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I was having difficulty with my debts which are around £12K. I am on benefit, and so I foned up Debt Free Direct to see what they could do. I am very upset that all they could offer me was an IVA - 7 years paying £130 a month. Naturally I had to sign up because I was getting constant harassment of one of my creditors Halifax who kept foning me up every day demanding money I didn't have. I am now wondering if the IVA really was the right solution; they didnt offer me a Debt Relief Order which is what I would have prefered. Is there anything I can do besides letting the IVA fail (which I dontwant to do because Halifax will harass me again). Very distressed by the whole thing; Debt Free Direct knew I was on benefits; I really cant see myself paying £130 a month for 7 years, especially as I could loose my benefits at any time anyway, they failed to take this into account. Because of being on an IVA no company would give me advice as I have rung around several this morning; they said the IVA would have to fail before anyone could help me!! NOT happy can anyone please help
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As I work closely with Apple, I often come across interesting tidbits... Once o which saved me a LOAD of money... For a semi iPhone contract you'll be looking easily at between £40-£70 a month depending on your needs of voice and data etc... on top of that, your phone is only covered for 6 months by Apple and should be covered by your provider for up to a year. After that, if it dies, you're on. your own. Apple have something called the iPhone Upgrade program. That link will take you directly to it. here's now the money saving works broken down: - £33.45 is what the iPhone upgrade program costs per month.. - You're covered with 24/7 AppleCare+ so even if you send your phone to hell and back, they'll replace it as per AppleCare+ - Every year, you get the latest iPhone - At the end of the year, you give your old iPhone back to get. the new one at no extra cost (e.g. one off charges) So the £34 +£10 for a Data, Text and Voice plan (sim only, which I just saw on switch) you get more bang for your buck as to put it. So on top of saving the £10-20+a month, you'll also be covered by free insurance (no excesses either), free support for your phone (and all local call centres with Apple). The only hitch might be if you have bad credit.. Apple do check up on your financial conduct... Well it's not them, it's actually backed by AIG (some insurance firm)... Anyway, I hope this tip helps out! Ade
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I'm hoping you guys can help as you have done in the past. I received a parking ticket after falling asleep in a motorway services station from ParkingEye. I followed general advice and ignored the ticket (the car is actually registered in my wife's name). They are now pursuing me (my wife) via the courts and I'd like to ask a few questions. I had initially intended to file a defence as many threads suggested that these cases are often thrown out with a robust defence. I received the service on March 28. The letter said that the date of service was deemed to be 5 days after the 28th. On April 10 I filed an acknowledgement of service. can someone check my maths? I have 28 days from April 2nd to file my defence - which would be May 1?? Is that right and if so, how does the bank holiday affect it? I've now decided that as much as I would love to file a defence - because these guys are the spawn of satin - I don't have the time or the energy to file anything near as robust as it would appear I need to. I'm thinking it would be better to just write off the £175 and chalk it up to a bad experience. But when I click on the Admission instructions using MCOL it says: If you are admitting all of the claim and wish to pay it now you should take or send the money, including any interest and costs, to the claimant. You should act quickly to ensure that the claimant receives the money within 14 days of the date you received the claim (the date of service). If payment does not reach the claimant within this time they may ask for judgment to be entered against you and this may affect your future ability to get credit. This implies that because it is now past 14 days, if I DON"T file a defence and instead make the payment in full, a judgement could still be made against my wife?? Being so close to the deadline, and beyond the 14 days, am I better off filing a weak defence? Any prompt help would be greatly appreciated
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Last Wednesday, completely out of the blue I was called to a meeting at my HO and told that due to restructuring my job is at risk, the company produced a settlement offer and has given me a week to think about it (unlike 10 days as in ACAS guidelines) They refuse to announce the nature of the restructuring, just that I don't fit within it and if I decline the offer then I have been told in no uncertain terms that I will be made redundant and end up with less money than they are offering. Although I don't know (and probably never will) I am almost certain based on noises from the past few months that the restructuring involves paying off half the people that do my job, and then replacing the job of the remaining people with a new one with a bigger remit to cover the loss of those of us that are gone, and they are doing this entirely arbitrarily without any due process or allowing me to reapply for the new job. Given that there are already a small number of people doing this bigger remit job, and they have always said I would be suitable to do this if the opportunity gave up, I believe I am being constructively dismissed, and they are relying on the fact that I won't be able to claim that if I accept the offer. A few hours after the meeting I sent an email to the people that were in the meeting (my line manager and her line manager) asking firstly for an extension of time to consider the offer, secondly for a fuller explanation as to what is going on and why I won't fit into the restructure, and thirdly asking if they will revise the sum offered. I did stress that I had not made any decisions and nothing in the email was intended to constitute a decision or limit my options. That evening I got an off the record phone call from my line manager stating that I shouldn't have done that, I should have just taken the money and because I am seen to be arguing with them they might now just withdraw the offer and make me redundant. Can they do that? I thought if the offer is open then it remains open until the window closes or I accept/decline it. Negotiation and asking for an explanation is surely not declining it? I also don't think they would be that stupid, because if I stay I will get to see what they are doing and retain all my employment rights including the right to take them to a tribunal. I ask because I have now been offered another (better) job and if they want me gone I'm just happy to take the money at this point!
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Tawnyowl here with how to completely mess your car insurance up.Through rushing,not checking,many things. Now when i write a story when completely stressed out with a situation i mix a lighter look at things,helps me cope somehow.Knocking on a bit now so things prey on my mind.Especially after reading many stories over many years in the CAG So i hope before you read this you can understand that.I expect some stick,fair enough i can take that. I might even make a couple of mistakes but over time things usually become clear. Writing this at 1 in the morning so it is bothering me slightly. Been a driver for 29 years,no accidents apart from two write offs when i was not in my cars. One a lad borrowed his mums car and wrote my Ford Capri 1.6 off after flying round a corner. I was working on a clients house many years ago,rather large and did not hear the crash. Client came home at dinnertime and said have you seen your car.No i replied so went outside and there it was about one third the size it was when i parked it. Nobody hurt thank goodness. Glad i did not hear it really because i was papering rather a large hallway where one roll did one drop, i might have fallen off my ladder and double trouble then. Other when i was in a shop,a wagon reversed slowly into my car and wrote it off once again. Thought i was in Beadles about or Smile You Are On Candid Camera,completely unreal to watch such a thing. So two cars written off speed travelling 0 miles per hour. Move on many years end up with Saga,very cool,nice quotes everything great,1O Years plus no claims. Then my daughter wants to drive,so i say well young owl,i will phone Saga and insure you. Put you on my insurance so you can learn to drive. The old owl gets on the blower to Saga saying my young owlet wants to learn to drive so can you insure her on my insurance. No sorry no youngsters taken on under twenty five years old. Well my eyes glazed over and feathers drooped,sad that i had to say goodbye to Saga and move on. At the time i was looking at a quote 200 fully comp with breakdown 3 years no claims only because i had had a break for a couple of years previously. So i must admit the insurance market had me baffled slightly but googled away and cheapest seemed to be One Direct,1043.94p A great shock to me,but had to be done,wanted to help youngster. Struggled to pay each month,in fact late payments perhaps 50% of the time but always paid including charges. Anyway,received late payment letter,could not get through to usual place so paid,in a rush by card direct to One Call. On web including usual late payment charges. Received this back. . Dear Tawnyowl.6th April. Thank you for keeping your policy up to date. Your request has been sent to our renewals team who will manually process the payment. Please note that funds will not immediately debit from your account until the payment has been accepted. Cover will not commence until you receive confirmation that cover is in force and payment has been processed. One Call do not accept responsibility or liability until we have issued your policy documents to you. Now i did not think much about this and left it.15 th April comes, Policy started on 15th Oct cancelled on 15th April letter said Cost of Insurance 1043.94 Discounts applied to policy 15.00 Cancellation charge +55.99. Total cancellation cost 617.29.Amount paid 538.99 Balance to pay 78.30 not challenging the cancellation.Late payment made but perhaps to wrong dept,gave policy number. Panic set in,good grief if i had travelled yesterday i would not have been insured,Was my thought. Feathers nearly fell out,just imagine that. Did not think clearly,just wanted insurance as quick as,so googled away and found one Autonet. About 600 including breakdown.Myself only.Talked to them about cancellation on phone,had to tell them i thought. Asked Saga did not want to touch me because of cancellation.I had to tell them i thought. Daughter is going on crash course ready to take test,just wanted any bad habits i may have passed on to be ironed out. Daughter had had lessons before i gave her extra ones. Autonet want proof of NCD or i suppose another cancellation is looming. Thought to myself this insurance is sure costing a bit,let me root out the paperwork see why. Then i noticed One Call had me down for 0 years NCD- Good grief i must have on inception put 0 years NCD so must have paid more last year. I will phone One Call and try to sort this.Tell them last year was wrong and should have been 3 years NCD. Not try to get anything back just update things. After explaining,final quote from them was. So i talked to Autonet again,their reply after chatting away. It may reduce the premium slightly by applying the extra 2 year discount, yes. We do need this to be your most up to date no claims bonus. If you double check this and then come back, we can then look in to this for you. But at the moment One Call have me down as 0 years NCD what a mess,to put it mildly. Because when Autonet receive that proof it will be 0 years,and puff up in smoke goes my insurance again. Or increased massively. Should be 4 years NCB I am 1-Thinking of challenging One Calls cancellation charge as payment was made to the company. Thoughts are Shame they do not check all NCD whether 10 years or no years just in case someone makes a mistake. Benefits one way it seems.If there is a NCD Data Base,does anyone know if there is such a thing. Well i do not expect many if any replies but just thought i would pop in and show you what a mess i have managed to make on my insurance. And who knows may help someone,kind off do not rush,take your time when getting insured. Keep things filed,easy to get at,not like myself forgotten about,thrown in a box somewhere. At the moment i feel i am Donate to the Insurance Industry on a giant scale. Well good morning to you all,enjoy the Bank Holiday Weekend,when it arrives,it is a little cool though. The problem is off my chest now, written down so a hot chocolate and off to roost. What will be,will be.
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Hi, I live in central London, I've got a lovely flat I've lived in for 8 years now. I haven't had kids yet because I believe in being responsible and if I can't afford them I shouldn't have them. However, I've changed my mind today. Having been through the joke that is the work programme, I had the indignity of having to go to a benefit meeting today where I had to show my I&E to see if I was better off in work. Because I get the maximum Housing Benefit the system allows, I could never get a job that would pay enough to cover my rent. But the [edited] advisor was trying to make me take a minimum wage joke job like [edited] I'm 20yrs old! I'm in my 40's and English! I love my flat and wan't to stay here but the landlord finally put up the rent. This advisor even said, and I quote "Well, the only way you can stay on the dole and afford to stay in your flat is if you have a kid then the council will have to pay for you!" Is that what it's really come to? Are kids now a commodity for English people to get enough benefits? I understandably walked out. I'm probably sanctioned now. But what can I do when by their own calculations it shows I'm better off NOT working! Non-judgemental advice welcome please....
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I've been with my employer for almost a year now. I was hired as a warranty controller, but my duties have been gradually increased, taking on duties from both other staff (such as those leaving) and those of my manager. I've asked that I be considered for a higher position, namely assistant manager, as I feel this better incorporates all my duties, but nothing has materialised as of yet. It's frustrating, as I'm now responsible for quality control, monthly reports and now rental. In additional, I have to cover workshop control when he's away for any reason, plus I don't have anyone willing to take up any of my duties, so I always end up with a backlog if I ever take time off (so much for ever taking 2 weeks off). The issue is that nobody else wants to take on anything else. I'm decent enough of a work to be willing to help out, but it seems I get nothing in return. My question would be how to approach my manager and make it clear that I'm not being awarded for my increases responsibilities. My role is more difficult than when I sarted, but I've not been given any promotion, bonus or salary increase. I think one of the latter is appropriate in particular.
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this could be a very stupid questions but I notice on my CRA files some loans/debts show as settled whilst others show as satisfied. Which is better? I ask as I have an aqua card debt I need to pay and want to request a full and final settlement figure but part of my request is also asking that the debt be shown as nothing else owing on it.
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A mum-of-six has hit out at a rent-to-own company after the cooker she bought from them broke down – and she had to wait four weeks for it to be fixed. Tracy Stevenson, 40, of Briery Way, Adeyfield, Hemel Hempstead took out a payment plan for the new Beko induction cooker from Brighthouse in the town centre at £11.82 a week. Over the next three years, the cooker – worth £666 – will set the family back £1,843.92, which is an APR representative of 69.9 per cent. More ... Just look at those rip-off interest rates. She paid £1,178 more than she needed, she could have taken her family on holiday or fed them steak with that. Stop being proud and get your goods in a second-hand or charity shop and use that until you have saved up enough to buy a new one. You can bet your life the boss of Brighthouse hasn't got a cheap Beko in his house and doesn't live on chicken nuggets.
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Now that it look's clear that a conservative government is going to be running the UK, I am very concerned for my future. I cannot work and have been unable to for four years now, and housebound for much longer than that. What I would like to know is am I likely to be treated more fairly and be more welcome in an other EU country. Or any other country for that matter! I understand this is not the usual topic, but I'm just wondering if anyone knows about this. I don't have enough ties here to stop me moving, and I imagine everyone in my situation is just going to suffer here.
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Hi everyone I have a dilema I could use some advice with. I challenged a Default with QuickQuid for a previous PDL which was Defaulted in 2012. My argument was that they had failed to act responsibly by preventing me from setting up a payment plan until after the account was sold and a Default had been filed. Had they agreed upon a repayment plan the account would have been settled within a couple of months without any Default being registered or the account being sold on. Ultimately my complaint was escalated to the FOS who, in agreement with QuickQuid, have agreed the best course of action would be to set up a repayment plan, remove the Default from my Credit File and update it to "Arrangement To Pay". Although I am more than happy to see the Default gone and clear off the balance my concern is how much negative impact the "AP' status with have on my credit file. If i was able to clear the balance after 6 months and close the account it would still show the "AP" status for a further 6 years, however, the Default will be gone in 3 years. How detrimental an affect will the "AP" status have on my file? Would it be worth while accepting this agreement or better waiting out the Default? Thanks Guys
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Last year around May June I switched bank accounts from Barclays to Santander. I changed all the direct debits over myself (yes i sat on the phone for over an hour but was so paranoid about something going wrong if i left it up to the banks to do so for peace of mind I did it myself). Turns out I shouldn't have bothered! The only 1 that I had a problem with was United Utilities. I received a letter early September, followed by a phone call the same day saying I was in debt of around £120. My direct debit had apparently been cancelled by the bank. No chance I said, why would the bank cancel a direct debit. I was assured it was the banks fault, set it up again over the phone for my new account and thought no more of it. Just before Christmas I got another phone call saying my direct debit had been cancelled and the last payment I had made was in May 2014. I told them again that I had already had a phone call and set it up over the phone, Then told I was wrong and nothing had been set up at all. I checked my bank statements (I've learnt my lesson the hard way to keep checking more regularly) and its true they haven't even set up the dd. Let alone have the bank cancel it. Again I spoke to someone on the 8th Jan and again gave my details to set it up, its due out 1st Feb so time will tell whether its been done. More recently I tried to get a new credit card and was declined, not sure why as I have never missed a payment on purpose in a long time so just got my credit file today. United Utilities have added a 6 next to missed payments. they have messed up my credit file because they cannot set up a direct debit themselves and would rather blame the bank. I have contacted the bank who have told me they would not be able to cancel a direct debit without my say so. therefore I'm left thinking it is United Utilities who are in the wrong. Sorry this is turning out long How do i go about getting them to remove this on my file. This is the only negative I have on my file and I've worked so hard the past 10 years to get my credit to good standing and out of debt, and now this happens for something thats not even my fault! Any advice appreciated, thanks for reading.
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Hi, I am new here but been reading a lot of helpful info and thought id post my own question for clarification. I have a default on my account ... (as is the way when you are young and stupid ) anyway it is about to close and drop off my file this month and next. I read here that accounts drop off after the last listed default. There is one account i have default registered 2008 - first one but there is a debt collectors agency registering a default somehow ... last year ... i am viewing this via a credit report that gives the monthly status of the account and goes back a number of years. I have not tampered with this account i have not given reason for them to move things or the clock to start ticking again .. My question is . . that default they registered last year .. . does it start the clock again on it or does it go off the original .. thanks in advance for reading my blurb and apologies if this isn't in the right forum . .. kinda lost on navigation.
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Hi guys, I'm not in employment and claim JSA + Housing Benefit, although have been offered a 15h/week part-time job. The thing is, the job would pay ca. £520/month. The calculations say I would not be entitled to any benefits if I take this job. Even worse, possibly Council Tax would kick in (or not?). All in all, paradoxically, taking the job would make me worse off by some £50-£100. I barely make ends meet now - on the job I will not even be able to pay up all the bills! Is it really the case the the government is happy enough to let the citizens get by making £520 or am I missing something in those calcuations and/or lack some information? The othe question, a bit unrelated. Is it possible to be fully exempted from water sewage and waste bill? I'm exempted from Council Ttax but need to pay reduced water sewage and waste, according to the Counil, Thanks for reading, k.
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Hi Guys Woke up this morning to see my credit report from Noddle with 2 accounts from Noddle. They are as follows; Orange's current balance is at £1,067 and considering the way Lowell go... Im not hanging around to see if this will go to court. I want to settle them as soon as... . Would dealing in Email be better than writing letters at present? We all know the massive no-nos about calling them and I refuse to let a DCA bully me into what they want. I want to control this as best as I can,. Because they are Telecoms debts, there will be no CCA but even a SAR probably wont help. Should i request the account balance breakdowns? Should I ask about reducing the debt down (The "Orange" one) down to something a bit more realistic as i believe it may be full of charges as the default is £158? KR Fkofilee
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Residents of mobile home parks in England have been given new rights to protect them from rogue site operators. A Commons select committee report last year found many residents experienced problems with maintenance, security, written contracts and intimidation. New legislation, introduced on Monday, bans site owners from the buying and selling process and gives new powers to prosecute those who harass residents. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said it "called time on the crooks". There are about 84,000 "park homes" - relatively low-cost bungalow-style residential properties, usually sited on private estates - on 2,000 sites across England. Those who buy them, own the home but pay a pitch fee to the site operator, who owns the land and imposes rules and regulations. Before the new legislation came in, those rules included getting the site owner's approval for a buyer when selling the home on. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22677508
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I have advisor appointments over the phone - only they are never at set times and the advisor never calls when we agree a time. I have stupidly not gotten the confirmation in writing so i can't make a complaint about it. Its causing me stress because: 1) the calls are not at regular intervals 2) i am caught off guard, one time she called when i told her i was away at a wedding that day - she called me when i was out and was quite cross with me. 3) today she was meant to call and hasn't 4) she claims my phone has been unavailable - even to the point she could not reach my voicemail - quite untrue. I obsessively check my phone is on and in signal and no one else has had the same problem calling me. Should I request to have face to face appointments? What can i do?
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I have spent over 1 hr trying to sort out this problem. Briefly, my partner had a Barclaycard many years ago, got into debt, doesn't have a card anymore. Has a debt of £6,600 approx., although it was about £6,200 in April this year, Agreed payments of £16 per month were made to a debt company. cant pay anymore as income from self employed isn't great, also recently he is recovering from open heart surgery? I spent ages, time and phone calls calling Barclaycard and the two debt companies, Barclays say it is the debt company adding on interest which is about £60 to £70 per month, over the years I have sent lots of correspondence to those concerned when he moved over a year ago, He has never tried to avoid paying the debt, but realistically cant afford to pay all the debtors more than he can manage, as priority debts such as rent, council tax etc should be the main concern. It seems the debt company is imposing the interest and that Barclaycard cant do anything about it, Barclaycard even took £699 from bank account which was towards the 6 monthly rent due. Can anyone please help, suggest other areas where I can get advice, law or consumer rights information on this. Thanks
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Recently I seem to have been inundated by (alleged) debts via letters, phone calls even some dodgy bloke at the door. I was checking out a strange phone number via the internet and found a thread on debt collection agencies and their dubious (and illegal) practices. It was hilarious and scary at the same time. It also mentioned CAG so I decided to join up. Glad I did. After browsing just a tiny amount of the site I feel empowered already.
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advice needed please i was on income support/incapacity benefit before being moved to esa leavel 2. Ii have had a few assessments at ATOS my last one meaning i was put in a work support group. i have agrophobia and and have not left the house on my own for over 4 years and i have been assessed by a pyciter in a core 10 assessment scoring 29 !! meaning i have a high level of clinical need. They do not want to put me on drugs as they feel this will not benefit me until i have intensive therapy and I have been put on the waiting list for this. I am also under a drug clinic as i have been poly diagnosis. My addicton is caused by my mental health problems ..I am also beig treated for joint probems in my hands and tummy problems where I am unable to eat and they are also looking into suspected polycistic ovaries ...im falling apart but i do want to get better and go back to work (my hubby used to work full time and i used to work part time before i became ill he has had to give up work to look after me and dont get an exta for it ) i would rather we both worked as we had good jobs before i became ill now the problem i have is that i have been put into haltion in to jobs they want me to join work groups or have counselling with them ,last time i had the wrong type of counselling i had a break down. I am also attending hospital/doctors appoitnments for all my other problems my key workers are happy to talk to them and explain what the matter is with me and my capabilities and my problems They will not talk to her ,they will not accept a docters note saying i am ill !! all i want to do is get better so i am able to go back to work but they will not allow this ,they just want to push these work groups that i am not capable of at the moment in time i have appealed being put into the work based group but when i phoned up to see whats going on they could not find it and the time before this when i called they said they had a back log !! and we will be contaced ?? we are now awaiting there 3 hrs call back that never happen as they never do my advisor says hes in a catch 22 !! he can see that i am ill but until they get informed by the job centre he has to do his job !! ,he said if i go to a group and fail its better then not goin at all !! but hes not the one living in my head he not the one who has to pick up the pieces after me failing !! thats left to my hubby and children ..and last time a group failed me i had a break down i just want to get better but NHS waiting lists means that this will take time and according to Halton into Jobs I have'nt got any. so what do i do ???
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Hello, I'm proposing the spreadsheet guru's out there devise a new one to replace the runningfos one. In my case, if I remove Over limit Fees and Late Payment fees from the monthly payment column, it eventually puts the PPI payment column into a positive black rather than a negative red, thus rendering the rest of the calculations useless after the point that happens. It starts counting the running PPI balance from 0 instead of the last rows value. Before anyone says you cannot claim charges on PPI, I would ask you to read the following information taken from the FoS website. If this is wrong, is there any evidence? If you read the ombudsman case studies, they suggest the bank should re-instate you to the position you would have been had you not taken out PPI. This includes charges as a result of the premiums. http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/ppi/redress.html case study 2: credit-card account closed and PPI policy cancelled before ombudsman decision So, although credit card "penalties" could be dealt with as unfair and illegal, they should also be able to be dealt with via PPI redress - IF the reconstructed statement shows the account would have been within it's limits had it not been for PPI. Ie my case I received 8 charges totalling £395 in 2004 in late payment and over limit fees on my way to a trust deed My reconstructed statement shows that with the removal of PPI and associated interest, my account was actually in credit from 03/09/03 until the account was closed on 10/03/05. That shows that the over limit charges and late payment fees were a direct result of PPi being added to the account. As the account would have been in credit - No payments would have been due and I would not have been over the limit. I would imagine it would be easier to win back your charges this way, albiet the reward may be less.
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