This topic was closed on 10 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

A friend of mine is having issues with her tenant, the tenant is receiving the housing rent payments directly but he hasn't paid the last two months payments. She is at her wits end as he won't pay, but is telling her to stay away from the home and she cannot evict him as it will take months to do so. Where does she stand? I know this is a bit loose, does she inform the housing benefit office that she has not been paid the rent? I have looked through the forum to find similar issues but couldn't spot any, I am sure other landlords are having issues where housing benefit has been withheld. He told her also to stay away as she has a job so should be able to cover the mortgage. Any advice appreciated. Chris

I have made a report to the OFT and will send these letters straight away, again thanks for all your help, this website is a godsend to people. Keep up the good work. Thanks Chris

Anyone available?

I have just seen the letter and here is what it says. I realise that the sum is a small amount compared to others and he has asked should he just pay it but I feel that he was tricked into purchasing the phone in the first place and their behaviour and lanbguage has been shocking. Any advice still appreciated. Tar Chris

Hi All, I have noticed a lot of people having issues with HFO Services and I am having a similar issue with them. My father signed up to a mobile phone contract with 3g about 18 months ago from a young woman who knocked at his door. He is 67 years old now and even at the time didn't realise what he was signing up for, when the phone came I noticed it and realised what had happened and tried to return it, the company said it couldn't be returned as it was out of the returns date it took 6 weeks to arrive in the first place. Before last November he started receiving phonecalls from a woman whose name I have threatening him with prison if he did not pay which worried him. I spoke to the woman and told her to stop phoning him as it was harrassment. In January he had a stroke and is now housebound, the phonecalls have started again and again they are threatening to say the least. As you can imagine this is causing him stress and I am trying to find out how they can be stopped, I did explain that we wanted to send the phone back but they would not take it. I also told them he had recently had a stroke and this is really causing him problems. They have now got my works mobile number and have started ringing me on that. They have also sent a letter which I haven't seen yet but will do in a bit as I am going to see him. Any advice on what I should do would be appreciated. Thanks Chris

Thanks for the advice folks, will be completed Monday, can't wait for it.

Hi all, I am currently going through the process of buying my house using my right to buy. We are using a Mortgage advisor for all help on this. We were originally valued at £85,000 in December 07 and we will be able to purchase the home for £59,000, we have asked for £70,000 so we can do some improvements in the home, the rate that we have been offered is 5.69% fixed rate for two years, interest only payments. The Halifax are who we will be going with if we go through with the purchase, they have been a nightmare wanting us to pay for the improvements with our own cash before they will give us the money. Now I know that the market is down at the moment and we may be heading for a recession, but what I don't want is to purchase the house and go into negative equity, because of the the way the Halifax have been messing around i am starting to think it is a blessing in disguise and contacted the advisor to say "pull the plug" and we will look at it later this year or in six months. If we pull out we will be able to pay the people who have worked on it but do you think I should be pulling the plug on the purchase or would it be better for me to proceed with the purchase. We could re-apply straight away if we wanted too and I think the valuation in December is more than it would be now. Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks Chris

I have just had another call from the Natwest bank, they have told me that if I do not pay the amount they will send the Bailiffs to my home. I have also just phoned Camelot and they have told me that the problem is with the Natwest not them. this is really getting to me now, can't even describe how low and worried that I feel.

Thanks for the advice and that goes to everyone, I genuinely did not know that there had been an over payment until we came back from the Holiday and I agree that the bank are going for scare tactics in some way. I just hope that they do not really try and force the issue, also we will be invited back onto the Lottery programme to defend the title as such and can win again, but I am not sure if we will want to go on it as the win ahs caused more problems overall than it was worth.

Hi rbrears, how it worked was we were told by the Lottery after we won the TV competition that it was an all expenses holiday and they would provide us with spending money, three days before we went £2000 was deposited into our account. We went on the holiday and when we arrived back, there was a letter from the Halifax stating that there had been an over payment of £1000 into my account by mistake, I contacted Halifax and told them and they said the matter was now closed. yesterday the Natwest have wrote to me stating that they want the amount in full yet i am not in the financial position to pay it back. Once I recieved the £2000 I split it between the six family members who won the show with me. Hope this explains it a bit better.

I tell you what Ladies and gents, you have put my mind at ease quite a bit, I will take this advice on board and go to the CAB and also phone up Endemol. A million thanks in advance you are all stars. Take Care Chris

Hi Dave, I have looked at this thread, I am still unsure as to where I stand to be honest, I am not lacking in some forms of intellect but this did leave me a bit baffled. Is it saying that because i was unaware of what amount would be deposited, and I am not in a financial position to pay it then I may not be held accountable as it is there responsibility to ensure an efficient service. What alarms me most is that banks can make mistakes like this wether it be with a big corporation as in Endemol Production company, or with a normal everyday person just getting by. It isn't a great advertisement for Natwest Bank either way.

Hi all, I am new to this and still very new to some of the terminology being used in this thread. I have a situation whereby £1000 was paid into my Halifax account by the Natwest bank, this was paid through the Chaps payment service. The Halifax contacted me and after informing them of the situation they told me they would not be persuing me for the money, the Natwest Bank have now written to me requesting the full amount. The money was won as part of a National Lottery programme where I won a holiday, they gave us spending money to which I was unaware of how much they was giving us. The money was split between six people. I have posted this in detail in the general Forum. Any help would be great. All The Best Chris Cavanagh

Hi to All, I recently won a holiday on the National Lottery show with another 5 members of my family. Three days before the Holiday two payments of £1000 were paid into my wifes account through the CHAPS payment service as spending money, the production company had told us that they would be giving us spending money but didn't tell us an amount. I split the money up between the six of us who were going on the holiday. On returning from the holiday, there was two letters from my bank the Halifax, they had said that one of the £1000 payments had been paid into the account by mistake. I contactede the Halifax Bank and explained the situation to them, they then told me that they would close the file and that would be the end of the matter. I have recieved a letter from the Natwest bank today and it seems that they were the Bank responsible for making the payments on behalf of the TV company. They have informed me that I have to pay the full amount back irrespective of it being there mistake. Can anyone please advise me of what I can do here, I am not in a financial postion to be able to pay this back. Thanks in advance and I hope this post makes sense. Sincerely Chris Cavanagh