Hi all, Can anyone give me some advice on the following. I found an envelope through my door with a card inside written/printed with: the lewis group For the attention of: Mr. Mrs. Ms XXXXXX XXXXXX Our representative called today 11-1-13 at ................................ To discuss an important matter with you concerning, Client: Cabot Financial Account reference number: Outstanding Please contact our agent on: £825.75 To arrange a convenient date & time for this matter to be resolved. (NB:Calls to mobile phone numbers are charged to you at your telephone providers mobile phone rate). Agents Name: Mr O'BRIEN - CALL BACK - TUESDAY - 8AM It is important to contact our agent urgently to avoid any possible further recovery action. the lewis group ltd, Phillip House, 123/137 York Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT15 1AB Registered in Scotland / No. 127043 All of the parts in red were hand written. I can't even remember what this is for, it has been passed around several DCA's, but has to be at least 5 years old.

Hi All, Late last year I received a fine for having no insurance on my vehicle. I was unaware that my insurance provider had cancelled my policy due to me not providing them with some information. Anyway a long story short, I received a fine from the courts and i sent a means form off to them to allow them t calculate what I can afford to pay. I have received no acknowledgment of my means form and when I chased it up they said it has gone to the Marston Group bailiffs and I would have to talk with them. I rang the bailiffs and they said that a letter has been sent out to me and that £85 has been added onto the fine. I now understand from the courts that there is nothing that I can do and that all I can do is negotiate with Marston Group however they will not negotiate. They have said that the only payment plan I can agree with them is £150 upfront then £100 per week - which I cant any where near afford. The total fine is now £800...I would like to know what I can do because the fees are going to just rack up...its says on my letter that if I don't pay within 7 days another £215 will be added on and they are ging to take my stuff. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

" (ii) turn the pages of a book with either hand " Help please ? Does the word "either" in the above statement mean; You have to turn the pages with both left and right hands or, Turn the pages with right or left hand ? Thanks, I more than likely can't see whats in front of me so thought I'd ask .....

I just got my form today, a little ****ed off to say the least as i thought it wouldn't be due for at least another few months. I was put in the support group in September (which was back dated to April, i think) and thought that would be it for a while. After calling DWP they told me that i would not need to send any sick notes in and should receive a form around March or April this year. When i called them this morning that said my review was due 2/01/13 and i should get the form back to them by the end of January. My condition has not changed and frightened that they will stop my money as this is the only income i have. Does anyone know what will happen once i send in my form and if i will be summoned for an examination. Also how long will this take from sending my form in to hearing something from them along with when will they stop my money? Also has anyone else had this form after being put in the support group and NOT had their benefits stopped, what happened and did it take long?

Hello Everyone my first post in this excellent forum although I been reading the forum to try to find the answer but my situation is slightly different as I just got a letter from Marston Group posted second class, I had a speeding fine in Sep 2009 with 3 penalty points which I send to court along with a payment of £60.00 which is endorsed on my paper licence see the image attached and now I have received this demand letter from Marston Group asking me to pay the fine which for some unknown reason to me is gone up to £110.00 plus £85.00 fees, before I contact them I need your advise on to which action should I take This is the very first time I heard about this unpaid fine since I sent my licence along with £60.00 payment to the court and I haven't had any fine or even camera flash on me in 2009, 2010 up until 13/08/2011 when I was stopped by a police and my offence according to him was jumping a red light I paid the fine handed over my licence to the police station with in a week of this. see the attached image of my paper licence what should be my further action Many thanks MO

I'm in need of help on how to deal with this debt i have. I'm currently not working due to being made redundant and currently on the look out for work, so paying this debt at the minute is not my main concern. However, i am receiving 3 phone calls a day regarding this debt and it's getting annoying, i have everytime told them i will only deal with them in writing. I received a letter stating the balance and asking them to contact them via phone. They also say in the letter that "if we do not receieve full payment or hear from you by the 20th of december, we will transfer your account to our field agents and arrange for a collector to call at my home address and discuss how this debt will be paid" What would my next step be? I know i owe the debt to the brilliant gift shop, but i don't owe the debt to lewis debt recovery. At this moment in time, i'm unable to make payment so what step should i take? Thanks for your help,

Hi all, I have no idea how to deal with my situation and I hope someone could be able to give me some advice. My boyfriend got a parking ticket by Newham London/TFL which he failed to pay on time (December 2011). Marston Group was after him. When he got letter from Marston he paid penalty same day (July). Few days ago he was clamped on the street by JBW. When he asked for what they said that for ticket from December last year. He informed JBW that he already paid this ticket but JBW said that he needs to pay £500 and if he really paid he will get money back. He tried to contact council and both companies but they sending him from one place to another. Just to be 100% sure he contacted Marston to find out exactly for which ticket he was charged in July. Marston respond that they are not able to provide the details. We have all the receipts and letters but we are trying to link both companies to the same offense to make sure that we actually paid twice for same ticket. Can someone advice if there is any chance we can get information from Marston regarding our payment. For me it pretty clear that if I am charged for something I should be informed exactly for what. Is there any act I could refer to to get the information. Please help!!!! Thank you in advance

Hi, I am new to the forum and desperate for some advice or views. I was migrated from IB to Esa Contribution based last October 2011 and placed in the Wrag Group, my payments have just recently been stopped because of the 365 day rule, I do not meet the criteria for Income based Esa. . I asked for a reconsideration on the decision as I felt I qualified for the Support Group. The decision was to remain the same, Wrag group. I then appealed the reconsidered decision in May of 2012, as part of the appeal they firstly reconcidered the decision again to no satisfaction, still to remain in the Wrag Group and appeal papers sent to Tribunal. I have just recently one year on from the original decision received appeal pack from Dwp which has also been sent to the Tribunal. Amongst other things there is guidance notes to help the Tribunal with its decision. One of the guidance notes states:- A claimant has Limited Capability for Work Relatied Activity ( Support Group) if they satisfy at least one of the Support Group Descriptors. A discriptor is satisfied if it applies for the majority of the time ( Majority is the key word) or, as the case maybe, for the majority of the occasions on which the claimant undertakes or attempts to undertake the activity described by that descriptor. The reference:- The Employment and Support Allowance regulations 2008 34 (1), (2). When I received my Esa85 medical report from Atos one of the descriptors I satisfied was, Engagement in social contact with someone unfamiliar to the claimant is not possible for the majority ( again key word Majority) of the time due to difficulty relating to others or significant distress experienced by the claimant. My questions are, do I satisfy this descriptor in your opinion taking into consideration the wording of the Esa regulation 2008, should I have been placed in the Support Group? if I should have been in Support Group what is my next step as the Support Group does not apply to the 365 day rule and my payments have already stopped. I have telephoned Dwp to discuss this several times and request a call back but no one has bothered to phone me back, I have just recently emailed my MP to ask for his help. Advice or your views would be much appreciated.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20543308

MY son got a £60 fine 2 years ago for driving without an MOT. Due to family circumstances he and his family had to move and he forgot all about it. Today he has had a letter from the Marsden group saying that the bill is now £300 and every time they write to him it will put more money on the total. He contacted the group and told them that although he could not pay what they were asking he had worked out how much he could pay a month and made them an offer which they have refused. He spoke to the magistrates court who told him the debt had not been sold but had been consigned to Marsden. The action taken by Marsden has almost pushed my son to the point where he would just drive his car off a cliff and it is only his young family that keeps him focused. What can he do.? What rights does he have and if he makes a reasonable offer of payment are they allowed to refuse it?

I (stupidly) had a payday loan which got passed on to BCW Group / Red Castle Recoveries. I have acknowledged the debt (they have proof of it ). They've written to me again stating they need a response in 7 days so I've written the following: "I have taken independent advice and, following this, and a review of my income and expenditure (to which you have no legal right of sight), I am able to offer a token payment of £5.00 until my circumstances improve. Please send me a standing order form so that I may start these payments forthwith." By "independent advice" I mean this website:roll: Is this satisfactory? All charges/interest etc has been stopped.

This is an urgent question. Can somebody clarify some wording regarding the 365 day time limit for contribution based ESA - basically I have been on CB-ESA Support Group since transferring to it in January 2011. In July 2012, I was chucked out of the support group and placed in the CB-ESA work related group and my money has stopped immediately because, I am being told, the 365 day limit has come into play since I was placed in the WRAG and because I've been on Conts based ESA for all this time, my time is up and no more money is due!! However, according to the info on the DWP's website, the following is stated: "Any time claimants have spent in the Support Group will not count towards the 365 days, or will any time in the assessment phase if they moved directly from the assessment phase into the Support Group" Does this statement not apply to me, therefore the clock only started the day my claim was moved over to the Work Related group, or is the guy I spoke to at the DWP right and I am wrong?? Thanks

Hoping somebody can help within the next 3 days I have left I had a court fine in October 2008 for un-taxed car which payment was sent in April 2009. Now in Nov 2012 I receive a letter saying they have traced me down and have 7 days to pay initial fine + £85 fee or they will attend to seize goods to sell. I have none of the original documentation as this was probably destroyed as I have moved address twice since the original fine imposed and have received prior communication from Marston (each time I moved I had post diverted to new address) My time is running out and I don't know what to do?

Hi all, I posted my ESA50 form on the 5th November. On the 10th November, ATOS advised the DWP that I did not require a WCA, and recommended I be put straight into the support group. Today the DWP confirmed they agreed with this, and have advised they will reassess in six months. I have been signed off from work since March with anxiety and depression. I have also been waiting since last year to be assessed for Asperger's Syndrome. I filled in the ESA50 form using the Fullfacts medical guide, and the Rethink WCA factsheet. I basically photocopied everything, and included as much additional evidence with the ESA50 as possible. This included hospital admissions and discharges, prescriptions, appointment letters and referral requests. I also paid my GP £30 for a two-page medical report, which included a request for a home visit due to my diagnosis of agoraphobia and social phobia. ATOS obviously went one step further and decided the evidence I provided was enough. I can't tell you how relieved I am, I was dreading the possible months of stress ahead. I would like to say a big thank you to this forum for the useful guidance provided. My best piece of advice would be to provide as much info as possible to ATOS. Give them yards of paperwork to go through, and go into as much detail as possible in the actual ESA50.

Can some one please advise, I had wrote to these muppets BCW Group and received the below response. They had threatened with a door-step call and i sent them the standard letter and go this reply. Client: Aktiv Kapital UK Limited Client Ref: xxxxxxxxxxxx Final Response Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx I write with regard to your email of xx November 2012 issued in relation to the aforementioned account. I can confirm we have undertaken substantive investigations into your claims and have concluded that your complaint has been refuted. The reasons for this are detailed below. BCW Group acts in good faith on the information and instructions issued to us by our clients. We are passed this information on the basis that the information provided is true and correct at the time of issue. We were, at no time, advised by our client of any ongoing disputes or unresolved complaint issues. In this instance, we were passed an account in your name with instructions to pursue for the full balance accordingly. By passing the matter to this office for debt recovery purposes our client was satisfied that the balance is due and collectable. I have duly noted the comments made in your above referenced email. The attached correspondence has previously been investigated and responded to. The response has been attached for your consideration. The case you have referred to is not applicable to your circumstances. As part of the credit agreement that you signed and entered into, you agreed to repay the full outstanding balance and that where necessary the creditor could recover the debt by outsourcing the debt to a third party, which included by way of doorstep collection. We are entitled by law and under contract to recover monies outstanding and we are allowed to take reasonable steps in accordance with regulatory guidance to recover such monies. The OFT’s Guidance on Debt Collection reference to making an appointment on field visits relates to, where say, the Agent has called round and advised by the customer that it was not a convenient time, then he should make another appointment. An appointment is not necessary for the initial visit. If however, the customer is not there at the agreed time, then the Agent can call again at an unscheduled time. The stage in which we issue a Debt Investigation Officer forms part of our automated collections process. This is pre-determined by our client. A visit from a Debt Investigations Officer is only proposed when every other available means of contacting you has been exhausted and an amicable resolution in this matter remains absent. We have attempted to contact you on a number of occasions prior to our letter in which we advise of our intent to arrange a personal visit from a Debt Investigations Officer. We are therefore satisfied that we have afforded sufficient opportunity for you to contact us to discuss this account. I have enclosed herewith a copy of our internal complaints procedure. Should you remain dissatisfied with this response, you have 6 months from the date of this letter in which to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service to facilitate resolution. Details on how your complaint will be handled by the Financial Ombudsman Service can be found by following this link: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/consumer-leaflet.htm Please do not hesitate to contact us on 0845 111 0411 should you require any further assistance. You can also e-mail on [email protected] Yours sincerely, Miss Ashley Douglas Quality Assurance Administrator BCW Group

Very disturbing http://www.credittoday.co.uk/article/14557/online-news/one-in-five-will-seek-payday-loan

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9666748/Occupy-Wall-Street-campaigners-buy-up-debt-to-abolish-it.html

Hi Guys, A few months ago I had an issue with a bailiff who clamped my car for an outstanding fine of £550. She explained to me it was a TV license fine and that because I did not attend a court hearing, I was issued the fine. I explained I never had a TV License inspector visit (i previously rented the property) and never got a letter from the court but she insisted. I ended up paying £300 that day and was advised on this forum to submit a statutory declaration as I wasn't aware of the letters. I submitted a Stat Dec and the fine was put on hold. Last week I received a Notice of fine and collection order from the courts of £275. The letter did not explain why I was fined but just said it was regarding the TV license. The letter also said I had till the 29th of October to pay up or contact them. So today at about 7am, I received loud banging on my door followed by the Bailiff clamping my car. I showed her the letter and she is insisting its not the same case, when it clearly is. So my question is, is it a mix up by the courts or have I be fined seperately by the courts? and if I was fined by the courts, Why? Please will appreciate a reply, Thanks.

David Fuher has resurfaced with Carrington Carr GRoup in Derby despite going into administration in March 2012 Anyone need to get in touch

I received a letter from Advantis Group saying that they are acting for Lowell Group for an outstanding debt. They have said in the letter that if their client decides to take legal action and a CCJ is granted and I do not repay what I owe, they may then apply for an enforcement order, asking the Court to: 1. order my employer to deduct the value of the debt from my wages. 2.appoint a bailiff to visit my home to reover goods to the value of the debt. 3.place a Charging Order on my home or other property. I am really worried about this as I have two young children. They are saying that one of their agents will be in touch to arrange a convenient time to come to my address. I am worried sick can they do this. Can you please help?

As my earlier thread mentioned, I have been moved from the Support Group to the WRAG without any change in my circumstances and without notifying of any change. It appears to be just an arbitrary decision and there is no information recorded on the DWP computer system other than to say I have been transferred. I am now constructing an appeal and have come across the following... "If you are in the support group it lasts for as long as your condition continues to make you eligible. In other words, if your condition doesn't improve and your difficulties remain the same you should remain in the support group indefinitely." I have been unable to find this phrase in a DWP document and I wonder if anyone has seen anything similar to this and can point me in the right direction.

Hi, in 2004 i took out a loan with a loan company and then had a bad health turn and had to leave my job and unable to make payments (last one made by me in 12/2005! The loan company never chased me for the payments so i left it be, then two weeks ago a letter came from county court asking for my defence. I informed the court that the loan was statute barred and waited for the judgement. today i received a letter from the debt collection people stating i made payments in 2008 which they sent me a statement for and the payments have been made by "Lewis Group" to the tune of £2500. What do i do? I never made these payments and never agreed for debt mangement company to manage my debt? can this be right? and is the debt statute barred? can anyone inform me? Thank you

On Friday I received an email from the Lewis Group, claiming to be acting on behalf of Ebay and demanding outstanding fees of £72 . I do owe ebay money, which I am now in a position to pay, but it is nowhere near that amount. I replied, asking how they had arrived at that figure and, as yet, have received no response. However, I contacted ebay and they told me that it is probably a phishing email and to ignore it. They also quoted me the true amount that I owe, considerably lower than the amount the Lewis Group told me. What bothers me is that the email from the Lewis Group appears to be genuine, the link in there to go to the payment screen appears to be the same as the one on their website and they give their office address, also the same as the one on the genuine website. It just bugs me that debt collectors can send emails to people claiming that they owe random amounts of money and I wondered if there was anyone I can report them to.

Hi all again Have a debt that has been passed to lewis group, so far they have been fine with not contacting me by phone e.t.c I replied to there original letter stating i was only able to pay a £1 per month until further notice due to redundancy. I received the following reply today.

I am appealing Ill Health Retirement at the moment with the help of my union rep:| At a recent meeting with my rep and manager I was promised a home medical from occy health (Atos) as I am too ill to attend an Atos centre 25 miles from my home. I have now been contacted to say that my employers cannot afford the 'bespoke' service as this costs £800 and I have been advised to have the telephone consultation or they can provide a taxi to the Atos centre. Without going into too finer point I also suffer from IBS along with many major chronic conditions which is why I am unable to use the taxi service to the Atos centre or drive there myself for fear of repercusions:oops: To be blunt I feel I have been pushed by management and union into accepting the telephone assesment. Does anyone know how much the Atos 'bespoke' service is? Surely it can't cost that much for an Atos doctor to travel 50 mile round trip for at the most a one hour consultation. Many thanks for any replies