...so I just rang up A&L to pay off arrears on my CC. As you know, I've been trying to sell since July, haven't been able to take in lodger (didn't want to have to boot them out when got offer), had wound down business thinking I'd be moving country and everything and had relied on the dreaded plastic thinking it was for 2, max 3 months and then they'd be cleared by house sale.

...oblivious at that point to the downturn, tho I'm all too aware now! so anyway, couple of credit cards in arrears, have built up business again and using it to keep mortgage going, pay lecky/heat/phone/bb/car bills for the business, and have been drip-feeding banks for cc's. So I've been phoning A&L and telling them I can't pay them yet, but will do when sale gone through - and paying little bits where I can. Today I've had cleared invoices and am ringing round to make payments.

So, when I rang A&L today to pay the arrears, which were about 300, and NOT pay another few hundred to get back within limit, the girl (Irish, of course) said she had all sympathy for anyone trying to sell their house, and she'd stop any further fees hitting and get the account out of delinquent status. She said again she felt for me and I said my timing had been awful, but I was oblivious 'cos of news/press coverage and she said yeah sure it's all paid for by estate agents... Exactly! but to hear it from a bank - well, she was a legend.

Good to hear things are picking up for you again.

Cheers DB, big progress but nothing's set in stone yet so can't even allow myself to get excited! but fingers crossed...

Good luck WBS, here's wishing you every bit of success

Cheers ears! That's an early start for a Sunday.

I can't WAIT to leap off this ladder - please god no hitches!!