just got a phone call from the lady I spoke to at my bank. They've cancelled the Direct Debit agreement (she couldn't see it earlier) and the £35 has been placed back into my account because it was cancelled before the payment was properly cleared, and they've put a block on any more payments leaving my account on behalf of Bauer. So it's got sorted now. Thanks for the chargeback advice though, I was just sorting that out on my online banking when I got the call

yeah, I gave them my details, because I used to use the company when I subscribed to Q magazine about 5 years ago. Never had a problem with them before.

I need help in a possibly issue I have with Empire Magazine. Just over 3 months ago, I was called up out of the blue by Bauer Consumer group. They offered me a bunch of subscriptions for magazines, based on some advertising I'd apparently agreed to. I only ever agree to advertising if it's with a company I trust, and never allow 3rd party. When the lady on the phone began to list off the magazines, I recognised who they were. It was from a website where I'd entered a bunch of competitions, and even won a couple. I was offered 3 months of Empire Magazine for just £1. I explained there was no point, because I cant afford the £35 payment at the end of it. She told me not to worry, it's just £1, I can cancel at anytime, and that I should do it as soon as issue 1 arrives to make sure. Issue 1 arrived, I phoned, I cancelled it, I asked her to double check. She did. It was cancelled. Woke up this morning, checked my bank due to it being a day when most of my bills go out (everything leaves on the 26th generally, except a few small ones) and was shocked to see my bank £10 in red, and 1 payment had been cancelled. It was then that I noticed the £35 payment to BAUER CONSUMER MED. I've explained what happened to my bank, and they've told if I can get it refunded in 5 days, they wont charge me for going over my set limit which was nice of them. The company whose payment I missed wasn't so kind, and they've charged me an extra £6 because I wont be able to pay them now until next Monday. I phoned BAUER CONSUMER MED up as soon as I'd explained the situation to my bank and the people I missed paying, hoping for a quick resolution. Turns out that there is no record of my phone call when issue 1 arrived. Since I've not had an issue on the subscription yet, I asked can it be cancelled now. Yes it can, but I can't have the £35 back because I paid it and they don't offer a refund unless in an extreme case. They told me they could send me a different magazine from their range instead, but I can't be refunded. I've asked to speak to their manager, who said the accounts team would list to call that is on record (the first one) as it was a trainee and her call was recorded. If I ask her to cancel it on that call, they will refund me. However, I know I don't ask her on that call, because she told me to call after issue 1 to do it. We talked about cancellation, but I never asked to cancel, because technically there was nothing to cancel. Is there anyone out there (on here) who knows whether what they're doing is legal or not. Like I said, I've received nothing from them so far regarding issues on the £35 subscription and I definitely did phone to cancel it (I'm always quick to do anything like that, my budget is kept very tight and constantly checked) Thanks for any help.

My wife has had to have two assessments in the last few years whilst on ESA, due to her ill health and mental health issues. She scored a 0 on the first one, we appealed, and 2 years later the appeal went through and we scored 19 points (not much of a difference, eh?) and we got our benefit back. 7 months later, they sent he for assessment again. Once again, she scored zero. We went back to appeal, 13 months later it went through and we scored 18 points We went back to the full rate in March of this year. It's now just the start of June, and we're being told she has to be assessed again, only 3 months later. Is this right? isn't their some form of minimum time frame, given that she's been repeatedly cleared, has given medical notes through out all appeals, and that she has only been back on the benefit for 3 months? It's making her ill, she just saw the ATOS envelope today and burst out in tears and had a panic attack, It's so hard for her to go to these things. Not just because of a bad knee operation that has left her unable to walk much further than the bathroom and back, but because her stress and anxiety kick in and she will literally be sleepless for days before the appointment, throwing up and breaking down. Whilst reading this, if anyone can also help me out with another question too I'd be most appreciative. My wife started the ESA as a mental health issue, however since she was on the claim within the last year, she was given surgery on the NHS for a knee operation. A Knee operation that has since been revealed that would be of no use to her (they originally thought it would help fix her knee joint which kept coming out of socket). This operation, combined with her high rising knees brought on from hyper mobility (which is why the op should not have happened apparently) leaves her with a knee that swells up and bruises over night if she walks as far as going around town. She will be in agony, and has to take multiple Tramadol tablets each day to knock her out so she isn't in too much pain to rest. Obviously, this is now another obstacle in the way of work... will this be accepted on her ATOS report? or when she fills it in, will she only be able to talk about the mental health issues that the claim was originally for, and she still has. Just wondering, because if we can use the knee thing too, I intend to. Because they don't understand mental health at ATOS at all. We constantly said in our first exam that my wife is incapable of going as far as our local shop (100m) without being accompanied by me and planning it in advance, and even then sometimes it was too much. On their report back, she scored 0 and they said "Angelina has no issue with going to the shop on her own" So yeah, would be nice if we can use something that is physical and can be seen, since they seem to ignore what isn't in front of their eyes. From reports, they will likely ignore physical too but I want to make it harder for them to be such [edit]s. I'm also planning on taking a voice recorder, and recording the whole assessment. Maybe that will force them to write down what is said, and not just tick the box that means she loses benefit and they get a gold star.

Nystagmite: Nope, just income based. Estellyn: We're not entirely sure, she was just told today that it will end in 9 weeks. No explanation was given at the group, she was just bluntly told that and she never really thought much about it til she got home and had a bit of a panic attack over it. We've been on ESA for about 3 years. During which time she's had two medical assessments, both of which scored 0points and went to appeal. Appeals combined have taken up about 18 months of of our 3 years. Both appeals were successful and awarded 17 and 19 points. Benefits were then reinstated. So i guess it's past the 365 days of contribution based esa, so it may be the end of the period of award. We're not sure if we lose the WRAG payment or not, because we're not sure if the WRAG is actually ending and then it's done, or if it's just the WRAG with the current group she is with is ending and she will be moved to somewhere else. None of it has been explained to her, and she has a real hard time going to the job centre about it because she panics (she had a fit last time she went when she needed to get an appeal for the assessment), but like I said in my original post I can't go and ask the job centre because they act like I don't exist and pretty much won't say anything to me unless my wife is there too which could cause her to have another attack. Sorry I can't give much more detail than that. I think I may have to wait for my wife to go back to the WRAG in two weeks, and see if she can wring some more info from them but there usual response is 'speak to an advisor"

I was already of the impression we were on Income Based ESA. When we signed up for it, they asked who earned the most prior to the claim which was my wife as I was part time then. They took her tax code, and signed us up on a join claim with her being on Income Based ESA, and be being a partner. That rate, to my knowledge is roughly £112 a week. She gets an extra component now of £28 a week for work support related activity. Will the ESA3 form entitle us to the total of £140 a week? or did you mean the same rate as in the normal 112 a week, but we have to send in the form and it's not automatic?

Hi there, Hopefully this wont be as issue and I will have a job in 3-4 weeks (it looks promising, but not set in stone). Here's my question though. My wife and I are on a joint ESA claim. She is the main claimant, so as far as the government are concerned I don't exist (I have to have her ask for interviews at the JC for me, and she has to be there in person to hear everything I say, and I'm allowed no help with education, travel, back to work payments or anything) Part of our claim has led to my wife being on the Work Component of ESA. She's not found work, due to her stress and anxiety attacks, along with a knee surgery that went wrong (apparently it shouldn't have been done at all) that has left her barely able to walk without intense pain. The work group are aware of her situation, and have been helpful in putting her in touch with cognitive therapists, but their reports have always been of the "a long way to go" variety with regards to work. It's a shame, because if my wife was in work and not me, we'd get the back to work £40 a week bonus for a year, which would open up more options as to what job we could take, because we'd not need the same standard wage to make sure we cover all living costs. As it is, I've already been told by the Job Centre to turn down one job because their better off report said I'd be £50 a month worse off. I'm rambling a bit now, sorry. Basically, her ESA work component ends in 2 months time whether she is in work or not. But what happens then? Does she go to another one? does she go to the Support group of ESA? does ESA end all together? or does it go back to basic ESA and we lose £60 a fortnight (which will leave us really strapped for cash, until creditors adjust and accept lower payments once more)? We just want to know, so we can start preparing should I not get this job I'm kind of relying on. Thanks for the help

I did a new quote for my insurance, and it went up by £1.08 a month if I declared a claim this year. So not too much really. The LG on Play.com is fine if they replace it with that, as long as it has one Scart socket too... which I think that model does, despite not being listed. I just don't think they have that in any of the places they listed. The other LG, the LED one you posted, is exactly the same spec but LED instead of LCD... again, perfectly fine. If I got either of those two I'd be happy.

Ah, ok. Thanks for that. I just had a call from the people who will come out to look at the TV on behalf of Ageas, and they said if it needs replacing they will either give me vouchers for Currys/PC World. Or buy it direct from Co-Op electronics, and send it me within 5 days. I just needed to know that I'd be able to have some input on what I got, I didn't want a TV that was going to die within a year because they got one that was recoditioned... or one that was lower in spec because almost all 40"+ are now LED, so i'd be given a smaller LCD one.

Hi, just looking for some advice really. I set up my contents insurance through Swinton, and was told I was getting a new for Old policy with Asgeas. MY excess including voluntary is £200, which I can squeeze to. So I don't have issue with that, I certainly can't afford to buy a new TV of same spec brand new. So £200 seems easy by comparison. However, when claiming the insurance, I was told on the phone that I'd get Like for Like... which may have just been the way she was speaking, and not quoting the insurance type cause it was just very quick conversation and dropped in. I may have even heard her wrong. But what should I be able to claim for? My old TV was a 42inch LG HD LCD, which cost me £650 at the time (2009). At the time, it was a pretty great set, it had all the top features. Admittedly it's a little outdated now, I'm not expected to claim for a 3D TV that's 60" or anything. But can I expect to get an LED HD TV that's 42"? that would be todays equivalent... LCD are hard to come by now, and much like if I had a CRT they'd replace that with a flat screen, should I expect a similar upgrade of sorts? I just want to know if anyone else has any experience with this, because I don't want to be given a reconditioned second hand LCD TV, when I should be able to claim for something new... and possibly better (than what they offer, not better in spec than my old TV) Thanks for any help

I had no Medicals, like I said, it was as if I didn't exist. They wouldn't let me do anything, and at the same time, never asked me to do anything for them. I was long term sick for 4 years with mental health, same exact issue as my wife, but only she had to do the medicals.

MY wife was in the WRAG group, but she took one of the DWP medical fitness tests, and as he issues are mental health, she scored zero. Despite the fact the medical report lists all her issues that prevent her from work, because she is able to bend (or was at the time, she has since had a knee op we've now been told she should never have had) she scored 0. So we're in an appeal against that, which is due for a second hearing in January. We applied for DLA a while back and got refused, but I think we should be entitled to it. After my wifes operation, she is in constant pain and is on medication for half the day. I have to stay in all morning so I can look after our young son whilst she is 'out of it'. If I am required to do work shifts in the morning, then I make sure I'm home for the early afternoon, so she can take her meds then. This also breaks our sleeping pattern, as she has to stay up through the night to do that, so her pain meds from the night before can be taken in the middle of the night, and still have some effect during the morning period. I was just on the claim as the partner, I've never been told I'm allowed more than that. In fact, when I had a job interview a while back the job centre acted like they were committing treason when I asked if they could get me a shirt and shoes for the interview because I only had worn out trainers, and no suitable shirts. It's been ridiculously hard for me to get anything, even just simple advice from them. If I was promoted to assistant manager, which is seemingly a lock at the moment. It would just be 16 hours a week, not sure of a wage though. But I suspect it will be minimum, as the YMCA don't pay much more than minimum even for their full time managers. So what do you think I should do? and how do you think it would affect us?

He just had 'advice' from CAB and then his JC advisor. I'll tell him about community care grants tomorrow.

Thanks for the help so far, everyone. I had assumed he would find it tough to get help, I just hoped there was something I was unaware of. I'm in a bind myself too. I claim ESA as a joint claim with my wife she is the main claimant. When we signed up, they asked who the main claimant would be (3 years ago) we said it didn't matter, and they chose her cause she had a higher income. As time has gone on, I am ready to return to work, on a part time basis, she is still not ready. So I phoned the job centre to see what help I could get. I was not even allowed to talk to anyone, because I'm a partner, not a main claimant. In order to speak to someone, my wife had to phone and get me an appointment. I then went, and when I got there, they told me they can't speak to me without my wife present to hear everything that is said. So I went back with my wife a week later, and basically got told if my wife was to work part time, that's fine we still keep benefits to help us out, there's a £40 a week return to work option if we go over 16 hours, or she can keep benefit for up to 12 months if she works under 16 hours, whilst re adjusting to work with the idea to get her to full time by the end of that year. If I go work for anytime... we lose all benefits, and we're entitled to nothing. All claims are cancelled, and we would have to resign up for housing benefit and council tax benefit. Now I've been told that a chairty that I have volunteered at (cant get any jobs, so in desperation I've worked a full shift here for a month to get some experience) that they want to promote me to Assistant Manager, with the idea of me managing the store in from August next year. Except I can't do it, because I asked the job centre, and they flat out told me I am not allowed to accept it because it would put me in a worse situation than I am in. If I was the main claimant, I'd be fine, but because I'm not... despite being able to work part time... I'm told tough and I have to stay unemployed. What kind of crap government tells people who want to work 'tough' and makes them stay on the dole?

Hi everyone, really hoping someone can help here, as I have a friend with a problem. He's been in work for 25 years as professional golf instructor. This includes work here and abroad, he came home 8 years ago and work was still good. However, one golf course and two driving ranges have shut in this area, and he can no longer find work. This has been the case for 18 months. He is 49 years old, and currently has to live with his mother in a small 1 bedroom bungalow sleeping on the sofa. He has researched where he can work, and Reading seems to be ideal for him. There are 12 courses and ranges within walking distance of the main town, and he has been told he would be able to give lessons at 6 of them (he's waiting on responses from the others) Great so far. Except he needs to get down there, and set up. He explained this to the job centre, who told him to check a budgeting loan. Budgeting loans wont give money for rent. He tried a crisis loan, they wont give money for rent deposits. Only rent if you are short because of a miss-payment. HE can't register with the local job centre of reading and sign on, to start getting housing benefit there whilst he sets up, unless he already has a home there. Today, when trying to explain this, despite having work available for him down there. The Job centre flat out said 'tough' and that he will have to hope something shows up around here. That seems ridiculous to me. There must be some help he can get? some group he can join, some sort of loan or grant he can apply for... and I was hoping one of you VERY very smart people could point him in the right direction