about six weeks ago i was reversing onto a customers driveway to pick them up to take them to the station (im a taxi driver) i happened to just catch her husbands car. after she got in the car i told her what i had done and on arrival at the station i gave her my phone number and she said she would pass it on to her husband. After about a month i got a text saying the cost to repair the damage would be £275+vat. This was the day before i was going on holiday , I replied straight back to tell him this . i also said that i thought the cost was quite excessive and i would seek some more estimates when i got back When i got home and went back to work i again got the job to take the wife to the station when i got to the house i took the opportunity to take photos of the damage to the rear bumper. This amounted to a single scuff mark about 1mm wide by 10mm long. this confirmed my suspicion about the cost, with that the wife came out and started giving me grief because i hadn't done anything about it and told me to get away from the car. the long and the short of it is we are now arguing over the cost. He is insisting it goes to a garage that wants to charge £300+ without any proper invoice after i have got estimates between £120 and £160 . I should add the £160 for which i have a proper estimate is from a different branch of the garage he is insisting on using. i know the garage he wants to use is at some point going to do further work on his car and i suspect i am going to make a contribution to this. Needless to say this is getting a bit heated now with him threatening me with the police for leaving the scene of accident notifying the council who provide my license and going through the insurance company which i don't want to because my excess is more than this and i don't want to lose any ncb and he has even mentioned court. i should also point out that he is not willing to take his car to any of the garages that i have got estimates from.

Hi there, this is my first post so apologies if this dilemma is elsewhere. I did do a search first but couldn't find anything similar. I received a single person discount declaration form asking to update/verify my circumstances. This spd has been in effect since 2014. The house in question was bought be myself and my partner, and was a complete refurb. We was exempt from paying any council tax for the first 28 days and after that was moved onto a spd even though nobody was living in the property (due to the heavy renovation being done); This took around 12 months to complete. As stated earlier I had registered for the spd. Once the work was completed my partner moved into the house but I remained at my mothers house (due to the fact that we are not married). Although the spd and council tax had remained in my name. I called the council to explain the situation and they're now saying the following: - we are liable to pay full council tax from 2014 - 2015 as the spd is on the basis that someone living in the property (even though it was empty) - we are liable to pay full council tax from 2015 - 2017 based on the fact that my partner was living there alone and the council tax was in my name If anyone could advise what I should do I'd be greatly appreciative Thanks you in advance

Dear All, I come to this website by searching for some advice for a serious dispute with my cowboy builder recently. Please bear with me with my long nasty story: We hired the builder in late April 2017 and agreed to make stage payments in contract. The whole project was quoted £35k We paid him 10% deposite and the first stage payment £9k in advance (what a mistake I know). The first stage payment is supposed to cover the material and labour cost till bricks are laid up to roof level (which was not written in contract but agreed verbally). I did get 3 references for the builder and one is from a senior employee of the council, for which he was doing a similar extension. However, I had trouble with him right from day 1. He mis-measured our foundation by 70mm short. We did give him a chance (what a mistake!) and he promised he would be more careful. He was not. He was rough all the way and recently I learnt that he was not qualified builder at all although he claimed he had more than 10 years experience. His work was substandard and his attitude was not professional. He was rude, aggressive and intimidating to my family. He swore in front of my family including my children on a number of occasions, when we pointed out any mistake or simply asked him questions. I found no integrity in him at all, there were constant lies and broken promises. The project was planned to take 10 - 12 weeks. Only 3 layers of bricks have been laid so far. Up to date, we have paid him £16k for the work, which is worth only £6000 - £7000 evaluated by two independent evaluators. Last week when we refused his aggressive demand for more money, he stopped all work, refusing even to relay the bricks that were laid with wrong mortar colour and upside-down airbricks, and took all materials away. There wasn’t any chance to negotiate and discuss. He even dug out a newly laid drainage and took the pipes away! He is now issuing us the final invoice, demanding another £4,500 to be paid in a week. We have declined the payment. In summary some facts: - we already paid £16k to complete the first stage of our extension; - Two builders have evaluated the work done as worth £6,000 - £7,000, meaning we overpaid at least approximately £8k-10k; - My builder has asked us for another £4,500 for ‘work that has been carried out’ as final invoice, which we have declined to pay. We search advice from local council, CAB, trading standard. They all seem to be helpless apart from logging a claim for us. We plan to take legal action to recover our overpayments. But before taking any action, could someone please advise me what I should do or not to do. Any advice is really appreciated! Thank you very much in advance!

Hello My business, a pub company, had been a customer of British Gas for 8 years for both electricity and gas. As both these contracts were due to end in January 2017 I agreed terms and rates to renew with British Gas once again through my broker. For reasons that are unclear to me British Gas declined to honour the agreed terms at the last minute and forced me to find an alternative supplier. My broker suggested it was because my business had no trading history, which is absurd as I have been trading since 2009 and have been with BG for the entire time. I then started to receive a series of 'final' bills from BG. The first set of bills, for both electricity and gas, were for the period up to 30th January 2017 - my contract end date. The rates applied to these bills were as expected and the consumption was inline with previous years and were duly paid. I then received a second set of 'final' bills, with new account numbers, up to the 28th Feb 2017 for electricity and up to 9th March 2017 for gas. My rates had changed to 'out of contract' rates and my consumption had supposedly more than tripled compared to previous years. As a pub our electricity consumption barely changes from one month to the next, it powers the lights, fridges and freezers, and is pretty consistent. The gas powers the ovens in the kitchen, the central heating and hot water and can go up in the winter months. But considering February and March weren't particularly cold this year the increase in consumption that BG are claiming is hard to believe. The upshot of it all is that I now have outstanding 'final' invoices from BG for approx. £7,000, instead of the £2,500 that I might have expected. Added to which, the rates I was able to negotiate with my new supplier at the last minute are significantly worse than I had agreed with BG. I have refused to pay these invoices and believe that the consumption BG are claiming is wrong. I also think that they should honour the rates we had agreed for the new contract on these last bills rather than apply 'out of contract' rates. They have chosen to pass the accounts to Debt Collection companies, claiming I have made no attempt to resolve the issue, which is not true. Instead BG are choosing to ignore my complaints. Should I continue to fight this and if so, how ? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all, It would be literally life changing if you can help with this one! Last year I checked my credit file and found I had a CCJ. The claimant was the managing agents for a flat I owned, the amount £1314 and it was registered in November 2012. Being a bit worried about the word CCJ I paid it immediately (Dec '14) and then set about investigating it. It turned out that despite notifying them of a change in correspondence address (I moved out and tenant moved in), they had been writing to the flat to notify me that my standing order for ground rent wasn't set up properly (I think after changing bank accounts). The tenant, I'm sure thinking he was being helpful, kept my post safe for me until he moved out!! The pile was nearly 1m high when I eventually reclaimed it! After a bit of internet investigation I figured I had grounds to have the Judgement Set Aside by Consent - I spoke to the claimant and they agreed to have it set aside they got their solicitors to issue a "Consent Order". I sent this with the correct forms and my own explanation of events to the courts along with £50. After 10 days or so I received a letter back from the courts telling me that my application had been rejected as the judge felt my application amounted to "credit repair". It went on to say that the judgement was paid and would be marked satisfied on my credit file. Fair enough I thought... That was until I recently applied for a mortgage and the underwriter informed me that I was "out of policy" until the debt had been cleared for at least 3 years. You can imagine how frustrated I am now with hindsight that the judge had felt it necessary to reject my application. Why would ANYONE want a judgement set aside if it wasn't to repair or reset their credit?! Surely he should of considered the facts rather than base his decision on opinion?! I paid a debt as soon as I found out about it and I've ended up with a 3 year sentence - you'd get as much for aggravated assault! I've spoken to the court again and despite it being longer than 7 days, I can apparently fill in a different form and send another £50 to appeal the judgement. My question, albeit a little long-winded, is: what chance have I got of winning an appeal? I don't want to throw another £50 at this and end up with the same result BUT if I knew I could get it set aside, I'd happily pay a hell of a lot more! If someone thinks they might be able to help, I'd happily pass on any documentation I have. Thanks.

Hi all, Receiving the usual CRS monetary demands after they're claiming that I am in arrears. I have looked for advise as a lurker on this forum before and have sent one letter to them but it's gotten to the point where I would like personal advise on what to say (if anything at all) to Harlands. The second letter I received from them is a bunch of waffle that seems to want to scare me into paying but I am not sure what to reply with - hence me coming here. Some background - I joined Xerise4less (Hull branch) on a 12 month contract in September 2015. I fulfilled the contract and e-mailed Xerise4less requesting cancellation on to two separate occasions: on 29th October 2016, and 12th November. I only received an e-mail back on 15th November telling me that my cancellation was being processed. Worth noting that I didn't attend during the last 6 or so months of the contract. Due to monetary concerns and the fear that I would be charged another £9.99 (one month according to the contract), a fear that I felt was founded to their lackluster response time, I cancelled my direct debit with them a day or two after receiving the e-mail. This triggered the CRS dispute and now they want £207.47. Fast forward to 7th February 2017 and I receive a letter stating the following: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter no.1 from CRS Dear Mr.XXX, We've been employed by Xercise4less as your membership remains in arrears despite previous letters being sent to you (NB - I did not receive a prior letter). As a result of this, our fees totalling £102.50 have been added. Therefore, your account balance now stands at £207.47. We want to reach an amicable resolution with you! (NB - What followed was the usual giving of options for me to pay or continue with my membership) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Receiving this was quite the shocker so I went online and stumbled upon people experiencing the same issues on this forum. After reading the countless threads and following the advice of mst notably slick132, I sent them the following letter back: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter from me Dear sir or madam, I refer to your letter of 7 February 2017, referencing: CRS Ref No. xxx, xercise4less Ref No:xxx. This is the first letter I have received regarding this matter. For clarification my current address is: xxx I joined on minimum 12 month agreement in September 2015 and paid the full 12 months as well as an additional month. I sent an e-mail requesting that xercise4less cancel my membership on 29 October 2016. I received an e-mail back on 15 November 2016, notifying me that my cancellation would be processed. Because of this late reply and my current financial hardships I cancelled my direct debit mandate soon after to ensure that no further money would be taken. This was also adequate notice of my cancellation of the xercise4less agreement, as per the case of The OFT v Ashbourne Mgt Services Ltd in 2011. However, I now realise I should have given Harlands or the gym a month's notice before cancelling the direct debit. I now offer to pay one final month's fee of £9.99 to end this matter. I will not pay any unlawful admin fees added by Harlands/CRS. Before I pay, I need you to confirm in writing that my payment will be accepted in settlement of all that I owe. My offer is valid for 14 days and, if you make demands for any higher amount, I will pay you nothing. I look forward to your reply. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- After reading the multiple threads I knew I was in for a fight. The second letter I received is the one that caused a bit of concern - my mum is worried about bailiffs although I've assured her that they won't come. This is it (warning long post): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter no. 2 from CRS (8th March) We wish to advise that cancelling your direct debit was not adequate notice of your intention to cancel. The terms of your agreement specifically state that you must give notice in writing. We have received similar claims before. You are mistaken with regards to Mr. Justice Kitchin's ruling. Such a statement does not appear anywhere in Mr. Justice Kitchin's judgement. A legal precedent can only be drawn from a ruling but the statement you rely upon appears in the Penal Notice issued specifically to Ashbourne Management Services Limited, advising them what they must and must not do. This only applies to Ashbourne Management Services Limited because contracts 1-13 examined in this case were found to be unfair and thus unenforceable. Xercise4less contracts have not been supplied by Ashbourne Management Services Limited and have never been deemed unfair by a judge. There is, therefore, no reason to believe that the terms regarding how a member may terminate their agreement will not be enforceable in other instances. We are unable to accept your offer of £9.99 as sufficient to settle this debt because more than one month has passed without payment. As you did not complete the cancellation procedure, the club were bound by the contract to hold your membership open for you. A service has been provided during this time, at cost to the club, whether you attended or not. With regards to your comments that our charges are penalties, it is our position that all charges applied to this balance are to over actual and necessary costs and thus are not penalties. Lord Dunedin, when considering whether charges stipulated at the outset of the agreement were penalties, set out in Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co Ltd v Motor Co Ltd (1914) that: 'It is no obstacle to the sum stipulated being a genuine pre-estimate of damage, that the consequences of the breach are such as to make precise pre-estimation almost an impossibility. On the contrary, that is just the situation when it is probable that pre-estimated damage was the true bargain between the parties (Clydebank Case, Lord Haisbury; Webster v. Bosanquet, Lord Mersey).' The above applies to the charges of £25.00 applied by Harlands and also in regards to our own collection fees of £66.50 both of which are pre-estimates of the average costs incurred from defaulted agreements, but which vary from case to case and cannot be precisely calculated in advance. We believe, therefore, that these charges do not constitute a penalty and are this fully enforceable. For the above reasons it must remain our position that the balance of £207.47 is correct and due. We may be able to negotiate on this sum, but would require you to contact one of our telephone negotiators on 01444 449 165 in order to do so. Payment can be made (NB - Address, no. etc. they give with intent for me to pay) Please ensure a payment or response is received within the next 7 days, so we can avoid further action being taken. Yours sincerely, David Castle -------------------------------------------------------------- I guess my request is - Was my first letter sufficient? What should I respond with? Should I respond? Help is greatly appreciated Thank your for your time!

Hi, I am writing on behalf of my husband. Will try to cut everything short and get to the basics, but if you feel you need more information to help you form an argument then I believe that I have quite a few things in our favour. The main point is, last year my husband paid off his student loan in FULL of approx. £5000 we thought all is clear, fine and well. Ironically a week or so later we received a letter from our University in RED writing saying that we owe money. Of course it said if you have already paid then ignore. We assuming that us paying the student loan was the same thing as paying the tuition fee as it usually covers it. It was almost as if the University received some kind of "tip-off" from the Student Loans company (SLC) that "we've got 'em" and for them to get in touch with us (for years my husband was abroad so he never used to receive their letters.) this letter stated "due to a course taken in 2015" which was way out since he studied 2005-2008. they have already made mistakes on their letters which I have copies of. I have been back and forth now between SLC and the University, as at first I was told that the SLC had "clawed back" the £1,225 tuition fee that they should not have paid on our behalf in the first place. Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) are now chasing us because SLC have taken back the money from them. All too confusing. Now that story has changed. SLC say they NEVER paid the tuition fee for the final year of study 2007/08 because my husband's loan application was not accepted and withdrawn as he failed to provided the necessary evidence. they only gave him a loan for the 2nd year which included the coverage of the tuition fee for that year. My argument then is that why was he allowed/able to graduate? We had friends that had to leave the course or could not continue at that time if they had not paid the fee. Period. we should not be made responsible to pay this after almost 10 years when they have made an error somewhere on their side/system. And since we have cleared the loan side of things. Did that make any sense? I hope so. Please any advice, suggestion, questions or feedback is much appreciated. Thanks in advanced, Kind regards

I own a retirement flat. I decided to extend the lease, prior to selling. I contacted the lease company (a large organisation) and agreed price + costs for the lease extension. They appointed their solicitor to extend the lease. The lease he produced was sent by my solicitor to the Land Registry for registering - they returned it saying there were errors in the drafting. Both my solicitor and I have contacted the solicitor asking for it to be corrected. He has refused, saying "he knows how to do a lease extension" and that he will not correct it as the Land Registry requires. So they will not register it, naturally. I have contacted the Lease company to sort this out, they merely respond that, if this is their solicitors advice, they will not do anything. I have therefore paid thousands for the lease extension + costs to the solicitors, and I have no lease extension. The lease company also refuse to return the lease costs. Unbelievable. I have tried various Ombudsman, but as I am not the solicitors client, they can "do nothing". The lease company does not belong to a Regulatory body. I am therefore at the point of taking Small Claims against the lease company. I need to know what legislation they have contravened, as I am unsure the Sale & Supply of Goods Act 1982 applies. Can anyone advise me?

Hi, I bought some items from Thomann.de in December last year. Paid by Paypal. Got 'Payment accepted' notice and items arrived. A few weeks ago I get an e-mail from Thomann asking me to pay an outstanding balance. I thought it was some sort of phishing [problem], but after checking it out, everything seemed legit. I replied asking them what I owed them money for (at this point still assuming the order that was completed 4 months ago was, indeed, completed..) Apparently, my Paypal payment didn't go through at the time, but they sent the items anyway and opened an account.... I never received the supposed e-mail, and (as I pointed out in my reply) never responded to give this the OK... Thomann clearly weren't happy with that response as the next message contained a threat of a debt collection agency: In my response, I expressed my disappointment in them so readily resorting to threats, but also continued on the path to resolution: That was sent to them on Thursday (13th April). All the correspondence above were on the same day with messages about an hour apart. Today I get an e-mail from debt collectors.... I responded immediately with: Then I started searching the net for advice and found this place. Probably should have done that the other way round! So, where do you think I stand on all this? I think the two resolution offers I gave to Thomann are more than fair and reasonable considering the circumstances. They clearly disagree, but surely they don't have the right to pass onto a debt collector at this point?? edit: Forgot to add, the amount is £87.52

I need some help. I was very foolish back in November buying an item off Ebay. The item was a supposedly haunted piece of jewellery from a magickal seller. The item cost me £160. Needless to say I am not happy with the purchase and want to return the item, but because its gone over 90 days I cannot open a dispute with Ebay. The seller is refusing to respond to my messages I have sent. Can anyone please advise what I can do to reclaim my money back over an item which is clearly not as described.

Hi everyone I'm not sure if I'll get anywhere with this but I'd like to try because I'm sure what they've done isnt right. I signed up for a gym membership on the 17/02/2017 which was supposed to be a £5.00 set up fee, one month free and then £39.99 for the next 11 months. I was meant to pay nothing until the 01/04/2017 but they took out £39.99 today. I rang them to ask why this was done and they asked to see a copy of the documents I received when I signed up online. I scanned up the documents and they emailed me back saying that we know it's not very clear but February was the free month and nothing is wrong. I don't agree with this since I've only had 11 days for free and have only gone to the gym 4 or 6 times since I signed up. I requested that they either repay the payment and give me a full free month or to cancel my account and charge me for the time I've used. They haven't responded to my request yet. I'll upload the documents I was sent so you can see who's right. Thanks Andrew Documents images(2).pdf

Hello everyone! This is my first time and I am happy to join this community of consumers. I have a parking 'fine' by Smart Parking in a retail parking at around 22:5hrs for 10-11min, with a 3hrs free parking but must obtain a ticket. Now it is late at night and the two ticket machines are situated together at one end of the parking which is 50m from where I am parked and as a current blue badge holder , I have difficulty in walking that distance as the place I was going to was less than 50m. Also as the retail park closes at 20;00hrs the car park is virtually empty. Hence, I appealed the PCN but was rejected by a response to a car and details that are not mine, so now I want to put an appeal to POPLA, what points are my strongest so I can get this PCN cancelled? Thanks in advance for any positive help or advice.

Person in van decides highway code does not apply to him. Decides to drive on wrong side of road around a parked car on his side, and then drives all along the side of my car....and blames me. Despite the fact that he is clearly in the wrong he will not accpet any responsibility and my new car is wrecked. What next.

I took out a Unsecured Personal Loan with Halifax online in December 2011. I was NEVER asked questions like, can you afford the payments, are you employed/unemployed, and I certainly was not asked about my income. This have got so bad I am currently on an IVA - Halifax increased the IVA from 5 years to 6 years forcing me to pay for longer. I am now wondering if bankruptcy is the best option. Do I have a claim that Halifax lent to me irresponsibly without going through my finances first?

I have got my second assessment for ESA on Thursday, presumably with Maximus this time unless they too have been sacked? I had been away for four months from the flat I've lived in for 21 years and feel a bit panicked to learn of this appointment being so near ( and this time it's due so early in the day that the train fare will be double). This is in part because I am severely stressed out because I already have another concurrent fight on my hands with the local council over its handling of a violent and antisocial neighbour (documented on another subforum here). When I was coerced back to the flats by the council I began to get heart pains of the same kind I'd got when my neighbour threatened me for making complaints. The initial period of pain died down after thirty hours but has begun again. I will go to my GP about this but I'm not happy to be reporting a more or less new health issue within a few days of an assessment, because of how it might be viewed with suspicion. Having had something very like a heart attack at 29 as a side effect of antidepressants I'm seriously concerned about this heart issue, though a visit to A&E last week showed nothing up. I am vividly aware as I type though that something is not right. There is pressure in my heart or a feeling of a knot. It's actual and not merely chemical/ psychological even if aggravated by an emotional state I'm trying to combat with breathing. But I'm more concerned about whether I have the energy for another fight over all this. I am half angry, half exhausted. I believe that if I still allowed myself to risk the involvement of professionals I would have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by now because of the extremity of the swings but it is some bind when you are utterly exhausted part of the time and full of rage the rest of it. We could say that having been through one of these assessments I know the lie of the land - and it certainly is a lie and not a lay - but I read that for example that some symptoms/sentiments that arise from mental health issues (which I've learned I cannot discuss here, which I accept) which six months ago were cause for assessors and DWP staff to treat an individual with caution, are now indiciators that an indivisual should be pushed firmly towards the workplace, despite an apparent overall impression given in the media that there should have been a moving away from the aggression of these asessments experienced from 2011-2015. I am going to ring to assert that I will be recording my assessment as last year's assessor lied repeatedly in her report, which I was going to use at the tribunal. A leaflet tells me I can use my equipment and that's how it's going to be as I have no reason to trust these people. I was put in the Support Group last year but only short term. I had applied to go to tribunal but this was cancelled without my say-so when the one year Support Group was decided upon. Someone senior in the Dispute Resolutions team actually rang me, and even by coincidence had agreed with a colleague on calling the dogs off on my birthday. I want to ask to speak to him tomorrow or am considering writing a letter to ask for this to be viewed in conjunction with Thursday's assessment. I do not have room for manouevre financially for any ESA cut. I have thirty quid in the bank to last nine days and no savings. I have nothing left to sell because the other business with the council led to me selling everything to pay to keep a roof over my head somewhere safe over the last four months, though I slept outside sometimes too. Last year as I was under attack by the DWP and my neighbour's behaviour at once I developed for the first time in my life a period of binge-drinking. In the second half of my 30s I didn't touch alcohol, and for most of my adult life I could take or leave it and went for weeks without a pint. For several months last year I was losing my memory about three times a week, falling over, having to bin clothes that became scuffed and torn. I was shocked out of it once a friendly waitress saw me staggering around, and then when a stranger approached me who'd guided me home. I'm not ashamed but it's pretty horrifying to be pushed into uncharacteristic behaviour without personal precedent, and I resent this period. I hadn't slipped back into this until Thursday just gone, and hope that was only a blip and not new stresses. Additionally, being angered by this new medical I have decided to stop being a mug over something that happened around twelve years ago. Before the advent of ATOS and the like I had a medical in the same building when I was on SDA. The doctor who did it carried out an act of aborted sexual abuse. I don't know if you can understand but at the time I could hardly believe it, and then felt fearful of rocking the boat due to my need for my benefits. Now though, feeling harrassed and angry I want to go to the police and pursue things. If a celebrity's abuse form forty years ago can be pursued then so can this. I would have no trouble identifying this person because I remember his manner vividly. At present I'm intending to go to the police station on Tuesday, will explain what happened and then ask if there are records of other complaints having been made with reference to the same building. I am not going to back out of this now but I suppose need to prepare myself. There are no doubts in my mind regarding what happened - it was nothing whatsoever to do with the medical and a clear assertion of power. I am absolutely aware that people do worse as one family member suffered horrifically and so did someone I was engaged to, but as this person has or had a position of power which has continuity with the comparatively respectable veneer of Maximus's power I want him dealt with. I will soak up anything helpful anyone wants to say here but at times I feel like walking off the grid altogether nowadays. I have thought of turning myself in to a hospital but fear losing autonomy regarding diet and medication. I spent a weekend in a particular creed's monastery a decade ago and remember they had a 'lay monk' there, a man who basically mucked in but had not adopted the garb, and who seemed to have retreated from comparable aggravation in the regular world. I've considered going there but do not really have the conviction of that creed despite sharing some agreement with it. Sick enough also, despite being aware of what I'd been put through last year several people in my family voted Conservative and didn't hide the fact. Sometimes sitting down with them and acting like they hadn't put a cross in box that could have a very dramatic consequence you do feel that family life has become farcical. Thanks for your time.

Hello team CAG, This is a little long, but please bear with me. I applied to one of the Emergency Services in London, and after passing an assessment was invited to an interview on 18th August. On 30th August I made contact with one of the two panel members who interviewed me as I had received no feedback. I had a lengthy conversation with this person who raised concern about unaccounted gaps in my employment but also stated that I sat a good interview and did not fail it. I was informed if I were to send a complete employment history covering the gaps along with key skills gained/used, there would be potential of a second interview but this would have to be with somebody else. On 4th September I emailed the person above (also Cc’d two other HR staff members) my complete employment history accounting for the gaps. I called my interviewer on 9th September as I had received no communications. I was informed that my information had been passed on and I should contact HR. On 12th September I received an email from one of the two HR staff members I had Cc'd informing me that I have been unsuccessful? No reason/feedback provided. I called this HR staff member the following day seeking an explanation and feedback. To my surprise I was informed that my interviewer had mentioned to this HR staff that she (my interviewer) had informed me that I had failed. My interviewer never mentioned this to me during any of our conversations. I emailed my interviewer on 13th September seeking clarification and feedback, which I am yet to receive. I sent a letter to the Head of Recruitment for role applied for on 16th September, expressing my dissatisfaction and seeking clarification/investigation. I also attached comms I made by email. Received an email acknowledging my letter and will respond no later than 14 days from receipt. GUESS WHAT?...NOTHING!!! Emailed this person on 9th October seeking an update, only to be informed my interviewer has been away, investigation is ongoing and will get back to me by the end of this week (14/10). If I do not hear from the Head of Recruitment OR if I do and the result is not in my favour, can I pursue this further? Your input would be greatly appreciated on this matter.

I purchased an item using Ebay and the seller did not send the item. In my haste to get my money back I opened a Paypal dispute. However upon doing so the seller phoned me to say that they needed the Paypal claim closed to refund me through Ebay and rather stupidly I did so. Since then neither Ebay nor Paypal will do anything. I am unable to reopen the dispute with Paypal and Ebay say they cannot do anything because Paypal have closed the dispute (even though they are supposed to be two entirely separate entities). Now I could go the route of doing a chargeback through my bank. But it was done on a Visa debit rather than credit card. From speaking to my bank (Santander) that could entail some risk from Paypal challenging the chargeback which worries me. The amount is only the relatively small amount of £36.49. If Paypal were to be funny about it they could challenge it and possibly I incur some kind of legal fee? I don't know. Given that there is that risk I would rather swallow the amount and admit I have been ripped off and to be very wary in the future of closing any disputes before a full refund is given. Is there any other recourse for me?

Hi guys, In need of some advice and guidance regarding a credit agreement with littlewooods. In March this year our Television broke and so I sought a replacement. As it happened Littlewoods had some offers on their range of TVs and combined with a new customer discount tis made for a good deal on the TV I was looking for. Combined with their 12 month pay later 0% this seemed a great way to get the TV quick and set the money aside to pay for it at Christmas when I had a bonus due. Upon ordering the TV the representative on the phone struggled to get the order through, first the code wouldn't work, then something else, the the wrong finance plan, the wrong item but Finlay I was able to pay £250 deposit and place the order. The rep assured me the code would be added to the order, the mistakes he'd made ordering it twice rectified and not to worry. TV arrived as promised, just the one, everyone happy.........until the statement arrives the following month. Not only had the discount not been applied but the finance plan was over 3 months, not the 12 at 0%. These two things are what swayed me to buying the TV in the first place. Without, I'd have been better off going elsewhere. I called them, after about an hour of being passed from one place to another I was finally assured not to worry, told to ignore the statement and minimum payment and that following one would be correct and show what I'd actually signed up for. Not only did this following statement not show this, but the amount had increased and a default and missed payment charged added. This has continued each month. Me spending £50 or so and hours on the phone to them with promises of someone will surely call me back, it will be put right and not to worry. Not only have I never received a call back but the statement amount continues to increase despite their acknowledgement it is incorrect and their mistake. It may only be a trivial amount of a few hundred pounds but that is a lot of money to me and something I have to work every hard for. With the time off work on the phone and the cost of calls it adds up to more than I should owe them! Where do I stand on getting these expenses back and sorting this out as 4 months on and it still continues. Its pretty stressful and worrying and I shouldn't have to be spending days on the phone in then little time I get with my family running up expenses chasing a problem they freely admit is there mistake inn the first place. What to do? All help and advice appreciated.

Hello, all, I'm sorry I haven't been on in a while due to illness/back to back forms. I hope you are all well. As it's been five years I'm not sure what to do in re a debt that's been in dispute since May 2011 - sold by RBS/Mint to Cabot, from whom my husband has had a letter last month. In 2011 the then collector Regal Credit closed the account as they could not provide documents as requested by my CCA. Cabot's letter just says they will be in touch, not sure if I should wait to hear from them or CCA them now and/or mention the debt has been in dispute for five years? I have the link to how to do a CCA of which I've sent many - I'm reading the link thoroughly as I know things have changed which is why I'm posting this, to make sure I'm doing the right thing. Many thanks for any advice and I hope you are all well. Best wishes HY

Hi, I'm hoping someone might be able to help me... In August 2015 I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S6 on eBay from what seemed to be a trustworthy "phone company" with very good reviews. I received the phone exactly as described, brand new and sealed and factory unlocked. I have been on a Sim-only contract with Vodafone for a long time and I immediately began using the Sim in the new phone with no problems at all for the next 6 months or so. However, in February 2016 the phone suddenly lost all network coverage and after a few confusing phone calls with Vodafone (which also involved me sending the phone to Samsung to be tested) I finally discovered it had been blacklisted due to having been reported as stolen. Vodafone recommended that I try to get a refund from the seller on eBay or approach PayPal to open a dispute. I soon discovered that the seller had disappeared from eBay (hardly surprising if he knew what he was doing...!) and after explaining the problem to eBay they told me that PayPal should be able to help. However, I have been back and forth with PayPal over the issue and they are point blank refusing to help me due to the fact that the transaction was back in August and it was outside of their specified time cap on opening a case. I understand that this is their policy but I feel that in a situation like this there should be some sort of loophole as how was I to know that I was buying a stolen phone, especially as it was working fine until it was blacklisted!! I have spoken to CACs and trading standards regarding the matter but they simply insisted I keep on at PayPal and that without the seller's home address there's not much that can be done?! I am out of pocket of £380 and the phone is completely useless to me, and at the same time the seller of this phone (and I would guess countless other phones) is getting away with making money from stolen goods. Thank you for any suggestions!

Hello all, I stumbled across this useful site and now here I am asking for some advice if possible. Our daughter was at a nursery for just over two years, it was okay but we never really loved it. A new nursery opened which we really liked the look of and after a tour decided we would move our daughter. My wife emailed the current nursery manager on the 29th Feb asking for a copy of the terns and conditions, specifically with regards to giving notice. The manager emailed back a very short paragraph stating: The notice period is 2 full months from the 1st of the month.’ She did not send or mention the terms and conditions as requested. Because it was the the first the next day, we emailed the notice that very next day. Because her email stated two full months from the 1st with no mention of including the 1st. We also gave a written copy of the same email when my daughter attended on the 2nd, which was a Tuesday. She only attended Tues and Weds. The manager saw my wife the next day on the Weds and asked her into a room to discuss why we were removing our daughter. We kept it polite and said it was just for a change etc. There was no mention of the notice period. A week or so later the manager spoke to my wife again and stated that the notice had been received on the 2nd of the month, and it needed to be a full month. My wife stated she sent the email on the first as per her response to the request for a copy of terms and conditions. She resent it at their request. Our daughters last day came and went which was the 31st March (she only goes two days). We then get an invoice for the extra month which they have then used our advance payment to clear. There was no prior warning of this. My wife emailed asking why and was told it was because we did not give 2 full months as per the terms and conditions. We explained that they were not provided to us when requested and we simply acted on the email sent form the managed when we requested them. We have now sent to letters of complaint requesting our advance fee back. They are refusing to and have also stated that we did not fill out a leaving form. Although there was no mention of this form after we gave notice or in the discussions my wife had after. The ironic thing is that on there last response they enclosed a copy of the terms and conditions we signed two years ago along with a request to remove my child from nursery. Completely useless now our daughter has left. They also state that notice should be in writing as email is unreliable, which is kind of comical as they send emails out every day stating what illnesses are doing the rounds and other important updates. So there you go, we feel aggrieved because we feel we are being penalised for acting on the information they gave us. - they never supplied us with terms and conditions as requested - they never gave warning they would not be retuning our advance fee - They never gave us or mentioned a cancellation form until after we had removed our daughter - They had several opportunities to discuss it with my wife face to face but never mentioned any issues until after leaving So we are at the stage where we need to decide if we send a letter before action etc. Any thoughts on where we might stand? Thanks in advance

Hi, Looking for some advice for my 83 year dad who signed a contract during a 2 min meeting with "agent" ( no copy left ) from a CMC in his home in Scotland but has clause saying English Courts have jurisdiction. First things first they have demanded payment immediately since day of settlement!. My Dad disputes fee and service. If they sue for this debt will it have to be at the local Sheriff Court court were he lives or would it be at the County Court in England were the company are based. Secondly would the clause that payment due within 7 days of settlement from Bank or the debt will be passed to debt collectors in the contract be regarded as unfair. many thanks for any help in advance

Hi I received a PCN for being 'Parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours'. In front of my car where I have parked, there are bays which allow you to park without a permit. Behind my vehicle, to the left, there are bays for permit holders between 1 - 3 only. I have parked on a single yellow, as I have done many times (and was advised that legally I could do so, as the yellow line was broken, by a parking enforcement officer himself many months ago) Are there any grounds of appeal? The yellow signage above where I have has been tampered with and read 1 to as opposed to 1 to 3. I don't know whether this would help my appeal at all? The parking enforcement officer had taken a photo of my permit (which had expired) so I can only assume I received a ticket on this basis. I would really appreciate any help to appeal this ticket. Many thanks, Abby

EE have put me in default without giving me a final itemised statement which I had requested. Credit agency shows this default and so what can I do to put this right..

Does anyone have a link to the UK Visa chargeback policy? I am trying to do a chargeback on my visa debit card and Nationwide are dragging their heels, stating that I am out of time (120 days). However it is my understanding that if a service/goods is purchased in the future then there is a 540 day limit to claim. Also, the 120 day limit can start on the day that the problem is known about. Its a bit confusing cos moneysavingexpert states that the 540 day limit can be used if there is services are brought for a future date e.g. concert tickets. Which? states that the 120 day time limit starts from the day the problem is recognised, upto a max of 540 days. Who is right?