If you paid for it with a credit card then they are responsible as well as Comet so ask for a refund from your credit card. The other option is to write to Comet plainly stating that you are rejecting the machine as it is unfit for purpose under the SOGA and that they must collect it within a certain time frame. If they don't then charge them storage for it. Do not go down the route of accepting repairs. This can lead to all sorts of problems later if something else goes wrong. They will claim that you accepted it with it's problems etc. You want your money and nothing else so you can go to a better retailer like John Lewis who will price match and have a better reputation if things do go wrong. Their own brand washing machines are rated highly. The CEO of Comet is Bob Darke. His email address is: [email protected]. The head office is in Hull. Tel 01482 592000. Don't be afraid to say that you will sue them in the small claims court. Unfortunately Comet is one company doesn't respond until this point is reached. You can sue without leaving your computer. Check out http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/consumer-rights-refunds-exchange.

Comet have an appalling record when it comes to customer service and offering refunds under the SOGA when things go wrong. We are demanding our money back for a television that developed a fault after only 3 weeks. They basically laughed at us in the store and walked away. They are responsible and you must be prepared to fight for your money back. Brown stains on your washing can be caused by a pump failure. It is leaking and a pig of a job to do. My advice is to ask for your money back because it is not unreasonable of you to expect a washing machine that cost nearly £500 to last more than 12 months. Precedents have been set in the courts where judges have awarded full refunds in similar situations. The going to court bit is all very straight forward and you can do it online by filling out a simple form. Comet then have 14 days to defend it. If they don't, you have won. If they do then a judge will decide by reading both sides arguments. I can't see it getting this far because they normally settle just before the deadline. John Lewis machines have a good reputation and are made by Zanussi but using better components for a longer guarantee.

You may have resolved this issue by now, but I used a company for a similar incident with very good results. The company is called xxxxx solicitors from Birmingham. The chap who helped me was xxxxxxx and I was very impressed.

As you have proof that he agreed to pay you back, take him at his word and start a claim in the small claims court. You can do this from the comfort of your computer.

This sounds like the woman is trying to avoid paying you, a popular occupation on Ebay. I would remind the woman and Ebay of ' Caveat Emptor ' or buyer beware. Stick by your description and the fact that you have been open and honest with the buyer. I can't see what Ebay can do about it other than close your account. They won't start putting negative remarks on your feedback because that will make Ebay look to be riddled with crooks. If Ebay do get stroppy and close your account, open another one if you feel you have to use this awful site. There are other ones that are cheaper and less hassle. Empty your Paypal account straightaway as they are owned by Ebay otherwise you may find they have stopped you getting access to your own money.

These charges are quite simnply unlawful. The Office of Fair Trading and the Financial Ombudsman Service both say that a bank cannot charge you more than it costs them to refuse a DD or standing order, bounce a cheque. The cost to the bank including a snotty letter is, at the most, £4. By charging you £25 they are imposing a penalty which they are not lawfully entitled to do. Forget all their twaddle about it being in their terms and conditions, it simply isn't lawful and you can ask for your money back if they take it. If they get stroppy threaten them with the ombudsman and the small claims court. It's your money, you work damn hard for it and it is very wrong that a bank can help themselves to your money without your consent. If you owe your electric bill and don't pay, they can sue you, they can't take your money so why should a bank be able to do it? Find yourself another bank because Santander have a reputation down there with estate agents. The Spanish economy is in serious trouble with the Euro and could go tits up taking many British people with it. Ok, you may get your money back by the compensation scheme...eventually. Tell that to the hungry children and no more for shopping. As for their comments about goodwill gestures, remind them that it is your goodwill they need to continue to use their rotten service. You are the customer, you are King. Remind the little snotnose when you next speak to them.

You would find it very diificult to challenge these tickets because you should know not to park on the zig-zags outside a school from the Highway Code. I take it you took a driving test and signed a document at the end of the test when you passed stating that you would drive in accordance with the rules and regulations of the road. Forget about son's bad leg because he would have walked further from his classroom to your car than for you to illegally park on zig-zags. The purpose of these markings is to protect children. They are to give them and motorists a clear view so to stop children running out between parked cars. You should pay the fines and park legally in future and be grateful no child was knocked down because of your selfishly parked car creating a hazard.

It is an old trick by councils and debt collectors they use to send out letters with words ' bailiff ' ' legal action ' etc on them to frighten you into paying up. As for the council not responding to your claim and seemingly decided that there is no case to answer, I would make a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. Also, the council is responsible for its bailiffs. Make your formal complaint to the LGO and keep appealing. The council will try and exhaust you by dragging your complaint out. It stinks I know and has very little to do with democracy and councils being accountable to the tax payers.

I'm pleased that I could help. Now you can challenge their charges and reclaim your money back. It also tells you how to complain about bailiffs to the court and about the Police if they ignore your complaint. Also you may want to check out the regulations on parking tickets and enforcement. The councils are acting illegally on many occassions when they fine people for parking infringements - and they know it! To them it is just another racket to screw money from motorists or people who don't have their resources to fight back. BE aware that they will drag any correspondence to the utmost limit in an attempt to exhaust you. The more I deal with different councils and their sheer incompetence, the more I realise that a lot of their ' mistakes ' are deliberate to obtain money. Yes, I know this is fraud, but the difficulty is proving it.

I am very surprised at the way this council is handling this debt. Their insistence on demanding what you plainly cannot afford is just plain silly and unreasonable. Sometimes it takes a court case for these people to see sense and that you simply don't have the money they are demanding. The court is going to accept what you can afford to pay and the council are obliged to accept it. Have you written to them asking them to verify this alleged debt with dates, how it occurred, why they have waited so long to collect etc? I had dealings with Manchester City Council over an overpayment of housing benefit. Their demand was for £260.00 yet when I asked to provide evidence, the debt dropped to £35.00. It made me think that this is a [problem] on the behalf of councils. They write to people claiming that they owe them money and rely on the debtors to simply pay up without questions. This is called fraud and they are getting away with it. Another avenue for good advice is the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000. You will speak to a person not some machine and they will be able to provide you with sample letters to send to the council over this debt.

I've always found the website ' Screw the Bailiff ' very useful with copies of letters to send and what to do at various stages of dealing with bailiffs.

Hello pb2223 I find this website very good for information on dealing with bailiffs. It is called ' Screw the Bailiff '. It will give you details on what they can and cannot do and templates of letters to send and how to claim damages/costs from them. Bailiffs work on fear. This is how they extract money from vulnerable people. Do not open the door to them and certainly never let them in.

The first I would do is contact the local council and ask for them to send a surveyor to assess the new developments with the cracking walls and unsafe chimney. If that chimney fell it could kill. If you are in receipt of any benefits you would be entitled to free draughtproofing and insulation. This would mean thick loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, draught strips around the doors and windows. Hot water tank lagged. But this would be pointless if the plaster on the walls has blown. Asking the council to visit and survey the building will help your position no end on the housing list. I can see them condemning it as unfit and unsafe. Stay put at the moment because the last thing you want to do is to be seen as making yourself homeless by the council. They have a duty to rehouse you if you are evicted, let your landlord do that. You mentioned that you like the house and your rent is reasonable. If the repairs were done like the insulation and windows etc, would you stay? If so, why not repaint the outside yourself? I know you rent the place but it is your home and sometimes it is the only way to get things done.

Firstly write to the council asking them for details on the right to appeal. In that letter you want to ask them why they think this debt is recoverable. Why they have waited so long to contact you. How they have come to the amount that they have and for what period it covers. There is an absolute time limit of 13 months for you to appeal and it is not unheard of for councils to fail to notify you of a debt outside this period so they can claim that you cannot appeal. This is being very disingenuous. You can still write and ask for an appeal outside this time limit and I would stating that you want the debt written off because they failed in their duties to notify you within time. If you have moved and they didn't have an up to date address, they will claim they wrote to your old one. Ask them for copies of the letters. If you are on benefits be aware that they will contact the DWP Debt Management to start taking money from your benefits. You will need to contact DM and ask them to suspend collection until the matter is sorted out. Be persistant. Some staff at DM are reluctant to do this. If the debt is proven and you have to repay the money, make them an offer of say £5 a week. If this is rejected let them take it to court. I feel you are in a very strong position because you have not refused to repay the money. The court will see this and how much money you have coming in and what you have going out. They will agree the £5 a week and the council will have to accept it. As for the bailiffs. Google Screw the Bailiff for a very good website that will tell you all about bailiffs, what to do when they call, what they can/cannot do etc etc.

Contact the County Court asking them to suspend this judgement because you were not notified. I think you will have to pay £10. You can then find out what this debt relates to and who Byan Cater Solicitors is. Do this by searching the Law Society database and the Solicitors Regulatory Body. It is not unknown for debt collectors to claim to be solictors when they are not. This is illegal.Pheonix Recoveries are a debt collection agency and I would imagine this refers to some long forgotten debt or that they have the wrong person. One trick these debt collectors do, is file a claim against you to an older address so that you have no idea of the court case and they win by you not turning up to contest the case. I think this is what has happened here. Make sure Bryan Carter is a solicitor. Get the judgement suspended and then a new court date so that you can put your side. If it relates to a old credit agreement where you pay in installments then you are covered by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and Pheonix must have the original agreement signed by you to prove the debt. I bet they haven't. Google county courts for the one that issued the CCJ and start from there.

I would like to add Dukes Bailiffs, working for Manchester City Council. They are claiming that I owe MCC £258.65 for " sundry " debts. I wrote and asked them to provide evidence and breakdown of debt using National Debtline letter. No reply except to threaten legal action, home visit etc. The leter quite clearly states bailiffs and is used to cause alarm and distress because it has never been to court and I owe MCC not a penny.