Fuming!!!!!!!!!!!

[morrigan54]

Having just sorted my own problems out with this shower, my friend has called this morning in tears.
Her weekly payments are 26.99, due tommorow. However, because she has just separated from her partner (who has left her high and dry) she has had to make a claim for benefits this morning. She rang the store and explained her financial situation and told them that she cannot pay the money tommorow. You want to know what they said? ' Go for a crisis loan and you'll be able to pay us!'
Now, for anyone who knows about crisis loans, they don't pay out a great deal and to be quite honest, she's got her baby to feed at the end of the day.
She is not in a position to borrow the money and unfortunately, I'm not in a position to lend it her as I have a payment to make myself.
She has been a regular payer and no one can predict a change of circumstances. She rang them and was straight with them, told them she wasn't ignoring it and that she would ensure once the benefits agency has sorted out her claim, she will be paying it but again, unfortunately, the benefits agency can take a while sometimes.
She hasn't got access to the internet hence why I'm posting.
Sadly, she knows what I've been through with them and is panicking. Obviously I can't prevent the store from ringing her up 24/7 but in all honesty, it will be a few weeks before she is straight and on her feet again. The manager bullied her in to lending the money, even stating that she could borrow from other agents, personal loans etc, you know the ones ( don't know whether I can mention them so I won't)
Why the hell and what gives Brighthouse the rights to canvass other loan shark companies just so they get paid! It is %%%%%%%% disgusting.
This would put her in to more debt obviously!
She is with another company whom she rents a TV off via meter. They have been fantastic about her situation as she is a good customer as she has been with Brighthouse.
Stories like this infuriate me but don't surprise me.

[Lefty]

Hard to advise what to do with this one...

Firstly, a crisis loan is for a crisis - NOT a way to pay Brighthouse. That is disgraceful! The store manager should definitely not have suggested that!

£26.99 per week will knock a big hole in her weekly benefit when it finally comes through! She may like to consider doing as you did and return any items not absolutely necessary?

I think I would write to head office (copied to store) and explain the circumstances and try asking for an account freeze for a couple of weeks. She needs to make it very clear that she has every intention of keeping to her agreement, but by adding penalty charges to her account will cause genuine hardship.

How far into the agreement(s) is she?

Does she have the optional service cover?

Assuming she is past the one third point (meaning Brighthouse would need a court order to repossess) she should ingore all telephone calls and not let them into her home if they call.

I would have thought her claim for benefit will come through quickly enough if there is genuine hardship.

Keep us posted - and keep your friend well informed of her rights.


Cheers
Lefty

[morrigan54]

Hi Lefty

Thanks for your reply. She has felt the need to borrow the cash and go in with it tommorow. ( she can't be doing with the hassle of the phone calls and who can blame her) Anyway, she rang the store yesterday (sat) and told them she was bringing the payment Monday morning. The manager stated that she now has to pay two weeks???????? As she explained, it will probably be the end of the week until her benefits are sorted out? Why have they done this and asked for two weeks when they know damn well she is scrimping to pay Saturdays???? Well, why I've asked that question I don't know because they did it to me!
She can't take any items back Lefty because they are much needed ones.
I printed off your optional service cover info so I'll help her do that.
She got her goods in August 2006 and has never missed a payment until now.
Either way, we'll sort it out. They put people through all this when at the end of the day, those who are NOT refusing to pay them, there is always something that can be done one way or the other so why they cause people this stress is beyond me. I'm going in with her tommorow and shes taking the Saturdays payment in. I've known them to refuse a payment if you don't take the two weeks in, they did this to me as well.

[sillygirl1]

As I've mentioned on another post about Brighthouse - if possible can you canvass your local Freecycle groups for items - its surprising what comes up - everything from pianos to plant pots and particularly kitchen stuff... tvs are also frequently advertised.

Childrens school uniforms are also featured heavily - my nephew grew so fast one year he only wore a pair of trousers for three weeks -

That is an alternative to these sharks, I think particularly in the case of the rented TV she is better off trying to get one on Freecycle. They are on Yahoo groups on the Internet sorted by area (within London it's by borough, so you can choose the areas near you).

[morrigan54]

Hi, I think your advice is excellent. I read in one of your other posts about Freecycle. Thanks very much for that. Much appreciated.

[sillygirl1]

As an example my sister got a metal bunk bed, the type with a double futon sofa underneath and a single bed on top from Freecycle, it was in excellent condition, similar item in Brighthouse was £20 per week with a total price of £450 (is listed as £250 in Argos at the moment). I got rid of a load of unwanted towels and some books are going on there next week, along with a deep fat fryer and slow cooker which are no longer needed.

If more people realised that Freecycle ISNT about getting rid of broken stuff and more about passing on items which are being replaced shops such as Brighthouse would be loosing business hand over fist. They are nothing