Evening all, Im after some advice, Last friday i was taken in to the office by my boss and suspended on pay. There were two claims made against me by the apprentice. One that i had hit him over the head with a first aid box and another that i had hit him round the face twice for no reason. The first, hitting round the head with a first aid box, this was completely accidental, and rather than a hit id would of called it catching him with a box as i passed him, i apologised. Nothing more was said and i was surprised he moaned about that. The later, was rubbish, i hadn't hit him/ touched him whatsoever. Iv got a few theories as to why he may have made up the later accusation, he'd been dragged into the office twice already that week, his college tutor had been in and dragged his dad in for his poor attitude at work.He'd also told us that the boss had threaten to terminate his contract if he didnt buck his ideas up He does get quite a bit of banter thrown his way tbh by everyone even the boss, mainly for his poor attitude and stupidity in the job. Iv also been at the job a lot less than him( him 2 1/2 years apprentice, me 9 months fully qualified) and settled in considerably better than him, and looked upon alot better by the other employees. My boss is notorious for not being able to manage a situation and passing the book, which is what he has done in this situation. rather than drag me in the office and have a word with me/ asked me about the story he has gone straight to our HR department and asked them what to do. Obvs as soon as he has mentioned hitting to them, understandable they have said suspend pending investigation. I got a letter today outline my companys zero tolerance to bullying (there zero policy literally covered every possible aspect) and that i was under investigation for: "Striking an employee" "Gross Misconduct" "Bullying in the workplace" I have a meeting next tuesday with my manager also attended by the HR Manager. Im really after some advice on which way to go about the situation regarding the fact that i consider his main accusation a lie. Iv spoke to the lads in the workshop who have all said theyll support me should it come to it and witness that they have never seen any violence in the workplace. Iv worked there 9months+ and on a full contract passing my 6 month probation periord. Iv never been in any othe trouble there and worked the most overtime out of everyone there over a 6 month period. I feel personnally im a valued member of the team. The lad is only 18 and very immature, personally i believe he is trying to take some pressure off himself and put it on to me, with the recent whispers of contract losses in the pipeline. Im now worried about getting sacked but feel it would be ridiculous due to being innocent Any help or advice gratefully received.

Hi, I am really hoping someone can help me. Without going into to much detail I will try and explain my problem. I work as a bar manager, I have 1 barmaid below me and a manager above me. I have had several issues with both who happen to be friends. A few weeks ago I was suspended pending investigation. I attended an informal meeting where I was asked to account for several issues that were actually because of both the above mentioned people but who didnt take responsibility for this instead choosing to let me take the blame. These issues have included but not exclusively losing cash from the till, losing stock, shouting at me in front of patrons and doctoring paperwork. I have complained to my line manager several times about the barmaid nothing has even been said to her, I have complained to the higher ups about my manager nothing has been said to her. Tomorrow I have a disciplinary hearing at which I could get sacked. I was told I could bring witnesses BUT I have been told I cannot speak to any other staff members or patrons!!! I am at my wits end and dont really know what to do from here. Many patrons have expressed support for me but this has been ignored Thank you in advance for any help and advice.

Recently started a role a few months ago and there is a colleague who has been undermining me from the 1st day. I am told that I was never on her list of prefered candidates and that she would have hired someone young, bright, ambitious than me. Apparently it was the bosses decision to hire me. Recently there are other ideas that my colleague wanted me to support her so she could pass them over to the boss and this would then have been implemented by me. The ideas would have been a serious policy violation with a third party and I refused. Straight away after my refusal )same conversation) I was then informed that the company was actually thinking of getting rid of me in three months time because of poor perfomance. I asked my boss regarding this dismisal a few days later but she seemed to agree and undermined me even more. My confidence has been completely knocked off and some of my colleague have also even started to undermine me. What can I do?

Hi Guys, Would be grateful if someone could maybe clarify the following for a friend of mine, Mark has worked for the same company for 6 years with a completley clean record. One month ago got a note to file for bad customer service due to a complaint which he was not allowed to discuss or argue his case, no investigation done with other team members, this he was told he had to accept and that if this happened again would result with possible disciplinary action. He had grown a moustache and was told he looked like a peadophile and other members of staff made to vote on whether they liked it or not in a staff meeting in front of everyone, He was then given a final written warning for taking food to a table that he had not taken the order for (the manager took the order while he was on his break), the table was vegetarian which the manager had not comunicated to him and he took the wrong food by mistake and the table complained. He appealed the disciplinary disicion last week (which has still not been heard). Also his English has been constantly critisised (never has had a problem in 6 years). The day after he appealed he was suspended due to cashing of a cash payment to credit card by mistake, a schoolboy error. (the letter of suspension was with full pay), He was then two days later called up and asked to work because another team member had called in sick, He was also told the incident with the suspension will still be under investigation till further notice (but nothing in writing). This is a short version of what has happened, I have advised him that the grievance procedure should be used but not sure whether to wait until after the appeal hearing has taken place or to just get it rolling now?

Don't believe me? Hear it for yourself [video=youtube;LibdhY-ARlo]

Hi there, I've had quite a torrid few months since I developed a disability(ankylosing spondilitus) and have been off work since whilst the Rheumatologists try their hardest to get me back on my feet(literally) again. My manager hasn't be great at all - he has always had a habit of saying things that fall way short of reasonable and it was no surprise that he started to stick the boot in to me at our keeping in touch meetings. Anyway, a long story short, after being treated like 'you know what' for months and missing out on a promotion possibility as work failed to tell me that my Manager was being made redundant - I decided, for the first time in my life to put in a grievance. I'd spoken to several agencies and they all agreed that I had a good, strong case to go to tribunal if I wanted to. Well, the grievance hearing has come and gone and I've, surprise surprise, been told that there is insufficient evidence from my employers perspective. I'm now considering taking it to the next stage. After my first 'keeping in touch' meeting, my Manager said so many blatantly outrageous things that I decided to record any further conversations for my own protection. It's not something I feel great about to be honest but I'm glad I recorded at least some of the conversations because it clearly demonstrates the ongoing and persistant discrimination and harassment I've had to put up with. However, and here's the dilemma, I've NOT told my employers that I have some recorded conversations where he has clearly demonstrated disregard for me and my condition. Now they have knocked back my first grievance I'm really not sure what I can do(if anything) about revealing that I have this evidence. Any advice would be fantastically helpful.

Does anyone know how to stop a magistrates liability order? Tried going to court phoning bailiff company (they say speak to bailiff on his mobile) hes just demanding money we havnt got and being bullying.

Good evening all, a friend of mine refered me to this site as he uses you guys to resolve issues and has great success. I am looking for advice as to where I stand with regards to being denied the chance to interview for promotion, despite meeting the qualifying criteria. This is compounded by the fact the job was posted whilst I was on leave, and upon return the link to the application failed (even though thejob was only open for a week, and company policy is for two weeks). When the HR manager finally placed a manual application in for me the interviews had been held (still with in the two week period), I was contacted today by my area manager to state that I wouldn't be getting an interview (even though I am above the promotional criteria in the matrix they use). He infered that they already had a successful applicant and reserve, this is despite the job still being open in the two weeks. I am looking for advice and direction as to my options, this experience has made me want to leave my company as this is my area managers decision, I qualify for promotion and joined the company to porgress. I fell let down, angry, upset and frustrated, all I wanted was to build a career and now within the space of a 30 minute conversation I want any new job that is available. Thanks in advance.

Hi all, Firstly thank you for reading and thank you for any help or assistance you can offer! I've been having a very tough time at work most recently which has lead to depression and me basically wanting to leave...after all my health is more important than my job. its a shame since I've worked for the company for over 3 years...worked my way up from Graduate level to a fairly senior position. Prior to this I loved my job and the company is a well known operates throughtout the UK. Firstly I have had ongoing 'issues' with my boss for some reason he has a dislikely to me...he has only recently started and problems have only occured since his arrival. I have tried to speak with him directly about this but frankly he couldnt care. Since this time he has been almost picking on me and I believe trying to tarnish my personality and character at work. Firstly aquisations were made that meant my suspension from work (this was was dissmissed as there was no evidence backing his claim), 2ndly a written warning against me (as part of initial investigation obnomialies were found) and the management thought it was evidence enough to give me a written warning. Clearly something needs to change and given his seniority above me I believe his word will always be stronger than mine...If I leave would I have a case for compensation against either him or the company?? my ace is a recorded conversation which in a nut-shell paints in a terrible light and has him saying some terrible things to me.. Does anyone have any thoughts?? thank you!

Hi Folks, Briefly....started work for a compnay on 11th Oct 2011 and went on sick with Depression on 28th Oct. Reason is that I am a gay man and I received constant comments and 3 members of staff bullying and harassing me on a daily basis about my sexuality "wife" and my civil partnership. Hand drawn pictures (pornographic) of men. I have submitted by grievance and am awaiting a meeting probably next week. I am only getting SSP and am at a financial loss of about £1,200 per month. They are a SME company with about 30 employees and I feel at present I could not go back. My doctor is comitted to supporting me and as I am depressed he will keep signing me off till I am fit. At the meeting do I suggest a Compromise Agreement ? I know I can take a Tribunal claim but don't feel I could afford this. Your views would be helpful.

Hello, I'm new here and was hoping someone would be able to advise. I have a bullying boss who has accused me of physically threatening him and who I have started a formal grievance procedure against. But I don't know what my rights are or what to expect next ... The background (sorry, I've gone on a bit!) The company I worked for was taken over in April 2010. In August 2010 a new manger was assigned to my team. In the 15 months since I have been subjected to sustained bullying from my manger including lying, aggressive and intimidating behaviour, aggressive swearing, and on a couple of occasions racist outbursts about, but not to, a Hungarian employee. He also has said several times that the more people he upsets in a day the better and seems to thrive on creating conflict and being aggressive towards people. I am not the only one in my department who feels bullied and intimidated, however everyone,including me, is scared of him and are afraid to do anything to upset him. I have been keeping a log of his behaviour. October 2010, after an aggressive encounter with him I informed his line manager and had a mediation meeting with him. In the mediation meeting he did not fully acknowledge his behaviour was unacceptable, and also lied to me saying that he was notified whenever a member of his team contacted HR and that during one previous conversation with him he had been scared I was going to hit him. He claimed that another manager would back up this claim. I did not get the courage to ask the other manager about this until recently. The other manager said this was not true. Last Thursday I was asked to accompany him to a meeting room. There had been a disagreement between me and him about my holiday allocation. Due to a mistake I am now one day over my annual leave allowance. I maintain it was his mistake and believe I have proof. He maintained it was my mistake. I normally try to avoid disagreeing with him but when it comes down to losing money I decided to make a stand. Anyway he took me to a meeting room and started to tell me he was very disappointed about my lack of respect for him when I had originally spoken to him about this, that I had made "the whole room feel uncomfortable" and that his boss agreed. I felt that what he said was hypocritical and started to attempt to defend myself when he told me not to talk over him. At this point 15 months of suppressed anger at his treatment of me erupted and I lost my temper and told him I was fed up with his lying, bullying and slander; that i would not be lectured on personal standards by him; and as I left I said "you are a f******* lying t**t and if you are offended by my conduct the other day then lodge a formal grievance with HR and I will kick your f****** a**e." I said this as I was leaving the room moving away from him. I went straight to his boss, but he approached his boss too. His boss asked who should go first and I replied that I wasn't concerned who went first. He spoke to his boss. Who then spoke to me. His boss said I seemed 'keyed up' and should go home and we would talk on Friday. His boss decided that instead of talking to me the following day there would be an investigation meeting on Monday (yesterday) with a member of HR. At this meeting his boss told me that he knew my boss was "economical with the truth", and that he just "has an opinion on everything" and that his aggressive nature is "simply his managerial style" and I should try to work with it. The HR representative told me that sometimes people don't realise they are being aggressive, or how their behaviour affects others, until someone tells them. I replied that as he says about how much he enjoys upsetting people I found this difficult to believe. Also I had had a prior conversation with him about his behaviour (Oct 2010) and he had become slightly less aggressive but not much. In this meeting I gave them a 10 page statement explaining the mitigating circumstances that led to my out of character outburst, and a 20 page log of his behaviour towards me over the last year. After my meeting with them, they spoke to my boss. After that meeting I was told I would be sent an email that evening telling me I was to face disciplinary at 10 am Thursday 1st December. His Boss told me that my boss claimed I had physically threatened him and that my boss had also said there had been other occasions when I had raised my voice to him, which is not true. I sought advice from a telephone advisory service (PPC) and they advised me to send an email with a letter attached immediately saying that I wanted to start a Formal Grievance and that "without looking at the grievance first it would be unfair and unreasonable process to proceed with a disciplinary". I sent it last night (Monday) and haven't received an email about a disciplinary yet. I am of previously good behaviour for the same company for 6 six years and have never lost my temper or sworn at another person. Whereas my boss has frequent run-ins and altercations with a number of people and then blames them for it. Ideally what I would like to happen is for: My grievance to be heard before the disciplinary Them to find that my outburst was due to mitigating circumstances (ie bullying) My boss to face a disciplinary procedure for his conduct Me to be moved to a new team, maybe even department Does anyone know how likely these outcomes are? Thanks, Martin

Hi guys, new to the site and looking for some advice please help i work in a 'premium' high street retailer part time and have done for 18 months, during my time here i have worked so hard and my previous manager, deputy store manager and supervisors all sing my praises and have never had said a bad word or had an issue with me. I work extremely hard and do above what is expected of me, do overtime when needed, cover staff illnesses etc. two weeks ago a new line manager was appointed to my department, i instantly raised my issues about this to my previous line manager as i went to school with this girl and wondered if this would be a problem as when she was manager at another retailer and had worked with my ex boyfriend. (sorry for personal details but feel this is relevant) my previous manager told me not to worry, stick it out for a few weeks and see how i got on. So saturday the 13th i approached my new line manager asking her if it was possible for me to have the next saturday 20th off work either unpaid or as a holiday as I just found out i was moving into a new flat and had to sign my lease this day, also it was my 21st birthday that weekend. I asked her this at 6.10, 20 minutes before the store closed and she shouted at me, saying i should have discussed this earlier on in the day when other staff were in so she could arrange cover, the reason i did not do so is because it was a saturday, our busiest day of the week and i did not see her all day apart from when she or I was busy. She said the only way i could have it off was if i arranged cover, please note previously we never had to arrange cover, with a big store like this there is always enough staff for you to just simply take the day off, also since joining my department she never once told us what her rules were about taking days off, holidays etc. i left it after that and tried to arrange with my landlord another day to meet, sadly this was not possible and the next time i was working was friday 19th, i presumed she would be in and planned on speaking to her that day, importunately she wasnt so i discussed the matter with my supervisor and another manager. the other manager told me to contact her on her mobile to ask her about the situation but my supervisor told me there was no point as she doesnt 'appreciate' phone calls on her day off. as wrong as it was i did not come to work on saturday 20th, i had left a letter explaining and phoned her in the morning to explain the circumstances she was ok and said she would discuss it when i was back to work on the wednesday. worked with her wednesday and thursday and there was no mention of the situation. Then on friday 26th another manager asked me to come to the office where i was handed a brown envelope, inviting me to a disciplinary meeting on saturday 27th. Please note, this document was dated 23rd August, i was not given it till 3pm on 26th august despite having worked 24th and 25th secondly it had been lying on a desk in an office used by all members of staff. i had less than 24 hours till my meeting, when i went to the meeting i argued my case while she made me feel like i was 5 years old again. she then decided to issue me with a written warning which i feel unfair. Also after this meeting finishshe began to say 'off the record' as she put it she didnt have anything against me, she cant rmemeber anyone from school and she really wants me to do well etc as she had heard how hard i have worked and that i basically hold my department together despite being just a sales advisor on £6 ph. I wish to appeal to my store manager which she said i am allowed to do. my points are - i feel a personal issue is here somewhere, i have never even been close to any disciplinary action in my 18 months here, 1 week after she joins my dept this happens. - the document was left lying in an office for 3 days before issued to me, which i am embarrassed about as it was probably seen by many members of staff - i was not given 24 hours before my meeting, therefore did not have enough time to prepare - she did not mention anything about the situation or how to resolve it before the meeting - she did not outline expectations of how long we had to put in notice for a holiday - i only wanted 1 day off, not much when you consider the amount of my free time i devote to the company, unpaid i know i did take the day off without permission but do i have anything to stand on if i appeal? So sorry about the length of this post ! thanks

Hi everyone, I hope someone can offer me advice regarding below. I started my new job on the 1st of June 2010 and was subject to a six month probationary period. Being a car driver was a ‘desirable’ element of the Person specifications - and not ‘essential’. Nor was it asked on my application form (have copies of both documents). It was raised during interview in which I stated a pay rise would help facilitate driving lessons but nothing more than that really. August 24th I have supervision. Asked about driving, spoke about options – ‘TARGET’ date of 1st March. (have copy of this) In between the six months period another colleague was receiving huge pressure to get her driving license too. I am now the only staff member that does not drive. My manager told me in her office that driving is now ‘MANDATORY’ for all staff. She also called me in around three/four weeks ago stating ‘we may need to bring the target date forward’ so I told her I really could not afford it and reminded her of the target date. Nothing more was said. 6 months later (1st December) I have supervision. I am honest and state that I am struggling with paperwork/ workload (I am not alone – ALL staff feel this way!). Manager highlighted that I had not received support from team leaders and would ensure support is received. Support received from manager at time of supervision too. Everything is ok as far as I am aware. (have copy of this too) Then on the 23rd of December I get handed a letter by my manager. Here it is:- (dated 17th December 2010) Following previous discussion we have had in your supervisions, you are aware that it is essential that you have a mode of transport i.e moped/motorcycle/car to enable you to carry out your role as a support worker. As discussed at your supervision on the 24th of August, we agreed a deadline for the 1st of March 2011. Your probationary period was set to end on the 1st of December 2010, unfortunately taking this in to account I will be extending your probationary period for a further 3 month, giving you the opportunity to improve on the areas you are failing to achieve in currently. Your probationary period will be extended to the 1st of March 2011 when your situation will be assessed you must understand your failure in meeting this deadline could ultimately lead to your employment being terminated. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further please do not hesitate to contact me. The letter predominantly revolves around driving being the issue - the thing that bothers me most is that ‘I’ raised my paperwork/workload issue - not them – and there is no evidence that I am ‘FAILING’ other than my expectations of myself!! Someone has just passed their probationary period admitting to me that they had not even touched their paperwork. It feels they are using this as extra weight by saying ‘areas (plural) that I am failing to achieve in currently’. I suppose the question is – can they do this? Well, they already have but can I do anything about it? Should I not have received a new contract with driving being a prerequisite? I feel really stressed out and hate going in to work now. Hope someone can help advise me!

Where do I start? .... I've been off for 2months for work related stress, my GP has put bullying as well as w.r.s on my fitnote. In the last 3 years I have faced my work colleagues (very underhand) sniping and generally putting me down and intimidating me - no physical violence or shouting - she's far too clever for that. I've been to my line manager several times - but he is friends with my work colleague and, hence, nothing's been done I very much get the feeling they think I'm paranoid Anyway, since being singed off I have had several phonecalls and 1 Occ Health appt and another to come. My manager (not the one referred to above) wants to meet with me but I just do not feel up to it at the moment, the thought of it makes me physically shake. However, I get the feeling that they are trying (by way of OH) to prove that I am unfit to work and ultimatetly sack me . I feel very alone, Union not much help, and I don't know what to do to protect myself - I've only just been told (by ACAS) that I prob should have taken out a grievance Can anyone help keep me right please?!!?

June 2008 I started with a billion Euro multi national. I found I was physically and mentally weakening and took a lot of sick leave. Work sent me to Occupational Docs and I explained myself and was examined. I continued to become more ill. Eventually, on the verge of suicide etc. I begged my doctor to find out what was wrong with me. He took my blood on a hunch and discovered I had a brain tumour. MRI scan confirmed I had a macro Prolactinoma and it was massive but totally treatable over time. How long? I cannot get a definitive answer but it looks 3-5 years. A year on I had to return to work because I had no benefits etc and the first day back, I was ignored by my collegues and one actually accused me of taking the ****. I tried to explain myself but was just sworn at and shouted down. The entire staff seemed against me and I was immediately moved to another department and they weren't happy with my prescence either. I put in a grievance. Investigation took place and I stated that all I wanted was to be happy and be allowed to recuperate. Workmates weren't happy. Meanwhile, I make sausages as a hobby and used to give some to various people at work and also sold some at work-about £25 worth because people ordered them. I thought nothing of this as other collegues sell rabbits that they've shot, fish they have caught,chocolates and knock off clothing. 3 months from my grievance they charged me with gross misconduct and suspended me. This really set me back immensely. I was given a final written warning valid for 12 months but my health and well being really took a beating. Told the doc what had happened and he booked me off. My consultant also saw the change in me and said I had depression. I have put in another grievance against management for not dealing with my situation properly. Ignored and now they want to dismiss me on medical grounds. I am still in a lot of pain and I am still depressed over being a social outcast at work. Any ideas? They have requested my med records now but I am reluctant to give them my permission. By the way, had my condition been diagnosed when I first displayed symptoms, I would have probably been healed by now but because the docs hadn't detected it, the disease really caused mayhem in my body and mind. I can honestly say that I would have preferred to have been crushed and spent 10 months in hospital than this horrible disease. It has cost me dearly.

In the late 1980's my husband and I re-mortgaged our house, for the market value which was arond the £90,000 mark, with the West Bromwich Bromwich Building Society. Due to the ressession and my husband being made redundant we were no longer able to keep up repayments and our house was repossed in 1991. Since this time, we have been lucky enough to purchase another home using an interest only mortgage which we are still paying. Unbeknown to us at the time, as our property had been undersold, a deficit was incurred. It was not until approximately 10/11 years later that we were contacted by West Brom and informed that we owed £112,000. Due to alleged 'compound interest' this figure has now risen to £165,000. Although we have denied the debt, we have been forced by bullying tacticts into monthly repayments of £200 for the last 6/7 years. They also have placed a charge on our present property. My husband and I are both in our 60's. He is retired and unable to assist me in dealing with this due to serious mental health problems. Can any anyone please advise me on the legality of their actions? I can be no clearer on the exact dates as I am not in possestion of the original documentaction and am awaiting duplicates from West Brom. Thank you in anticipation.

Hi Everyone I have an MBNA Credit Card taken out in 2002. Due to circumstances - my wife and I have run up a debt of £17,000+. We now are in a position of being unable to pay. The thing is this has happened becuase everytime we neared the limit - MBNA simply increased it with no investigations into our circumstances or reference to us. Now we have started to default the charges and interest are racking up. I have come across the Sect 78 business. I do not understand it totally - but I am aware you can make the debt unenforcable but not "right it off". Using the letter on this site I made a Section 78 request. This elicited a response about 4 days after they received the letter. They rang, and first of all denied having the letter, until I told them I had the recorded delivery sig, then they spent the next hour trying every trick in the book. They told me they had never lost a Sect 78 case (is this true - probably not?) that my card was legit - that they would comply with the sect 78, that a court had deemed that they had a month to do so and not twelve days (as the law says I believe), that then turned into six weeks in the conversation then back to 21 days! When I go on the attack - with things like this I am accused of being rude! They tried co-ercing me into paying, then bullying by threatening my house (but a second charge cannot force you to sell as I understand?), then using tactics to assualt my "guilt" - like "Do you think it is fair that you spent 17k of our money but refuse to pay it back". I simply replied that banks are greedy and the real debt minus charges and interest was probably about 5k. The other issue is that they have threatened me with both UK and USA Law stating that they are an American Bank! I continually try to get them to confirm this in writing but they won't, nor will they supply me with recordings or transcripts of calls. I see a Subject Access request coming here. I did make an offer of 10% to settle the debt, they turned it down by telephone but refuse to do so in writing, and refuse to come back wiht a coutner offer as asked. The upshot is I received a response to the Sect 78. It is a photocopy of my original tear off slip from the bottom of the app form (I think). It has my sig but no box for theirs - however across the small writing is a signature from them with a date stamp. My suspicion is this has been added recently. There are two tick boxes for PPI, there is a tick in the "not wanted" but it is not mine, as I use left handed ticks and this is right handed. However I have not paid PPI. There is also a photocopy of the back of the tear off slip which seems to be some sort of rudimentary but not full T&C with an interest rate table. The interest rate here is considerably lower than the present one. There is also a copy of the current 2010 conditions, but not as far as I can tell the 2002 ones. I ahve now had a letter from Optima Legal, stating that they have been "instructed" by MBNA but encouraging me to contact MBNA. I rang the number given for Optima but the phone line was on a loop stating the lines are busy. By using my wife's contacts (she is a legal sec) we got a number and got hold of them. At first they denied they had been intructed but simply had been asked to send the letters. I said that "instruction" means something specific and that now I would only deal with them as this would be reasonable. They did not like that, and I asked that their client sent all their requests etc via Optima so lines did not get crossed. In the end, the guy sort of admitted that the letter was confusing and offered to do just that. I am guessing the instruction doesn't exist in law terms (Optima do not have a file on me) and that this is simply scare tactics? If so it has backfired a bit. If MBNA wanted to say that they were thinking of putting the file across to OPtima, then they should have written to me, not Optima stating that they had been instructed when they hadn't. I continue to get letters from MBNA, one saying they are dealing with my complaint (I whinged about Aegis being useless) and I assume they are dealing with UK and USA law question. I also keep receiving various notices by post email and telephone. I keep asking them to send it via Optima since they are "instructed". Yesterday I spent an hour on the telephone with a lady at MBNA who again claimed they had never lost a case, was unclear about the UK USA thing, accused me of being rude everytime I attacked them, would not answer my questions, and when she made comments refused to put them in writing (until the end - but we'll see what transpires) stating that they are a "Telephone Bank" - pah! When I suggested that if they were to take Legal Action they needed a paper trail she dismissed this. My point is I won't be bullied on the phone, and it seems that I am unusual in that respect, as soon as I attack and catch them out (lots of times) I am accused of being rude or wasting time thier time - charming. Sorry about the long post but I need some help with what to do next. I cannot afford the upfront fees for someone to look at what MBNA claim is compliance with the Sect 78 request, nor do I understand this myself. Can someone take a quick look, and am I even in the correct section of the forum? Please, what should I do next? Cheers Chirpy