Excellent work! I'm about to post an unbelievable(no, of course it's not with this - or any other - Banking lot)bit of post just received this evening. And Caro, tee hee hee, too - punny funny. Enjoyed it.

Hello moonie - Thanks for keeping me up-to-date with your dogged quest. WE ARE ALL WITH YOU, YOU KNOW - AND KEEP WITH YOUR AVATAR/I.D - there's a beautiful new moon out there tonight. Go and look - EVERYBODY! Although I'll also be posting in the A&L thread, I'll just let all and sundry know that I have just arrived back at house to find a single letter on carpet, part extruding, flap open. It is from the Bank, the glorious A&L whp say my account with them closes tomorrow. The PO sorting codes(don't know what the stamped PO print is called otherwise)shows 26.10.06 and the envelope has clearly never been gummed down. It contains.......wait, for it........last January's Bank Statement, dated 1 February, 2006. I have still received absolutely nothing from them following THRICE submitted(twice by fax from Branch, at their request)DAR. I will be in there again on Saturday - no chance this last fortnight as I've been covering for someone's hol.s @Charity where I volunteer(8-ish till 18h-ish at least). I photographed this missive as it lay on the floor, then over, finally with close-up of postal sort date. Upon which note I'll go and look at it again - by such moments is the memory bank enriched(and NO Charges!)

G'day Battleaxe - ampersand here. You're lucky you weren't charged £5.00 for your statement - that's what mine, arrived today, shows. A new way for A&L to generate the revenue needed to refund our charges, methinks. I'll use the 'phone no. for Ian Wade - shall be in touch, hope all is well(if that doesn't seem fatuous in view of everything) Chicken soup time - B(and we know it's home-made from carcass of...with home-made bread, don't we now?)

Yes, janquinny. You are completely right - and this is invaluable ammunition. I've tried to make this same point over and over with two Female Jobsworths on the (expensive)phone, to no avail. I'm sure one of the experts will incorporate this into their 'FIRST: READ THIS:...' section. Just tried to thank you and up came this message: You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to janquinny again. Anyway, the thanks are sincere.

Morning all - 3 'letters' from A&L yesterday. First one, dated 13 October 2006, is headed Appeal Against Closure and says my account will be closed on 21 August 2006 and 'If you have not already done so, please cut up your card(s)and return them to me immediately'. Second one, also dated 13 October 2006, also headed Appeal Against Closure, says my account will be closed on 27 October.Again: 'If you have not already done so, please cut up your card(s)and return them to me immediately'. Third one, dated only 'October 2006', advises 'we have taken the difficult decision to close our Cambridge Fitzroy Street Branch, from 5pm on Tuesday 12 December 2006.' I am, however, delighted to tell all Readers Here Present that A&L have invited me to the official re-launch party of what will be the enlarged new-look Sidney Street branch from 9am on Saturday 16 December, which re-opens on Wednesday 13 December. Their letter formats can be ponderous, grammatical no-go areas. This cannot be what I was promised 'from the Legal Department' in Branch last Wednesday. Shall I now go ahead for non-compliance on DAR letter? Although they now assure me the £10 fee was taken this same day, a):I had instructed this first on 1 September, confirmed in writing 2 September - A&L must comply by 11/12 October b):Ditto, via fax from Branch 29 September - A&L must comply by 7 November. c):Ditto, via further fax from Branch, 11 October - A&L must comply by 19 November. Also reported card lost. I want the 40 days' compliance date to be watertight, so two questions, please: (given their incompetence so far and my failure to receive any Statements or proof of transactions) 1.WHICH date shall I use? 2.What will happen to my deposited money after 27 October? I have not yet arranged for it to go elsewhere. I wanted to leave it with A&L so that I would continue to have an account in credit with them. Many thanks and dawn chorus greetings to all ******************************************************************** THE STORY SO FAR: Away mid-July>end August. Returned to raft of charge letters because of 1p o'd triggered on DD which fell a day before money went in(so I was told by Marie). I'net Banking cut off at some unknown date during my absence, explaining my failure to be able to check all was well(I tried twice)while away. 1/9-Visit Branch,long phone-call with Helen Clarke. 2/9 letter sent as per her instruction+DAR. 29/9-Branch again,Jan says 'nothing rcvd'.Docs faxed at her request(number may be useful:0151-9663058 Jan verbally confirms to Branch staff and to me that faxes have come through. 11/10. 3rd Branch visit. Docs' existence/receipt initially denied again, despite HO notes to contrary, so faxed again, this time:0151-9663096. Learn a/c was given w/d status 7 August, though chq's have been honoured since and money banked and given. 12/10. Day 40, no post received. 16/10. 3 irrelevant A&L letters received. Still no DAR compliance.

Wonderful news, Diane! Have been heading to bed for last several hours, but so glad I was up to see this. Pure joy - and the perfect encouragement for the rest of us. Truly Ab.Fab.

If it goes this far, YOU WILL BE FINE. We will ALL be with you on that day - it will be really important for you to feel and KNOW this to be true. Kindest, sincerest, strongest, warmest wishes.

It's fair, creepy jim, if you find it was your monthly fee for having an overdraft facility. You should see this on your statements - you are a step ahead of me. Good luck.

Spent much of yesterday at Branch again, with sensible list of 8 bullet points. A&L H.O.=total cock-up zone. Receipt of docs faxed from Branch 28/9 denied, which is countered by confirmed receipt notes on HO screen, though no-one knows where they are now, or at what state of actioning. Branch girl furious as she waited on telephone to hear Jan, at other end verbally confirm receipt. She was helpfully indiscreet about H.O. and constant messes, current upheavals and 'no-one knows what's going on'-and that's just the staff! Bradley was spoken to in no uncertain terms by H.O. about letting me have my own money. He had said I couldn't - they said I could. 40 working days vs 40 calendar days was bandied again(I put them straight). Today IS day 40 since I sent letters as instructed on 2 September. Bradley told me H.O. wanted my 'phone no. I am ex-directory: all communication must be in writing. Bradley, piggy in middle, bats our talk to and fro. I insist on written comms with quiet reminder that my repeat visits stand testimony to this need. Accepted. My last dated post from them is still 21 August, ten days before I returned. They also sought to blame the last male I dealt with on 29 September, Sashi. As I still have no means of seeing any statements I must rely on HO for info. No, despite clear written instructions and an account in credit, it appears nothing has been done. The £10 fee is then taken, though I still have no proof, just an assurance on the 'phone. HO's Andy now instructs Bradley to send ALL docs again, including my updated letters of 11/10 and tells him to go to a more distant 'phone and ring someone else. I should receive something in writing 'in next few days'. I am now tfr'd to private room with HO Nikki from Liverpool on phone, who takes details of my lost card and blocks it. Tfr'd to Brenda, an excellent lady. Thinks my faxes may have gone/have probably gone to Correspondence.' Says 'I'll ensure they delay your review and put n.f.a. on your account'. WHAT ON EARTH DOES THAT MEAN? Please explain, I ask. She does. I learn, for the first time, what A&L apparently did on 7 August i.e. put my a/c onto Withdrawn Status. I register disbelief. Next it's Lauren, then back to the kindly, competent and embarrassed Brenda. Both are clearly taken aback themselves, trying to explain/justify things they themselves say are 'all wrong'. Again, no-one knows what is happening. Again, I have spent just on 6 hours in the Branch. I feel moral ascendancy is mine, but will save that for a positive outcome, maybe by Christmas? Two points: a)in these particular circumstances, should I start the 40 days from 1 September, 29 September or yesterday, when I'm told the fee was at last taken?(not that I have proof) b)Andy instructed Bradley to re-fax the docs to a different no. - 0151-9663096 from that used last time. May be useful. I feel I am on the road at last. Could their faltering start be in my favour when the hour of reckoning comes? *********************** Away mid-July>end August. Returned to raft of charge letters because of 1p o'd triggered on DD which fell a day before money went in(so I was told by Marie). I'net Banking cut off at some unknown date during my absence, explaining my failure to be able to check all was well(I tried twice)while away. 1/9-Visit Branch,long phonecall with Helen Clarke. 2/9 letter sent as per her instruction+DAR. 29/9-Branch again,Jan says 'nothing rcvd'.Docs faxed at her request(number may be useful:01519663058:cool: Jan verbally confirms to Branch staff and to me that faxes have come through. 11/10. 3rd Branch visit. Docs' existence/receipt initially denied again, despite HO notes to contrary, so faxed again, this time>0151-9663096. Learn a/c was given w/d status 7 August, though chq's have been honoured since and money banked and given. 12/10. Day 40, no post received.

I am just about to head to Branch(again-3rd visit since beginning this, 1 and 28 September)with third(date/detail-modified) DAR and letter. I still haven't seen proof of the £10 fee withdrawal from my account, but in my updated further request, note that tomorrow is the last day for compliance from 2 September. My visits are necessary, as I now seem to have mislaid my Bank card-it has never happened before and I am at a loss to know how/why/where. I'll be asking for another, but suspect my chances are somehat smaller than non-existent>miniscule. ************************************************************************** Away mid-July>end August. Returned to raft of charge letters because of 1p o'd triggered on DD which fell a day before money went in(so I was told by Marie). I'net Banking cut off at some unknown date during my absence, explaining my failure to be able to check all was well(I tried twice)while away. 1/9-Visit Branch,long phonecall with Helen Clarke. 2/9letter sent as per her instruction+DAR. 29/9-Branch again,Jan says 'nothing rcvd'.Docs faxed at her request(number may be useful:01519663058) 11/10?t.b.c.

'You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later.' THIS WHAT COMES OF HAVING TOO MANY PEOPLE TO THANK! But I still will, Aitken Brotherston. Thankyou very much for your detailed response(I'll put more weight on your scales later). I will certainly follow your advised steps; I do try to do my homework here on site first. However, until I have confirmation that A&L have taken(or waived-unlikely) the £10 fee, I am unwilling to give them a possible escape/delay opportunity. Hence, a further reason for my visit tomorrow.

Hello alpwing - Our situations bear some similarities(certainly on the income front i.e. small!)so shall watch for your news. I've just begun, so good luck! I wonder if you'll get a response from A&L - I haven't so far(question posted today)and further wonder if account holders of limited means are being ignored.

Hello moonie- I'm still at the early stages(question posted in A&L thread), but just read your post and wanted to say- Alone you are not!

Hello to all who help and contribute support here- On 1 September, I spoke to Helen Clarke at HO, from Grafton St branch , Cambridge. I had just returned from 6 weeks away to find multiple charge letters, (originating in a 1p shortfall overnight, apparently)the last of which was dated 21 August. I was cut off from internet banking which prevented me seeing what was happening while I was away. I have had no correspondence from them since. Obeying her instructions to send in a letter of appeal re:a/c charges/status. I modified the template letter, asking them to deduct the £10 fee from my in-credit current a/c. Sent 1st class post 2 September, as per instructions. Back to Branch on Fri, 29 Sept. Telephone to HO again. Helen Clarke unavailable but colleague can see her notes. They say they have received nothing from me, so my Template letter and further letter are faxed, at their request. I have timed receipted copies. Still no response, but 40 days from 2 September expires in 2 days' time/Thurs 12 Oct. I am having to drive, then pay Park and Ride fares to go and get money from my account each fortnight. For what it's worth, I am on benefit and budget carefully. I spread fortnightly DD's to cover my absences with their assurance that if Benefit dates/weekends/DD dates did not mesh, the flexibility of their system meant they could take due amounts in a 5-day working period from the set date. I do remember the woman who set them up could not seem to grasp the importance of this for my peace of mind. I believed this, but came back to find it was not true. Should I reset the 40 days' response time from my knowledge of their receiving my faxed letters i.e. 29 Sept>28 October? As it is, I have not received the information needed to proceed with my claim. What next, please? ********* p.s.I know you have said that people on benefit need not contribute, but I will happily do so when this is satisfactorily resolved. ********* I keep re-reading f.a.q.'s - if I receive no statements, no letters and cannot access my Internet Banking, how can I see whether/when the £10 was taken. Must I continue to make journeys to the Branch and use their phone? Thankyou. Money continues to go in fortnightly.

Good for you, dchambers. I am just beginning this business with the proviso that A&L deny receiving the initial form and Appeal letter their Helen Clarke instructed me to send on 8 September. As they also cut off my Internet Banking during my 6-weeks' absence, I am unable to know what they have done/are doing, but money still goes in fortnightly and the account is in credit, though not responding to Hole-in-wall. I have heard nothing from them since my return. SO , IT'S COURAGE AND ENDURANCE TIME. YOU HAVE IT!

Totally agree, duncanvale. Have just done a repeat Subject Access Form, as A&L deny receiving the first one and, by cutting me off Internet banking, prevent me seeing if they have complied with my request to take the £10 fee from my in-credit a/c. I have not rceived any statement this month either. I will submit the form at the Branch for internal post tomorrow and obtain a receipt as proof of acceptance.