributed just £2 each, that would be one heck of a boost to the funds. I think people genuinely have no idea of the costs of hosting and running a site such as this. Would it be a good idea to give an idea so that they can understand? If we lost this site, frankly, one heck of a load of consumers would be stuffed - permanently - as there is nothing quite like it for help and support and it's not something that can be replaced at the drop of a hat. Maybe you need a fund raising forum or group of members? Get some brainstorming on the go?

Well, now the dust has settled, this would be an excellent time to start writing to MPs about the changes to the banking system to include forcing the banks to drop their charges to a much more reasonable level, have much clearer information on how they work and on consumer rights, to have to work with people in hardship and not just shove their accounts around to DCAs, and to have a much more strident accountable body to oversee the complaints. If everyone sits back and waits for the next person to do something, nothing will be done. If even a few of the members of the CAG kicked the ball off by writing to their MPs then hundreds of letters/ emails could go out within days, or even hours! The banks are going to be edgy - they do not want to be interfered with as per the manifesto proposals - so now is a very good time to pile on the pressure for positive change for the 'basic' consumer.

I'd also say that given they took a 'few weeks' to change their mind again and say it was owed, you could show that they were seriously at fault for not checking to make sure when confirming the amount did not have to be repaid, or for getting in touch very soon after. Also, they should have sent a detailed explanation to show why there had been an overpayment in the first place - not to just send a photocopy of the last letter. This gives the impression that their overpayment claim may be wrong again anyway as they have failed to provide proof. However, as they didn't do any of this in a timely manner from the start, and then confirmed they'd made an error and left it at that for some time, I'd say you have a good case, but don't expect the people at the other end to understand any of it. You may be in for a long, drawn-out correspondence.

Well - two down - how many to go? ShareCast - News you can use The FSA declined to divulge the identity of the five banks it has reprimanded but a spokesman for HSBC has gone on record to “categorically confirm that it is not one of the five banks being investigated by the FSA." Industry sources indicate that Spanish banking group Santander, which recently rebranded its Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley branches under the parent company banner, was also not one of the five banks upbraided by the FSA. Please, PLEASE let Barstadlays be one of them!!!

Cauli - how did you get on with this? Did you get what you wanted?

paeschendale - I'm sorry I have no idea, but just to say have you posted this in the Debt section where there's a forum for Bankruptcy and more people hanging around there who may be able to help? http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/#black-consumer-forums-center

And then there's this: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general/125636-36-offers-implications-tactics-3.html

GIYF I can't get this to load, but it may have the answer: Part 36 offer - Legal seagulls Consumer Forum

I think they'd say that they would have realised it eventually and that the recipient had a duty not to spend it at least. You might need to be careful about suggesting a kind of 'pay me to keep me schtumm' offer as it does have a twang of coercion about it. However, you could drop them a very large hint along the lines that you would hope they'd consider a goodwill gesture for saving them time and expense (isn't it something like £35 per 5 seconds??? /sarcasm) much later down the line?

I'm not sure about the legalities, but personally I'd recommend that your wife gets another personal bank account anyway, purely in the interest of keeping some things separate/ different eggs in different baskets. You might also want to consider having another personal bank account too, one that you use perhaps for a few things, pay some money into it for a few bills, and where you can stash payments if things start to get iffy with the business account.

You may be out of luck on this one unless you can kick up a controlled stink at the local branch and get them sufficiently embarrassed enough to repay it. Are you still in your debt management programme - could they help at all since NatWest have in a way broken the agreed terms of that programme.

No idea, but it sounds like you can but give it a go. Can you/ your wife show adequate grounds for not paying back the alleged overpayment and that it has been spent in good faith on items that are within her 'normal' lifestyle?

Also, does she have any insurance cover of her own which includes a legal helpline? If so, she should get onto them for assistance. She could also try Help the Aged/ Age Concern and CAB.

If she has already been to a solicitor, did he give her any other advice on how to ensure she gets the pension company to pay up? Was he living in rented accommodation or did he own the property? If the latter, did he leave the property to her or die intestate?