Hi I'm new to this site but have been advised by a friend this is the best place to find advice about debt. When i fell into financial hardship a couple of years ago i began making a token payment of £1 per month to several credit cards. I have since had a few full and final settlement offers accepted and resolved. I have now turned my attentions to my largest cc debt (approx £8000). I phoned the bank requesting what would be accepted as a full and final settlement. I was told 50% of the balance would clear the whole debt i.e. £4,000. I then asked for this to be put into writing.Today I received the letter and it states: "We are prepared, without prejudice, to accept £1 in full and final settlement of the debt" In addition, they have requested that the payment must be made by 28 January 2012 which again is a mistake as it was 6 months ago! The letter itself is dated 19 July 2012. Could anyone advise me, as clearly clerical errors have been made on their part. I'm hoping as the letter states that if I pay the £1 the whole debt will be cleared, and legally there is nothing they can do as i have proof they agreed to these terms.Am I right? Thanks in advance

Hi all, I received my reply from the ICO saying that my previous employer was "unlikely to have complied with the DPA due to them not supplying the information requested within the 40 day statutory period." also that the amount of time they took to request the fee, was excessive. When I requested my details, they had no clue what I was requesting. They sent me my "personnel file" when I queried this (I had worked there for 16 years so it was quite substantial!) and told them it was everything that they had on me, I received another package with some other bits. But I am still convinced that there are other documents that I do not have. With the ICO coming down on my side I am contemplating my next steps. Is it: I send my ex employer a letter again requesting the information and requesting compensation? Or Go straight to the small claims court seeking damages and distress caused? There is conflicting information to do one or the other and just looking for some advice Thanks

Hi everyone I got into some trouble in April after I mistakenly used my brother's Oyster Card and was caught by the bus inspector. After that, I contacted TFL and offered to settle out-of-court and paid the £250 fine before the deadline. I was subsequently sent a letter from TFL personally telling me that the case will now be withdrawn from the court. However, I received a letter from the magistrates court today with my details and the court case despite all that. Now I am scared that I have a criminal record and will need to pay more on top of that. What should I do? I have already contacted TFL but I will need to wait until Monday to get a reply. The letter did not say that I can appeal to the case or anything. Any help and advise is much appreciated. The letter looked like this. Richmond Magistrates Court London Collection and Compliance Centre PO Box 31089 London SW1P 3WP Payments 0300 790 9901 ww.direct.gov.uk/payacourtfine Information 24/7 020 7556 8500 website AP31714 Division:...... Account number:......... My details Notice of fine and collection order The amount you owe is £337. Time to pay: total amount on or before 16 July 2012 The court has made a Collection Order to collect the sum due. Application for further time to pay can be made to the court in person or by post stating fully the grounds on which the application is made. Alternatively you can contact the Fines Officer on the number above and speak to a member of the Fines Team. Failure to pay as ordered will make you liable for further enforcement. This could include Deductions from your earnings or benefits Increasing your fine by 50% Clamping, removal and sale of your vehicle Registering the account in the Register of judgement, Orders and Fines (affecting your ability to obtain credit) A distress warrant being issues to the Court Bailiffs for the seizure of goods (incurring additional costs) Continued default - imprisonment

I am trying to agree a full and final settlement for a debt which keeps moving from DCA to DCA. The original credit agreement was a Virgin MBNA card. The debt was being collected by RMA collections and a settlement figure of 3,500 agreed with payments at 150 per month (original balance 7,300) MBNA recalled the debt and sold it to Varde who refused to acknowledge any previous settlement with RMA or any payments made. Varde instructed Experto Credite to collect. Experto were unable to provide any CCA documents or comment on previous payments made and have in turn passed this to another DCA, called IND. I have spoken to IND and sought to negotiate a settlement bu they insist on the full balance which they now set at 10,300 with charges and interest. I have received a letter from Aktiv Kapital informing me that they have purchased the debt from Varde and wish Experto Credite to continue to collect on their behalf. I have an opportunity to settle this and can rais about 50% of the outstanding balance if only I knew who to pay it to. This debt accrued due to the actions of a family member who had authority to act on my behalf and was hidded from me for some time. It is a blot on my otherwise good credit history and I am looking to apply for a mortgage in the near future. Any advice on how to proceed gratefully received.

A friend did a lump sum full and final settlement IVA in 2006 through PKF. Since then, a CCJ has been lodged by one of the creditors, and others are still chasing debt and telling him that the debt is live and still owed. What are his rights in respect of this? Surely this isn't correct or legal? Thank you

Hi, not posted much, but learn't alot from this site. I have managed to agree reduced monthly payments with TSB for Credit Card and Bank Account that is now closed (interest frozen). Have been paying these every month. Balance on Both about £ 3,500. (Have asked for agreements and upgrade agreements but none ever sent to me) Have got ppi claim in with tsb for various paid off loans over the years. I have now asked TSB for settlement figure on the credit card account and Bank account. They don't seem to want to know at the moment. Do you think this is because I have a claim in for ppi. and they are waiting to see the amount I get, so they can take them for the outstanding amounts. Can they do this or do you think I should get a settlement figure before my ppi is settled. Any advice welcomed. Stuck at present.

On the 5th of July 2011 my husband and I were involved in a car accident. I was 16 weeks pregnant and our car was stationary on a roundabout when a pile up involving three cars occurred. We were the last car to be hit and the driver in the middle car behind us was badly injured and had a hospital stay. We went to A & E and I also had an ultrasound. I was diagnosed with whiplash and a back injury and my husband an upper back injury. After the accident I developed problems with my hips that started in the left and then right so both were affected. This led to me having 16 weeks off work until my maternity leave begun in November 2011. I was repeadly signed off but the doctors notes had to say that it was pregnancy related in order for me not to occur a disciplinary due to long term sickness. I begun physiotherapy organized by Tescos insurance (The Treatment Network) in August 2011 along with my husband. I had to stop exercising because of the pain and found even after giving birth on the 22nd of Dec 2011 that I still suffered problem with my right hip. Both myself and my husband went back for physio for 4 weeks and I improved. My lack of activity affected me greatly as I was very active prior to this accident and I developed postnatal depression as I had occurred more weight gain and less exercise relief than before. We have been discharged from the physio even though I am still suffering some pain. I have been calculating my loss of earnings as I am sales based and have lost out on a bonus I was 80% away from hitting £2000 (would be taxed and I have back up from my work that they will confirm this to the insurers) and my commission of £53.09 per week (calculated through pay slips during August 2010 to August 2011) for a total of 16.02 weeks is £860.06. The holiday I had to take were 16 days which I worked out to be at a value of £151.40 per day (calc from my last p60 taking off any bank holiday and weekends and dividing by number of days worked) which is a total of £2422.35 which also would be taxed. This is a total of £4882.42 which does not include pain or suffering etc. My question is will they squirm out of paying this. Before I gave birth they wanted to settle at about £2000 not including any loss of earnings. They also will need to pay my travel to and from treatments. This is the only accident I've had in my life and I'm not sure of how this works?

I'm not sure if I am using the right forum for my problem. I need some advice with regards to my divorce settlement and whether I need to go bankrupt or not. When I was married to my ex-husband in 2002 we signed a contract for our son to attend a private school. In 2008 we divorced and in that settlement my ex was ordered by the judge to pay all future school fees. I found out in 2010, when my son had left the school, that he had not paid the last term. I had been contacted by the school through their solicitor that I was liable for the debt. I sent them a copy of my divorce settlement and they have responded saying that although they agree that my ex-husband should pay the costs, I am have a joint and several obligation to pay it all. If I don't they will either collect the debt via bailiffs or by filing an application for my bankruptcy. My ex has ignored all their correspondence. I'm unaware if he is currently bankrupt or whether he plans to let this bankrupt him. He hasn't honoured any of our divorce settlement or child maintenance in the past. I need to know if it is correct as to whether I am still liable for the debt even though He was ordered by the courts to be fully responsible for the fees. If I am, as I don't earn a high income, I can't afford to pay back the £3048. Would it be best to go bankrupt? If he doesn't respond to the school letters and I do, does that make me solely responsible? I hope someone can advise me as I have only 3 days to respond to the most recent letter. Many thanks

A friend of mine recently took out some insurance with Octagon Group. As he didn't have fund in his account I allowed him to use my account to set up a direct debit and he would then repay me each month. Since then, he has moved to Australia and cancelled his insurance policy. I am now receiving letters saying I am liable to pay the outstanding balance, which was left over from the early settlement. Am I liable for these repayments or do they have to contact the policy holder for the repayments? Thanks.

Hi, Can anyone help with a letter template offering a debtor a full and final settlement please? Are my chances with Barclays any good? as I've heard theres not much of success rate with them. Thanks

I wrote a letter to (as per template) DCA offering £400 towards full and final settlement of my debt £3465. I received a letter two days ago. I also requested that, if accepted, they should make an entry on a credit reference agency as "satisfied" in full. This letter does not mention anything about this apart from accepting my proposal. Should I go ahead and pay the proposed sum or should I get in writing that credit reference agency file will be marked as settled? Letter reads: We refer to your recent communication and confirm that we are willing to accept the sum of £400 in full and final settlement of your liability. The settlement figure has only been offered as a minimum repayment amount. Any Payment made ove this amount will be deducted from your outstanding balance. We regret that NO REFUNDS will be made on full and final settlements, where the full outstanding balance has not been cleared. The full and final amount has only been offered to you on the condition that full payment is received by the 31 May 2012. You should note that failure to maintain this agreement in the balance reverting back to £3465" I am currently paying them £3.00 a month . I am bit confuse about the second paragraph of their letter. Please some one shed some light on this case. Thanks Help please

Hi This is my forst post here, however i have been reading other people experiences with interest. Anyway, down to business. I had debts with several catalogues (all shop direct...littlewoods, very etc) that ended up in the hands of lowells due to defaulting. This means two accounts with lowells as shop direct refused to amalgamate the accounts. After some aggresive bargaining on my part (basically telling them im quite prepared to go through court, defaul on ccj and just not let the bailiffs into my home) i managed to get them to agree to £2.50 per month on each account (£351 and £551) (I must admit feeling quite chuffed with myself for getting them to aggree to this ammount without disclosing anything about my financial situation. When they asked me why this was all I could afford I told them it wasn't all i could afford but all I was prepared to offer. I hope people will take note of this and realise that you don't have to be bullied by these people.) Anyway, my question is does anyone have any advice on what I can do next to improve my situation. one account will take 11 years to clear and the other will take 18 years. According to experian default notices on my account will be removed after 6 years regardless of whether there is an outstanding balance or not. What does this mean for Lowells ability to reclaim the balance? Would it be worth me offering a significantly reduced final settlement using the length of time as a bargaining chip? How much would they have bought the debts for anyway. Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated and any money saved will mean a dobation to CAG.

Hello Consumer action group Can I start by saying how helpful I have found this forum so far, I think it's amazing that so many people are coming together to offer support to each other in these difficult times. In the interest of keeping a long story short - I was made redundant two years ago and have been unable to get another job that will pay me enough to meet my mortgage payments. I am also in negative equity mortgage arrears. I'm in a real mess. As I see it I have only two options - Go bankrupt or offer to final settlements to my creditors and start again. I have four creditors excluding my mortgage, electric gas, council tax etc Lowell Portfolio Bank of Ireland (Post office) Incasso (RBS Loan) Regal (RBS Card) Fortunately I have a family member who has kindly offered a small lump some to try to clear these,on the basis that it will give me a fresh start etc. I have sent letters explaining my situation and offering 'pro rata' amounts to each of my creditors with the following terms a) The Default Notice will be removed b) The Status of the account will change from “Defaulted” to “Settled” c) The Current Balance will appear as £0.00 d) The Default / Delinquent Balance will be set to £0.00 e) There will be no date in the “Defaulted Date” field (as it will be removed) f) There will be no date in the “Date Last Delinquent” field on the report g) This will apply to all 3 Credit Reference Agencies, namely Experian, Equifax & Call Credit No one is playing ball, they either won't negotiate or they won't negotiate etc. Can anybody advise me whether these terms are reasonable/possible?

I am look for some advice. I have instigated proceedings in the small claims court against an employment agency and a bank. I worked at the bank as a contractor through the employment agency. The agency has agreed without prejudice to a settlement on condition that I desist all action against themselves and against the bank; and I am happy with the settlement. However, the Agency wants me to sign a Tomlin Order and then they will issue a cheque within 21 days. My question is, how do I protect myself from them failing to pay and then using the Tomlin Order to stop me continuing action? I have not seen the wording of the Tomlin Order as yet, so any advice would be very much appreciated. Also, any further insight into what a Tomlin Order is would also be very much appreciated. Thanks