I received a response this morning, he has put in it about finding tenants who owe money, but I had already been in contact with them and had just responded to an email that morning to set up a payment arrangement.

let me know what you think about their outcome:

Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback on the service you have received. I would like to share with you my findings and the decision I have made in regards to your complaint, which is currently at stage one of our process. 

You let me know you were unhappy that a member of Ongo staff had obtained your address by deception, posing as a private buyer and that she then used that information to attend your home without notice.  

You have also requested information in relation to our policies and procedures and requested a subject access request.  

From the information, you have provided I have now carried out a full investigation of your complaint. 

These are my findings:

On this basis, I am upholding your complaint and would like to take the opportunity to say how sorry I am that the service you have received fell short of what is expected of us. It is important to us that we locate former tenants that leave owing money and who may not offer a forwarding address.  We also use information available on public forums and tracing agencies to do this to then make contact with the customer in order to recover any monies owed. Our intention is always to recover the debt and support the customer in repaying this as tenancy debt can cause further issues and distress for customers in the future.  

The methods used in this case not the correct procedure to obtain an address and we have addressed this matter internally with the individual concerned.   

To help to put things right,

firstly the staff member would also like to extend her apologies to you for any upset caused.  

I believe this will have caused you some distress and concern and on that basis and in line with our Compensation Policy I would like to offer you a financial sum of £100 due to us not following the correct procedures.  As you have arrears on your former tenancy account, I will ensure that this sum is deducted from the amount you owe.   

Secondly, I have reviewed the guidance and the training provided to the Income Collection team along with the Income Collection Manager and Customer Services Manager. I am assured this was an isolated case however to make sure this won’t happen again in the future we will be delivering a  further briefing and refresher to ensure that all staff are aware of the appropriate ways to use social media and ensure we are clear on our correct practices when recovering rent arrears.

Lastly, this now concludes Stage 1 of our internal complaints process and I will now close the complaint, however should you feel there is anything further you want to add in the meantime please make contact with me so we can discuss this. Your feedback has been fully considered and investigated in line with our Complaints Policy.

Should you remain dissatisfied with this decision, then you should reply within 14 days explaining why you remain dissatisfied and what you are seeking as an outcome. Your complaint will then be reviewed by a relevant Senior Manager or Head of Service at Stage 2 of ONGO Homes internal complaints process. I have also attached a leaflet that gives advice on the role of the Housing Ombudsman. 

Once again, thank you for your feedback. All feedback is an opportunity for us to improve our future services.

Anyone?

I have had 4 emails come through with policies attached, my tenancy agreements and a formal stage 1 letter that I have attached.

what should I do with the policies?

Mandy

Complaint Information Letter copy.pdf

Hi Stu,

I know I have to pay it and I don’t have any issues with that, hence why I emailed her that morning and offered a payment plan.

my issue is, how they went about obtaining my address, for me that has done so much damage to me mentally that I’m struggling with everything now.

ive sent that email and thank you so much!

mandy

I’ve just had this email come through.

Thank you for your below emails. 

In relation to the Subject Access Request, this has been sent to the appropriate team and they will make contact with you via letter in the next 7 days with details of our Data Protection Officer. 

Please can you confirm what your preferred correspondence address is? We have the Hemswell property where we believe you’re currently residing or the Waddingham property, of which I believe is your mums address?

Annoys me because they know damn well where I live because that’s what this is all about!

Should I replied with this?

Dear Mr ....,

Please send all correspondence to the address that your staff obtained under false pretences:

Address here

Regards

I’ve just had this email come through.

Thank you for your below emails. 

In relation to the Subject Access Request, this has been sent to the appropriate team and they will make contact with you via letter in the next 7 days with details of our Data Protection Officer. 

Please can you confirm what your preferred correspondence address is? We have the Hemswell property where we believe you’re currently residing or the Waddingham property, of which I believe is your mums address?

Pisses me off because they know damn well where I live because that’s what this is all about!

No I think she said they specialise in data breaches. Sorry, I seem to be going through a bit of a mental breakdown with it all.

Afternoon all,

After all this started last week, my husband emailed a few solicitors to get some advice on what we can do. I’ve just had a phone call from one of them who asked me to briefly explain what happened, I did this and she said there is nothing that can be done about it...it’s actually really upset me! How can a company deceive me in this way and nothing can be done about it! I feel shattered by it all.

Regards

Mandy

So you had an Assured Tenancy now exactly what date was it signed? I signed on the 22/08/2019

Exactly what date did you leave the property without giving the Housing Association Notice? We moved to Canada on 29/09/2019

Exactly what date did you get the email serving Notice to Quit and do you still have that email?

I was given notice to quit on December 9th 2019 which gave me till January 5th 2020. I do still have the notice to quit. I got an email on January 22nd 2021 telling me that on November 3rd they got a possession order, I have a copy of this order.

This is what she said in the email on the 9th December 2019 and then what was said in January 2021.

09/12/2019
 

Hello ...

Thank you for your email . I am so sorry to hear about your father.   I will still be serving the NTQ today and have sent you a copy earlier via email.  I will need to visit you at the property to carry out a full property inspection to prove if you are using your property for your principle home or not.  Please contact me before 18 December 2019 to arrange a time for me to visit.

22/01/2021
 

Dear ...

On 3 November 2020 we were granted Possession in 14 days. We have applied for the Warrant but as yet have not received a date when this can be executed.  This will go ahead as it is Mandatory Possession but due to the current restrictions in place we cannot give a timescale on this.

The arrears as at today on your account are £8917.67 and rising weekly.  Have you considered signing a Termination form and handing the keys back to end the Tenancy as this will be at less cost to yourself. We can discuss a payment plan with you regarding the debt and this would ensure that in the future you are able to bid for housing with Ongo.

Exactly what is the amount Ongo are claiming you Owe? 

it’s £10,800 and some odd pence.
 

When Ongo Staff made you sign a Payment Plan did they give you a copy and explain your rights i.e. if you missed a payment under that Payment Plan they can then withdraw that Payment Plan and proceed take legal action via the Courts? (don't panic with this as it is only a question so do not worry yourself) 

I didn’t sign anything, they wanted to see evidence of any bills and our income, then she referred to the email she got from me that morning (that’s how I know she got my email) asking if I can still make the payment I had offered.

I said I didn’t have much choice and she said you can do the direct debit now, the other woman then made a phone call and asked for the bank details for Ongo and gave them to me as I set the direct debit up.

I told them about my health issues and also that my husband was the only earner. I also told them that I have memory issues and that I struggle to deal with these situations, they just said “it’s ok, as long as you pay you’ll be ok” They told me that if I failed to pay, they would take this straight to court and get a CCJ.
 

Yes I see now why you need to know the date of someone moving in and I have emailed what you said to say. I have every email from them and every response from me.

regards

mandy

Additional info:

This is the email I got on Thursday just gone, and my response

I received this is 09:09 and I responded at 09:35. She clearly says that if I want to discuss it by email that would be ok, yet by 12:48 they were at my house and never did respond to my email.

Good Morning Mandy,

                                        I have been trying to contact you to discuss your former tenancy with Ongo. It is very important that you make contact with me today. Failure to do so will result in me commencing proceedings for a County Court Judgement tomorrow. To avoid this you can discuss an affordable plan to reduce the debt owed to Ongo by you. We can discuss your current situation and also see if you require any additional support or advice. If you do I can refer/signpost you to the appropriate support.

                                        Avoiding contact with me today WILL result in the commencement of the CCJ tomorrow. Please respond to my email and advise me what time I can call you today. It is much more beneficial to you to speak to me. If you would prefer to initially discuss this via email I am happy to do so.

Regards

My response:

Hello,

I can’t afford to pay this money off, I’m on universal credits and disability benefits.

I can afford £10 a month, which I’m sure won’t be acceptable.

Regards

Mandy

I’m so sorry, I thought I had.

Questions time:

1. What type of Tenancy Agreement did you have? It was an assured tenancy

2. This is important before you move to Canada did you handover your property giving the required notice as per your Tenancy Agreement and have confirmation from Ongo Housing?

No I did not, 4 weeks after moving in we moved to Canada. But in the December of 2019 which was 3 months after we left I got an email from Ongo telling me that they were taking the house back as I wasn't living there.

4 weeks prior my father had passed away so I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay in Canada as my mum was now on her own. So I reached out and told them I am returning from Canada. I got an email back stating they were still going to serve the notice to quit. I do have all the emails.

3. Were you in any Rent Arrears before you handed over the property/moved to Canada or was your rent fully up to date? The rent was up to date when I moved but obviously went into arrears after we moved.

I know I have done wrong and I know I have to pay this money back, it’s just the way they have gone about it all and deceived me in the way they have. I don’t think they understand what it is they have done to me mentally and right now, I can’t even put it into words....I’ve not left the house since it happened, I couldn’t even go with my husband shopping today and tomorrow I am meant to be going to see my grandson, which I don’t feel I’m going to be able to do. 
 

Thank you for all you help.

mandy

Ok its sent, thank you so much for your help...I feel really nervous about it all, which is I know is my anxiety...I have a feeling that this is going to go on for a very long time!

Mandy

Just got this email from the police.

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for contacting Lincolnshire Police

In the circumstances you’ve outlined on your Online Crime Report, this would not amount to a criminal offence. So would not be something that Police could progress.

We would however advise making a complaint to the company about their staff and also to Trading Standards who police businesses

Regards

I sent this?

Formal complaint 1.pdf

Oh I get you, thanks dx100 I just found your template and i have emailed it, but ill send them a hard copy on Monday.

sars1.pdf

I have received this from the person who is dealing with the complaint.

Good Afternoon

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Given the seriousness of the complaint I thought I would send you my contact details ahead of next week.

I note you haven’t provided a contact number on the complaint however we do have one ending in 7323 on the account, could you please confirm you are happy with me phone you on this number at some point, early next week to discuss this further - all of our calls are recorded. If you are not I will email you on my return back into the office on Tuesday 4^th May 2021.  We will discuss the various policies you have requested and your previous tenancy dates however, it is unlikely I will be able to provide you with the dates the new tenant moved in as this personal information is relevant to them, and not to this complaint.

It would also help with our investigation to be kept informed of any Police action, as this may take precedent should they believe a criminal act has been committed.

I don’t understand what you mean?

Ok, I’ve sent it and I got this response.

I wanted to send it straight to him so he was aware of the situation, Im sure these things can be hidden and brushed under the carpet

I have done the letter, would it be possible for me to send it and make sure its ok? I don't want to post it as it has my address on it.

Mandy

Thank you so much for your advice, it’s a lot for me to take in so I’m going to have my husband go over it all for me. I used to be a nurse till anxiety and depression hit me, now I struggle with cooking instructions. Thankfully it’s the weekend so my husband and I can sit down and do the letter you have mentioned and get that sent off.

My husband was disgusted with what they did and has told me he won’t stop until action has been taken on those responsible.

I have all the screen shots of everything, including screenshots of the ‘buyer’ having friend connections with managers at Ongo and so on. My husband sent a blank email using the name and format for the woman who enquired about buying from me and it didn’t bounce back.

Would you like me to send you the things they have sent me over the last year, this time last year they told me they were taking the house back as I abandoned it, this was good so I didn’t respond and was just going to allow them to do that as I was in Canada. Yet a year later and they still hadn’t and we’re charging me rent the whole time.

mandy

Ok, thank you so much! I can’t even sleep tonight because of it all.

Thank you for the advice, I’m going to contact a solicitor tomorrow and seek legal advice...last year the collections department received an award for their work...I wonder how many people they have done this too!

I can confirm that I do NOT live in the council property and that we now rent private since returning from Canada.

The payment plan only started today, I emailed them this morning offering a payment plan and then they just turned up this afternoon, they never even replied to my email.

I actually felt slightly bullied over the whole thing, I’m upset that they deceived me in to giving my address out and then they turned up on private property after I emailed them this morning and also, I forgot to mention they told me that they went to my 74 year old mothers house prior to deceiving me on Facebook!

The local housing here is run by a company called Ongo Housing, none of it is done by the local council any more.

I wasn’t paying any money back until today, when they turned up I was kind of cornered and told I had to pay a certain amount every month and they even had me set up the direct debit while they watched. 

I told them that I was seeking advice from StepChange, but they didn’t say anything about that.

I’m not really good at dealing with this stuff and my husband was at work. My main concern now is how they obtained my address, how can such a company go to that low of a level to get my address.

I’m so upset on being deceived in this way. They also told me that if I didn’t set the payment arrangement up they would gain a county court judgement tomorrow.

Advice needed!

almost 2 years ago I moved to Canada, I left behind a property that I rented from the local council, this is run by an outside company.

Due to covid I had to return to the U.K. I have ignored all correspondence from the council and now I owe 10k, before you jump on me...I have a payment plan in place now. Prior to this, I had no contact with them, till today.

At 12:15 today a woman messaged me on Facebook enquiring about a unit I have for sale, at 12.22, I gave her my address to come and collect it. At 12.48 the housing people were at my house. When I asked them how they got my address they said equifax? So we had a meeting and sorted everything out.

Due to my fybro medication, I wasn’t thinking straight...I went to message the woman to see if she was coming to collect the unit and she had blocked me.

Now after doing some checks, it turns out the woman who wanted to buy the unit, had no intention of buying it and actually works for the housing company who turned up at my house, they deceived me into giving them my address.

They have been all over my Facebook, taken screen shots in the past and sent them to me and now they have deceived me into giving them my address...surely there are laws that prevent this?

I’ve no problems paying the money but I’m so upset that they went about all this the way they have.

Some advice would be great please, this has done my anxiety and depression no favours.

Thank you!

4 hours ago, BazzaS said:

Are they showing as “transactions that have gone through” or as “pending”?

 

Good that your bank has refunded them (likely then that they weren’t “pending”, or, if they were, that your bank can see it has gone badly wrong, and credited you so your balance available isn’t affected rather than waiting until the “pending” authorisation gets released!)

I’m not sure to be honest, but the bank said that they have until the 9th to resolve it...nothing has gone back into the account as yet.

regards

mandy

9 hours ago, Andyorch said:

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

Is this your debit card or credit card......and which branch...we may as well give them a bit of exposure .

 

Andy

Hi Andy,

It was on my debit card and it was the Grimsby store.

Regards

mandy

Hopefully someone can help me here!

6 days ago, B&Q charged me twice for a bbq I purchased on their website at £213 each transaction. I contacted them and was told this would be passed on and I would receive my money back. The next day I went to collect my order and I purchased another 2 items, when I got to the car I noticed that I had been charged twice again! So I went into the store to speak to a manager who was extremely rude to me (at this point I started recording) he told me he doesn’t want to talk to me and that he would get someone else to deal with me.

As he walked away he shouted at me in the middle of the store that I am “nasty” I am a “nasty person” when the next manager who overheard what was going on came over and apologised for the other persons behaviour. He went to check my transaction but said his computer was down, he took my number and said he would call me back.

The next day (good Friday) I got a notification from my banking, when I looked I had now been charged a third time for the items I purchased in store! At this point I just broke down crying, it seems B&Q can just take what they want out of my bank and I can’t stop them but also that they can talk to me any way they want when I want to confront them about it.

My bank has been great and they have given me the money back but have also warned me that I could have the money taken again but that they would contact MasterCard on my behalf and fight to get my money back.

How can this even happen...I wasn’t even in store on the good Friday that they took the third payment!