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Well - saw a Skoda Octavia VRS 2002 plate back in Late August 2007. Went down with a £500 deposit and everything to finance it. It took ages and ages and several trips to London from Portsmouth to sort out. Eventually everything was in place. The car was sold to me with Northern Ireland DVLA Logbook which was never mentioned and could not tax it until October 2007 (2 months after purchasing it) I had to apply for a permantent export lisense from DVLA Northern Ireland! As I turned towards Sheppards Bush out of Hythe Road (where Car Giant is situated) it was immidiately obvious it was pulling to the left and the n/s/f tyre was punctured - 500 yards from Car Giant. Put spare on and wheel took to a tyre place in Portsmouth - a chunk of tyre was missing on inner bead and inner rim buckled. Had to go home and get my brother in laws trade plates as could not buy tax disc with no logbook - What a joke! When I finally got it taxed and went to drive it found that all the discs and pads were beyond safety and had to spend hundreds replacing them all. The pads were so thin they were on the rivets on rear brakes! I think I had driven the car a total of 127miles including driving it back from London to Hayling near Portsmouth (90 miles via M4 out of London then down to A3 round M25) and the engine just suddenly lost oil pressure and ground to a halt in Drayton near Portsmouth - by now we were furious! I called Car Giant and was told by Manager Phil Fields to get it recovered to local garage and get it diagnosed and they would pay either for repair or for it to be taken back to Car Giant in London for repair - either way to get garage to carry out a code reading diagnostics. Garage recovered car to Fareham did code reading ( Car Giant refused to pay for recovery or diagnostics and recovered car to London (costing me another £157) The car had so many codes showing and my garage told me not to accept car back. The Car Giant recovery truck driver was talking to my mechanic and said they are a load of cowboys and they didn't know what they were doing - very important to know about cars when your selling them I would have thought. Car went back to Car Giant mid October and I was not offerred a courtessy vehicle to drive until 2pm Christmas Eve which had to be collected from them by 3pm 4pm - two and a half months after they recovered it from Fareham - So Portsmouth to London being 2.5 hours so a very empty gesture which I could not take up??? I got the Skoda back in February and been paying for it since August 2007 - I had lost so much work not being able to get about. . When I got the car back finally I drove it for about a day and it lost oil pressure again - I am not a rally driver and not amused either! Car Giant said I should change the oil I said no and they collected it once more and asked me to collect it from them in London the next week. When I got there there was a lot of messing around before I saw it - the front bumper had been damaged being recovered onto their truck and I had to get a quote to have it repaired and was £256 which they did sent cheque for. The oil pressure problem carried on, and on, and oodles of coilpacks and engine management problems until one day the turbo just gave up the ghost - It cost me £565+vat to have the Turbo rebuilt in the New Forest in Dorset by Universal Turbos. Phil Field's told me they put another engine in my Skoda - while the turbo was out we checked the engine number and it had been ground off the bell housing - So I put it to him that it was the same engine. Phil Fields read out the letter he sent me stating engine, waterpump, cam belt and tensioners, fluids, plugs and odds and ends. Well we found the fuel hoses were not done up and Marcus my mechanic marked the original cambelt and aux belt before they recovered the car the first time. He put dabs of red paint on side of belts - and sure enough they were the same belts still on car so why should I believe the engine was not the same block as it had same problems? We found out looking through our bank statments at this time we had been charged PPI when we were both self-employed and even at the time of taking the finance - We were never asked by the South African sales man who did all our paperwork either so he just merrily ticked every boox. I told Car Giant repeatidly we did not want to car back and they were def to this and said it was none of their problem, pointing us at finance company. There was meant to be a boastworthy 112 point check on car (there was NO WAY any checks had been done AT ALL as tryes and brakes needed doing, tracking, anti-rollbar bushes, wishbone bushes a rear wheel bearing, rear shock absorber was leaking and a sping was not seated and that with a rear door that didn't shut properly) I then even called previous keeper a company in Gwent who had business dealings in Northern Ireland and asked if they knew history of car and said what had happened - it appears the engine fault was with them to and reason for releasing it from their fleet of company cars. So it was bought for scrap and sold on as quality used car Blue Motor Finance were quick to cease PPI from being taken but said we could not return car and we should speak to Car Giant - So both were blaming each other. Even at the half way point through finance deal when the law states you can give goods back - they refused to terminate agreement and threatening us with defaults if we stopped paying! We were left with a car that we resented and had spent thousands on maintaining - yet this model is used by police in our area and they said they have no problems with theirs at all. We are sickened to see a yellow VRS driving around our town everyday with not a care in the world and that's for years now! The engine management problems have persisted so much that with half the finance agreement left and Blue Motor Finance refusing to reneg the agreement under terms of finance Act we scrapped car over two years ago now - it was a very sad day and we still paid Blue Finance until recently - now they harrass us on a regular basis. The car was £4200 and I paid first £500 deposit so the total finance was £3800 and Blue must have had that back threefold - especially when they were charging us for PPI in secret on top of that. Has anyone else got a worse story than this about Car Giant and Blue Motor Finance - writing this makes me so cross - I think I am going to get a solicitor to look at it as Blue still want a further £400-500 off of us. I have extensive file of correspondance and letter to and throw - and I was without a car when paying finance for nearly all of the agreement which I still owe some money on to add insult to injury! I had a car accident a few years as well and was unable to work and hate these two companies for the pain and hurt they have caused my family when we came to them in good faith and trust - I continued paying them for a car that doesn't exist - If putting this in writing upsets "Cargiant and Blue" them I will see you in court of your choice and look forward to showing a judge the whole file I have of your flagrant misconduct and law breaking Thanks for reading - David in Portsmouth Area

RW have got their phony solicitors to send a letter saying that this debt is not statutory barred and it will not be going away. It also says I should make a payment offer within 14 days. I still do not aknowledge this debt is mine nor am I offerring them something until they have been back to court and had the debt resubstituted in their name right before the judge chucks it out for being so delayed in claiming it. Barclays still have not come back to me to shed any light purely because I think they can't?

No worries. Yesterday (Saturday) Equita posted me another letter stating that unless I want more substantial charges they will have the removal teams and porters in my area this week. I also have a letter from Havant Borough Council stating that my Council Tax account is up to date. As the Bailiff sneakily put a levy on a car that wasn't mine just a borrowed car all he is getting is the £42.50 for the two visits. If he charges me any more I will remind Equita that thier job is collect the council tax and not for the Bailiff to take the P**S

Just typed a complaint to the Council now.

I have just had a interesting conversation with Havant Borough Council just a moment ago. They said they have access to Equitas system? I said I would pay the £42.50 and thats is it! He said the Bailiff had made a Levy without informing me on a car registration that is a friends car he lent me for a couple of weeks. The Skoda on my drive is registered to me but actually owned by my brother but he has nowhere to put it. Only leaving my wife's Renault which she needs for work being a Midwife and the breadwinner in our family. This whole thing is getting me down now because the Council can see I have paid up all money owing but still say he is entitled to charge me for his fees when they don't stack up? Advice on this please.

I have just found a charge sheet. First visit with a view to levy ditress for seizure of goods, (but where no levy was made) £24.50 Second visit with a view to levy ditress for seizure of goods, (but where no levy was made) £18 This is what he did - he made no attempt to stop my wife and walked right passed her in her car. And sat outside my house when I got back from the school with kids. He never actually made contact just put letter through door. He could have posted it asking to visit when we were in? Debt is paid And been around to ask for more money £259.92. Equita say I owe them £81 so where has he plucked £259.92 He has never been in my house so has no walk through list, neither is he coming in. I will call police if he forces entry and have him charged with burgulary. My Council Tax is paid in full and have a letter stating this from Council. I am furious right now!

OK.. I just called Equita - the lairy little bloke stated yes there is a note on the system saying I would call them back on the 24th Feb and make a payment of £250 (but it is not an arrangement to pay!) what the hell is it then mate??? He said once I had made payment they can set it up. That's not what[EDIT] at Equita[EDIT] said? Your calls are recorded check mate. So if you are not paid until 23rd February they can send a childish bailiff around to sit in their van outside your house eating lunch. I asked for address to make a complaint and it will be duplicating to both Portsmouth Magistrates Court and Havant Borough Council and Southampton Combined Courts where bailiff got his licence to bill.

Not sure what he is charging for? The first letter was put throgh the door even those my wife was getting out of her car. He drove straight off. I called Equita the next morning as my wife forgot to tell me. I then contacted him direct even those this was the day before we get paid and our arrangement was for. He said he was litterally around the corner and around in half an hour. He took longer than 3 hours and I had to collect children from school and called and left him a message saying I am going out for an hour. He still came around and put a snotty letter through my door saying I had 24 hours to pay or he will remove. he also said no payment plans could be made as the debt needed clearing minimum of 15 days. We asked why? because the council said that is when they want account clear. I called council who had given no stipulation to what bailiffs do to collect the money owed. 24th Feb - we got paid so march straight down council and paid in full. so zero debt! 6th March - he sat outside my house for 30 minutes after putting the letter through my door again today demanding £259. I am about to call the magistrates court for advice as this is clearly unfair treatment. I paid the debt in full on the same date I promised to pay Equita by installments and they said it was fine. I don't know the charges AT ALL? £259 for what sitting in his car while my wife drove onto the drive, Coming around even those I told him I was going out for an hour - and a third levy even though there is no debt?

Another day and another problem. Havant Borough Council messed my Council Tax up so much last year. First of all they added £556 from the previous year making my Counil Tax bil £1900+ for April 2011 to Feb 2012. (10 month period as normal) My wife was a student Midwife last year and I was working self-employed driving. So we were entitled to housing benefits and a Council tax releif for her being in full time education. The council were messing around asking to see my accounts every 4 weeks. It messed with the dates and amounts so much we said sod it, and came off the benefits. It left my payments at £182 per month. October she qualified and I gave up my job. There was a period where I had no money and she worked a month in hand. Anyway Havant Borough Council said they were taking me to court for unpaid council tax of £988 that was outstanding. They sent me a letter to late to appear in court then sent the letter with Liability order 2 whole weeks after it was due back ensuring it went to the bailiff. I called council who said it was out of their hands THANKS! and contacted the Bailiff Equita before they had raised any paper work to call me or send a letter. So I made the contact not them. I made and arrangement to pay on Feb 24th 2012 which was accepted. I offered £250 a month not £5 a month so a substantial amount. Feb 22nd a letter was put through the door by a Bailiff[EDIT] who demanded it like now or he will remove the chattals. I think he gave 24 hours by cleared funds instantly getting my back up. I called Equita and asked about my payment schedule and why was it ignored? They said because I hadn't paid it? But it was the 22nd 2 days prior to my arrangement when I was getting paid? They said tough and Bailiff was sent with removal order. I got paid on the 24th and me and my wife went to Havant Borough Council and fed the automated tax machine in their lobby with £1167 which was the £988 oustanding and court costs and liability order cost. rendering the bailiff useless. He still levied a second vist and now has just put a letter though our door stating he knows I paid the council direct but wants £259 within 24 hours or he will remove good once again? WTF! He is levying for a debt that does exist after his first visit and even those I had an accepted arrangement with Equita directly. This is absurd! does he have the right to take my stuff and demand this £259? Thanks guys and girls

Thanks everyone!

So RW needs to go back to court and have themselves substituted as the owner of the debt? I am writing to Barclay in Leicester to see if they can dig anything up. Something funny did happen when I last done my enhanced CRB (criminal records check) for Portsmouth City Council for my work, I was asked to attend Waterlooville Police station to have my finger prints and DNA taken? When I asked why - they said there is another person with matching details who committed a bugulary locally and lives in my town with my name? Obviously he doesn't have my fingerprints. There could be some foul play maybe? I will wait until Barclay get back to me with regards to account info they have or what I might have got up to in a parallel universe that I was not party to.

I have just had a guy call me again from Robinson Way, who was very persistant asking for £1256.68 otherwise they are going to start taking legal action on me. This is stupid! I do not have a CCJ that is young enough to view and they said Barclays took me to court in 2005 and they purchased the debt from Barclays in 2008? I have only been contacted in last few months but they seem to know all my details and my ex-directory telephone number etc? They also are telling me I paid £400 off original debt with Barclays which I also have no recollection of. They have now given me a country court No. 5xa15131 - alegidgly with Northampton County Court. I have just called Northampton County Court to check but I am buggered if I am paying £80 to find out something that doesn't exist - I did do the online check someone on here suggested to check for £4. Does any one know if there was a judgement that I do not know anything about that is so old it has dropped off my experian file - Does Robinson Way have the right to chase me indefinitely - even If I cannot prove the account existed, or it ever went to court? Do they have the right to chase and is the debt enforcable unless it is taken to court again - Would they have to prove an original court Judgement exists, and produce a contract signed by me from Barclays to prove the account existed? HELP! they are getting on my nerves £1256.68

They have called me since my last entry at least 5 times - they are very persistant

Only Barclays apparently took me to court - Robinson Way haven't beem to court, they just bought the debt allegidly? They said they would just send a bailift around to collect debt rather than go to court - that's what the guy said (proper lairy guy) Still a little confusin law jargon They gave me the CCJ No. but that could be made up? and the search shows nothing