Hi Slick, OK, I will contact them on Monday and use the template you sent me. Kind regards GS

Hi All, It's been some time. I finally got an agreement with BC and have been paying a small amount under a reduced interest scheme for a year and a half now. The balance is down 35 %. I had a some work issues and missed the last two payments the account has now been sent to Mercers who have written to me and the interest rate is now back up to 29.9% I have to say, as people can see from my original post I always intended to pay people back and have maintained payments the whole way until now. I am now feeling very tired with it all and have probably reached the point where I feel I might propose a FF to them. There are many many people on here who know about Mercers, how should I approach them, what should my plan be, reduced payment again or FF, what will they accept ? Thanks as always.

Thanks' for that reminder I will fire off another letter to them tomorrow.

Hi, I already did the SAR and claimed the charges back. However I informed them in 2010 that my circumstances had changed and I was not in a position to pay anything other than the interest bacK. They basically ignored me and since then have denied all requests to freeze and lower the interest rates. I have another card with a different provider where we have such an agreement. I have sent them so many letters, it has been quite easy to issue a complaint and get them to refund a months worth of interest of get them to give me the odd hundred as compensation - due to the fact they never answer the qujestions nor give reasons for why the deny me the interest rate reduction. I feel I probably have a case against them based on the Lending Code and am also chasing them about this. They have not been dealing with me under the rules of the code so far, therefore I feel they should repay any charges since 2010 and the interest charged.

Yes I have also heard about reciprocal action - hence my hesitation. No PPI and about 4.5k outstanding. I will try and push them to freeze and lower the interest rates. I will also try to approach them via the Ombudsmen - based on the lending code. I informed them in 2010 of my situation witha financial statement , from which it is clear I can't pay anything more than the minimum at the most, they ignored all this multiple times.

Hi Dx, Thanks for the reply. The card is issues in the UK. My objective was originally just to halt interest and pay them back what I owed - however even that appears difficult to arrange with them. Agreed given the fact they have lost the original papers the debt is unenforceable. Although I have heard of cases - perhaps for larger amounts - where they bring in local collectors over here. I will try 10% and see what this brings.

Hi Slick, Ok will do! Many thanks.

Hi Slick, Yes they are still charging interest. This is after having provided them with a financial statement as long ago as two years. I had another card - another thread here - with Barclaycard and they reduced sometime back and the total is reducing nicely. I am just a little annoyed with NATWEST and having re-read what you orginally said, feel I simply was not aggressive enough with them. I will certainly try again with NATWEST, but am inclined to try a F and F if they say no to the interest rate reduction. I'll try with 10% if this is necessary. Thanks.

Hi Slick, It's been a long time - just letting eveyone know that I have managed to renew the reduced interest rates agreement every six months and the balance is coming down.Over 30% down from the peak. Thanks' sincerely for all the help I received from this thread.

Along time since I posted - I have been struggling with Nat West in between time - they still have not reduced the rates I am being charged but I did get my SAR request and charges paid back. The amount owing is down somewhat as I have tightened my belt accross the board and I pad the charges off against the account. Now a couple of years on from my orginal post and having alot more experience in dealing with them, it seems clear that what I should have done straight away was to do what Maroondevo2 told me to do in his very first reply - which was Full and Final. Sorry didn't have the nerve for that at the time. My question is - and I know that this has been answered for other companies elsewhere - what shall I start the F&F offer at ? Is 10% of the amount owing too little to be taken seriously. To clarify they never came back with the original documents so a F&F should be possible. Thanks for all the help over the years.

Hi Slick, Yep, payments are reduced so some capital can be paid off, how long the deal will last I don`t know. The overall debt is coming down so this is positive. Currently trying to increase earnings via a business venture to bring in more capital so I can pay the whole thing off, but in all likelihoods this will take a few years - unless I get lucky. thx

Hi All, It`s been some time. I recovered the interest in the end without too much extra hassle. So thanks to you all for advice and support on that one. I also negotiated with them a reduced payment scheme at a much lower interest rate. Of ocurse this will impact my credit rating.

Hi Slick, OK thx. I will be struggling after that though - what else can I get them on ! As you have already said lack of original paper work will not do any damage any more.

Hi All, Copy statements have arrived out of the blue. The total of illegal charges over the six years is not that high but worth having of course. Now I will work out the compound interest. @Slick, new question I have been searching for information about commission charges to my account. Nearly all my transactions were made abroad as I live outside of the UK. Do you have any information about commission charges and people clamining them back if excessive ? It seems like they are currently charging 2.75% of the transaction, although it may have been more previously.

Hi Canuck, Ok thanks for this explanation. What is so special about pre 1996 ? Have you managed to get them to remove your mark given this rule ?