Jump to content

SPinDerbyshire

Registered Users

Change your profile picture
  • Posts

    16
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Reputation

1 Neutral
  1. At Derbyshire Districts CAB we want to make sure that people in debt know that there are sources of free help; that they don’t have to pay whopping fees to a debt management company in order to get out of debt. To that end we have started the Fee Free campaign and we’re asking as many people as possible to help spread our simple message: You should NEVER have to pay for help with debt. Please help us get the word out. If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, if you have a blog or if participate in message boards and forums, you can help spread our message. You can visit our Twitter account (https://twitter.com/DD_CAB) and retweet our Fee Free messages. You can also find out more on our blog (http://feefreedebthelp.blogspot.co.uk/) and download posters, articles and pictures to share on social media. We think that our message can make a big difference to people struggling with their finances and we hope everyone can give it their full support.
  2. Odd, it's working for me. There might be an issue with redirect. This is a direct link to the blog page: http://daecab.blogspot.co.uk/p/invoice-your-supplier.html
  3. I’m from a Derbyshire CAB and we’re campaigning for better customer service from our energy suppliers. Mistakes happen, we understand that, but we find that that our clients – and us – spend an unacceptable amount of time having to sort them out. Long call waiting times, missing correspondence, being passed from pillar to post and repeating the same information ad infinitum without ever seeming to make any progress – these are all things with which most visitors to this forum will be familiar. Energy companies don’t seem to realise that our clients’ time is valuable (and that the resources of charities such as ourselves are limited). And we’re not just talking about the inconvenience. Sometimes this shoddy treatment leads to real financial hardship, as in the case of a recent client who decided to pay a disputed bill for the sake of a quiet life, rather than have to put up with the stress of taking it further. Or the countless numbers of people who are put off switching to a cheaper supplier because of the incompetent way this has been handled in the past. We think that energy companies will better appreciate the effects of their poor service if we use a language they will understand – money. We want to encourage people to invoice their energy company for the time they have wasted in trying to resolve their issues. Will the energy companies pay up? Not likely. Not unless you’re very lucky, but that’s not the point. What we want is better and more efficient service. We don’t think it’s beyond the power of these multi-billion pound enterprises to provide us with this, and if it takes a campaign like this to get their attention we think it’s worth doing. If your energy supplier is giving you the run-around and you want to give them something to think about, stop by our 'Service Denied' Facebook page for instructions on how to use our invoice. http://www.facebook.com/Daecab
  4. I work for Derbyshire Dales, Amber Valley and Erewash Citizens Advice Bureau, and we're horrified by the number of clients we get who report that the Work Capability Assessment as carried out by Atos is simply not fit for purpose. The assessment is supposed to be a thorough report of the claimant's capabilities, sufficient for the DWP to make an accurate decision. All too often it's cursory, the assessor fails (or refuses) to consider and note additional evidence and judgements are frequently based solely on the claimant's performance during a (brief) interview, without considering day-to-day situations. We feel that the Atos complaints procedure has been underused, and that the company has been given an easy ride in this respect. It should be stressed that the complaints procedure is not about challenging the actual decision, and therefore is not a substitute for the appeal process - rather it's an additional channel people can use to express their dissatisfaction. We have produced a factsheet to help people frame their complaints, available here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/97651322/Using-the-Atos-Complaints-Procedure. I would urge everyone with a complaint to use the procedure. The more people who complain, the better our chances of finally tackling this apparently random method of assessment. Any feedback would be most welcome, whether it's about the factsheet or from anyone who has already used the Atos complaints procedure.
  5. I've been getting a lot of marketing calls just lately and I've set myself a bit of a challenge to see how many times I can get them to repeat the same spiel. After the first time, I leave a bit of a pause and say 'Sorry, there was someone at the door, can you go through that again?' Second time it's 'Sorry, what? Can't quite hear you, this is a very bad line. What was that again?' So far I've only managed to get them to do it three times before they hung up, but I'm working on my technique. I think this has the makings of a new competition sport, and I'm having tremendous fun with it. Of course, I should point out that I am a very, very, very sad individual, I have no friends and I don't get out much...
  6. Which bank was it? This happens a lot, banks failing to inform customers of the process for cancelling a DD, or simply denying that it's possible. I think it's a combination of poor training and downright laziness.
  7. Often we as consumers have more more power than we think, especially when we're prepared to shop around and cut out the middle man. No wonder they were a bit cagey about telling you who their supplier was!
  8. I should also remind you that, although faults may have originated with the manufacturer or the fitter, your contract is with Carpetright, and as such it's their responsibility to put it right. Some 'less reputable' companies have a habit of trying to pass the buck.
  9. In short, the answer is yes. You have the right to be compensated for any consequential losses incurred as a result of their breach of contract, and this would certainly include the (reasonable) costs of moving your furniture. My first move would be to contact Carpetright and explain the difficulties you have in moving the furniture. They may want to arrange to move and store it themselves. If not, advise them that you will be asking them to meet the costs. You will then need to send them a copy of the invoice.
  10. Hi Jeffinatelymaybe. Have you considered a complaint to Trading Standards? They may be able to take action under the Consumer Protection for Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which protects consumers from aggressive and deceptive sales techniques. You can make a complaint via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06. As many people have pointed out, consumers should always keep a keen eye on what's going out of their bank account. That said, although I can't comment on the specifics of your case, in general it is quite infuriating when companies desperately try to claim that you're at least partially liable for their mistakes and/or criminal behaviour.
  11. There are certainly increased costs incurred by the overwhelming demand placed on the appeal system. A cynical person might suggest that these are outweighed by the savings the government is making by denying benefits to genuine claimants.
  12. As regards HCP's training and experience, we get the impression that they come from a broad range of backgrounds. The danger is that they concentrate on their particular specialism to the exclusion of other areas. So for example, we have a client who reports that the HCP was a physiotherapist who, as you would expect, correctly assessed her physical limitations, but completely ignored mental health issues. It's really a job for a GP.
  13. It's good to see the legitimate medical profession fighting back. I work for the Citizens Advice Bureau and we regualarly see ESA claimants who tell us that an Atos Healthcare Professional has, on the strength of a 15 minute interview, completely overturned years of clinical assessment. We have even had cases where the HCP has advised the claimant to end their medication.
  14. You can also use the Atos complaints procedure if you feel that your assessment in not conducted properly. This is not a replacement for the appeal process, but it's an additional option. Be aware that Atos Healthcare Professionals are supposed to consider and note any additional evidence you may have and fully explore any symptoms or conditions (they are notoriously bad at this when it comes to mental health issues). More importantly, they are supposed to consider your everyday level of functioning rather than, as happens in most cases, simply providing a snapshot of your performance during the assessment.
×
×
  • Create New...