I've signed.

I would advise anyone to steer well clear of Beacon and Redstone. My so-called "mortgage" is with them and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Beacon offered me a mortgage without even checking my income figures. I now have solicitors investigating the agreement and they tell me that I have been robbed right, left and centre with illegal charges. These type of companies should be shut down.

My husband and I both have loans with Provident. We have looked at our agreements and noticed that they all have our signature, below that the agent's signature, then below that the witness signature which was the agent again. Can anyone tell me please whether this renders the agreement unenforceable if the agent and the witness are the same person? I thought the witness had to be an independent person. Thank you for any advice.

I am a visiting music teacher in a private school. We are paid according to how many individual pupils we have and per 30 minute session. Up until now I have been paid monthly on account, with the balance owing paid at the end of each term. Now they want to pay us for the number of sessions we teach at the end of the month following the month that they are worked. For example, lessons given in January will not be paid until the end of February. Also we will not be paid at all in January or August. Apparently this is a "cost cutting" exercise. They plan to draw up new contracts incorporating this new payment system before the new term starts. What I am wondering is, is this legal? It would put me to a great deal of financial inconvenience.

I don't like to post the adjudicator's name on here for fear of reprisals, and unfortunately I didn't record the call as I don't have the equipment. I am going to print off the whole of Carmel Butler's testimony and send it to the adjudicator and demand that he reads it.

I had a telephone conversation today with the adjudicator from the FOS who is dealing with my complaint against unlawful sub prime penalty charges and costs. He told me that the companies are quite within their rights to charge £50 per month for being in arrears, and are entitled to charge what they like. In his words; "They lent you the money; you have to pay it back!" But, just a minute......I didn't borrow it from the SPV that is now demanding it, I borrowed it from the original lender who has since washed his hands of it! I asked the adjudicator whether he watched the televisation of the Treasury Select Committee discussion about sub prime. He was totally blank. I doubt if he even has any idea what sub prime means. I find it demoralising and outrageous that these FOS people, who are meant to be unbiased, are judging on something that they obviously know nothing about. What chance are we ever likely to have?

Hi All, I have received an email acknowledgement from the Treasury to my submission. It states: "The Committee does not wish to put details of personal experience in the public domain and therefore such accounts will not be formally treated as evidence. Your experiences in this area will instead be drawn to the attention of members of the Committee on a confidential basis." Has anyone else received the same? I hope this does not mean that everything will be swept under the carpet, as so often before. I personally would be quite happy for my personal experiences to be put in the public domain if it would help to achieve our aim. Subprimevictim.

Just sent off my submission. Subprimevictim

Hi Rocket1, I was interested in your post as I have had the same experience. My broker tripled mine and my wife's income on the application form and tampered with a letter from my employer to conceal my true income.(I have the proof). Like you, I tried to find a solicitor to take on this fraud case, but soon discovered that not one solicitor was willing to take it on. (They are all too scared). I then went to the FOS and the FSA, who also turned a blind eye. The FSA are being paid by these crooks, after all! Eventually I settled for "compensation" from the broker in the form of a refund of the broker fee. It was that or nothing. I agree with you that we should receive substantial compensation for this fraudulent activity and that these companies should be closed down. I'm afraid you are very unlikely to find a lawyer willing to help you. (If you do find one, please let me know!) I am going to inform BBC Watchdog and every national newspaper to try to get justice. The brokers, lenders and SPVs are all in league with one another in the conspiracy and it has to stop. I am now going to write some more on my submission to the Treasury. The only problem is trying to keep within 3000 words! Best of luck. Subprimevictim.

Yes, still fighting, but getting very demoralised. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel at the moment. Lets hope your campaign helps.

Hi Enoughisenough, I can give plenty of examples of sharp practice. Where do I start?! 1) Our broker tripled our income figures without our knowledge, in order to obtain this "mortgage". The lender did not check any of it, as they knew they had nothing to lose. They would simply sell it on, securitise it and seize our property when we could no longer afford to pay. 2) They started repossession proceedings last year. I told them several times by letter and telephone that my wife would be starting 2 new jobs in a month's time and we would be able to clear the arrears. They ignored this and continued proceedings. 3) The day before the hearing, my mother in law lent me the money to pay off most of my arrears. I paid it over the phone and they told me that the hearing would not go ahead so I should not attend. As I do not trust this company I phoned the court to check and they told me the same. After complaining to the FOS about £550 of solicitor's costs added to my statement, the FOS informed me that the hearing DID take place and the judge read a letter from Redstone. This proves that these sub prime vultures are lying and deceitful. To top it all the FOS now tells me that the company have done nothing wrong and are entitled to charge these amounts. Even though they deceived me into not attending the hearing! This is just the tip of the iceberg. I sometimes feel we are fighting a losing battle as even the FOS and FSA are against us. Let's hope something can finally be done now to stop this injustice. Best of luck, Subprimevictim

My "lender" is Redstone (started out with Beacon Homeloans before they sold to Redstone and securitised). They are the most devious company I have ever come across.

Thank you EIE, for telling us about this. I am certainly going to tell them my story and am already halfway through writing my submission. I am also prepared to go to parliament as a witness if necessary. Let's hope plenty more sub prime victims do the same- apathy will get us nowhere. Something must be done about this outrage.

Hi Trudy, I'm afraid to say that complaining to the FOS about your mortgage company will be a total waste of your time. I also complained to them about my "mortgage" company treating me unfairly, charging me £100 for sending a so-called debt counsellor, charging me £50 per month for being in arrears and £650 for a court hearing which never took place, and ignoring my proposals for clearing my arrears. I have just received the Ombudsman's decision stating that the company has not acted unfairly and that I was at fault for refusing a second debt counsellor after the mortgage company had refused the offer of payment put forward by the first one! I also complained to the FSA, who replied that they might look into it but did not have to tell me the result of their findings. You don't mention whether your mortgage is prime or subprime, but it very much looks to me that the FOS and FSA are in league with these companies who are trying to bleed us dry, and the victim doesn't have a leg to stand on. I am now going to try BBC Watchdog and the national newspapers as a last resort.

Thank you Tawnyowl, I agree with everything you say. I too am planning to publicise the dirty tricks of the sub prime companies as far and wide as possible, by involving BBC Watchdog and the national newspapers. But it is futile trying to get any help from the FSA, the FOS or the government. I have already tried this and met a brick wall. The FOS have told me that the sub prime companies have not treated me unfairly and are quite within their rights to act as they do. I wrote to my MP, who passed it on to the relevant minister, who replied stating that the government's mortgage rescue plan is sufficient enough to help people and that the "lenders" are entitled to charge as much interest as they like. The fact is that the FOS and the government helped to set up these crooks in the first place, whilst keeping secret from the public what they would be getting into if they took on one of these so called "mortgages", so they are every bit as bad as the companies themselves. Yes Tawnyowl, every sub prime victim needs to stand united and tell the whole country what is really going on, if only to prevent anyone else from being duped into a situation they will never get out of.