I was unfortunate to be unemployed a few months ago, the good news is I only signed on for two weeks, and I'm now settled in a really good job. However I learnt that any income I would have received from Credit Protection Insurance would be counted as income. (As it happens I never got round to claiming it but read on...) Now pardon me for being thick, but I took Credit Protection Insurance out to cover instalments for a bank loan, assuming, obviously quite wrongly, that I'd still get "full" jobseekers allowance ifd I was out of work, and I could stop worrying about paying the loan. You take this rip off insurance to cover yourself when you are down, and when you are down the system kicks you even further. It's better to not take this rip-off "insurance" in the first place, and come to an arrangement with creditors than, in my case lose £95 a month which could have gone on "luxuries" like food. I hope you all learn from this and not fall into the trap. Anyone else with a similar experience? No6

Excellent points there made about mobile phone cameras and photos in public places - such as a sporting event, where even I would say taking photos is OK, as for the beach - very good point, again it's a public place but I'd say no to taking snaps on the beach, or anywhere where people's modesty can be compromised. It's a difficult one.

I'm not exactly sure of the legal situation regarding "happy snappers" taking photos without consent. It seems to have become an issue recently, I know of a few situations where the photo-fanatics wanted to take photos of kids at school, and some parents objected therefore cameras were banned. Personally I hate having my photo taken. I've just bought myself a decent camera and I have always had a keen interest in photography but I totally respect the other persons right not to be photographed, indeed I would never take piccies without express consent, and I much prefer animals and landscapes anyway. Once pictures are taken they remain on record for all time, (unless destroyed along with all the negatives/images), and these days photos have a nasty habit of ending up on the internet. People also have a very nasty habit of taking the **** and being negative when looking at photos, a behavior I find annoying, hurtful and embarrasing - therefore I never consent to pictures at all, and will miss family weddings etc to avoid being captured on video. Then there is the issue of child protection, the obvious concern - paedophiles, I also think a child should have exactly the same rights as an adult and not be photographed without the childs consent either as well as the parents' consent, and any undue "pressure" to agree to be photographed should be made illegal. The days when you can do what you like and ignore the other person's wishes are at last coming to an end, thank goodness. Sure many will violently disagee and want to take snaps of their kids/grandkids at school / sports events etc etc - fine as long as you don't include me or my family in your photos. I've a sneaking suspicion taking photos without express (ie written) consent is illegal under the Human Rights Act, but that act only applies to public bodies so I really don't have an answer.

I agree. I was ex-directory anyway but still used to get a few, now I get none and it costs nowt to register.

Bloody telephones are the devils invention. i hate them, love email or the internet but phones are a damn nusiance. Never give your phone number out except to trusted friends, always get it automatically withheld, go ex-directory and register with the telephone preference service. Never ever call any number beginning with "08" or "09" (except 0800 - freephone), people will soon get the message. Phone calls can be recorded with or without your permission, never casually put your number on competition entries etc (that's how sales people get your ex-directory number), basically, you don't need to give it to companies at all, except perhaps if you are expecting a delivery, but give the sods a mobile number it costs them more. I've done all this and life is much better. When the phone rings I pick it up with confidence. No more hassle.... ahhhh bliss.

I totally agree. It's designed to give the illusion something is being done when in fact our Data Protection Laws are a total waste of space, and enforcing them is a joke. If this useless government put as much effort into true data protection as it does in persecuting the motorist maybe summat will be done, but those breaking data protection laws are usually powerful vested interests we don't want to upset. The only place I've experienced where the letter and spirit of the data protection law is taken seriously is the education system. Private companies want your details to sell you something and annoy you with unwated telephone sales calls. Also it it not illegal to sell mailing lists, and the companies will easily get round legislation by storing your personal details on computers in India or somewhere with no data protection laws. They can and do swap data and no one here knows, or can enforce it. Grrrrr

I agree. Direct debits have become an entrenched method of collecting cash by big companies and they cause so much misery and hassle, they do need their own thread, but that's for the moderators/site owners to sort. Are you all aware that while big companies are obsessed with collecting money by direct debit, they themselves, never pay their bills by direct debit. They say they have no control and don't like anyone dipping into company accounts. Hypocrites! I've been an IT Manager, who's worked closely with Finance Directors and accounts staff for a number of years, big business wants bills, on paper that they can sit on until the last moment when they will pay. They do this to help heir own cash flow. While they wont allow direct debits on business accounts they will pay by BACS (Direct electronic credit transfer) or very rarely Standing Order. For example salaries are paid electronically, through the banking system and I have no issues at all with credit transfer, BACS (it might have changed its name) or good old cheques. As we've said before many times it's all about control. So if businesses don't use Direct Debit because of lack of control over finances why should we?

I don't want to go off track with this thread - DD's are indeed a way of chucking the key to your bank account away - Bookworm is absolutely correct and I thank him/her for full support of what I have been saying. But talking about 08... & 09 telephone numbers please remember you too can have "terms and conditions" when doing business. One of mine is that I absolutely refuse to dial these numbers under any circumstances. Ask me to ring a normal number - fine, a mobile- fine, 08 or 09 - sod off, and don't even get me going about call centres, keep this thread to DD's please. (well you can get me going but in another thread please) Ta very much

Paypal? Pah! What a shower. I set up a Paypal account two years ago, they took $1 from my credit card with my permission, as "proof" it was me. I then had a "limited" account. To upgrade to a "full" account (or whatever) they asked for copies of my bank and credit card statements for evidence of my address. i absolutely refused. I offered a utility bill (NOT a phone bill - people are obsessed with getting your phone number). Paypal said it was unacceptable, they needed these statements. When I wrote my bank and credit card statements are totally confidential and I will not part, the fools then said "we only scan it and keep it on our server". Anyway I told 'em to get stuffed and close the account. I won't deal with Paypal under any circumstances.

I pay my car insurance annually by credit card. (Note - not a debit card). The reason I use a credit card not my debit card for all internet transactions, or payment over the phone is that if anyone fraudulently uses my card, it's the bank's money they are ripping off not mine. I'm not waiting 6 weeks to get my cash back. B******s to that. You should have seen my "personal banker's" face when I said that. And I pay my credit card in full every month so it cost me nowt. Hehehehe As for not having a swipe at banks, I apologise - I am. They set this insecure system up. There is absolutely NOTHING in the system to prevent a company simply resetting up a Direct Debit even after you cancel it. Once they have your bank account details, they can take as much as they like as frequently as they like. They can set up two, three, four direct debits on your account and you cannot stop them. I accept this scenario would be unlikely to happen but it is not impossible. The system is so insecure they can do what they like. I received my phone bill two days ago. Printed on it were the words "well if you dont want to save £12 a year by paying by Direct Debit, you can pay by other methods". My phone company is Kingston Communications based in Hull, they are a complete shower, but that's another story, they are obsessed by getting people to pay by Direct Debit. Needless to say I will be paying by cheque, I like a stamped receipt which will stand up in court as evidence of payment. If you must use these devils inventions, direct debits, have a separate account for your real money and put just enough dosh in your "direct debit" account to cover all the direct debits and let the buggers squabble over that. Campaign for Standing Orders - it's YOUR money and YOUR bank account, don't let the weasels in by the back door, get them to give you THEIR bank account for the standing order mandate - watch their faces they hate it. Standing Orders can only be set up by YOU, it's as automatic as a direct debit but you are in full control. As a side issue, I've had a lot of financial hassle in the past. With a direct debit "they" have to collect your cash, once you get a County Court Judgement they amazingly want payment by Standing Order instead, because the onus is on you to pay. If they dont get their monthly instalment they can go back to court. However if you paid a CCJ by direct debit and they forgot to collect the onus is on them and they would look stupid going back to court. It proves the point - it really is all about control. And here's another snippet - the law has changed recently so you do not have to give your signature when setting up direct debits. As for those silly direct debit mandate forms - do you know what happens to hem? They get binned. They do not need to go back to your bank for checking, your bank cannot stop a direct debit anyway. When my daughter worked for a bank, they just chucked the cards away. Direct debits simply go straight through the computer system. It's a great way for criminals to rob anyone. Banks should be sued for negligence by allowing such an insecure system.

Yes they want us all to pay by direct debit so they are in control. They run the banking software (I've done it - I used to work as an IT manager so I know the system ) on a date fixed by them so the money goes into their account on a certain date - it's all about THEM managing their cash flow and being in control. Tell 'em to shove their Direct Debits where the sun doesn't shine, and say you'll pay be standing order instead. Watch their face drop, it's as if you're taking their pensions away.

I could be wrong here, but our council is now looking to see if you park more than 50mm away from the kerb, I kid you not. On wednesday my wife saw council "officials" measuring the distance from my car wheels to the kerb. Yes on that occasion I'll come clean and say my wheels were about 10cm away as I had difficulty squeezing my car into a small space. Normally I'm tucked close to the kerb. I guarantee my car was not an obstruction. As a total cynic when it comes to councils and people at the top on fat salaries and fat pensions, (20% of your council tax goes to fund fat cats pensions) I bet this is simply another money making opportunity. Grrrrrr!

Amazing isn't it they'll take our cash faster than the speed of light. When it comes to customer service and you want something back, they'll put the most awkward, cumbersome "system" in place which guarantees the issue will drag on and on for months, with the occasional illusion that something is being done, but in practice it isn't. Eventually we may or may not win. Don't let them grind you down, use the legal process against them, they'd be very quick to do the same if you owed money. Make several annoying calls a day to them, write letters, copying the Chief Executive every time, but if you phone never lose your temper or use bad language. The one thing they do not want above all is bad publicity. Companies hate that, they'll dive for cover pretty damn quick. Threaten them with the media if all else fails and watch things happen fast. It works - trust me.

Can't disagree there Jeff. You're absolutely right when you say that if we don't complain nothing will get done. We british are inherently decent and don't like to complain and make a fuss, add that to the old "know your place" culture we used to have and I'm not surprised we don't complain as frequently as we should. Fortunately I do see things changing for the better. Always remember folks, you're the buyer, the customer, the one really in charge, don't be fobbed off with "don't rock the boat" crap, substandard goods or services. Remember while you are putting up with defective items, services etc some rich so-and-so at the top is running around in a fat new 4x4, or topping up an index linked final salary pension, or some other nice perk, paid for by YOU. As far as I'm aware the law is mainly on the side of the consumer, and rightly so. Handle things honestly, firmly but legally.

I've dealt with agencies for a number of years, believe me they make a fortune (although they say they don't), that's why there are so many about. I've employed people through an agency they generally charge companies twice the amount the employee gets paid, I've seen the invoices from them. Personally I'd sooner pay people through the books properly, it's chaeper and you can afford to be a little more generous with the wages and still save money, but the accountants like "profit per employee", obviously agency people aren't on the books as permanent staff, but cost much more. Crazy!