Brighthouse Stores (formerly Crazy Georges)

[steven4064]

Hi Graham

I really doubt it given their record but you could try. Let us know how you get on - it would be nice to be pleasantly surprised

[julie1961]

When I was in difficulty all I got from them was I would lose any protection I had on my goods while ever my account was in arrears & if it went on for longer than 3 or 4 weeks they would take my stuff & put it in storage until i could clear my account. While its in storage you don't pay your weekly amount you just pay your arrears off & then get your stuff back & carry on with your agreement.
I hope you have better luck with Brighthouse than I did.

[DCA-KING]

Hi Graham
DONT BE BULLIED BY THEM TELL THEM i will made reduced payment or (if you have paid over the possion amount) i will not pay anything at all at let it go to a DCA and then i will pay them the £1 a month they soon change there mind
anyway writeto (recorded) them telling them how much you can pay if they say no send them a chq for that amount each week once they bank it they have except the amount you agreed to pay and if they phone saying we will take you to court or repo your goods tell them go get a court order no judge will give you one as i have been paying what i can afford

[morrigan54]

Hi I'm new to the forum.

I am in the middle of dealing with these lot! Last year I had similar problems, had the phone calls, the threats and intimidation of re-possessing my goods and hey presto- they've started again this week because I'm in arrears.
They actually made me ill last year but this time round, sorry, but I'm enjoying playing them at their own game. They threatened on Saturday to take my goods so I said- 'ok then, come for them!' I've no quarms about going to court with all my receipts and payments, none at all.
In the next breath they said- 'well we really don't want to take your goods.' So I replied- ' so reduce my payments then!'
Oh I've had the abuse off these lot and they like to give it out too! Thing is, I was miss nasty as well and for some reason, they didn't like it?
Now, being the sponsors of The Trisha show, you'd have thought they'd have some empathy with their clients when they're in a spot of financial bother? Afterall, Trisha does cover the depravation of lone parents and debt and the rest of it. ( no dig at single parents by the way because I'm one myself)
Well, I had a pleasant surprise this morning. I spoke to the store manager and mentioned who they sponsor and guess what? If I go in with my usual payment before Saturday, they are wiping my arrears!
After last years performance with them, there was no way on this earth I was letting these lot bully me again- not a prayer! To be truthful and like many, after I've paid off what I owe them, I'd rather go without than get anything off them again. As many have said on this thread, they must put their staff on a bad attitude course before thrusting them in to the store.
Like many have said on here, don't let them bully you, don't let them make you ill because these lot aren't worth it. I asked the store manager for some help to sort my arrears out and in all fairness when he did back down, he was pretty helpful because if he wasn't prepared to help then it's no skin off my nose, I'd have sent channel 5 an email asking them why this lot sponsor a show that is designed to help people and the top and bottom of it is- that's exactly the type of show they sponsor!!!!! Quite bizarre don't you think?
I just want to say good luck to everyone who uses this company, but do not let them bully you.

[steven4064]

Hi morrigan

Welcome to CAG. Well done for standing up to BH and for the result.

[Lefty]

Hi Morrigan

Just be sure that their "unusually kind offer" to wipe off your arrears doesn't really mean just a re-set of your account complete with brand new agreements.

DO NOT SIGN ANY NEW AGREEMENTS!!!!!

If you do, you will lose all your consumer rights regarding early settlement and/or repossession.

Don't trust 'em!


Cheers
Lefty

[morrigan54]

Hi Lefty

Thanks for that. This is what's bothering me to be honest. My suite is pretty much boxed off as I've only got 6 months left to pay on it. The other two I can live without so they can come for them no problem which if they are asking for me to sign new agreements then they can sling it and pick them up. The company is more trouble than what it's worth.
In fact I might walk in the shop with them and hand them over on a busy Saturday, I've no problem with that either.
I read your post Lefty on the optional cover thing? Do they have to remove this by law if you request it in writing? What happens if they refuse to cancel the optional cover? Thanks in advance.

[DCA-KING]

I have a case against them with the OFT and FOS with regards to there Optional service cover and in the process of reclaiming back my service cover its states that if the item cant be repaired in your home we will give you a loan product laptop broke twice without it for 12 weeks no loan
false represention ive even had a call from brighthouse head office asking why i contacted the OFT and FOS and also trading stantards
if you had come to us we would have sorted it ball locks what did the last letter i had off then say this is our fainal discion on this matter
they even sent me a new agreement from the store and guess what some muppet left in the email from head ofice slagging me off has a customer OFT we happy to see it so watch this space brighthouse even offerd to write off whats left to pay
told the manager now the ****s hit the fan you think il just go away with your stupid offer
il be suing for harrassment,stress, so dont worry about writing off 600 add a 0 on the end by the time i finished with you

[morrigan54]

Sounds like you're having a major rough deal welshnutteruk.
I don't know whether this would apply:

Malicious Communications Act 1988 . This makes it an offence to send a letter or other article which conveys an indecent or grossly offensive message or a threat, or which contains information known to be false and the purpose of the letter is to cause distress or anxiety.

I think it's outrageous an email of that nature was sent to you.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

(Lefty, is there any advice you can give on this optional service cover or Re-setting the account)

[steven4064]

Hi guys - it's about time this shower were sorted. I suggest that in any complaint to the FOS/OFT we ask them to consider whether Caversham Finance (BrightHouse's real name) are 'fit and proper persons to hold a consumer credit license" - let's see what we can do.

[morrigan54]

Hi Steven, thanks for the welcome.

I agree with you, I'm with you on this!

[DCA-KING]

Hi Caversham (brighthouse) have already been warned by the OFT type in caversham interesting reading
yes there internal email made great reading
(cause alarm and distress to persons) will look into that
my complaint is with OFT and FOS and my local trading standards when i mentioned to TS about them and they looked into it see said the missed a page out of your agreement about getting SC & DLC removed i told her its not my fault it is down to them to put the agreement together she stated that they would have to take it to court and ask a judge has there copy contain the pae and mine didnt i said they could have added it or they could say i removed it i also told her they sent out 2 new agreements for me to sign the 1 to keep contains 9 pages the 1 i have to send back contains 2 so they could add 7 different pages to theres(problem was i new more than her) i told her about 20 times check out the OFT and what they done them for 2 weeks later she still int looked
Also if they threated any of you that they will come and remove the items remind them that they will have to get a court order(that you can defend) no court order no legal right inj law to come onto your property even your garden only 2 people by law postie and someone asking for directions
im going to grind these tossers into the ground then has i have contacts with all the papers(i cover sports stories for them) i will be sending my story to the press the way i look at it if 10 people read the story thats 10 people who wont go there and ive saved from a devil company

[steven4064]

Hi guys

Just to point out that Lefty's excellent post on this thread has been moved to the 'stickies' at the top of the Brighthouse forum. (In case you wondered what had happened to it )

[Lefty]

Originally Posted by steven4064

Hi guys - it's about time this shower were sorted. I suggest that in any complaint to the FOS/OFT we ask them to consider whether Caversham Finance (BrightHouse's real name) are 'fit and proper persons to hold a consumer credit license" - let's see what we can do.

Hey Steven, we'll sort em between us one day!

Mind you, I think Brighthouse are enjoying the "credit crunch" we're all hearing about lately, and expecting a good year ahead!. They've moved on from tacky sponsorship of the Trisha show on 5 to a full blown 30 second advert on ITV tonight during the break in CORONATION STREET!!!! That's PEAK TIME advertising! The sales graph at head office will be OFF THE SCALE by Friday!!!!

Morrigan

Read my factsheet on Brighthouse. You'll find it (as Steven pointed out) as a "sticky" at the top of this (Brighthouse) forum


Cheers
Lefty

[morrigan54]

Well, low and behold, Lefty you were spot on! I telephoned the accounts manager today at my local store and whilst he stated on the phone he would wipe my arrears, he did forget to mention that - yes they intend re-setting my account. Now then, I am in fact due to go in with a payment tommorow but- I'm not doing, don't get me wrong, I'm not refusing payment but I need to know the know before I walk in with that money because understanding BH staff is like trying to understand the Teletubbies- they speak their own lingo eh!
What I'm going to do either way is walk in their store with the goods that I'm sending back, they are replacable and I only got them before xmas so I stand to lose pittance so it's no skin off my nose.
I'd like some form of media coverage on this if I can so I'm going to try my best- I know they've heard the ' I'll sling you in the papers' threats off customers before but to be honest without going in to detail, I'm in quite a good position to get it.
I've been reading about BH charitable work online, in fact there are posters up about it in my local store as well as Trisha Goddards head peering over the cashier desk. I work as a volunteer for a local organisation in my town so maybe someone might be interested in the harrassment they've given me over what I call a meesley amount of money. In fact I was commended by an MP before Christmas for my work.
Has anyone you know of ever took a reporter in with them by any chance? I know you've all probably heard people like myself say this all before but I can assure you, I've rumbled worse!
Anyway back on topic, they are obviously gunning for me to sign a new agreement. Like I've said in a previous post, they'll have to get a court order for the suite so I'll let them, lifes too short to take any c%%p off them lot.
Lefty you seem to know your know on BH, have you looked in to human rights clauses they could possibly have breached in the form of harrassment? BH seem to have an answer for everything but the human rights act is a very complex law. I was just wondering if anyone has looked in to it? Sorry to waffle on but it sickens me to the pit of my stomach the amount of harrassment this company puts people through yet plaster their charitable nature all over their stores. Whilst they're handing out cookers and washers to homeless charities ( which ok fair play to them) in the next breath they are putting their customers on the verge of a breakdown because last year courtesy of them, I was nearly one of them.