Hi there, I realize there are a lot of threads regarding cancelling gym memberships to Xercise4Less floating around on these forums, but I am not looking to cancel my membership, rather, I'm trying to find out if there is any point in me challenging a bounced payment. I have been out of the country since today (7th), and received an email dated from the 6th, saying a payment was bounced due to there being insufficient funds in the account. Now I'm being charged a £25 administration fee, which seems absolutely ridiculous. Should I chalk this down as me being stupid or can I challenge it? I'm out of the country again on Sunday for 14 days, which is past their September 16th date where they want to charge me. Kind regards, Andreas

Hi, Walked out this morning at around 7:30am to get to work and found my car had been clamped with a no-tax sticker on the windscreen. Through ringing the payment line, dvla and enforcement agency (NSL), it has been clamped due to showing on the system as not being taxed since 10/01/2015. I live on a high street, the car was parked in a marked residential bay on the street with a valid residents permit. I know for a fact it has been taxed throughout this year. Anyway, much confusion later, I see my neighbour and tell him what happened and he says he had a letter in my name come through. I live in a flat within a house number (ie XXXa, there is also XXXb etc) and sometimes our letters get mixed up. The letter is dated June 18 and says the direct debit has failed on my car and the tax is now due. It is in my name and has the reg of my car. I phoned the DVLA and explained that the letter had not been recieved, I have now paid tax which has backdated to the first of this month and that had I recieved the letter, the issue would not have occured. My address is listed correctly on my V5 and licence. I have been told the £100 release fee cannot be waived and I will have to pay it; I'm not in a position to do so, I will have to borrow money to get the car released before it is impounded. I have contacted my MP's office as I have ascertained there is no way to lodge a complaint against the DVLA in any meaningful or productive way without going through an MP. What do you think of my situation? Will I have to lump it and lose the £100? Is there a chance of me getting it back? I understand my situation is made difficult by the fact that the letter was *sent*, and the car was not taxed or SORN at the time of enforcement. Thank you

Hello all from this forum, Lets start back from 2012, on september 2012 I was going to complete 14 year living in this country and for the ones who think I am another foreigner trying to reach the easy life, i can assure you that I have done more to the english elderly than a lot who has bourned here and I am very well documented about that. but the matter is not that yet. Two months before I completed the 14 years life in the UK which would give me the right to apply to the ''leave to remain'' the prime minister, Mr Cameron changed the rules of 14 year to twenty two years, but gave the right for the ones close to complete the 14 years, we need to prove our good character and that we lived in this country 14 years or ''close'' uninterrupted and also be able to pass from the test life in the UK which I done, so with all my homework done and a dossier made by myself explain everything I had done in this country during these 14 years and with all photos you can imagine sustaining my claim, it was a matter of time as it couldn't be any better application as far the home office were concerned, so got all together with the solicitor application and I issued two cheques, one of four hundred something for the solicitors fee and another of nine hundred something for the home office fee, my account had all the funds in it just waiting to the cheques to be presented and one day before the closure for the applications to the home office, I had mine sent by my solicitor. After one month got a letter from the home office confirming the receipt of my application and that I should keep waiting until their decision, by this time I had all the monies laying on my account ready to cover the cheques I issued, and then first come the four hundred something cheque cleared without any problem whatsoever and strangely the home office cheque was taking too long to be presented until after a month I got the letter from Barclays stating they had refused to pay my cheque to protect my money as I didn't have a mandatory signature and making things worst the letter from the home office saying that my cheque bounced and my application was not considerate, it was like the impossible happened, i couldn't breath, I couldn't react to that news and after proving the solicitor it was not my fault we agreed to sent the home office another cheque with a explanatory letter from barclays proving i had enough funds on my account and after a couple of months I had my entire application sent back to the solicitor office still saying that my application it was refused because my cheque bounced and that was their final decision and since then my live become a hell, after spending so much with solicitor and having to move due to the home office threat of deportation and many other events related drove me and my partner to contemplate suicide every single day until now, we are suffering from a very bad depression which make us fell really numb for anything and wanting to die, everyday I think about taking my life, it is so bad that I got phobia to answer and make phone calls and also having depraved sleep. So if anyone could help me with some advice I would really appreciate and please believe me, if I had done nothing for this country I would really leave without a question, but apart of learning to love this country I gave my bit for some guys life which really made a difference on their lives and would again and again if needed. Thank you all SM

Anyone have experience in litigating against their bank for reputational damage over an incorrectly bounced cheque? Brief story. I issued a cheque for £20k as a deposit for a property bought under auction terms and conditions. Cheque seemed to clear my account but then was returned. More than sufficient funds in the account. Bank said that they didn't have an up to date cheque mandate for the account despite the fact that I submitted them for both my personal and business accounts. Bank made no effort to contact me by phone to confirm whether I had issued the cheque. I submitted a complaint on the day this happened (30 August) and sent two follow up reminders but so far I've had no acknowledgement, let alone an apology. The bank weren't to know this but bouncing a cheque for a property purchase under auction terms and conditions is a breach of contract with potentially dire consequences. In the event I sorted this out but it has damaged my reputation. I have told the bank that I want a clear apology that I can show to the auctioneer and a sizable charitable donation in compensation. However, given that don't seem to give a damn about the matter and that I seem likely to have to either go to the Ombudsman or litigate, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the way forward and specifically whether the legal option is worth considering.

HSBC is to abolish what it said was its "most complained about" banking fee – the £25 charge it makes for bouncing a direct debit or cheque. The change, which will also apply to customers of its First Direct subsidiary, comes into force on 24 November and will affect nine million account holders. A £25 fee will still be applied if HSBC agrees to pay a bill, such as a direct debit to the gas or electricity company, that takes the customer beyond their agreed overdraft limit; the fee that is being axed is the £25 for returning an item such as a direct debit or cheque unpaid. More ...

hello, first time here so I hope this is the right place for this enquiry. I have been paid for goods and services by cheque which has subsequently bounced .This was a regular client who had in the past paid in cash.They have left the area and paid their last bill with this cheque(should have smelled a rat !) which I suspect now may be from a closed account. What should be my next move ,the amount is over £500.? thanks for any and all advice

I'm a vicar of a small rural church which has an account with Santander (previously A+L, Previously Girobank) for our 'Restorationn Fund". In April I received a letter that said that unless we used the account it would be classed as DORMANT. (Its got about 5K in it) I telephoned them and told them not to make it dormant as we need to use it from time to time when we have work to do on the church. The person on the phone said she would email the team dealing with it to tell them this. (This was noted on the file). I heard nothing more so assumed that this was done. At the beginning of this month I issued two cheques for around £600 and £700 which we returned with the big stamp "PAYMENT STOPPED". The inference from this, was that I stopped it. When I telephoned again, they told me that the account was dormant and that I had to apply for it to be made LIVE (which I've done) I believe that bouncing someones cheque, especially when there are funds available could lead to an action for damages to our reputation, stress etc etc. It's particularly bad in that I STILL have had no letter saying that they had bounced the cheque nor did I get a telephone call to ask why a dormant account had become live - which I consider negligent. Obviously our reputation is important because churches are other charities are expected to have the highest levels of probity, How can I start an action for damages? Are there any standard bits of forms, paperwork etc that someone can point me towards? Thanks for your help

Hi, I'm hoping someone may be able to help. My husband cashed a wages cheque in April from his employer (a self employed builder) He no longer works for him. Last week we received a court money claim online thing requesting the amount to be repaid as the cheque has bounced. This was the first we new of it. We have since found out that his previous employer is now in prison so we have no way of getting the money back from him. Is this just something we are going to have to suffer and pay? I'm fuming as we dont have a spare £920 my husband signed an agreement with the cheque cashing place and in it it states that they can come to him for the money if it doesn't clear. any advice would be much appreciated.

OK, my insurance company or at least the comany they use for collecting payments (premium credit) have a policy where if they try and take payment and they can't do it they charge a penalty of 20 quid. I suspect mine may have bounced, I will find out tomorrow. Are companys allowed to charge extra? It doesn't sit right in my mind. Lloyds won't charge me, so why should they!