Whisper

I let an outstanding debt slip because life and other things got in the way... (we had to move house 3 times in 4 years, only once by choice! :( ) This debt is now owned by a collection agency. I've made an SAR in writing and am awaiting the details (though I pretty much already know what it will say). Having done a bit of research online and looked at lots of advice sites, my question is this... Does anyone have experience of making a lump sum offer to settle? I've read that collections agencies buy your debt for pennies on the pound, and you should start with a lump offer around 30% of what they say you owe. So, has anyone been successful with this? If you made an offer, and they counter-offered, what did you finally agree on? Any advice welcome! :)

Thanks all. I am aware that US passport holders cannot enter the States on a non-US passport. We've never made a consular report of birth abroad, so my daughter only has a British passport because she only has a Britsh birth certificate. My understanding is that she can enter the US on her British passport, as a British citizen, but she simply requies an ESTA? I have never read that being in posession of a foreign passport as a foreign citizen would prevent me from filing her CRBA, which can be done up until she is 18?! (This is what I have read on consular and other advisory pages. If anyone has a link to further info, that would be useful.) In any event, there's no possible way we could file all the US paperwork for her citizenship in our timeframe of travel! I only have a brief window availble each year due to work committments. It would mean putting off travel until next summer. Are you saying that US law forces her to be a citizen because I am a citizen? That doesn't seem right. She has only a British birth certificate. Surely she has all the rights of a British citizen when travelling to the US??? TBH, I don't know if we will ever file a CRBA. It's more likley that I will apply for British citizenship, as I'm settled here with few ties to the US.

I want to travel to the States later this summer to visit family. I only have a US passport. My daughter only has a British passport. My husband (her father), has a British passport, but he can't join us unfortunately (other committments, bad timing, long story...). I will be taking a notarized letter to state that he's happy for her to travel to the US with me. So my question is what happens at US Immigration? Presumably we won't queue together? But who will chaparone her through immigration, as I'm the only adult on this trip? (She's primary school age and cound not navigate the immigration queue alone.) Any experience??? X

A breastfeeding story as related by my dear friend J.... When J's daughter R was nearly 3 years old, J woke up one morning and thought, "Blimey she's not a baby anymore. I can stop breastfeeding now." J got all her sisters together and they went down to beach to sing songs and celebrate little R's birthday. They sang "bye-bye boobie" to the tune of Bay City Rollers "Bye-Bye Baby". Then J gave her daughter a bunch of helium balloons and told her, "When you're ready to stop breastfeeding, you let go of the balloons." R let go of the balloons and then burst into tears, but after a little while it was all ok. The next morning when R crept into her mother's bed and asked for boobie, J reminded her about their little party the day before. R's reply? "I was just joking, Mummy!"