Hi all, I'm a newbie here so please bear with me. Here's my plight (I'll try to keep it as short as poss): This morning I received a letter from "Metropolitan Collection Services Limited" demanding a sum of £2498.44!!!:o :o After I'd come round I realised that this was for a business account I haven't used in years!! Here's the story: Back in 1999 I started a business with my best mate and opened a business account with HSBC. In 2002/03 I decided to take a less active role in the business and my mate carried on running the it with me more a "silent partner". By 2004 the business had stopped trading. During this time the account had very rarely been overdrawn (if ever?), a regular amount of money was being paid in/out and we were "steady away". Now, this is where it gets confusing We had a number of Direct Debits setup for the account (including vehicle insurance and internet) but the money coming in was always covering the money going out. When the business stopped trading in 2004 my mate kept the company vehicle and the internet connection and moved all existing DDs to his current account. Now, stupidly we never kept an eye on the account after this - BIG MISTAKE!! I bank with HSBC personally and have moved 3 times since the business was created - each time my bank (HSBC) has been notified. I appears that they hadn't changed the address for the business account though! we hadn't been receiving any statements for the account as we assumed that since there was no activity on the account we wouldn't receive them - yes, this is very stupid of us but the bank had been informed of the change of address on 2 seperate occasions. However, we have no proof of this. After speaking to Metropolitan and HSBC today (who I must say were both quite helpful) they were able to shed a little light on the nigthmare but not much. It appears that the account has remained open (we never got round to closing it officially - but we thought it was in credit so just left it....stupid I know - if anything we thought there might be tidy little sum in there ) and has fallen overdrawn by a rogue DD we forgot to cancel!!! So each month for the last 3 or 4 years this DD has quite happily been taking money out of the account forcing it further and further overdrawn. Add to that the overdraft charge that HSBC has been applying to the account (somthing like £4 per day for each day overdrawn) and you end up with one hell of bad day!!!!!! :o We haven't checked this account for 3 or 4 years!!!!!! Imagine my surprise this morning when I open this letter (which was by the way, the first correspondence of any kind received by myself or my mate on this matter) to find I have a debt collecting agency demanding £2498.44 or they'll start legal proceddings against me!! Now, Metropolitan are sending me statements through the post as we haven't received any in years (because of the address changes). I spoke to HSBC today and they also are going away and looking at the statements and will ring me in due course. HSBC also admitted to knowing that letters that they tried to send to my previous address were being returned yet they didn't inform me - I BANK WITH THEM FOR CRYING OUT LOUD AND HAVE DONE SO FOR 10 YEARS!!!!!!! The debt collection agency had no problem tracking me down. I would just like to know if anyone out there can help or offer any guidance?? I've already read do many great things on this site about going about reclaiming bank charges etc....should I wait to listen to the bank once they've gone through the statements?? Metropolitan have put a freeze on the debt for 7 days for us to speak to HSBC and sort things out. Should I start sending the letter to ask for my statements and wait the 40 days? etc. This has knocked me for 6 and I need to seriously get me head around things. Hope someone out there can help. Thanks for taking the time to read through my ramblings. kpax77