Had 250ltr of our hot water tank leak through the ceiling recently. There was a little damage there before (shower leaked a few years ago) but it was too much hassle to fix. Now the damage is much much worse. The insurance are paying for the flooring but are refusing to pay for the ceiling saying I've not experienced any financial loss because it was damaged already? Is this normal? Surely its like saying you can't have a new carpet if its wrecked because there was a fag burn on one corner?

Hello All, I would dearly like some advice, if youcan provide. I got into significant debt (132K) with 29creditors. This was due to my ownstupidity thinking I was managing my debts. In the end, I was taking out cash on credit cards to pay monthly minimums! How stupid can you get? I’m sure others have done this too! In mid 2010 I just didn’t have the money to continue to pay. All accounts were defaulted and I utilised the fantastic services of CCCS, now StepChange. They set up a DMP for me which meant I could be debt free by 2021. I have been paying these debts since November 2010 and have been able to increase payments as smaller debts have been paid and my disposable income has increased. I’ve been fortunate never to have missed a payment. Unfortunately, mostly due to the debts my marriage came to an end. This meant we had to sell our house. It did mean some disposable capital was available and this coupled with a loan from my sister meant I was in a position to offer al lcreditors a partial settlement of approximately 60 to 75%. I worked with StepChange to ensure the amounts etc. were correct and decided to send the letters myself to all remaining 22 creditors. From these, some came back and counter offered however in total I have been able to agree with and pay-off 19. Three have declined these all are managed by Moorgate /Idem Servicing. Who was original company: MBNA What type of debt: Credit Card Amount: At default £ 13500, 12400 when transferredto Moorgate in 2012 Now £8900 – I Offered £6000. When account was opened: Originally opened July 2006 Which company owns the debt now: Moorgate Is account defaulted: Nov 2010 Who was original company: MBNA What type of debt: Credit Card Amount: At default £ 1750, £1470 when transferredto Moorgate in 2012 Now £1068 – I Offered £800. When account was opened: Originally opened Jan 2006 Which company owns the debt now: Moorgate Is account defaulted: Nov 2010 Who was original company: Halifax What type of debt: Credit Card Amount: At default £ 1300, £1275 when transferredto Moorgate in 2012 Now £795 – I Offered £600. When account was opened: Originally opened Jan 2006 Which company owns the debt now: Idem Servicing (Moorgate) Is account defaulted: Nov 2010 I have spoken to Moorgate on a number ofoccassions and asked them to re-submit slightly higher offers and each time they have been rejected. Due to divorce, my disposable income will be less and I told them this and that I would be reducing my monthly payment soffer for the largest account from £105pm to £40, at least for the time being. In regards to the larger debt, about £3000of this was in default/late payment/interest charges added after I stoppedpaying, until the DMP had been agreed. I have asked them over the phone to provide a true copy of the CCA and they have said because they weren’t the original lender, they will have to request these and it could take up to a month. They want me to continue with my monthly payments in the meantime. Is there anything I could be doing to tryto persuade them to accept the partial settlements or should I just make thenew reduced payments and accept the situation? One thing to note, Moorgate have been verypolite with me and thus far haven’t been aggressive. Any advice or guidance would be welcome. Thanks you

Guys im trying to negotiate f and f settlements with moorgate, but they just wont play ball. How can i make them accept? Ive explained that our income will drop next month due to maternity leave, but no avail. Im offering 75% of the balances, which i think is really reasonable, and its the best we can do, any suggestions please? Its also really hard to speak to them over the phone, they refuse to discuss settlements over the phone, which makes it so much harder.

If anyone can help with the following it would be most welcome - I have a deadline for this of the 30th September 2014. I will keep it as brief as possible.... I have had two credit cards (HSBC and MBNA) for ~ 7 years. During this time I kept up with monthly repayments of ~ £50 a month. 18 months ago I entered a bout of ill-health which culminated in me having to resign from my job. At this stage both cards were at ~ £2000 each. I went on to benefits which gave me enough to live on but not enough to keep up with the card payments. I informed the providers and they both transferred my accounts to the specialist teams (due to ill health). After 7 months they both informed me that the accounts would soon default. I was informed by one of them that I could make a partial settlement for some of the balance. I researched partial settlements and got the impression that they were a bad idea - that the remainder of the debt was often sold on leading to pursuit from a third party, and that you needed it in writing that it was a "full and final settlement". I made offers of £400 for F&F settlements using a letter template from a debt advice website (my Dad and sister agreed to help me out as much as they could financially because they didn't want DCA's knocking on my door whilst I was suffering with ill-health). The offers were accepted, but both letters state they will be a partial settlement (not F&F). I have rung both companies numerous times requesting it be F&F and they always say that is not possible because the full amount isn't being paid. Today I rang Stepchange, the Financial Ombudsman, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Money Advice Service and read the letters out to them. None could give me much advice except for the FCA who said whilst listening they were looking for the words "cancelled" and "zero balance". I rang HSBC / MBNA asking if I could have letters with those words in but they said they only send out standard letter templates, not tailored letters. The FCA also said to ask what happens to the remaining debt. HSBC said it goes to an internal bad debt department where it sits (for how long??) but that it is no longer associated with your name. MBNA said that it is simply "written off" but didn't say what happens to it. I don't understand; if the debt is written off, why can't I have it in writing that there will be a "zero balance". If the balance isn't zero then doesn't the debt still exist? Here I will give two excerpts from the two letters, the only letters they are willing to send out: HSBC: "Providing funds are received by the above date, your account will be closed and you will be released from all liability in respect of this account preventing further action being taken." MBNA: "After receipt of the required payment, we'll close your account and register a partial settlement with the credit reference agencies". I have also managed to get the following email from MBNA: "What happens when you proceed with a partial settlement? We will: · Register a partial settlement with the credit reference agencies for up to six years, which may affect your ability to obtain credit in the future. · MBNA as well as any other third party will take no further action to recover the remaining balance. · Close your account." To me, it sounds as though the debt really will be written off in both cases, and that there is no chance of me being chased by either company or by a third party. However numerous forum discussions from around the web state that partial settlements are a bad idea, and you don't know whether you will be pursued further down the line. I don't understand why they are so cagey about saying the debt is written off and that there is a zero balance. According to HSBC, the remaining debt still exists but stays internally in the "bad debt" department. HSBC have said categorically on the phone that they rarely sell on such debts - the operative gave me his name, staff number, and call time / date, and said if there was any issue in the future to ask for a recording of the call. Can anyone provide a final answer to me as to whether I should go through with these partial settlements? I want to settle these debts once and for all, but at the same time don't want to be taken for a mug - if they end up chasing the rest, what is the point in paying the £400 in the first place? I fully accept that my credit score will be affected - I know that is unavoidable. However my concern is that the debt still exists, that there is still an outstanding balance - both companies have stated I can call up any time in the next six years and pay the remainder, and restore my credit file accordingly. Surely that means the debt still exists? I am worried that they will somehow find a way of recovering the remainder of the debt. Apologies for the long post - any advice is welcome. Thanks, Charles

Hi, I'm just wondering whether anyone has any experience of court for a personal injury cases. There are two companies/organizations that the claim is against - each denying responsibility and pointing the finger at the other. The accident I had severely exacerbated an existing but well managed condition and a medico-legal expert has found that it brought forward my need for surgery. I know the particulars of the claim have to be with the two organizations within 4 months - but as they both deny liability I am assuming this will go all the way and I don't really know what to expect. Any ideas?

Hi all, I've been reading a ton of info on the web and pieced together some info, but I'm really confused and could do with some help with quite a complex problem. Seen some really aggressive responses on other sites, but hoping you lot can help! I got into financial difficulty about 6 years ago (redundancy, ill health) and immediately tackled the situation head on by going to PayPlan and arranging a DMP which I have been in for the duration. I'm clawing my way back to normality and I'm in a position now where I can start to settle. I've been through my credit report and my first problem is that I'm having real difficulty reconciling the outstanding balances and the DMC's with what's listed on my PayPlan report. Now I'd never really worried about this until recently when I discovered they'd not distributed my payment one month through my creditors and subsequent investigation showed they'd also not distributed the increase in payment from my annual review. I now don't know whether to trust them and whether to start managing this myself. I don't even know where to start. My second issue is with Default notices. I've read lots of conflicting reports on these. Essentially I'd like to work toward cleaning up my file so I'm in a position to get a mortgage. I've been doing this for the last 5/6 years on the understanding that Defaults drop from the credit file 6 years after they are issued. I've read some reports saying that the 6 year clock restarts at the point you settle though - is this true? Also, at the time I got into trouble, I had 6 accounts which I believed all Defaulted at the same time. Checking my file today, it appears 2 have dropped from my file completely, one appears as "Closed" and 2 are still "Open" with balances. Of the 2 "Open" Defaults, one looks likely to drop from the file in June this year (which is fine), but the other, which stupidly is also the smallest amount of all of them doesn't drop until December 2016 as the Default date is listed as December 2010. My question on this is that the account clearly shows I was in serious trouble and making significantly reduced payments for 2 years prior to the default being issued. I don't think I can get the Default removed, but do I have a case for having the Default date moved to the point where I believe I'd actually defaulted on the terms of the agreement? In all of this, I've paid throughout and my intention is to pay all of the money back - unless that's a stupid idea. I didn't even realise you COULD pay a lower amount to DMC's. Apologies in advance for the giant post - I realise a lot of this is covered elsewhere, but I just don't know where to start with it all. JJ

Hi, I'm new to the CAG I'm I am sorting out a similar situation where ocean money have passed a secured loan through to reliance property loans and I want to offer them a lump sum to get rid of the loan. Two questions I'm wondering if the poster had any success with offering them a percentage ? also more generally, whether that approach usually works ? thanks in advance...

Hi, Im considering offering a full and final settlement for two debts I have outstanding. Was just wondering if anyone has had any luck with offering full and final? If so, what percentage/amount did you offer? I havent got access to much so wondered if its worth it or not. Any advice would be gratefully received.

Hi, Due to bad errors in judgement, I have accrued 4 defaults on my credit file which I have recently been made aware of, 3 defaults (700+, 500+ and 500+) are from Lowell dating back to 1/2012 and the other default is with Natwest (11K+), 12/2011. I have come to realise that I am fully liable for these debts and wish only to sort out the issues now rather than later. I see various posts saying to avoid communication with DCAs but if it is my debt, I do not see what other options I have... The natwest default has been passed to moorcroft, who recently sent a letter to my parents address saying they have been asked by Natwest to consider legal action and I can only assume Lowell would have sent the same threatening letters. It is bad enough there are defaults on my credit history, so now I need advice in attempting to negotiate settlements with these companies. I initially drafted up letters to the original credit suppliers but would I be right in assuming they would only redirect me back to the DCAs and would not even accept a final settlement, only the full amounts owed... I am a student with no other income but student loans at the minute and this issue has been affecting me hard the last couple of days. If any template letters to arrange final settlements with the DCAs could be supplied, I would aim to take this action and hopefully rid myself of all the grief they are giving me. If anyone could advice on the defaults on my credit file as well, as they are constantly being updated with the default balance every month and although I can manage it being on file for the next 5 years, would be grateful if there was a way of getting it removed. Please help. Thanks

Further to my other thread regarding my PDL debts, I have had a chat with a family member who would be willing to help me out and give me an interest free loan to clear the companys that I owe money to. What im looking for advice on is getting a full and final settlement for some of these loans, namely the ones I have rolled over in the past. Does anyone have any experience of this?

Hi all, First time poster, long time...non-poster. Very long story made very slightly less long: we've just passed another anniversary for a major but fully covered and accepted home insurance buildings claim (cue champagne with a chaser of salty tears). After a protracted and life leaching dance with the Loss Adjusting firm over issues such as: process (lack of); information (lack of); support (lack of); surveyor (lack...you get the idea) to help get the claim processed, we now finally have an approved Schedule of Works from a personally engaged building contractor and have instruction to commence works. However, due to a myriad of factors and numerous delays from the Loss Adjusting firm the works have yet to get fully underway and the Loss Adjusting firm have suddenly and unexpectedly proposed, formally and via letter, the notion of a cash settlement in order to finalise the claim. This settlement is to be "based" on the overall building reinstatement estimate as agreed by the Loss Adjustor, though is as yet without mention of a specific value or settlement figure and within a context of awaiting further advises from that mysterious and omniscient emerald city dwelling entity - the underwriters A few months prior to this letter a telephone call with the Loss Adjustor resulted in their passing mention of the possibility of a cash settlement 'with indemnity and taking into account deprecation of the property'. There was no mention of any such depreciation in the letter but the verbal mention by the LA has thrown up a host of questions on which I would greatly welcome any input: 1) Does a cash settlement on a claim automatically revert an insurance policy to one of indemnity/old-for-old? 2) Can a cash settlement include VAT? The current Works Schedule has VAT added to the bottom line because naturally the contractor is VAT registered but we are not. 3) If we can't claim VAT through cash settlement, can/should we include VAT on any PC/material sums e.g. a damaged bedroom wardrobe that needs replacing. in the final settlement figure? 4) Does a cash settlement close the door on any further claims being made for additional work discovered during reinstatement i.e. or do we need to factor in a contingency in the final settlement figure? 5) Does a cash settlement close the door on any formal complaints being issued against the Loss Adjustor/Insurer for mismanagement of the claim? 6) If, as I suspect, some of the above can only be answered by the policy documentation, can anyone help decipher the last sentence below, found in the policy booklet under a section about 'Settling Building Claims' regarding the conditions under which the insurers can make a deduction for depreciation of wear and tear: "We Will only make a deduction for depreciation or wear or tear if: - the building have not been maintained in a good state of repair. (NOT APPLICABLE TO OUR SITUATION) - the sum insured is less than the full cost of rebuilding at that time. (NOT APPLICABLE TO OUR SITUATION) In addition at our sole option we may limit payment to the proportional cost of repair and reinstatement following loss or damage by an insured event, that the current sum insured represents compared to the full rebuilding cost of the buildings." (NOT APPLICABLE TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF COMMON MAN?) If you've got this far through the post thanks for your time and any info you can offer will be hugely appreciated.

i need assistance with employment law, and personal injury claims. i would appreciate any advice that fellow CAG's can provided Work Related Breakdown i suffered a work related breakdown a year ago approx, however despite the problems at work i loved the actually job itself and always intended to return to work when i was well enough to do so, however i was pre empted financially and returned October last year and at that point formally started my grievance. like most people i had not idea of how a grievance procedure would work, so it was a massive learning curve. it is so unbelievably stressful and im still not fully well. all of the stresses remain as nothing had changed within the team on my return and my health has again deteriorated. Occ Health have recommended in writing that my place of work is toxic to my full recovery and i should leave. my p/trist is saying the same, as is my counsellor. they have all made clear that outside of that environment my health should improve enough for me to get another job doing the same type of work but with a different organisation! my question is this. is it possible for me to take civil action over and above tribunal action against my employer for the pysiatric injury they have caused me, in addition to which i had lost all my body hair. my head remains bald and i have to wear a wig, my eyebrow are going again, my arm and leg hair have gone, however my pubic hair did grow back a little. i am very grateful that my eyelashes have grown back - but for how long. i have been tested medically, the is no physical reason for the universal hair loss. constructive dismissal i am aware that the issue of constructive dismissal and discrimination can only be held in a Tribunal. but i would want to know how p/injury would work in a civil court, and could this take place more quickly than a Tribunal, and although not the right venue, will the issues of the discrimination, harrassment, bullying and victimisation come out at a civil hearing? i have an outstanding grievance appeal taking place by the end of March, it is likely to be negative, a little more detail first 'last straw' - manager held PPP (nearly 2 years since the previous one) tells me basically im c.... and that my colleagues have all complained about me, and gives examples of complaint. Fair enough. however all of this has come out of nowhere. manager provides no discussion or plan on how to resolve the situation between me and the rest of team, and goes off on 2 weeks holiday. naturally this has a devasting affect on my feeling toward the manager and the rest of the team, i have believed what he is saying. i make complaint to manager on his return and challenge all his accusation and complain that if the situation were true how is it he didnt try to help resolve the situation? i copy in HR. manager writes back taking no responsibility claiming i have misinterpreted and didnt say some of the things. my complaint was comprehensive and i gave back to him all the examples that he had used! a meeting was held. HR had lead me to believe that the meeting was a grievance as laid out in their policy, but it was a mediation meeting whereby the manager states again that i have mis interpreted and that in fact no one had complained about me - he failed to give any further information. he actually stated that i was made for the job. on hearing this however instead of making me feel better it devasted me further. i couldnt understand how he had done this to me in the first place. i had worked so hard and was so proud of the work. i went into freefall. from the time of the meeting with manager to what i thought was a grievance meeting was just over 2 months during which time there was a complete and utter breakdown between me and the rest of the team. i was signed off sick with work sky high blood pressure and related stress which i had desperately been trying to ward off. emloyer contact during sick leave during sick leave, the manager above my manager demanded to to see me, didnt advise that i could be accompanied and during the meeting told me basically that the best thing for me was to get my arse back on my chair and that in their experience involving the medical profession would mean that i would be off work longer! remember this talk at me is whilst i am unwell and vulnerable. end result even more freefall. during my sick leave there were a bombardment of letters from work, which stressed me out further than you can believe i felt hounded. i thought that it would be better to return to work even thougth my GP didnt think i was ready. i thought that it would be best to stop the hounding and make sure their were no more meetings with my managers manager. phased return meeting GP formally recommended this. unfortunately he did not specify a time. managers manager didnt want to follow GP's advice and tried to insist instead that if i felt tied i went home. luckily an HR officer was present and had to remind manager that it was normal in such circumstance and length of time away that a phased return take place. manager reluctantly agreed to 1 week! there was mention of a review, but no details of when the review would take place or who with. naturally 1 week was not enough. situation with team not resolved. i approach HR for help and am basically told to go away. i return to my GP who tries not to give the 'i told you so' and signs me off again. long term sick which brings me back to my return last year. Discrimination bullying and harrassment prior to the first last straw i had been suffering discrimination harrassment and bullying from another member of the team for a couple of year which i didnt handle very well. i absorbed it - but this just caused me to lose my body hair. i genuinely believe that this new member of staff would get used to me being there, also i had hoped that other members of the team would come to my defence when i was under attack from this 'colleague' - but no one did, some of them even joined in. this colleague was good at getting others to express their prejudices and the others knew better. i felt so isolated, ashamed and scared to say anything just in case they thought i was the one with the problem the one with the 'chip' so i said nothing. there was no one or manager that i had any trust or confidence in that i could take this matter to, so i suffered in silence, until the breakdown came. Employers investigate the complainant on making the complaint my employers carried out an investigation - a shock to me, a bigger shock was later learning that they had carried out an investigation on me too. thank God i was good at my job, good things were said about me. so they cant get me on that angle. grievance 1 outcome it transpired that others had complained also about my 'colleague' and my manager showed up themselves good and proper at the hearing. recommendations. words would be had with colleague and manager, but no grounds for discrimination - however.... appeal 'colleague' had actually admitted to what they thought would be a lesser complaint that they thought they could get away with, but this put employers in difficulty and they had to make a statement at the appeal confirming that at least one act of discrimination had taken place. it was agreed (and is on tape) that i was the brunt of this 'colleagues' abusive behaviour promotion of the main perp it was always the intention of my 'colleague' to get me out of the team and take over my Officer status and effect they way up from what they considered to be a lowly administrative position. they have now achieved this. even with the outcome of the grievance they still hold this position. what does this say? Victimisation (final 'last straw') managers manager has not taken too kindly to my complaint and raised awareness of what's going on in one of their departments and has targeted the 'trouble maker' me. a serious incident of victimisation has recently taken place. but i am covered by a 'protected act' and acted immediately. i put in a grievance about the harrassment and bullying by this particular manager. naturally management have stuck together. so i am just about to put in an appeal. Back to the start again this brings me round to where i started. based on the medical recommendation i think i will have to leave my job immediately i am notified of the appeal decision otherwise i will lose any rights i may have to claim constructive dismissal. i am not sure i want to claim this anyway as i would prefer the matter to go to civil court, where i can completely sue the a... off these people for what has happened to me over the past 18 months. my medical state the complete and utter indignity of having to constantly wear a wig and a cheap one at that as i dont have the money to buy a decent one. how further freakish i look without eyebrows. the constant eye infections because of no eyelashes, or where they were just coming loose and falling into my eye - the constant rubbing. im not so distressed about the rest of the body hair - no on sees any of it. im on medication up to my eyeballs. i have a diagnosed prolapsed disc and whilst of sick couldnt even put my knickers on or use the WC without putting a bucket on it first as i couldnt sit. thankfully my mobility is such that i can get around better, but i walk with a limp now, and still prefer to use the disable WC as they are a little higher. the constant pain in my back, shooting pains and numbness in my left leg is sometimes unbearable. also since being back at work apart from the deterioaration again of my mental state i have the additional indignity of repeated boils on my arse - what the hell is that about? i do hope that there is someone prepared and/or managed to read through this and provide advice or answer my query. Thanks

Morning all - Used to be registered, but seems to have forgotten my password, so had to get a new ID! Good new, now debt free, and credit rating has shot through the roof in the last few years, so things are on the up and up thanks to advice given here - without you guys, I would've been pretty desperate! So onto my new enquiry. History Back in 2003, I took at a loan with Welcome Finance for £1000. At the time I was informed that without taking PPI insurance, I would not be able to get the loan. So the dotted lines were signed and payments started. All well and good. In 2004, I was looking for a second loan, while still paying off the first (the start of a dark and slippery slope if anyone is interested...). At the time, Welcome informed me that as I still had an outstanding balance, I would need to use part of the second loan to pay off the first. So instead of coming out with a £1500 which I was looking for, I ended up coming out with a £3500 loan (which included to full amount plus interest of the first loan) and the money for the second. Fast forward a couple of years, and financial difficulties payments started slipping and the loan ended up in default (Admittidly after only missing 3 payments). The lovely gentleman at Welcome came up with a payment plan that I could afford and offered a "Staggered Short Term Settlement" which meant I would pay 3 years at £147 and they would write off the remaining £1000 that would be left on the account (Yip, that works out at £6292 even after paying a year of payments, also at £147) So, the years go by, I don't miss a payment, and the week before the final payment I contact Welcome to confirm. I don't get my lovely gentleman any more, and I get put through to the Edinburgh office rather than the Bathgate office. This man tells me there is no information about a "Staggered Short Term Settlement". I tell him I have a letter confirming this. He puts me onto his manager, and after a bit of too and froing, she eventually agrees and all ends. Credit File is updated with Partial Settlement, but that's another story... Fast forward another few years, everything has dropped off my Credit File and I start hearing about PPI. I know I had PPI on these loans (both of them) and I now know that I was miss sold them. But the question remains 1. How long do I have? If you've followed, you'll notice next year will be the 10 year mark on these loans. 2. Is it worth it? Would Welcome be likely to claw back any reward due in part to the Staggered Short Term Settlement? TL;DR - 2 Loans in 2003/2004. Defaulted in 2005 and agreed Short Term Settlement with a £1000 write off. Is it possible to claim back mis-sold PPI and is it worth it? Hope ya can help!

Hi all, I have five debts, all around the 2k mark, I defaulted on them in 2007 and then moved overseas. I have been paying all the DCAs 5 pounds a month since then, but haven't been in contact with them at all, other than to check the current status of the debts recently (they are all basically laying dormant collecting the monthly amounts quite happily). They all have defaults but no CCJs. I am in a position to pay these off now as partial settlements, but I have a question that hopefully someone here can help with: Will the mark of 'partially settled' effectively 'reset' the debts on my credit files and keep them active on my account for another six years ? Or will they still drop off in 2013...which is six years from the date of the ORIGINAL default ? From what I understand, in 2013 the credit file will be completely blank again so it doesn't matter whether I pay them off fully or just partially, is this correct ? I also have a student loan from the year 2000, does anyone know if these are recorded as defaults on credit files ? Thanks

Out of interest I was wondering what sort of settlements members have had accepted as full and final settlements?

Hi folks, I'm in a position to pay off a lump sum on my credit cards. I currently owe approximately £4000 to MBNA (Virgin); £3,300 to Barclaycard; £4,000 to Ulster Bank; £9,500 to Halifax and £6,000 to Santander. There has been some history of late payment on all accounts but nothing too bad. Barclaycard has already closed my account although obviously I have to keep paying it off. Halifax have just sent me a letter telling me they are closing my account in 2 months time. I want to make full and final settlement deals rather than partial settlement deals, how can I best go about this? Will they accept them? What percentage should I be offering as a Full and Final Settlement? Has CAG got a template letter you can direct me too? How can I get them to accept these without the settlements having an adverse affect on my credit rating? All help and advice gratefully received.