Nearly 100,000 cars have been clamped or towed away by the DVLA following the removal of paper tax discs last October, with some drivers facing fines of more than £800. In July, 10,554 vehicles were clamped, up by 87% compared with the same month in 2014. Release fees start at £100, but double within 24 hours, and errant motorists may also have to pay storage fees running into hundreds of pounds. Drivers must also pay a £160 surety, which is returned once they have correctly taxed their vehicle. What is catching out many motorists is that vehicle excise duty is automatically cancelled if a car changes ownership. http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/nov/20/car-clamping-paper-tax-disc-dvla

A surge in the number of people representing themselves in court has prompted legal organisations to draft guidelines for lawyers who come up against people who find themselves in court without legal representation. The guidelines have been developed by the Bar Council, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) and the Law Society in response to the rising numbers of people representing themselves in court without a lawyer as a result of cuts to legal aid, the increase in the small-claims limit and the introduction of employment tribunal fees. The practical guidelines are relevant to the civil and family courts and tribunals where there has been an influx of people who cannot afford to instruct a lawyer, have not been able to obtain free legal advice and often have no alternative other than to embark on 'do it yourself' justice. The guidelines discuss how far lawyers can help unrepresented people without this conflicting with their duties to their own clients. Lawyers are advised to communicate clearly and avoid technical language or legal jargon, or to explain jargon to the unrepresented party where it cannot be avoided. The guidelines are available to download below. Litigants in person: guidelines for lawyers (PDF 387kb) Litigants in person – guidelines for lawyers: Notes for litigants in person (PDF 116 kb) Litigants in person – guidelines for lawyers: Notes for clients (PDF 117 kb) A selection of relevant cases: June 2015 (PDF 109kb)

Help! I've been scammed! I saw this products online. It was advertised as the secret fat burners and muscle builders used by Hollywood A-listers like Gerard Butler and co. It promised a free trial, and all I had to pay was just £2.99 for each of the above, for postage. I duly punched my credit card details in, requesting the so called free sample. Lo! and behold! Credit card statement came in after a few weeks, and these guys had charged me £79.97 and £94.97 in addition to the £5.98 earlier charged for postage, totalling £180.92. Though I've instructed Barclaycard not to honour any more attempts to charge me, I would really want a refund as I've not opened the "so called" free trial sent to me. I called the company responsible, and spoke to someone called "Rick" with an Indian accent. As soon as I requested a refund, he said their system was having a problem, and that he would call me back. I have not heard from him for two days now, and I can't get them on phone.

Biggest banks receive thousands of calls and emails a day from disgruntled consumers Customers made 2.5 million complaints against financial companies in the second half of 2013, with the biggest banks receiving thousands of calls and emails a day from disgruntled consumers. Barclays topped the list, racking up 309,494 new complaints over the six-month period, which equates to 1,695 a day. Lloyds Bank came second, receiving 256,656 complaints, while Bank of Scotland and National Westminster also feature in the top five complained-about firms. But complaints about financial firms on the whole have fallen by 15pc, figures from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) show. In the first half of 2012 a total of 2.9 million complaints were made. Complaints about Barclays fell by 17pc, Lloyds Bank posted a small 1pc increase, while Bank of Scotland and NatWest both reported decreases, of 18pc and 5pc respectively. The reason for the fall is a heavy decline in the number of complaints about the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI). A total of 1.4 million PPI complaints were made, a fall of 22pc on the previous six months. But PPI still accounted for 56pc of all complaints. More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/10754355/Banks-top-complaints-league-table-but-Hargreaves-Lansdown-sees-surge.html