Well that's appalling. There has to be a conflict of interest here - or misuse of data, whatever - I totally agree that CRAs need a thorough overhaul. I sent my form about a month ago and nothing has been done!

I downloaded, filled in and faxed the form to them to remove my details. Does anyone know how long it takes before it shows they've obeyed the instructions?

I'll add in support of plym's post. There are still GPs out there who refuse to even acknowledge the condition straight up. Those who do understand it as a condition in it's own right are still dismissive of outcomes. Getting a formal diagnosis can take a long time and of course, it costs money, which no-one wants to spend when they cannot "see" any kind of benefit. eg - break leg, go to hospital, x-rayed, leg in plaster, leg fixed. That's fine - visible benefit. Compare this with the all too common perception of: Suspect AS, not sure where to send, maybe local CMHT, get formal diagnosis, now what? The GPs are getting all too keen to stress, with all manner of conditions and health problems, not just mental, that if in their opinion there is not much of a benefit, then they don't think it's worth it. Ehh??? They dont' think IT is worth it? That 'IT' is you, the patient. However, the first diagnosis does not have to cost much at all, or be a lengthy process. That's the formal clinical diagnosis. A person can be diagnosed by a competent psychiatrist or a psychologist trained to diagnose AS. That in itself is enough for a person to get doors to open and insist on appropriate support. There is a lot that can be offered to people with Asperger's. not in the least by getting a basic diagnosis, they can then start to understand what are triggers and why. It is NOT a 'bad' personality issue which is how the condition is often written off by others. But AS can affect people's personalities especially when they have no idea why they feel 'out of step' with everyone else. The later the diagnosis, the longer someone will have been struggling to cope and often developing coping mechanisms which are not necessarily the best. Depression can be another big factor for Aspies - but just treating the depression with anti-depressants is not the way forward without some kind of diagnosis and understanding of the condition. The National Autistic society are only too happy to provide supporting information - much of it is free, much is available on their website although if you can't find it, their help service is really great. So, although it is not always easy by any means, I would always say get your condition diagnosed, accepted and then insist on being treated with the correct support and help that you need. Everyone is different - not everyone wants or needs the same, and it's always up to you if you want to disclose you have AS.

Hi Sequenci will do as soon as I have things sorted. Many thanks.

Ohh - thank you, Sequenci. When I chose this one, it was with noble thoughts of me rising from the ashes of my banking experiences all those years ago. But now I realise there'a a dodgy company of the same name, I'd rather like to disassociate myself from them. I'll think of something else and get my request off. Thank you.

Don't worry - I've surpassed myself and found it - lovely helpful webpage for all kinds of contacts. http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1724511/How-to-complain-to-the-chief-executive.html It is about 7 months old but hopefully it's still up to date.

I'm guessing it's not possible, or at least it isn't available to do it for oneself. Can it be done at all or would I have to start again? If so, could I delete this account and reuse the same email addie, or would that have to be new as well?

Hi guys Do we have any updated contacts for Santander such as the CEO or who would be the head honcho to copy in on a major complaint? The persons who should be dealing with complaints are totally ignoring all comms and I want to make one last attempt to get a professional and lawfully required response before I go back to the Ombudsman for another ruling - last one was in our favour - Santander have ignored the basis for the decision. I'd rather not keep having to do this as I'm acting on behalf of someone else - so I'm doing my very best - and will be seen to have done my very best - to make every effort and some more - to resolve the problems.

Back with far more problems. I didn't realise you'd responded, Michael, sorry about that. The email problems were eventually resolved and it was an issue at their end. However, now they are closing down the narrowband service I've had for years, at the end of next week (had plenty of notification so that's not the problem) but the situation has become a huge stressful mess. After loads of calls and checks to make sure that the info they had on their Broadband service, and quite a lot of unhelpful and ansty calls with the 'dying' narrowband CS (different companies), I was eventually offered a deal to take up the bb. Because it's not so straightforward for me, I specifically asked that the service would not start until the end of February. They sent me an email the next day with a 'go live' date for 6 days later! Cutting a long story short, after numerous phone calls and emails, and promises broken, being lied to, etc, I then attempted to cancel the order within THEIR contract terms. ie I sent a cancellation email before mid-day of the 'go live' date - which effectively gave me a 2.5 working day cooling off period. Thing is, as Consumer Direct have pointed out, their terms are in breach of the Distance Selling Regulations anyway. However, that has not stopped them completely ignoring the cancellation, going ahead and putting broadband on my line which I cannot use with my very old equipment (am trying to sort out some new spec), and now threatening me because I cancelled the Direct Debit. So, all in all, the stress and costs this is putting me through is enormous. I know that Consumer Direct will help me, but it's still appalling sharp practice and I'll have to keep up the 'battle' to get things put right. And the narrowband service have also breached consumer law in trying to keep billing and charging me for a service they're closing down!!! It's just appalling - these huge companies are getting away with breaking the law all over the place and there is nothing being done to force them to toe the line. If anyone has any input about how I handle the DD threat or if I've missed anything, I'd be grateful. I tried to get my letter out today by SD but missed the bus into town and just missed the PO then by 2 mins. grrrrrrrrrrrr So I'm going to try and fax it tomorrow but send it anyway.

Sorry, CB - reading my post again, I forgot to mention why DX diverted me here. I posted elsewhere about 192 and another site - Yasni - which I have no idea what to do about because I'm not going to give them any more of my information and so far I haven't found out how to stop them linking my name all over the net. So, 192 is a start and another company who were totally unaware that my name in an obscure part of their website was searchable - so they've taken immediate steps on request with absolutely no hassle whatsoever. Another organisation did the same a while back for me and again, they did not realise that the way some personal info in a newsletter on their website was easily searchable. It's these 'anonymous' operations who are out of control. Hope that makes sense now.

Thanks to DX - I had no idea this was here but I shall give it a go to get my details removed. They've only just been added, well, within the last few months, so not sure what's going on there. Despite the comments at the beginning of this thread (and yes, I did start reading from page 1 at first), the issue is that we should be able to stop such intrusion if we want. Whilst it's 'useful' when someone wants to find out everything about another person, it's never so nice when it's us being 'stalked'. We all managed to live for thousands of years without this need to have everything exposed to every one - so on the balance of things, I really feel this kind of personal information harvesting should be banned - somehow! It is not necessary - by all means have information available on request, for a fee, as appropriate from specific organisations. But - for example - to actively encourage snooping on a person by adding all kinds of links to their name, such as their Amazon account etc, is going too far. The assumption that we are all gagging to hang our private parts out of the windows for people to oggle and drool over is really offensive. If we want to do it, then that's up to the individual. If we don't, we and our privacy should be respected.

Found it, many thanks DX. Now - have you come across Yasni? It seems to be a set-up in Germany and is far more intrusive.

Maybe try the OFT? I know they're not much liked but this would surely be a huge no-no? Has anything come up on a Land Registry search?

Ahhhhh - so anyone who has their Twitter set up to receive tweets from such companies, get to see first hand the kind of problems that others are having? That's well cool.

I'm guessing it's something to do with Twitter, but why do some of the threads start the thread title with the @ sign, what does it do if it has the @ sign and does one have options to not have it or does it make no difference at all? It's also a bit of a poke in the eye colour. Nice soothing peachy would be good. Bit like this

I'm not sure if this is the right place at all to ask this, but have no idea where else to go. I freely admit being quite clueless so please bear with me. 192.com - how do they get details of people that go on their site? I take it that it's coming from the Electoral Register, but can they get it even if you tick the box not to include the bit that's available to anyone to search? Can it be removed? Then, there is a website called Yasni. This is really intrusive as it seems to link to anywhere it can to find your personal information such as other websites like Amazon! So you may not realise that what you thought was private is now being very easily publicly searchable in ever instrusive detail. Is there anything one can do about this apart from becoming a complete, internet free trog living on a desert island?

Surely the issue is with whoever owned the house because they were the ones defrauded out of a better price? Do you know who was in ownership of the property - eg building society etc? I'm not sure if the Data Protection Act covers businesses involved in a transaction - but perhaps check this with the Information Commissioners Office.

I don't know the timescales, but she can't leave it forever. There will be a point at which you should be able to request the dispute is closed and ensure that it is not recorded on your selling account because the buyer failed to return the item for a refund.

Hi Heidi - sorry you didn't get a repsonse on this. Unfortunately eBay's stance is that cash on collection gives you time to look at the item first before parting with payment and unless you're prepared to start what could be a lengthy process to try and force the seller to refund on the grounds that she withheld information you had specifically asked for and made it difficult to fully see the item, I think you're fairly stuck with it. However, if you do open a case with eBay, and really argue that case clearly and with all the information that affects your reason for wanting a refund, there is a very slim chance eBay will make a no-fault refund. Take photos to add to the dispute. State that you have tried to resolve this with the seller and you are willing to make the long journey back to return it. If not, and you are stuck with it, you can then leave appropriate feedback if you have not done so before. The reason for raising the dispute is that, if the seller does not resolve it, then they will get a strike on your account. Also, the seller will need to respond and that will mean they demonstrate to eBay that you have paid. This is important because if the seller was to claim you were a non paying bidder, and open/close an Unpaid Item Dispute, they could then apply for feedback to be removed. By raising the SNAD dispute, they must either respond to state their side of the case, or if they do not, you may just be in with that slim chance of a no fault refund.

Hi derychick What does the decision notice actually say? Does it say they have decided in the buyer's favour as long as she returns the item, or is it a no fault decision? I would really recommend posting on the eBay forums as a lot more people there can give very helpufl step by step advice. Try Seller Central - but if you do, perhaps do it tomorrow when more people are usually around.

Thank you, guys - this has been a huge help and explains a lot. It all seems so complicated these days. I've copied the info so I can know where I stand if it does get to crunch time.

This is indeed extremely disturbing. Everyone has the right to insist on all communication being conducted by letter - in fact when there are disputes, defaults are levied etc, it HAS to be in writing! Also, the ombudsman is taking a very long time to review complaints - so this is very odd that they have acted so swiftly on this. The first response usually comes from the adjudicator and that takes at least a few months for them to get around.

Was this the ruling of an ombudsman or just the adjudicator? We've just had some success from the ombudsman over the failure of Santander to log, keep and action clear instructions from us, ignoring correspondence and continuing with the harassment/ defaulting twice etc. We didn't win on the other claims which I know is wrong because it's to do with entrapment and failure to ensure charges were transparent and clear, but then it's not my account as such. Compensation has been awarded - which has to be paid and not set against the original debt. It took nearly 18 months to get there.

I just typed a reply and it has disappeared - not good. I'll try again. Thanks for your help, Mariner. I think it has become a periodic tenancy having just had a squint at the small print. Essentially, everything has been very relaxed until very recently and apart from the occasional contracts, nothing has been put in writing from him. So, I'd sign another 6 month AST and then he'd not bother with another one at the end for a few months, and so on. It's a standard contract downloaded from Lawpack. It's very difficult to read the small print on the back but I've picked up on one thing. I am behind on the rent by about 10 days although that reduces every month as I'm paid HB every four weeks. I have to make up the shortfall which is currently £40 to meet the monthly rent. However, the terms on the back state I am not allowed to be behind by more than 21 days, and there have been the odd times in the past when trying to sort out the HB that I've been more than that. The other odd thing is that some years ago, when I was in difficulties, I ended up missing a rent and the LL accepted that I'd forfeited the deposit - but again, nothing in writing. So I don't know where I stand with that. I've also picked up that the recent contracts he has used say things like I'm not allowed to decorate the property without his permission in writing, but the old contracts stated that I was responsible, so I've been keeping the property decorated throughout inside. I can't prove he has been in the house, but I'm not mistaken, because he's made errors, but proving it will be another thing, so I'll have to change the lock. I'm really very upset it's come to this as everything has been so amicable until just two weeks ago. I will have a lot of problems getting rehomed because I don't have any assets or savings, so no money for a deposit or bond that agencies require and my credit rating is very iffy as I still have my long, ongoing debts. I'm on basic pension with a pension credit top-up and so get HB etc. I know it's not my property and I would have to move eventually, but right now, things would be very difficult. So, I presume he'd have to give me 2 months notice if he wants me out for whatever reason, and if I can't find anywhere local (which I want to be for my son as well as not wanting to move away from the area where I've lived for a huge part of my life), then he has to go to Court and I end up with even more debt for his fees??? What would be the situation with the deposit?

Original TA was for 6 months and was renewed regularly for some years but then lapsed. Last AST was signed 16 months ago. Things seem to have gone inexplicably awry and LL has become 'difficult'. Today, after an 'issue'' which he flared up over and turned out to be nothing to do with me, I've become aware that he has almost certainly been entering my home when I have not been around but cannot prove it without challenging him. So, I'm rather gearing up for the worse as there is definitely something wrong. What would be the modified Stat Notice period? Also, if he has been into my home, I am concerned it could be to log my personal possesssion to lay claim to my property because technically I am a bit behind with my rent. If he had to take me to court because I would not be able to just move out to another private rented property for so many reasons, I am assuming he would want to try to seize my goods. I know I can change one lock on the door, but that would be too late. I was under the impression he did not have a key to the property (his claim) and he knows how I feel about being in the home when anyone needs to call to carry out necessary work. Any help or other tips would be an immense help as I'm feeling really flaky about this.