Okay, this is the replacement thread intended to be a lot clearer for all and to save new readers having to read the same questions being asked time & time again. PLEASE CLICK THE HYPERLINKS (blue underlined text for more info) Hillesden securities (who also trade as Direct Legal & Collections) have an account for which they do not have a credit agreement. Despite lots of letters between us, they refuse to remove the default or stop processing my data with the CRA. They have not intention to resolve the dispute but are happy to continue to report to the CRA. And as per their letter, they will update the CRA with any payments made. Therefore they can't refuse the payment as this would mean that the CRA are being given incorrect info and I'd have a case against them with the ICO. I have therefore decided that I will hit them where it hurts and ensure that it will cost them more to receive/process my payments that the actual payment itself. I have used this process once before for a NON FINANCE/CREDIT related dispute. By the third batch of cheques for 1p, they buckled and closed the account with no further payments required. As it was not a credit account, I did not have to worry about the credit file issue as I do here. I think the straw that really broke the camel's back on that third batch was that I folded the cheques in half a few times, then staple it about 5 or 6 times. Takes up even more of there time to process them. Plus they won't be able to see which one is signed or dated until they've opened it up so they have to open them all up before they can process them in the correct order I have set up a template in MS Word that prints the details (payee, amount in figures and also in words) onto the cheques (please note, I am not printing my own cheques, just printing ONTO them using the envelope feeder on the printer). It's a toner printer and it costs next to nothing to do this. I have so far sent them two batches of cheques. I also send them by recorded delivery without paying a penny. This was done by getting recorded delivery stickers from the post office and placing them on the envelopes and just dropping them into the post box NOT handing them in at the post office. What this does it makes the royal mail offer the recipient the option to pay the postage plus their £1 fee. So far, these two batches have been received & signed for see HERE & HERE for proof. However, longer term this may end up getting me into trouble or they may just refuse to pay at the other end. THEREFORE, I DO NOT RECOMEND YOU USE THIS METHOD. The first batch of cheques were all dates the same date, the second batch were all dates one day apart so they can cash one each day for about three weeks. From now on I'll be using their FREEPOST address which will cost them money from the outset and does not give them the option to pay the postage that I wasn't paying. Plus if I can add some junk mail/lead weights for good measure. Are they stupid enough to cash these cheques even though their bank will charge them more per cheque to process than the actual value of the cheque ? YOU BET THEY WILL ! Okay, so the plan is simple. Send them payment in 1p cheques, maybe even 1p stamps. To save us all some time I have some Q&A's below:- Q. Why do you want to achieve with this ? A. The primary goal is to have the account either settled for a very small amount (say 5%) and have it completely removed from my credit file, not marked as 'settled' or 'partially settled' as well as remove the default. The second goal is to cost them time & money each month until I achieve my first goal ! Q. Why not wait 6 years for it to become statute barred ? A. For exactly that reason, SIX YEARS !!! I plan to have this done in a few months. Q. Why waste your time ? A. See above, waiting SIX YEARS is a bigger waste of my time. Q. Is it legal to send 1p cheques ? A. Of course, why wouldn't it be ? Q. Why print them ? A. It's quick and easy to do with a template set up. Just need to sign them. Some articles to note below too: BBC NEWS | Business | Paying bills by cheque can be expensive "At the time it came to the conclusion that the cost to a bank of processing a cheque was 44p" Teach greedy banks a 1p lesson - Business News, Business - The Independent "As it costs 45p to process a cheque" Guy tries to pay bill using a picture of a spider WORD OF WARNING: THIS IS MY ATTEMPT TO USE THIS PROCESS TO GET MY WAY (remove default and all other traces from credit file) I AM NOT RECOMENDING THIS AS ACTION YOU SHOULD TAKE. I AM MEARLY POINTING OUT MY STORY AND WILL UPDATE AS I GO ALONG.

Opps, seems you didn't read the thread then doesn't it ?

Thank you ! Seriously, I thought it was just me for a moment. I even went back and edited the first post to make things more clear. I was tempted to start a new thread with a Q&A section in the first post to save people reading all the useless posts. (seeing as my edit of the first post still hasn't resolved all the questions). I don't mind questions and am happy to answer them but not the same ones over & over. It's like a child in the back seat 'Are we there yet?' Anyway, I'm up far too early for me so I'm gonna have to get a cuppa inside me before my I decide my next move.

Oh, I know I'll respond with a very clever.................... ...............whatever you say

Sorry, not my fault if you can't be bothered to read things properly and then jump to your own conclusion even though it's laid out for you to see.

Feel free to join Fred.

I do know what I'm doing and I have stated that I am trying to pi$$ them off into submission. Let's wait and see shall we.

Thanks.

Had you taken the time to read the thread properly you'll see me 'own admission' all the way through it. I'm not trying to mislead anyone. Just stating what my actions are.........

I know exactly what I am doing thank you.

I'll be checking with royal mail if this is still a valid freepost address, taken from here Direct Legal & Collections FREEPOST OF1153 Brackley NN13 7WW

Yes I do. Correct Correct again.

No, only if they agree to pay at the other end. I am NOT recommending this, just stating that I've done it twce so far.

Who said I didn't want to remove the default ?

I never claimed to have removed a default this way. In fact I clearly stated it was not a financial/credit issue. And whilst you want to knock my method, it DID IN FACT WORK!

Not knocking it, just saying. In fact their lack of attention to detail when it comes to letters can work wonders for us 'uneducated public' .

No I mentioned that I used this before on another company and that it was not credit related and therefore did not have the issues with my credit file. It was one of these book subsciption companies and I'd not ticked the 'I don't want to receive the book of the month' so they sent me it and the whole fiasco started when I refused to pay for it in anything other than pennies.

Love the last line. Sadly, I'm 99% sure they'll ignore 99% of the content.

Well, I do not want to cost royal mail any money or get in trouble with them. So before I send the next batch I will call them and see what they say. Of course I won't say I'm trying to pi$$ anyone off, I'll just ask if someone has offered to pay at the other end if I am okay to put something in the post without any postage on and go from there. There is always the freepost address, which could end up costing them more money anyway as they are charged for whatever is posted and not giving the option to collect and pay. So a few heavy items there and it could easily be more effective than my current method.

Guess you were just lucky with your MBNA one, maybe as it was paid for electronically, they knew payment had been made ?

If they stop paying I'll stop sending that route and start using DLC's freepost address, with a few lead weights for good measure.

Doing us both a favour then.

And as I've already stated several times, I will resolve this quicker this way than waiting for 6 years.............

Have none of you read this properly ? The royal mail KNOW there is no postage and that is exactly WHY THEY ASK HILLESDEN TO PAY UP. Honestly, it's not a hard concept to understand. Try sending youself a letter without postage on there and see what royail mail do !

First, don't worry. Secondly request a copy of the original agreement, as it's before 2007, you may not have to pay. Even if you decide to, let them know that you don't need to and regain control over these idiots.