I agree that we have to breakthrough somehow so that the law starts to be applied. Thanks for correcting Barclaycard's nonsense. I shall indeed send a copy to the IC and will keep you posted. Just want to check btw about the 6 year rule. I think I've seen somewhere on an other thread that the six years only applies to collecting debts and that under an SAR there is no time limit.Can anyone confirm which is right? We will get there and the victory will be very sweet! Patma

I've just spoken to the Information Commissioner's helpline and they tell me Mercers is registered. Their number is apparently z5068082. I'm going to try putting in the number now and see what it says about them. Apparently the postcode given for the address I have on my Calders letters is not a valid postcode though. This is a bit odd because I've recently discovered that another DCA, BLS Collections uses a false address on all their correspondence. Royal mail are currently investigating.

I seem to be in about the same position with their alter ego, Calders. Soooo it looks like an email to the Information Commissioner is in order here. What fun:D . I'm getting onto it right away and thinking of how I can break the news to good old Calders/Mercers/Barclays. yipppeee!

This is fascinating info, PriorityOne. As Mercers also trade as Calder Financial, do you think this applies to them to? I just did a quick check on them from the information I have on their letters and they don't come up either. At the bottom the small print states. Registered number:2550639. Registered address: Citypoint, One Ropemaker Street, London, EC2 YSS. Mercers Debt Collections LTD trading as Calder Financial.

Thanks for that mrmarmite, I thought it was rubbish, but wasn't sure. I thought I'd seen somewhere that they should send everything from when the accounts were opened, and in fact they've already sent me copies of application forms for 2 of the accounts under my CCA requests, so that proves they have some personal data going back to the beginning of the accounts. I particularly want to see copies of alleged defaults, and who my accounts have been sold/passed to. November last Calders and RMA began chasing two of the debts which I had been paying happily for 10 years with no hassles from anyone and alleged I had defaulted because I hadn't increased payments. I didn't get any request to increase payments however or receive any default notices, but they wouldn't listen (as if they would!),and so I'm trying to prise information out of them and see what I can do to get even. All the best, Patma

Hi, I sent an SAR to Barclaycard quoting three account numbers and after some jiggery pokery on their part, claiming I hadn't sent any payment, they eventually "found" my missing cheque and 3 envelopes arrived the other day containing nothing but monthly computer printouts of balances. My accounts date back to the 1980s, but the data they sent only goes as far back as 2002. I wanted everything they hold on me, but the accompanying letters they sent state this is all they hold on me, which can't be true.I noticed that as of last April,an amount equal to the outstanding balance pops up as a credit for each account and subsequently a zero balance has been recorded every month since then,even though I was making monthly payments up until December 07 when they failed in my CCA requests. It says nothing about who my debts have been transferred to. I would be very grateful for opinions and advise about the letter I got, as I don't know if what they say is true or not. Here's the letter which I got three copies of.....

You're an inspiration! I knew I was right all along to believe in the tooth fairy:D

Would be grateful for comments as to the accuracy or otherwise of Barclaycards latest letter above.

Calders and RMA who ignored my telephone harassment letters, and my other written complaints, even after failing to come up with a valid CCA

Here's the letter which came with my SAR responses. There were 3 envelopes and three identical copies of this letter. I would very much like to hear the expert's opinions about whether it's true that microfiche doesn't qualify as a relevant filing system. Note that the letter says this is all they have on me, which I know to be untrue. I called Customer Services at Barclaycard this afternoon as they have been quite helpful with sorting out the issue of the missing SAR payment I sent. A very helpful young man looked on the computer to see what he could find about me and confirmed there were details to which he had immediate access going back to 1998 including copies of letters. He called the Data Protection team and asked them to forward everything they have on me asap. He confirmed that CHRGOFF PRCH PRIN BALM means that my debt had been passed on to someone else early last year, but he couldn't tell who. I don't understand why none of my payments are showing up after the CHRGOFF PRCH PRIN BALM appears because I was making regular payments using the payment books supplied by Barclaycard. I got no notification that my account had been sold/assigned whatever. Can anyone tell me if this is normal please? I'm hoping that the alleged default notices and reasons given as to why they were issued, plus details of who my accounts were sold to, if indeed they were, will show up soon as part of the SAR. Comments and advise would be much appreciated. All the Best, Patma

Thanks very much for your input, PriorityOne and Scarlet Pimpernel. It looks as though I'll have to get back to them and remind them of their obligations. There's no explanation of the abbreviations and none of the payments I continued to make for most of last year after the nil balance appeared are shown either. Also my SAR asked for everything they hold on me and a stack of computer printouts showing monthly balances doesn't come anywhere near it. LOL. All the Best, Patma

Shouldn't there have been some sort of paper if they'd sold the debts on? Also shouldn't they have told me about it? Another thought that occurs to me is that they wrote to me in November about two of the accounts announcing they had passed them on to Calders and RMA to collect the debts on their behalf, because I had allegedly ignored a request to increase payments and subsequent default notices. The fact is though that I received no such requests or default notices. I immediately requested copies of the alleged default notices, but they ignored me and eventually Customer services wrote back telling me I would have to pay £10 and do a SAR to receive them along with statements I'd also requested.So Far all that's come are these computer printouts month by month only dating back to 2004 and a letter saying that's all they hold on me. I know they must have other data on me though because I've already received copies of the application forms sent in response to my CCA requests for 2 of the accounts. Still very confused LOL:confused: Patma

Hi everyone, well after getting customer services to sort out the missing cheque, 3 large fat envelopes arrived today , one for each account. All they contain seems to be computer printouts month by month, so statements of a sort I suppose. There's no copies of correspondence, no alleged default notices, nothing other than these statements and they only go back to 2004. As soon as poss I'll scan in the accompanying letter. Whilst looking through these "statements" though, I got quite a shock because early last year for each account the letters ...... CHRGOFF PRCH PRIN BALM appear followed by an amount equal to the sum outstanding appearing as a credit and every subsequent month shows a nil balance. All last year I continued making payments to these accounts though, but none of my payments are shown after the nil balance appeared. I don't understand this at all. Can anyone enlightem me please??

Hi Rock n Roll, I've just got some stuff back from Barclays as part of an SAR request and wondered if you could translate something for me, as it appears on the statements of three accounts they've sent details of. This is it.....CHRGOFF PRCH PRIN BALM and then it shows a nil balance outstanding. I'd be very grateful if you could explain it to me. All the best, Patma

Hi there Never give in, it's good to meet you. The CCA is the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and people use the Act to request a copy of their original consumer credit agreement, which has to be properly signed and contain all the prescribed terms as laid down in the Act.It's important to send a postal order for £1 (not a cheque with your signature) and use recorded or special delivery. If the agreement is not provided within the 12 days, the debt becomes unenforceable unless or until a properly executed agreement is produced. When 30 days have passed the creditor has committed an offence if they have still not complied. If you're being hassled, it would be best for you to give details of the problem on the forum. There are some really excellent people here and I can't begin to tell you how much help and support I've got from so many of them. I think you'll find that Rushbridge are well known here too, although I haven't had dealings with them myself. I'm no expert, but I can tell you that the golden rule is never speak to them over the telephone and insist they put everything in writing. Good luck, Patma

I've just discovered this fake address for myself after trying to get a special delivery letter signed for. The Royal Mail have confirmed there is no such PO Box or postcode. A redirect was in place and my letter has disappeared into a black hole. What I want to know is whether this practice breaks any rules and regulations, because I'd love to do something about this. Well done for finding this out, Patma

Thanks for that info ODC, you're a star. Does that mean it's ok for them to give a fake address on all their letterheads and to somehow get away with not signing for special delivery letters? It just all looks very dodgy to me. I don't understand why they need a false address if they're all above board and upfront. All the best, Patma

You go for it Brummie. Surely it's illegal one way or another to give out fake addresses on official correspondence, not to mention messing about with the delivery system like this.

The Royal Mail informed me about the incorrect address btw and checked their systems to confirm it. Best wishes, Patma

I've now found out that the address BLS give on their letterheads is a fake address. PO Box 467E doesn't exist, neither does the postcode OX4 1WA. My special delivery letter was redirected because they have a redirection in place for this fake address. Somehow or other this seems to get them out of signing for things.

Hi Poker Mad, Did you ever manage to get any letters to BLS signed for? The reason I'm asking is because I think I've discovered a fake address [problem] they're pulling and I don't know if it may be relevant for you in court or not. I've been in touch with the Royal Mail who are trying to trace a special delivery letter I sent to BLS at the address given on all the letters I've ever had from them. PO Box 467E, OXFORD, OX4 1WA. It turns out that this is neither a real PO Box number nor a real postcode. They get round this by having a redirection in place, presumably to a vaild address. Somehow or other they still get their letters, but manage not to have to sign for them. This doesn't sound exactly legal to me, but maybe someone with better knowledge of the law will know better. Good luck, Patma

I complained to Royal Mail about the non-delivery of my letter and they are really dragging their feet about finding out what happened to it, so I got impatient today and rang BLS to ask if they've received it. I had a fun conversation with the charming lady who thought she had a right to ask numerous questions while she had the chance, but I didn't fall for that and managed to get her to check whether my letter had been received. To my surprise she confirmed they have indeed got it. So much for special delivery. Don't know how they've done it, but they've managed not to give a signature for it.

I'm getting at least one silent message left on my answering service every day from RMA. I only just remembered that I'm registered with the telephone preference service so I've been to their website and registered an online complaint about RMA. Thought it was worth doing just to make as many waves as possible and the information commissioner gets the complaints passed onto them. That letter of yours looks a good bet DMD, so I might give that a go too. My original telephone harassment letter was totally ignored. All the best everyone, Patma

Thanks for the suggestion, DM I'll do that. I think the more complaints they get in Northampton the better, cos when they pile up maybe something will be done about Barclaycard and the way they act as a law unto themselves. I've just recently sent them an SAR request with a cheque stapled to the letter only to get a reply back saying please send £10 payment if you wish us to act on your request arrrgggh!

I am in a similar position to you btw DM,I CCA'd Barclaycard for a visa, mastercard and Barclaycard Reserve account and they have failed in all three. I stopped paying as of Decemeber and so far so good. Nothing worse has happened so far. All the Best, Patma.