I would welcome some advice on dealing with a Claimform I have received through the post, which was issued on 1 Feb 2017. I intend to defend the claim but need advice on what I need to send back in the first instance and going forward how to prepare the defence. The debt is with Co-operative Energy for Gas/Electricity supply and goes back to 2015. We set up an account in Dec 2014/Jan 2015 and initially had no problems. We set up the direct debit for payments and assumed everything was ok. However, in September 2015 we received correspondence claiming the account was in arrears due to non-payment to the tune of £949.00. I queried this directly with them as we had a direct debit in place and they should have been collecting payment automatically. I also queried why they elected to not contact me for nine months before demanding payment. They wanted to recover the whole amount and were unwilling to allow us to spread the debt over a number of coming months to ease the burden. They eventually agreed to send us further documents to initiate a new direct debit to clear the debt which was again put in place. We moved house in Jan 2016 but stayed with the same provider. Things went quiet and we didn't hear anything until we received correspondence from a debt collector (UK Search Ltd) around 3 August 2016 chasing payment. This was not even sent to us at the new address but sent to my sister-in-law who was listed as an alternative contact address by our previous landlord. The amount had inexplicably jumped to £1,412.49. I contacted UK Search Ltd to ask why the debt was higher and requested a breakdown of where this amount had come from. I also requested to be contacted direct rather than chasing me at my sister-in-law's address. This took some time for them to implement. They went away to get the amount clarified from Co-Op. After a couple of weeks, I received a very brief statement of the outstanding amount. I contacted UK Search Ltd and said it was insufficient as it did not clarify why there was an additional £500 on the debt or where it had come from. They simply said that was the information that Co-Op provided and I had to pay it. I refused to pay money beyond what I actually owed (£949). I then received another letter saying they would offer me to pay £775 to clear the debt if paid by 5 Oct. I tried to raise the funds as this seemed a good offer but was unable to raise the money in the three week period they specified. They have emailed a couple of times and leave phone messages for me to contact them every day to which I have not responded. On February 4 I received a Claim Form dated 1 Feb 2017. Please can you advise my next steps as I need to dispute the amount. The amount claimed has risen again to £1,530.13 and with court fees and legal representatives cost now stands at £1,715.13. I would be grateful for assistance as I intend to acknowledge service but want to defend it and require and help on my next steps please. Thank you in advance.

On 4th February I sent the Co-operative Bank a SAR. The first letter they sent was asking for more information. Following my reply they today sent another letter stating that they sold the debt to Fredrickson International so they are now the data holders and not the data controllers and do not have to send me the information that they hold on me. They also kept the £10.00 fee. Can anyone advise if this is correct please? Thank you.

Thousands of Co-op customers who used their cards in the retailer's stores on Tuesday may have been charged twice, the chain has said. A Co-operative spokesman said a "processing error" had affected its food stores and petrol stations. Those affected will have their money returned directly to their accounts within the next 24 hours, he said. The Co-op has apologised and promised to reimburse people who have incurred charges as a result of the error. Not everyone shopping on Tuesday with Co-op will have been affected and customers who used their credit or debit cards have been advised to check their statements. The Co-operative spokesman said he was unable to say exactly how many people were affected. The retailer has 2,800 food stores and 200 petrol stations across the UK. Its customer careline number is 0800 068 6727. So check those statements when you receive them

Hello forum members, I am new to the forum, just want some advice and tips regarding fraud that took place on my cooperative bank account. Some how my cooperative bank account online banking details got compromised, don't know how and when it got compromised left me clueless, as I hardly use my cooperative account as its only for savings. On February 2014 some one managed to get access to my cooperative account online banking, and cleared my account out totaling off £20,000. I work 6 days a week busy with work life as I don't check my account on regular basis, a week after my account was cleared out I received letter from Co op Bank saying I have insufficient funds in my account for online transfer that was requested. After that I was confused thinking what on earth is going on, I tried to log on to my cooperative online banking it did not allow me to log on saying online suspended, I managed to contact the bank saying what is going on I have received letters saying I have insufficient funds on my account for a online payment. The adviser on the phone read out 5 unauthorized transaction online transfer paid out totaling of £20,000. I was left shocked and terrified, the adviser told me someone would call me back within 48 hours regarding the unauthorized transactions. I did receive a call from the security department saying I would need to provide them with crime reference number in order for them to investigate the matter and take it further. After that have I reported it to actionfraud and managed to get crime reference number, and gave it to the bank I called up the bank after few days for an update they told me my case has been passed on to someone on actionfraud which they will contact me within week. Week passes by I call the bank again trying to find out what is going on they don't give me much info and tell me its not in their hand no more police actionfraud is dealing with it. I have contacted the Financial Ombudsman service regarding this they have raised an complaint to the customer relation department regarding the matter, I then receive a letter from the customer relations complaints saying "Thank you for your complaint which was received, your concerns will be investigated by a case handler in this department and the outcome will be sent to you in writing" I wait another 2 weeks I call the bank again for an update, still the same thing its not in our hands no more police actionfraud is dealing with it, I get so frustrated and angry I started to yell at the adviser on the phone. I wait another 2 weeks receive letter from the customer relations complaints department saying "Further to our earlier letter acknowledging your complaint, I am writing to let you know that we are unfortunately not in a position to provide you with response to the matters you have raised. We will be in a position to reply fully to your complaint shortly. We will contact you again as soon as possible and in any event within the next four weeks. This has got me even more angry and frustrated by the bank leaving me clueless. Its been over 2 months now still on going, I feel as if nothing is being done about it. Anyone can advice me here will be grateful, I am disgusted by the behavior of the bank. Thank you.

Dear All. I hope someone can advise and help , I've had a credit card with the Co-operative a Platinum credit card fixed for 5 years at 9.9% no problem there. Then at end of term reverted to 12.9% fine now a few months later its going up to 14.9% as I hope some of you will understand I questioned this and phoned them asking why the so recent increase. The chap said Mmm well its because its automated I said well why , he went of to speak to a manager he came back saying its to do with your spending pattern and possibly credit reference. I've been with them 20 years or so have other credit cards and recently Barclaycard have increased my credit limit by £1000 pound , I always pay on time pay more than the minimum, I haven't changed my spending pattern never been late or missed any payments. So I said why the increase he couldn't really answer I had a balance of £300 on card paid £150 today . I feel very badly let down by them they had no real answer and its only Coop that have ever increased there APR of coarse im not happy in sure they can surely use there customer loyalty department and lower my APR but no real answer . I have written to complain but im wondering if im within my rights to have a explanation why because they can't really tell me apart from making more money from me. I've been a loyal customer of there's for over 20 years to be treated as such , when I paid in full on time everytime my APR remained the same I find this very hurtful and totally without justification in my eyes . I said to the guy look at my account never late or missed any payments you couldn't wish for a better customer but he just said im sorry I don't know what to say . I know lower the APR because it can be done because a company many years ago did when I said id close my account , ANY POINTERS ID BE GRATEFUL . Like I've said I've written a letter stating why have they done this and to look at my account over the 20 years never to default and threatened to rightfully leave if nothing is done to address my concerns . Sorry if this sounds petty but this is the only company who have acted in such a unreasonable manner with no real answer or concern about customer relationship. What's there saying good with money mmmm yes mine they take . Any info id be grateful. Many thanks Pete.

I am trying to SAR Verso with whom i had a mortgage back in 2000 but they don't exist anymore and I have reasons to believe that the co-operative bank might be dealing with their claims, simply because in the leaflets that i still have from them(verso), in the bottom it says "Part of the britannia group of companies". And since Britannia now belongs to Co-operative banks ....bingo! ...But i might be wrong. Does anybody know?, is it too far back to obtain any documents ? My story is such... : In Aug 2000 I remortgaged my house with Verso via a broker called Morgan Nevill Limited. The broker bullied me to purchase a premium life insurance from Scottish Provident, telling me that the deal cannot go through without it. I realize now , by reading carefully the paper work that it was a lie , that they ( Verso, Morgan Nevill, Scottish provident ) where in it together. I was paying a monthly premium of £53.77 directly to scottish provident for 3 years, while the broker received a £952.77 commission plus £16.08 every month. As well as of course a commission from Verso and me, for arranging the mortgage. ... I think I paid the broker in excess of £4000, but I can't remember exactly. They(the broker) must have received the same from verso. In one of the letters from Morgan Nevill it says :"My firm may receive fees from lenders with whom we place mortgages. Where this occurs we will tell you the amount" ... .Of course they never told me My question is ,if anybody can help me Can i claim the PPI back from Scottish Provident, Morgan Nevill or Verso, if i can prove that there was mis-selling, mis-practice and conflict of interest? Thank you for reading. My story doesn't end here .. .To be continued...

The Co-operative Bank are marching me to the top of the hill and down again like the Grand Old Duke of York! Prior to learning the error of my ways (from this site!) I wrote to them in April asking if I had been charged PPI on a credit card. I quoted the card's 16 digit credit card number in full. I received a reply from them at the end of May which contained the following comments: Having reviewed our records, and from the information provided by you, I have been unable to trace any credit cards in your name that included PPI. I have enclosed copies of statements as evidence of this. Although we are only obliged to keep records for six years our statement records actually go back to January 2000.With this in mind we are unable to pursue your complaint further and accordingly we have closed your complaint on our records. If however you can provide us with copies of any statements from prior to 2000 which show that PPI was included or any other documentary evidence to support your complaint we will be happy to investigate this matter further. Etc. Etc. Etc. With this letter they enclosed barely legible photocopies of 5 statements from the period 2000 - 2004. Having subsequently read up on this site I sent them a SAR and £10.00 postal order on 1 June. I have received their response, by letter today. The have returned my £10.00 postal order and state: Regarding correspondence received 8 June I am writing to advise that we are unable to locate any accounts, loans or credit cards for the customer on file. Please can you provide the full 16 digit credit card number, or sort code and account number, the dates the account was opened/closed if known and any previous addresses held. Please also enclose details of any name changes. I'm getting the runaround here. How do I respond please? They have got records, back to 2000 and they have confirmed that in writing. How do I stand on the 40 days with the SAR? Do I send the postal order back when I respond? How many deep breaths should I take before I respond? All advice gratefully received. Thanks.