Does anyone know anything about the claim in today's Daily Mail that A. National have agreed to write off half of all it's mortgage shortfall debts?

Answers much appreciated.

-- (stephen.pooley@ntlworld.com), October 08, 2000

Answers

Hang On ! I've just seen a pig fly past the window ??

-- Vic Harper (victorcharper@aol.com), October 08, 2000.

I bet none of us who transverse these pages will be lucky enough to say the Abbey are great and honest and stand by their word. Mmmm perhaps I will be one of the lucky ones,

Lord Lucan

-- Lord Lucan :-) (drobbrown@onetel.net.uk), October 09, 2000.

I have a similar reply as the two above, but I suppose we should be a little optomistic, time will tell, but if there is anyone reading this web site who is having problems with Abbey and they do get their debt written of I am sure they will let us all know and hopefully it will have a knock on effect with the other building societies (hopefully the one we are battling with Halifax), but I am sure we will all keep fighting on until someone listens to us.

-- christine singleton (singletons51@hotmail.com), October 09, 2000.

I personally think that Abbeys latest gimmick is just that! a gimmick! They are using this in the hope that the press will ease off and take a little less notice of us. But I have a sneaky feeling that it isn't going to work. Poor baby's!! Jacky.

-- jacky jones (jackycolin.jones@virgin.net), October 09, 2000.

I went to the Abbey National office in Milton Keynes today (Tuesday 10th Oct 2000) and tried to access all documents & files concerning myself. (Under the shareholders right of access legal ruling) They kept my witness and myself waiting for an hour an a half and told us NO. Here come de judge and I shall be submitting an application for judical review next week. It was a scream with me clutching my single Abbey National Group share and Abbey managers asking my witness, a reporter type, who he was. Total Utter fun, and, the real fun starts now.

Have you seen any "Stress Free" & "Worry Free" Abbey National TV advertisments latley? The campain of complaints to the ITC is maybe having an effect. If the Abbey TV ad's cause you as much distress and offence that they cause me then please use the ITC web site to register a complaint of Abbey TV ad's. You may have to watch very hard since the last one I saw was on Sky Tv's UK-Style channel at 18:58 on the 8th of October, you know, the one about the Abbey E- Banking service with the slogan, "Because Life Is Complicated Enougth".

Make sure that your complaint to the ITC includes the date, time and TV channel of the advertisment that has offended you. Be sure to state that the Home-Repo page has voted Abbey top of the lenders most likley to cause a customer distress for over a year now. If the Abbey National advertising slogan is offensive to you and causes distress then be sure to quote the slogan that has been used.

-- Michael (michael_zena@hotmail.com), October 10, 2000.

The price of Abbey National Group shares went down 64p yesterday, which is more than 7.5%!!!!!!!

I guess the financial markets must have heard about my visit to the Abbey National office at Milton Keynes.

-- Michael (michael_zena@hotmail.com), October 11, 2000.

I'm afraid that Abbey's 'concessions' appear to be something of a con trick - all spin and PR and no substance. If you ring the help line you get put though to a 'borrower settlement' officer! No-one I know has benefited from the 'writing off of shortfall debt'. Only today I received another letter from Abbey demanding money I don't have. This was accompanied by a few (mostly illegible) photocopies, which are meant to constitute 'proof' of their claim. BUT it is possible to turn this against Abbey. All you folks out there who find that their situations are far from improved, please contact the journalist who ran the story: Clare.Hall@mailonsunday.co.uk

Thanks, Eleanor.

-- Eleanor Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), October 11, 2000.

To quote Dickens: "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times."

In my opinion it seems like the use of clever wordplay by the Abbey National. The old "Is a glass 50% full or 50% empty" trick maybe? I think we should look to the empty interpretation when it comes to their promises.

-- Tony Hayter (Tony@Hayter.com), October 11, 2000.

Well, Abbey wanted #16,991.21 off me on 15th June, and they wanted #16,991.21 off me on the 12th October. So I guess you could argue that I'm just unlucky enough not to be in the 50% of people to have their 'debts' written off. But hold on, what's this? News just coming in: *no-one* has had their 'debt' written off. Quelle surprise. Plus ca change etc. It would be useful if everyone who has their hopes raised and dashed by this farce (which now involves other lenders too) could email the Mail journalists involved and tell them so: Clare.Hall@mailonsunday.co.uk Sally.Hamilton@mailonsunday.co.uk Jeff.Prestridge@mailonsunday.co.uk Thank you. Every email helps.

-- Eleanor Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), October 15, 2000.

Short answer to question above: no. It is just a spin on a familiar practice. They hit the ex borrower with a huge figure, but then say they'll be prepared to take half. Sorry to have to confirm Abbey's latest cynical ploy.

-- Eleanor Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), October 18, 2000.