I'm looking at moving but I have noticed that Lettings Agents often charge a bewildering set of fees. What do you think of this practice? eg. An Admin fee (fair enough there is some admin work to do although why is it over £100?) A deposit fee (£30 to cover the cost of putting the deposit in a protection scheme, surely the landlord should pay?) An Inventory fee (£70 to write a list of everything in the flat? why does the admin fee not cover this?) A checkout fee (£70 to check the inventory when you move out) A renewal fee (£100 every 6 months, even if it becomes a periodic tenancy) A reference fee (£30 to provide a reference to a new landlord after you move out) I have paid a deposit (several hundred £££'s) to take the property off the market by credit card, could you make a chargeback to get this back as these terms were never made clear until after the money was paid. Nothing has been signed yet.

After I graduated I recieved a council tax bill for the year after graduation. I have letter from my University saying I left at the end of June (end of term). The council tax bill starts in April. Am I right in thinking that I can claim student exemption for part of the year ie Months April, May, June. 3 Months? This would be a 25% reduction on a 12 month bill? Or can you only have council tax exemption for an entire year?

Thanks but I know exactly the difference between a domain name and web hosting as I too work in this field. If they were actually storing my files I would agree with you but as I have never used it as a website there are no files to store. Therefore I am not and have never been affecting their resources. That was my point. I have taken hosting for 3 years at £10 a year, on a rolling 12 month contract, as it is cheap it does not really matter whether or not I take advantage of their hosting, I was really only interested in securing the Domain Name (for personal reasons). For them to ask for another £30 (the current rate after they have added 'fees' for the year) seems unfair as this represents a further 3 years of use. As a matter of customer goodwill and since I have never taken advantage of their hosting service I would expect them to be happy to have received £30 for nothing over the last 3 years and not letters of demand for another £30? They have the ability to use their discretion but would rather try and minimise their costs and take as much money as possible. They are just another example of a company which promises you something at a low price then when you come to leave they make it as difficult as possible to try and extract more money - similar to Gym Memberships, Mobile Phone Contracts. [RANT] Why if I had my way contracts for a consumer product could not last longer than 1 month and you would be able to cancel in writing with at most 1 months notice. :evil:At the very least after a 12 month contract the company should have to write to you and ask if you would like to continue using the service. The presumption should not be that you are happy to continue. [/RANT] Yes, Yes I'm probably being completely unreasonable as writing T&C's blatantly in your favour then hiding them on a small link off of your website always trumps fairness or common sense. Sigh so if I pay them the original fee of £12 + £10 late payment fee they will not keep pursing the added charges of £10 for their DCA to write me a letter? They do not take payment by C/C only by IBAN Bank Transfer so thats another £16 and a trip to the bank. So either £38 or £48 (nearly five years service!). My bank tells me that I cannot use online banking to make international transfers.

Anyone got a clue about this? http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-consumer-issues/164001-foreign-debt-new-post.html

Ok there are 3 things to clear up. Would Scottish law apply because I live in Scotland? If so can I ask for a Credit Agreement to be produced? If not would they take it to court in Denmark and could a Danish Court enforce a judgement as I have no assets in Denmark? Debt collecting in Denmark Brussels Regime - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Article 2 prescribes that a person (legal or natural) may only be sued in the member state in which he or she is domiciled. Where the Brussels Regulation or Lugano Convention applies, consumer contracts (as defined in the Regulation and the Convention) are different. Under the Regulation and the Convention, jurisdiction clauses can only add to consumers’ rights to litigate, not subtract from them. So, if a consumer has a right to bring proceedings against a supplier under the rules discussed above, that right cannot be removed by means of a contractual jurisdiction clause. Similarly, where a supplier is obliged to bring proceedings against a consumer in the consumer’s jurisdiction of domicile, then that obligation cannot be altered by a choice of jurisdiction clause.

In practical terms they are not providing a service, they are not using any bandwidth, they are not using any disk space, it costs them nothing to provide but even if I wanted to use it I cannot access it without a domain name. I have been a good customer for 3 years, I have recommended the hosts to my friends who are now using them as well. They lose more by trying to enforce the agreement as now I would not use them again and I would not recommend them to anyone. The hire car company just puts your money in the bank safe in the knowledge they will never have to pay out. Companies that have unfair cancellation requirements really annoy me. Why do they need 45 days written notice? The only reason is they hope you forget. An analogy I see would be if you rent a Car (domain name) for a year, after a year you crush the car as you decide it is of no use to you anymore. so the Car is gone, but they still want you to pay for the insurance (hosting) for the next year as you have not told the hire company you no longer require cover. So you have no Car but you have Insurance for a year that covers a Car that no longer exists. You cannot claim under the insurance so gain no benefit for having it for another year.

I signed up for Web Hosting with a company in Denmark, and used them for about 3 years. You would normally pay 12 months in advance. But last Jan I decided I didn't really need it anymore so let the domain name lapse. I forgot all about it, but now the company have sent me a letter demanding payment for the next year, charging interest and threatening legal action by their solicitors in Copenhagen. The sum for the year is £22, but I am reluctant to pay it because 1) without a domain name it is useless so for the whole period they are charging the account is unable to be used. Their T&C's are therefore unfair as they are not actually providing any service at all for the whole year. 2) They want payment to their bank account in Denmark which will cost probably £20 in bank fees and then there is the hassle of filling out the paperwork in person at the bank, it is not actually very easy for me to travel from work to a bank. I have asked them to write the amount off, but they say their terms and conditions specify you have to give at least 45 days notice before the start of the next yearly period (May to April) and that they are not responsible for Domain names. Do you think if I ignore them they will go away, I mean surely its not worth pursing an international debt for £22? Their T&Cs state the agreement is covered by the laws of Denmark.

Yes. "If you have been overpaid, and expect your income for the current tax year to rise by more than £2,500, you must tell the HMRC. But in the 2005 pre-Budget report it was announced that this threshold would rise to £25,000 in 2006." BBC NEWS | Business | Q&A: Tax credit problems

IMO it should cover the period until the end of the academic year (normally june)

Its quite simple, you (or your father) applied for a 4 student loans 1998/99 - Under 18 - SLC will not try to make you repay 1999/00 - Under 18 - SLC will not try to make you repay 2000/01 - Under 18 - SLC will not try to make you repay 2001/02 - Aged 18 - SLC would like their money back with interest The question is in 2001/02 did you sign a loan agreement and can they provide a copy of it. If so it is a valid credit agreement and you have to repay the money. If you did not sign it (ie it was your father etc) then you do not have to pay this loan back either. TBH you got off quite lightly by getting 3 years of effectively free money for the SLCs mistake, Well Done!

Hi quick question - I took RBS to small claims in Scotland for £252 on my visa card. On 25th July I accepted an offer of £200. However my hearing date was set for the 25th July but nobody told me at the time. The only letter I had was last week when the court told me the sheriff had dismissed the case as I (and the bank) had not turned up to the hearing. No defence was entered by the bank and the court did NOT tell me of the hearing date! The only letter I have ever had from the court was to tell me that the case was dismissed. No other contact. Now RBS will not honour our agreed settlement. Is it right that the court did not notify me of the hearing date. Can I complain to the sheriff officer and will the case be reopened? Can I sue RBS again or would this automatically be thrown out as the previous case was dismissed? I'm very Confused! Thanks

I don't think its a conspiracy they are just incompetent. The problem is you are stuck with them, you have no choice but to take out loans (unless very wealthy) and you have no choice but to trust they will act accordingly at deferment time. I have seen this behaviour time and time again with any body that has a monopoly over a particular group. There is no incentive for HSL or SLC to invest time & money in hiring effective staff or creating proper systems. These are just costs to be kept down to them. Student Loans are a licence to print money as the debt will always be repaid either by the student or eventually by the government. Debts cannot be written off even through bankruptcy. There will always be a ready and willing market to take out loans each year, so it is not even as if they have to market themselves or worry about their public image. Perhaps the government could look at fines for not meeting relevant Key Performance Indicators?

I think the fact that the law was changed just goes to show that the law as it stood was unfair and placed too much onus on students to account for other parties actions. If anyone can point me to the amended law in Scotland for 2001 I would be extremely grateful.

I have called the Council to check what they have to say, they confirm that they have all relevant paperwork from myself to prove i was a student and have had it for ages now. They promised to 'disregard' me for council tax, so I ask not unreasonably will threatening letters from solicitors and sheriff officers stop and they say of course not the debt is still owed! I ask if I am am still legally liable and of course yes I am so to my mind being 'disregarded' does not change the situation one iota. They then accused me of being uncooperative! The cheek! Apparently I should now use my time and resources to track everyone else down and inform them of the situation! What this comes down to is the debt should be written off, they have spent years of taxpayers money pursing the debt through me when even if they do track everyone else in the house down the debt will be unpaid as everyone was a bloody student! Anyone who shares a house today I urge you to make sure your friends register as exempt from council tax as it will save a lot of heartache. "Local Government Finance Act 1992" (3) Where, in relation to any chargeable dwelling and any day, two or more persons fall within the first paragraph of subsection (2) above to apply, they shall each be jointly and severally liable to pay the council tax in respect of the dwelling and that day.

Yeah that is easier said than done. I mean what if you have not seen them for 6 years and have no idea where they are. Also the university are unlikely to release details of other students (Data protection Act). I suppose what I resent is being made to do all the work, that the council and debt collection agencies should be doing for themselves!

I am having a complete nightmare with Council Tax from 2001/2002. At the time I was a full time student and as such exempt from Council Tax. I never registered with the Council for exempt status (big mistake i know, although i did queue at the council offices for two hours to be told my address did not exist). In 2005 I started receiving threatening letters from sheriff's officers asking for £1550 to be paid. So I wrote to my Uni and got certificates to prove I was a student and sent them to the council which they accepted. They said however that they could not remove my name as it was joint debt with the the other people i was sharing my flat with (also students). Now in 2007 I have started receiving threatening letters again from sheriff's officers and from solicitors now threatening sequestration (bankruptcy) if i don't pay within 21 days. I phoned the solicitors and they would not accept that i was a student and said "it was a matter between me and the council". I have sent letters to everyone concerned telling them I was a student and I always get stonewalled that the account cannot be closed. They say that they have already been to court (without telling me), and that sequestration will proceed! What do i do now? If i have to go to court for sequestration will i have a chance to prove i do not owe any money?

I submitted a small claims action against RBS today at the sheriff court in Inverness. I used RBS's address in Edinburgh, but the sheriff clerk was sure that the case would be transferred to Edinburgh. This seems really unfair as just because their HQ is in Edinburgh all cases should be heard there? He was insistent that the claim would be heard at the defenders nearest court. I argued that as they were a large company with branches locally surely the sheriff would dismiss any move to change the location. What do you think?

Has anyone had any success in asking for a chip and signature card, as it would seem to me to offer better protection than chip and pin, plus you don't have to remember any pin numbers. Chip & Pin - Pin used fraudulently - you are responsible Chip & Signature - Signature used fraudulently - bank is responsible How exactly does chip & pin help customers?

RBS have given me back £1000 in charges! Result! Only needed to send prelim letter from templates and they caved straight away.

Yeah they have diagnosed a faulty motherboard. I'm filling in the forms now! Glad to hear the court should be local.

Company have quoted cost to repair of £500!

Response from ebuyer, they will not do anything without proof the laptop is faulty due to a manufacturing fault So the ball is back in my court, I found a firm who will check out the laptop for £25 to let me know exactly where the problem lies. What's the best way to raise court action in scotland, and will the case be heard at my local court. I will initiate action and see if they if they back down. you think they would offer something to avoid fighting the case.

Its an AMD Turion 64 (review of my model here) and I think you could be right it is switching itself off to protect damage, however this always happens regardless of how I ventilate the laptop. For example surely sitting the laptop on a normal wooden desk should be fine. I have used the laptop on a cooling pad and it still shuts off so I fail to see how I could ventilate it anymore!? This is a manufacturing fault causing overheating but surely its not my responsibility to pinpoint the exact fault? All that’s important is that the fault is due to poor manufacturing / design. Whether its CPU / Graphics, fan failure, or blocked air vents?

My reply to ebuyer Thank you for your response. On the subject of Ebuyer UK Ltd only offering a 1 year warranty I am sure you are aware that any guarantee cannot negate the statutory protection afforded by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended). As such, and as you refuse to repair the laptop which is only just over 1 year old I WILL rely on the protection afforded by section 14 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended). The problem with the laptop is that the screen blanks and the computer crashes after 30 min to 1 hours use. I have returned the software environment to its supplied condition using the manufacturer restore discs and I am using the default drivers supplied. As such the problem is not a software error but a hardware problem. It is my belief that the laptop is overheating leading to problems in the graphics subsystem. This renders the laptop unusable, it is not fit for purpose and it is of an unsatisfactory quality. With regard to the reversed burden of proof in the sale of goods act, I am confident that a judge will find in my favour. It is my intention therefore to raise court action against Ebuyer UK Ltd if you are not willing to address the issue. I would respectfully request a reply within fourteen working days or court action will commence.

Thats excellent, cheers for the help. I have found a company that will examine the laptop for £25 to find out whats wrong. Hopefully they will say the flaw was present at manufacturing and I will add the £25 if i have to take them to court!