Hiya as far as I know its the day they received it. So if you dont know when it was received then take it as being 2 working days after it was posted. I sent mine on 11th September but when I emailed Halifax they said they received on 15th (I am in Scotland so will let them off with it) so my 40 days is today. I emailed Nicola Inett@ halifax but have not had an update from her or a guarantee that I will be receiving the statements. I also asked about my BOS ones as after all they are now all one company now! Think they are running late with doing these but doesnt hurt to email. Her email is NicolaInett@ halifax.co.uk and she responded to me earlier when I emailed them weeks ago just to check they had received them. As usual they told me they would be processed within the 40 days allowed by the data Protection Act - WRONG!!

I am due to have a meeting with my boss re. going back to work after 2 years maternity (Each year 6 months unpaid\6 months paid). I am currently on FTC and had it planned that I would stay at my mums as I live 30 miles away from my work, cannot drive and there is no reasonable transportation system in place to get there (Think it would involVe 3-4 buses and take approx 2.5 hours each way) and as the first bus is a minibus and I would be using a double buggy, not at all practical. Anyway have had a fall out with my mum and although I have text her she has not responded to say she will meet me half way re. the argument. My husband then confused matters by saying he wanted us to try to fix our marriage and had been offered a better deal on a job he had turned down a few weeks ago. This job would mean he would be home most nights and we could spend time as a family. Would also mean he would manage to take me into work for the 2 days I'd be going back. Anyway not sure now if this new job is going to come off which means he wont be able to give me a lift to and from work, I cant stay at my mums or have her babysit cos she isnt talking to me. I could possibly stay at my sisters till I get a driving license. Anyway I was wondering if there is any system in place to borrow the childcare money till I get paid? Thats of course if i can find suitable childcare able to start in 2-3 weeks time. I have heard some require 6 weeks money but I wont get paid till the end of the month. Am also thinking this is more complicated than I need right now and I should maybe quit but then if hubby and I dont get back together I wont get FTC so will have nothing to live on till the solicitors sort it all out. I am on a not bad salary with my current employer but know if I take a job in the local village it will end up as minimum wage but would this leave me worse off or better off through Tax Credits? My previous salary was approx £30,000 and I had told them I would be going back to do 20 hours a week - If my salary drops to just under a third of that when I change from Systems Analyst to shop assistant or similar, what would this mean re. money from FTC if my husband and I dont get back together - would I get less cos the tax I was paying was less or more cos my wages were low? Also, my kids have never been in childcare and are funny around strangers. The older one is at the 'everything is mine and nobody is allowed to play with it stage' and the youngest takes a while to settle with anyone but mummy. The oldest is a bit of a biter (She is coming up for 21 months). Any recommendations on what to look for in a childcare person - number of other kids they are looking after, ages of them or should they be able to deal with any child? Just worried cos I have ever left them with a stranger before. My mum and sister are the only people I have ever left both of them with, and my sister only the odd hour here or there. Cheers for any info\advice.

Hiya, and welcome to the site - loads of help , advice and moral support on here! Firstly, you need to go and look at the FAQ's and also a good idea reading through other people threads in your banks area. As you have your statements the next thing to do is the prelim letter and your charges spreadsheet. Its better to get it right and follow the system - its worked for thousands on here and will work for you too! The recommendation is you spend a few days reading through the site to familiarise yourself with the process, and other people experiences. Also gives you an idea of what to expect from your particular bank(s). Also start your own thread in your banks area. Means you will be more likely to get relevant assistance, and is a good reference point for yourself as to the progress of your claim. Sometimes its a good idea to open up another bank account - there is a thread entitled parachute accts you can look up if your credit history is poor and you may struggle to get an acct. Better go, got a little one wanting mums attention! all the best though...

Yes welcome to the site and good luck. Create a separate thread for each claim - its a great way or getting advice quickly and info that is relevant to your claim. Its also handy to use it like a diary for status of each claim and the dates you sent letters and received replies. Means you still have all the relevant info if god forbid your pc crashes or you loose any handwritten notes! If you havent got your statements then I'd send off your SAR's now - the banks etc have 40 days to comply and some even take longer - those that do you can report though! All the best and if your are stuck or confused and cant find the info with a search then just ask! We've all been there, done that! Plus if you want reassurance about a step you have taken or are away to take likewise!

Hiya and welcome to the site! First things first, if you dont have your statements then I would look through the libraries, print off a SAR and get it sent off. The banks have 40 days to respond to it and some take even longer. The time you have waiting for the statements you can use to familiarise yourself with the site, the FAQ's and looking through threads of other peoples experiences recouping their money from the same institutes as you will be claiming from. Just remember everyone on the site is here to help and there is a LOT of knowledgeable people on it. Its all light hearted - the Bear Garden and the chat room are also great places to visit to get to know other users\claimants, and you can ask about lots of stuff on the site, not just about bank charges so you will probably find you become addicted like me! Good luck with your claims! Nikki

I thought the husband would only be entitled to half of the increase in value of the property since they were married and not any profit from before as this was not purchased during the marriage? Might be different between Scotland and England but that was what I was advised up in Scotland when I asked about this. Could be different though as there are kids involved though. If I was your friend I would try talking to her husband and try to fix things between them. She loved him enough to want to live with him and then later to marry him, she should therefore give her marriage a fair try before admitting defeat, and think of the kids - they are obviously not hers but she welcomed them into her home and life - if they do split they will have to sort out how to handle telling them.

Yeah same happened to me too - think it was just the two loans with them but when I tried to say I didnt want PPI they then said I couldnt have the loans without it. When I said it was too expensive they came back with a lower PPI on one of the loans but I needed the money, was in their branch and knew I would get the money there and then. With one of the loans I tried to change my mind after I had signed it and they told me I couldnt cos I did it on their premises. I think thats a stupid law as I personally needed the money and they talked me into it, when I would have been cheaper trying someone else, even with my credit history. Everytime they phone you and see how you are doing they offer you a top up and they always tell you to 'pop in past the branch' No wonder! Seems like you sign away a lot of your rights that way! Am away to draft up my cca and SAR to them for the loans - thought I had already done it but doesnt look like it from my files\records! Hopefully will post if by end of week.

I would guess you should do your prelim again once you get your statements and have done your schedule of charges. Then wait 14 days, issue your LBA then another 14 days and its off to court. This is only my opinion but i would guess your prelim would either have had inaccurate or no figures on it, and to my knowledge you have to give the banks 28 days (Perhaps this is why they quote 4 weeks?) before commencing court action, hence the 2 x 14 days. Means a slight delay with your timescales but at the end of the day if it goes all the way to court better to show the judge you have given the bank etc every opportunity to settle. Plus this is a tried and tested method that has worked for thousands of people so be a shame to have the case dropped on some silly technicality. Not sure this would happen but IMO better safe than sorry.... But anyway now you have found this site you will lots of useful tips, helpful advice and friendly people on the site - and dont forget to visit the Bear garden and Chat rooms to get to know the regulars - some of them even have a sense of humour!

Dont panic - there is heaps of advice throughout this site and lots of people willing to help you get your money back, some with really indepth knowledge of the law. Remember its not just bank charges that are covered, its also PPI's and Early redemption penaltys on mortgages so make sure you claim everything back you can - its about the little person getting their own back on these big institutes who have abused their power for WAY TOO LONG! Also its always handy to open up a new bank acct - not saying it will happen to you but some banks take offence when you try to claim your money back and threaten you with alsorts so better to be prepared in advance! Good luck and hope you enjoy your money or it makes your life better when (NOT IF) you get it!

Got a letter from Egg today re my complaint about PPI. They have also reattached their resolution proposal and a copy of the agreement. They say I have till 20th November and then they will close the file. I have details of transaction on the current loan but dont know what reduction I received if any when they paid off the original loan, and no notes on manual intervention so I really need the response to my SAR before I can progress this. My main issue is until I found this forum I was always under the impression that PPI was mandatory if you had a less than clean credit rating. The agreement I signed akready included it and never mentioned that I coud cancel the insurance and still get the loan. I had not intended on returning to work after my maternity leave ended so would never use this PPI. Suppose I will have to wait till closer to the date then if I still havent received my SAR info on the 2 loans then I will have to draft an email or letter to them. Will get help on that hopefully!

Just quote that you want your credit card info and list all relevant addresses you stayed at - they should be able to trace your information and provide it - why pay them £10 twice! Just put something like - Platinum Visa Credit Card. Other people have done this in a SAR and got info back when they didnt know their acct number with other companies so worth a try with Lloyds. Good luck with your claims!

sent off a SAR and CCA to my local branch of Welcome Finance. had loans with a company they took over (Macadam Finance) and was forced to take their Insurance. Also, I had several loans with them but cannot remember being offered a rebate on insurancce. With one of my loans I paid £1252 into it 2 months after it started (On top of regular payments) and this did not reduce the loan by anything more than the paid in amount. Their interest rate was also sky high so am hopeful I will be able to get something back from them now I know that you dont have to take insurance out with loans. Just got to get all paperwork and see if they come under the missold PPI umbrella and if I got any rebate for repaying current loans with newer top up loans I took.

Just sent a SAR off (20 October)for my husband for 2 x bank accts and a Visa card. Not sure if the Visa should have gone to a separate address but thought it was worth a try including it and will see what they say. Not much money to claim here in total but better out of the banks pockets and back with the rightful owner! Included £10 postal order and got certificate of posting...

My mum had an acct with Associates and got into arrears, charges went spiralling on and it got passed to a DCA. As far as she recalls she paid th whole amount off with no discount. Anyway I have sent her SAR off 20th October. Didnt have her acct number but have given her name, DOB, copy of passport and copy of recent Utility bill which should hopefully cover what they would need along with the standard £10 Postal Order.

Sent off mums SAR today 20 October and got certificate of posting....

Sent the SAR off 20 October and got certificate of posting for it...

Sent prelim off 20 October and got certificate of posting for it...

Sent the SAR off 20 October and got certificate of posting for it...

Prelims sent today got certificate of posting for them...

You must be as bad as me for being up most of the night\early morning! anyway thanks for that info, I have sent off the SAR so will update when I get more info. Got Macadam aswell that I have sent a combined SAR\CCA request - they had really high rates, I only have a copy of one of the agreements and it doesnt state the PPI but I know I HAD to take it. They were a part of Progressive I think it said and Welcome has taken them over. I think in total I had about 6 loans from them - most paid of the previous loan. Finally sorted out my finances though and my credit rating (Git a bit screwed at start of this year due to marriage probs though!!) so dont use these companies anymore cos more mainstream lenders will lend to me now. One thing that bugs me is when I took the loan from Associates, they looked through my credit file, saw I had a loan with Macadam, took the balance outstanding on that and asked me to guestimate what it would be at that time. They then persuaded me to pay off Macadam with part of their loan. I got £1252 from them to pay Macadam but turned out my balance was nearer £4000 with Macadam and paying the cheque from Associates in didnt make any difference to interest due on loan as it only reduced it by the amount I paid in which in effect means I paid high interest twice on that £1252. Looking back I cant believe I agreed to it. Was stuck as to which lenders I could use and my mum was always getting into money problems - rent arrears\threatened with eviction etc and I was always bailing her out. Will be interested to see what docs I receive from Welcome though and if there is any mention of insurance.

Nightmare4Banks is pretty clued up on missold PPI - lookl at thread I've listed below: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/insurance-assurance-companies/31031-good-news-folks-ppi.html Maybe u could pm him\her and get him\her to read this thread and get his\her advice

Is it not possible to attach a note to your credit file to explain the reason for the defaults - i.e. marriage breakdown or whatever? Only thing is, do banks and companies looking at your file even notice these or take them into account? Surely your current history showing you;ve been a good girl will stand in your favour? Also what about who you currrently bank with - they may consider you because of your banking history with them - maybe its worth going in and speaking to someone? I had defaults and a CCJ years ago and still got a mortgage with BOS who I banked with.

Surely you can still take them to court if you want? You should pm Martin and see what he says....After all every penny helps when you are on benefits...

Just dug out my paperwork so am going to list the details I have from the 2 loan agreements. The second loan was used to refinance the first. They were both signed in the office and when I tried to cancel one of the loans just after signing but they told me it was "non cancellable" and drew my attention to the top corner of the form which said "Non Cancellable Unsecured for use on Branch premises only". Their clause says the PPI was optional but when i siad I didnt want to take it cos it was too expensive they said I wouldnt get the loan. Not sure what the arrangement fee is?! Also not sure if i perhaps had an earlier loand or if Refinancing refers to me getting cheques to pay off loans with other companies? Will be sending SAR's and CCA's off tomorrow. The Associates Loan signed in office 16/02/02 Total Paid to Customer £349.00 Refinancing £1651.00 Optional Insurance* as per insurance application form £814.65 Arrangement Fee £75.00 Amount Financed £2889.65 Interest Rate 3.14%/month ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE (variable) 48.1% Number of Monthly Instalments 36 Amount of Monthly Instalments £135.22 *Credit Insurances are available to the Borrower but are optional and are not a condition of the loan Citifinancial Loan signed in office 09/05/03 Total Paid to Customer £2029.98 Refinancing £3070.02 Optional Insurance* as per insurance application form £1867.02 Arrangement Fee £100.00 Amount Financed £7067.02 Interest Rate 1.74%/month ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE (variable) 24% Number of Monthly Instalments 48 Amount of Monthly Instalments £218.37 *Credit Insurances are available to the Borrower but are optional and are not a condition of the loan

Just away to start a thread about my Citi\Associates PPI. I found the agreements in my paperwork and will be sending a SAR off to them...If you could have a look and see what you think would be great. They wouldnt let me take the loan without PPI and I am unsure if I got a refund of any of the first PPI when taking out the 2nd loan which paid off the first...