Thanks Lager Lou, Will do that now and see what they say.

Should I hang on to the cheque until I get confirmation from Cobbetts regarding the removal of the bit about disclosure to third party's etc in writing? Is everyone else doing this or are they just banking or returning the cheque? Also, they have asked me to send the discontinuence letter to the courts and themselves but I do not really want to do this until the statement regarding third parties is removed and the cheque has been cleared which would mean that as far as the courts are concerned this case is still ongoing which means they are expecting me to hand in my AQ by tomorrow! I am a bit confused now as to what to do. I don,t want to stop the case incase Cobbetts do not agree to remove the third party condition which will then mean that I can say thanks but no thanks and continue with my claim. Am I just being pedantic? Can anyone help me quickly as 2moz is deadline for AQ? TA

Thank you Ataction, I hope that you do not have to wait too long, my fingers are crossed for you. I wish you success and a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Thanks zootscoot, its so brilliant to see that magical word *WON* next to my name.

Thank you NWSM, I've said it before and I will say it again, you are brilliant on this site. Keep up the good work. Happy Christmas to you and much Happiness for 2007.

Hi Deller, Thanks alot, you were absolutaley right. I never doubted that I would get my money back but the closer we got to Christmas the more I was convinced that it would not be until the new year! I was bloody hysterical last night after going to the sorting office to get my mail ( it had to be signed for). Goodness me, I think the excitement of a lottery win could very possibly kill me!!!!!!!!!! I am going to send a letter to Nat West asking them to return the £89 charges they took from me last week and send a copy of the letter from Cobbetts that came with the cheque and highlight the bit that says " Although our client maintains its position as above and is confident that it will be successful aT a final hearing, its legal fees will almost certainly outweigh the value of the claim, and, as such, our client must take a commercial approach to such claims" GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE I THINK! I wish you a merry Christmas and much happiness in 2007 Weaver

Hi Admiral, I didn't get as far as sending in my AQ. It had to be in by the 22nd Dec so I completed it ready to deliver by hand but Cobbetts sent me cheque anyway. I did get my court fees back though. The funny thing is tho the defence was filed 5th Dec and the cheque is dated the 8/12/06, wonder why its taken so long to be sent? I think they are just going thru the motions with the defences and all that stuff, I really do. On someones desk there is a cheque with your name on it already just waiting to be popped into an envelope! I really hope that you get it soon. Happy Christmas weaver.

yippydedoda yippydeday my oh my what a beautifull day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and why you may ask am i soooooo cheerful? Because little ole me has come tonight to a big fat cheque for full amount of £1171.23!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I am amazed, I had just completed my AQ at work today and was going to post it thru the letter box but i left the blooming thing at work, I was so cross with myself. Of course the letter is full of the normal garbage aboit none disclosure to third parties etc and it has to be paid into the account in question. So I have 2 questions, do I return the cheque and tell them that I will only accept it without conditions and if so can i make one of the conditions that the cheque is made payable to me without any account specified? I did read on one thread something else about this, when they specify an account on the cheque but I cannot remember for the life of me which thread it was so if anyone can help that would be great. Donation will be coming but I am afraid it will have to wait untill 10th January. Can a mod please move this to success's and change title to 'WON'

Thanks Deller. One more question and I have been itching to know this. How do you and others get to have them little characters/pictures on the left hand side?

Deller, Did you attach any paperwork to the AQ such as schedule of charges or other info?

Hi Deller1, I have included all that info on the AQ ( its the smallest handwriting i've ever had to do), will do as you suggest and send copy to Cobbetts Thanks alot.

Just a quick update. Have received and completed my AQ and as I understand it at this stage there is no need to include any other information regarding the claim except of course that which is requested on the AQ? I will be hand delivering tomorrow ( deadline is 22nd December). Am I right in thinking I should copy and send to Cobbetts and Nat West or is that uneccassary?

Not sure wether this helps but reading around other threads I am sure there has been cases where people have had their claims settled by cheques that can only be paid into a specified account No. (generally the one that has incurred masses of charges so more than likely is severly O/D) rather than payable to the individual who can then decide to which bank they wish to pay the cheque into. In this instance I think alot of claimants are refusing to accept these cheques and returning them asking the banks for a re-issue stating that that the settlement be made "unconditionally". Surely by telling you where the money is to be paid is 'settlement with conditions' attached? We do not want settlement with conditions surely, it is our money that they have taken illegally which is why we are succeeding in getting it back.

Hi Admiral, you posted on my thread and I believe you were a little ahead of me. How is it going with you? I have received my AQ and cobbetts defence, I will complete the AQ with the help of the CAG template on Friday and hand deliver it to my local court. Am hoping for a sooner rather than later settlement, if you look at my thread you will see why? Let me know how you are doing - chin up.

Well done and congratulations!

Thanks for that bit of info ataction but unfortunately i will be working - will try and get someone to record it for me tho - so far have never manage to hear or see any coverage on this subject even though i know it has been a news worthy subject for a while now.

Hi Youngnfree, Good to hear from you, your messages are always of great encouragement and at the moment its very much appreciated so many thanks! As soon as this claim is settled I am going to do it all over again as this morning I have noticed that they have taken out another £88.00 in charges which will leave me short for the next few D/D that need to come out and its impossible for me to put any more money in as I just don't have it - I really do despair of them, will they never give up? Its like kicking a man when he's down. Coming to this web site has been one of the best things that I have ever done because its not just about getting our money back, its knowing that thousands of people are standing together and saying " NO MORE WILL WE ACCEPT THIS" which is fantastic and it makes me all warm inside. I wish we could do it for more things like taxes and tv licences and the such. One way or another we are being robbed blind of our hard earned cash! Sorry, got on my soap box without even realising it. I just get so angry:-x Thanks again though and I hope you keep an eye out for any updates!

I have Received my AQ over the w/end and was amazed to discover that it had infact been sent to me by a complete stranger! The person in question is also reclaiming bank charges from Nat West and is at exactly the same stage as me so she received her AQ and notice of the defendents defence from Cobbetts and attached to hers was mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Can you beleive that? She very kindly forwarded mine onto me with a letter explaining what had happened. I am so angry with their incompitance that I rang them today to tell them and they said my file must have got attached to the other with a paper clip or something. Obviously! They are very sorry and all that but it was just human error. Anyway, they gave me the name of the most Senior Partner and I am going to write a letter of complaint. I am hoping that if i make enough fuss about this breach of confidentiality that they may decide to pay up sooner and with no further ado just to keep me quiet! What do you think anyone? Am I just thinking wishfully.

Phoned the harrogate courts today to ask what the procedure was if last day for defendant to file a judgement fell on a sunday - the date of my last day as I have said before is the 10th Dec, or so I thought? Dumb. After giving her my claim ref No. she told me that it was actually up on the 4th Dec- Me Stupid! Anyway, it hasn't actually made any difference as the defendent filed for judgement on the 5th Dec, 1 day late which as we all know is fairly typical of them. She told me that an AQ has been sent out so I would expect it to be there when I get home tonight or certainly in tomorrow's post. I can't help thinking that if the Royal Mail had not lost the post I sent to cobbetts containing a copy of my complete claim file and copy of letter refusing higley's £350 offer I would not have to be waiting for the AQ and could even maybe have had my money returned already!!! I can almost hear you all thinking ' no chance, they still would have sent the AQ regardless of what info they had' and you are probably right. Hey HO.

Hi Admiral, Thanks for your reply. My offer for £350 came from the notorious S. Higley himself, it was a day or two after that that I filed my claim. I have not received a single thing from the bank or Cobbetts since receiving an acknowledgement from the courts advising me that the bank intends to defend the whole claim, from reading around I think this is not unusual, however its still unnerving! The 28 days are up on the 10th Dec (sun) but again I think cobbetts are a law unto themselves as it appears it can often be well after before they put a judgement in! I guess I will be getting something from them very soon? I wish you much luck and fortitude - boy do we need it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

have just landed and taken a look at the letter I received from S. Higley withn an offer for £350 in full and final settlement, it does not actually give any time limits for responding it just says 'if you are prepared to accept my offer, please sign and return the copy of this letter'. Am I right in assuming then that the fact that I haven't signed and returned it indicates that I do not accept their offer and that my claim against them is still good? Please let it be so. Someone, anyone! please tell me its ok.

Hi Allyxia, Just reading your thread and the following just made me roar - Hilarious

Thank you so much Deller1 for your speedy response. I am at work at the moment so do not have all my paperwork with me but will check as soon as I get home the wording of the letter from S. Higley regarding 7 days response time. I really hope that it is the case that I was given 7 days to ACCEPT the offer that being so I will be ok in not responding. Fingers crossed.

Please can someone advise me!!!!!!!!!! Was sent letter from courts a few weeks back telling me that Nat West intend to defend all of the claim and informing me that Cobbetts are acting for them so I pre-empted Cobbetts and sent them the full contents of my claim (recorded del 7th Nov) in the hope that they would not waste my time by asking for more info, I also sent them a copy of the letter that i sent to Higley (recorded Del 24 Oct) refusing the offer of £350 stating that nothing but the full amount owed would be accepted. I have just discovered that neither of these letters has been delivered!!!!!!!!!! Have rung Royal Mail and they are 'very sorry' but they must be lost? No, Get away! - absolutaley nothing I can do except fill out a complaint form. Now I am not so much concerned about the letter to Cobbetts as that was just something I wanted to do rather than had to, however I am really concerned regarding the letter to Nat West because as far as they are concerned they have made me an offer for £350 and I have not responded to all intents and purposes! I can enter Judgement by default on the 10th Dec - have not heard a thing from cobbetts or Nat West. So what I want to know is will the fact that Nat west did not get my refusal letter make a difference to my claim? Am really worried now that I may loose my chance to get my money back because of the stupid incompitant Royal Mail! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - ANY ADVISE APPRECIATED.

Maybe now all the banks will realise that even they are answerable to a higher authority!! YES INDEEDY - GREAT