I have a close friend who works in the banking industry and he has passed on some jungle drums rumours to me. He has only the sketchiest of details as he doesn't work for HSBC but this is about them but what he has heard is that they are preparing to send out in the region of 30,000 letters to customers they want to go elsewhere. In other words "we dont like you no more, pay off your o/d or what have you and go find another bank" Would this be aimed at people who are claiming, likely to claim or who are not very profitable customers? I would not like to speculate. Just another tactic in the banks' ever growing arsenal to scare and intimidate.

On the bailiff front, i had a default against LTSB some time ago, I got on this little bandwagon early and have been happily screwing instutions left right and centre for 6 months now. But back on track, county court bailiff are a bit useless at serving warrants and collecting. If I were you I would point out to LTSB that a judgement has been issued against them they will have also received a copy (give them a copy of yours to save them finding it) and insist money is in your account or wherever you want it within a reasonable time frame, 7 days say. Or you send the boys round, saves £50 and you will probably get your money quicker.

Well in answer to 1 point the court allocation turned up this morning for Oct. My intention is not to be a cocky git, but the definition of "full settlement" covers a lot more than purely the amount they have charges plus interest plus fees. I value my time highly, I work in professional services industry and time IS money. I believe others have been offered settlement in significantly in excess of the orginal claim at the latter stages and also that a judge (and i doubt it will come to that) can add a reasonable expenses award on top of the claim. The question was really has anyone else stood toe to toe and said "you'll have to do better than that". It is not unusual in other cases (libel for eg) for the out of court settlement to be massive compared to the likely in court settlement. For a variety of reasons, adverse publicity, suffering other parties costs, increasing overall legal costs, public airing of confidential details. If i have spent 10 hours preparing so far and invest another 10 hours preparing a case for them to offer me £600 the week before I feel fairly justified in saying "take a jump" I have invest £1000 of my own time here plus the £600. That still works out cheaper for them than sending 2 solicitors (they always travel in pairs to court) to Bristol for a day and that is before they actually have to lift a pen, just the time during that day would come to £1800 even at a very modest charge out for legal firms.

I have been nicely successful up to now, getting back charges to the tune of about £6k from a variety of banks/cards. But LTSB is proving to be a bit of an awkward little so n so. My first claim against them went to a default judgement. On my 2nd they have filed a defence and I have sent the court allocation off about 2 weeks ago. At the same time I wrote to their solicitors to point out the folly of going to court over £600. So I fully expect a court date will be allocated (any ideas of how long that may be someone?) and then they will write to me offering settlement on a "commercial consideration basis". BUT How cheeky can you be, if I were to say £600! sod off, I have invested time and energy in this, I want a settlement of £1000 or we go sit in front of a judge. In other words will bare face cheek get me a better result coz we all pretty sure the no bank wants to take this into a courtroom

I have been reading forums for quite sometime now and have successfully dealt with 4 institutions returning £3k so far. So thanks a bundle for this hepful resource. Egg is my last target and not having statement and having now closed account was a challenge, esp reading others problems with DPA requests. So I got cunning. I messaged them (still have other products so can use their secure messaging) making up spurious reason for needing statements, I used Inland Revenue enquiry. They fell over to help, £10 charge all my statements in post, took 2 emails. No 7 page form and bills etc. Hope it helps!!