Oops, we're having some problems My main concern is if they post a default on the credit files when clearly it will be false information. I am sure the notice is unenforceable. 1) It should state the whole amount outstanding not just the default charge. 2) There should be a date by which you can pay the outstanding therefore cancelling the action. I'm not 100% sure but hopefully someone in the know will enlighten us. I've just sent off an email. I know that writing is best but if you need to speak to Wonga 02071388331 I will update if I get reply.

Same happenned to my gf. I have emails as well. Both dated 31st Oct stating that they are having problems with their system then one saying thank you for payment. Payment was due on 1st November like both of yours but gf paid a day early. So seems to be for payments due on 1st Nov 2012. No doubt I am drawing up a very polite email to them. What I am trying to find out is. 1) Can a default notice be issued after just 1 day? (I assumed it was after 3 months) 2) Can a default notice be issued via email or does it have to be in paper form?

That's exactly it Debt Star. 1) If someone didn't pay a thing they get a default on their file 6 years later it drops off (whether it is paid off or not). Even if a reduced payment plan is subsequently agreed. 2) If someone couldn't pay the normal repayments and agreed a reduced payment plan as soon as they realize that they can't pay then the file is marked as AP the entries remain on file for 6 years AFTER being paid off. You would think that the person doing option 2 is doing the responsible and fair thing by approaching the company as soon as they experience problems in paying but not so. If it took that person 5 years to pay it off then the AP markers remain on the Credit file for 11 years (5 years to settle plus 6 years after). Yet if the person who doesn't pay a thing and receives a default, then maybe (or even maybe not) agrees to pay at a reduced rate and takes the same 5 years to pay it off. That default will drop off after 6 years from the default date not after the settlement date a whole 5 years less than above. I just feel that this is unfair and unjust and something needs to change and IMHO an AP is just as bad as a default especially these days with nobody offering credit for the slightest bad mark. As mentioned above : So the option is pay nothing then default and have a clean file in 6 years, or own up agree a repayment and have a clean file in (number of years taken to settle) PLUS 6 years. Just plain wrong hey?

Yes I agree that about a complaint. All in all the whole AP situation puts people in a worse situation than anybody who defaults. An AP whichever way you look at it is a negative mark telling creditors that you can't keep up with contractual payments, just like a default yet the default drops of your Credit file sooner. Default 6 years from default date. AP marker 6 years from time settled/cleared. There is a flaw to this and should not be allowed. I haven't checked my Experian file for a while so can't tell you what my report states.

Hi Debt Star and all Interesting stuff here With Equifax I am seeing my AP markers drop off 1 by 1 which is good. I am confused with Experian I understood that they would leave your last payment status on file then after 6 years from being settled/closed would automatically be removed. Only what I thought if not then it's a disgrace. Old CRA files or default notice anything will do. If you defaulted and then subsequently cleared the debt the default remains on file for 6 years then should be automatically removed. The company cannot simply change from Default to AP at will, this is plain wrong.

Hi Debt Star You are right on one thing this AP seems a disgrace. What I did with Barclaycard was when I knew I was paying the correct contracted monthly amount I requested to go back to a normal plan. What this meant was that the AP remained on my file but every month I make a normal payment a normal uptodate mark is put on my file. I am making the minimum payment so what happens after a while is that the AP's will fall off because the CRA's show the most recent activity I think it's 3 years with Equifax and 2/4 years with Experian and Call Credit. If I were to settle my account however it will be closed down and all my markers on there at the time will remain for 6 years. I don't know if I did the right thing or not but at least I know in around 3 years time there will be now more AP markers. You mention that the 2 AP markers were put on around 2 years ago. If this is the case and you have been making normal payments then these AP's will fall off in 2 years max providing the account is still active. If it is already closed then I'm afraid it will stay for 6 years from closure. Again it is wrong that someone who makes an attempt to pay what he/she owes seems to end up worse off than someone who makes no attempt to pay at all, waits for a default to be issued then pays off what he/she owes after say 5 years only has to wait a further year for the default to drop off hence no bad marks. hope this helps you and let me know what happens. I hope this helps

I agree with Craigers. Cahoot accepted your DMP so obviously you had come to an agreement with them and if you had stuck to that agreement then they shouldn't have defaulted you so close to settling . Whether they are allowed to or not I don't know but it is certainly seems wrong. Did they send you official "notice of Default"?. Regarding MBNA and "Arrangement to pay" I think it is a disgrace even though as I posted in post 6. Were you ever back up to date with your payments whilst they had you on AP during your 4 years? If so the information could maybe be challenged as incorrect. I have to admit I haven't ventured on this thread for a while now. I may be a little rusty so take my advice with a pinch of salt. I wish you luck. Please stay on my thread it is related and I would like to see what your outcome is.

Thanks for the reply Buzby. I can't see anywhere in the T's & C's about not giving refunds. Do you know or does anyone know how to start the EU route and is it the same procedure as the small claims here as in will I still need a registered address?

I have been in contact with Consumer Direct. I mentioned that I have used nothing in call costs for the past 1-2 years and have no intention to (free calls via my mobile). I was advised that it would be fair to expect a refund. If I was to close my account with 18185 would I be entitled to a refund of monies owed or would this make matters worse? I have sent a "letter before action" but this seems a waste because I have requested a postal address to which no reply has been received. This company works under the Law of Engalnd and Wales but have no complaints procedure which seems wrong. Would I be wasting my if I was to take it to the small claims court with just the bank account details (English bank) that the money was sent to and the corrospondence with 18185 and their terms and conditions? I am thinking that maybe just maybe the court could give some sort of order for me to get the money from that bank account via one of their branches? Sorry if it seems far fetched but this company is now infuriating me.

Hi I have copied some items from the terms and conditions on http://www.18185.co.uk. Does this mean that English law applies?

Hi everyone. I hope someone can advise me. I had a bill from http://www.18185.co.uk for just £2.51 which is from 2 years ago. My account was suspended until I paid it. I don't use the service anymore so my intentions was to clear this then close the account down. Unfortunately I paid via online banking and I paid £35 which is a massive £32.49 too much. I phoned my bank (Barclays) straight away to stop the payment but because it had already reached the destination bank account they were unable to which I believe is correct what with this faster payment system. I contacted 18185 via email (no phone contact) to ask for the difference back but they informed me that the credit will be applied to my account and that they don't issue refunds. I really need that money to pay other bills. What are my legal rights? I believe they are not trading in the UK but in Switzerland

Thank You Master Woody. I agree with you. It does seem wrong though that in hindsight we would have been better off defaulting way back. I would have had no interest to pay and I would have paid Barclaycard off within the next couple of months and the default would have been removed later this year or earlier next. It seems bang out of order that we seem to be worse off simply by attempting to be responsible and come to a payment arrangement. Something which should be looked into.

Hi Dundeelaw I haven't checked here for some time hence I have only just read your post which is very informative thank you. Unfortunately I have already taken a path. I have come off the Arrangement to pay and have started to pay the minmum payment as per statement. I have also come off of CCCS because I wouldn't of been allowed to do this otherwise and it is now the last creditor of 10. I owed in total about £34k to all 10 creditors but now it is just £800 to Barclaycard. All the other creditors had defaulted me around 5 years ago so next year the defaults will be gone from my credit file. I done this because (I assume) although after an arrangement to pay will be marked as settled when it is paid off my previous month's entries will still continue to show AP until 6 years have elapsed. If I do it the way way I am now for about 2 or 3 years until it is paid off then close the account I've been informed by Barclaycard that it will be closed once all payments have been made. My previous month's entries will show as payments were made on time. Although I am not able to get a credit card for this account I have been informed that my credit limit will show £4000 on my credit file. This to any lender will show as a normal account with normal payments on time. One hitch though is that Call Credit show 6 years worth of monthly payments. The alternative would be to pay it all off as quickly as possible and wait for 6 years to elapse. The thing about my arrangement to pay is that after the initial payments which were less than the contracted minimum payments I was ending up for quite a while paying a lot more than I should of? I was paying over £100 pound a month via CCCS but my contracted minmum payment should have been less than £50 (now £20) so why the heck did they have me on this arrangement to pay during that time? I would really appreciate any comments/advise because all the above are only assumptions.

Hi all I have noticed a few threads now regarding this confusing Arrangement to pay so thought I would open this thread again in the hope that someone can advise me as to the best course of action. I am now about 5 months from paying my Barclaycard off now - still under an arrangement (for past 4-5 years) to pay via CCCS. They are however charging 12% interest which is annoying. I have been reading on other threads along the lines of if I come of the arrangement to pay and keep the account active that the AP markers on my credit file will drop off and within about 3 years they will all be gone. 1) Could I still make payments via CCCS as long as it meets the minimum payment? 2) Will Barclaycard actually allow me to keep the account active ie if I start making normal payments is the account actually still open thus me getting a credit card with a limit of the current balance owed? (sounds a bit silly I know) 3) I did something similar with Argos and after a pleading letter was given an Argos card with £100 credit limit just after I made my final payment. I would appreciate any advise/fdeedback regaing my previous posts. Additionally Barclaycard have been fluctuating the interest on my Arrangement to pay with no letters/notices just a statement showing that months interest. Could this have a bearing on this situation?

Hi all I wonder if you would be so kind as to sign this petition Petition to: Ban gaming machines in betting offices. | Number10.gov.uk. The gaming machines in betting shops are nothing but a money making machine for betting shops. They are in my observation highly addictive and I often see people shouting and swearing at, even punching the machines after they have spent all their hard earned cash. These machines have been labelled "The crack cocaine of gambling". People who gamble on these machines seem to have no control once on there and they find it almost impossible to get away from them until their money has gone. My partner is one of these people and it is putting a massive strain on our relationship. I see that the people on these machines seem to be getting younger and younger. This could have disastrous effects in the future regarding relationships and crime to feed this addiction and even worse. The problem with gambling is that it is a silent addiction with no physical indications like certain other addictions and no one would really know unless the addict speaks out or until it is too late. Because of this people don't appreciate that it is actually an addiction like any other. I feel that the Government has a duty to protect the interests of the general public. I know that horse racing etc will not be banned but these machine may well cause massive problems for the future. If you agree please please sign my petition and perhaps pass this on to others. many thank Graham

It is frustrating because if it was on the highway then I half know the rules but being off road makes it confusing.

I know who it is. It is basically their own housing department with a fancy name so the council can try and pass the buck and relinquish responsibility.

I wonder if it is worth reading my mate's new tennancy agreement to see if anything is in there about parking?.

This area in question is not even part of a CPZ!

What I will get is a council abiding by the rules and not exploiting residents/visitors alike by towing away unsuspecting driver's vehicles if they are wrong they must be stopped. I am with you hence my mate is a new resident there and was never consulted. I have never done a FOI (freedom of information) request before and wouldn't know where to start and what it will show.

Hi all I have been in contact with the local council. The housing estates are managed by an arm of the council. Anyway here are some of the emails I was sent an email by the highways department stating that it is not their responsibility because it is not on the highway (makes sense) and that they are forwarding the email to the relevant housing department who manage the estate. The questions here are: 1) Is the Customer service manager right that they don't have to abide by any parking regulatios? 2) If the council estate is private land should it not state at the entrance that it is private? (there is a board at the entrance stating the name of the estate and a diagram but no words relating to it being private) As mentioned previously the only notices relating to parking include the following "Towing Zone warning vehicles causing an obstruction or parked in a residents bay without dispalying a valid permit release fee £125" in the area 30 or so bays that I am concerned about there is no signage at all apart from on the other side of the road where there are garages. I would appreciate some advice/suggestion on this as to what I should do next. mahharg

Thanks for quick reply G & M. There is a parking permit scheme within the estate but I assume that is in the part of the estate where the controlled parking zone is. Nowhere in the area I am referring to are there any signs that state that parking is for residents/permit holders only or words to that effect. The tow away zone sign does state that vehicles will be towed if among other reasons they are parked in residents bays but it doesn't state what is or is not a residents bay.

Hi all I am hoping that someone can advise me on an issue that is driving me crazy. I have looked everywhere for an answer to no avail. A friend of mine has moved to a council flat on a housing estate and I have visited and parked in one of the many parking spaces (the type where you park with the front or rear of the car facing the wall). these spaces are seperated by single white lines with no other markings. My question is can I park in one of these bays for free? Details of the area I have double checked and have both physically and on the council website and can confirm that this part of the estate seems to be the only one within the borough not within a controlled zone, there are some parts that are within a controlled zone (different entrance). Perhaps because it's bang on the boundary with another borough. As I drive into the estate there is the usual signpost with a diagram of the estate showing where the blocks are situated and nothing else, however further in there is one of a few signs some are faded all are high on a wall and one in particular is obscured by a tree. stating that this is a tow away zone and that any vehicle blocking an obstruction or parked in a resident bay will be towed away with costs and contact details included. The bays that I have mentioned above have nothing to indicate that it is a residents bay and there are always plenty of spaces. Within the estate there are garages with large "no parking" road markings on the floor in front of them. There are also double yellow lines along certain parts of the estate (nowhere near the bays in question). There are also a few bays with "visitor max 4hrs" marked on the floor in front of the bay. which always seem to full with residents. I think that I would be allowed to park there but am worried because a tow truck seems to visit the area on a regular basis. I did actually ask the driver of the tow truck but his english wasn't that good and couldn't get a proper answer. I am under the impression that councils can implement their own rules in estates but not sure. Any advice on this matter will be really appreciated. Many thanks

So that's it yes I am not the best legal eagal by far but now we are down to a case of keeping the judge happy to get my result. I will at this time leave it as it is and UK26 am following your progress thanks to the Sparks!!! along with others of course., Good Luck

Sorry to hear about your seemingly unwanted redundancy. Perhaps the following link might help Redundancy The ONLY plus point of compulsory redundancy that I know is that you can claim jobseekers allowance or Income Support straight away if needed - not much to cheer about I know. When I was made redundant I do seem to remember that I was allowed to go to study courses/search for other work during my notice period. Hope the link helps. Just found this from above link: Might be helpful although not many jobs out there at moment. I think everyone is aware. Good luck!