Hi I have been fighting for a long time now with GE Money. They have been sitting doing absolutely nothing other than spewing out computer generated statements for over four years on a loan that was secured on my old marital home that I was divorced out of in November 2007. I have no assets. I live in rented accommodation. No debt help whatsoever was offered, no efforts were taken to repossess the house. My ex wife remortgaged and now owns the house and negotiated through her solicitor for the security to be removed. Recently, they started to chase me for the remainder of their charges and interest, but now they no longer have the security of the old house, a bit daft on GE Moneys part if you ask me! A few months ago, my father was diagnosed terminally ill with cancer and he died on 6th November. He lived 70 miles away from my home so I spent the majority of the last few months away from home. In that time, GE Money, using a 3rd party solicitor, filed proceedings at county court. As I wasn't at home much, I missed the deadline to get my defense in on time. Despite many attempts to telephone my local court for advice, the number was never answered or constantly engaged, but I did submit a defense albeit a few days late. Now a judgement has arrived saying I didn't defend. However, the main thing is, they have also got my name totally wrong on the judgement. They have mis-spelt my first name and got a totally different middle name. For example: if my real name were, Jonathan Fred Smith (hypothetically), then the judgement says, Johnathon Albert Smith. Does this have any bearing on the legality of the judgement, even if it only gives me grounds to have it set aside and then appeal for a variation? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

that Friday is good for me too and I reckon we should hit brindley square just by broad street. There is a travelodge on broad street somewhere too. Anyone for a room share, I'm counting on getting drunk, so a sofa is fine!

Just a quick update for you all. I sent an official complaint to the FOS about a month ago. Have since received a letter from the FOS stating they had received the complaint and were working on it, but it might be a while before I hear from them as they have a "significant" back-log of these types of complaint! I wonder why?? Anyway, I regularly check my online banking, just in case, and guess what? The bit showing the loan has mysteriously disappeared completely. I am not holding my breath yet though, as I have had absolutley no communication at all from LTSB. So watch this space! PJ

Yep I would be there!!!

No no no no not until after 18th August please!!!! Finally, a meet near where I live, so don't you dare book it for when I'm on holiday!!! Friday 21st Aug would be good. PJ

Hi can anyone help My ex-wife to be (only weeks left now YAY!), had a credit card account with Egg that was started aroud 2000-2001 ish. She liked to spend money and not worry about paying it back, hence the "ex" bit! However, there was a balance owing on her card which amounted to nearly £7k, but that was including all their chages and interest I presume. They have succeeded in getting a CCJ and have had the debt applied as a charge on the property. Is there anything she can do to challenge this. I'm assuming that they MUST have a signed CCA, as they did get to court with it and won? Or doesn't that mean anything? Any help please! PJ.

Good advice from Clemma! And I was also going to say that they will rarely do a re-write when an account is less than about 3 weeks late. If you can return an item to reliee the debt then great. More importantly though, if you do make a payment but they refuse to pay any of your agreements, instead putting it into yellow money, then do 2 things: 1) KEEP THE RECEIPT as this proves you went in on that day 2) TAKE THE CASHIERS NAME which will scare the smelly stuff out of them! Doesn't hurt!! PJ

Hi BH Adviser Welcome and thanks for your input here, it's good to see that there are fellow ex BH managers out there who have a conscience too! I look forward to your help, whenever you can spare it, especially as I have just started a pretty intense job, and can't dedicate as much time to these forums as I have previously done. PJ

Hi all At last it's here again, BH getting the exposure they deserve. Another good day for the CAG methinks. Sorry if I haven't been on here much lately, and this will likely be the case for a few weeks, as I have just started a new job and its finding the time!! Well done to Clemma for alerting everyone to the news break. And to everyone who has helped Cath at the BBC so far, including Clemma, Tristam (not sure if he is a CAG user - but he is on FaceBook). You sound like a valuable asset! And not forgetting anyone else who has contributed. And thanks to Cath, your patience in collating all these stories and travelling up an down the length of the country is admirable. This is not the end, this is just another chapter. We need to keep momentum going, because I can assure you BH won't let the grass grow. PJ

Hi I also set up the Sky+ and saw it. Have texted Cath at the BBC and there is probably going to be more in depth discussion on Radio 1 Newsbeat at 1245hrs. She has said that they have received a very large number of texts over the story, mostly in agreement. So hopefully, there may be more to come eventually as more case studies come to light, as this forum doesn't yet attract every disgruntled BH punter! There is going to be an invite for people to respond ad discuss online too. Unfortunately, as I spoke to Cath several times last week on the lead up to this story, she was up against a lot of potentially conflicting information from case studies and BH. And in the light of it, nothing short of the whole truth is what we need if we are going to make news releases stick and impact in the way we wish on BH. PJ

Hi, I'm really, and sorry no-one has got back to you yet, we are all volunteers and don't have the time to sit in front of the computer waiting for someone who needs help! Simple answer though really. If you have already made your mind up that you no longer want the BH items, then simply return them all, and have done with. They will be grateful to have the debt no longer on their records, and they won't chase you for money outstanding either. If they do, give them the items and then act daft! In my experience, they won't even ask. Just call them and tell them to come and collect everything within 7 days. PJ

Sorry it looks like I won't be able to make it after all. Got an early committment on Saturday, sorry guys

free? my favourite price

8th may now sounds like an option, but has anyone got a room they can share?

Hi and welcome to the forums, I take it you have only changed your phone number and not your address? If you leave it any longer without paying then the will be knocking on your door, I promise you that. If you send the letter asking for communication in writing only, then you may also include your immediate family in that letter. But being as you are the only named person on the credit agreement, I am not sure if this will have the desired affect. Your mother may have to write personally to BH to halt these phonecalls. No-one can chase a relative for your debt, as they are not responsible for it, you are. But all this is really besides the point. You say that you have only had this agreement for a short space of time. You are only so far a week late. So far then you have not really paid that much for the item. The very nature of a hire purchase agreement is that all payments are considered a rental until the last payment which buys the item. So, you have only paid so far for what you have used. If you are in that much trouble that you can no longer afford this item, I would advise you cut your losses, return the item and have done with. And if you can avoid using BH in the future, call it a lesson learnt. PJ

I note what you are trying to say Padre, but again I disagree. Exactly what part of..... .....isn't advising someone to break the law? And pardon me for being long winded, but I will never advise someone to do something illegal or otherwise, which will in future harm their chances of defeating these bullies. But like all advice here, I give it, but it's up to the individual how too interpret it and deal with it! PJ

Hi If you know BH terminolgy and are confused with PH then the rough transalations are below: BH phrase to PH phrase OSC = FSA DLC = TAD I think that's right! By the way, PH are run by the ex-CEO of BH. PJ

Hi Scorpio This is a typical response from BH as they are always after the FULL balance of arrears, as a part payment still leaves you late. A decent DCA (if there is such a thing) would agree a payment plan with you, but BH are bullies, just like Padre says, and just like you have already experienced. BUT, I'm sorry I have to disagree with part of Padre's approach. Yes you have offered part payment which has been refused, but that is BH's fault, and it will reflect well on you that you have made the offer, and poorly on BH that they did not accept it. For this reason alone, they won't have a leg to stand on if they take you to court. Not that they do. Padre mentioned that they have not done this for 4 years. It's been 6 years sinced I worked there, and even then, the only record I knew of was 2 years old then. However, to use the approach of saying that you now point blank refuse to pay, puts you in a grey area, as this is itself in breach of your obligations under the Consumer Credit Act. In a case like this, it is not enough to simply refuse your obligations because of the way BH have so far acted. If you are going to dispute ANY part of this agreement, you need to keep yourself on the right side of the law, and make sure it is only BH who are tying themselves in knots. I am sure I speak for the Site Team of CAG, when I say that CAG would never recommend a course of action that could potentially put you on this path, and basically break the law! Keep the communication channels open, and preferably solely by writing, that way you have evidence of all communication. PJ

Hi Sent that letter above on 20th April and it ws received 22nd. Just an interesting point though. I have just printed off the electronic proof of postage to the 2 letters I sent at the beginning of April (post #33 above). One to Lloyds in Hove, the other to [problem] solicitors in Brighton. Slightly different addresses, but guess what? The same person signed for both letters at the same delivery time!!! PJ

Hi Padre No I didn't believe for a second they were struggling, so got rid of the vans! It's a bit like last year when HSBC announced "X" thousand job losses one month and then record profits the next. No wonder really! PJ

Well they have certainly taken some serious cost cutting steps since I was there. Each branch had it's own contract hire transit van although there were noises about sharing vans once. So where have they recruited these field agents from or have they simply moved them out of store. The tactics they are still using to collect don't sound to have changed so that suggests they are still mainly store staff

Hi Padre This is something that goes round in circles. I am familiar with CARD percentage, as it was an old Crazy Georges target. In my day, money owing was the biggy, especially as there were a lot of stores in the Midlands who had fallen foul of loading too few customers with too much stuff, with £100 a week not being uncommon. So, which is better, 200 customers going late 7-14 days all with agreements £20 per week or less, or 25 customers going late with £70-£100 a week? Big problem is, once you go past £50 a week and your late, the amount BH then ask to put you back in front is crippling, meaning there is a greater percentage of big debt that is then more un-retrievable, than smaller debt. The consequence of this come 90 days, is then very painful on the branch. So, whether the AR's are targetted personally on CARDS isn't that relevant in the long run. As soon a the debt starts to make an impact on the overall branch past due amount, the manager will put his/her own pressure on the AR's to fight the debt on a highest owing first priority, purely to try and put out fires. This is the very pressure that then brings out the bully boy tactics, this is what they don't like to boast about, this is where the rules get stretched. PJ

Good morning, and I hope the advice has relaxed you a bit more. Thanks to Clemma for finding out that letter, get it sent ASAP, as it will take a week to act upon at least. Good point from Clemma with regard calling the police, DO NOT call 999, you will just be making a nuisance of yourself, and probably risking diverting the police from a more serious emergency. But try and find the non-emergency number for your local police and either write it down next to the phone or program it into your contacts. Send 2 of those letters above, 1 to Head Office and 1 to the branch. Send the Head Office one recorded delivery too. PJ

Well in that case, this is something that I want to pursue to the end, because this is blatant mis-selling of an insurance policy. I have a good friend, in the media, who is just gagging for something like this, and she might want to talk to you. Would this be OK? PJ

Now hang on a cotton pickin' minute!! Exactly what are we supposed to be insuring here with this DLC (Dubious Liability Conn!) Hey! That sounds gooooooood! I hereby set all caggers a challenge, find me an insurance policy that will cover for interest and charges on an HP agreement. Utter rollocks. DLC, is to protect the value remaining of an item which is subject to an HP agreement, that is either, lost, stolen or has received accidental damage that has rendered it beyond economical repair. AND it only protects BH's interest in that item, therefore it doesn't provide you with a new item, meaning you end up with nothing, you become the weakest link! THE ITEM, NOT FUTURE INTEREST REPAYMENTS! And if they really used this approach with you, then they have broken the law by mis-selling you an insurance policy! End of! PJ