Companies Charging to Reclaim your Money

[Tezcatlipoca]

It would appear there is quite the proliferation of companies and individuals now willing to fight on your behalf for a slice of the pie, as this website [link removed by CagBot] which I discovered recently shows.

 

Interestingly, their 'Testimonals' page includes two lines where they've managed to save a 'Mr Taylor of Stockport' a whopping £14,500 over two accounts. Of course, a simple check of to whom this domain is registered reveals it to be..er..a Mr Taylor of Stockport.

 

The purpose of this thread, however, is really to get people's opinions on a company (or individual, for that matter) charging for something which is essentially free for all.

Edited May 8, 2008 by Tezcatlipoca
Link removed

[sharkie]

I get bombarded at work by UPI Ltd http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general/135677-who-upi-ltd.html

 

they charge you for a pack.

[Spiceskull]

There is no good or bad in this - if people wish to pay someone else for this service that that is their prerogative. However, the purpose of CAG is to educate people, and to empower them to manage the claim themselves.

 

I am sure that if I put my mind to it, I could change some tiles on the roof, but I would prefer to pay someone else to do it for me. If I were to make another claim against the bank (not likely) then I would rather do it myself, and not pay someone else...

 

It is about choice and ability - these people are not ****, they are just opportunists...

[Tezcatlipoca]

these people are not ****,

 

Indeed, which is why I have at no time intimated as such; I personally feel they offer a potential service for those who feel - whether rightly or wrongly - that doing it themselves will be too lengthy and/or complex.

 

I'm just curious as people's opinions on what looks to be a rapidly expanding industry, and, moreover on which - if any - trading laws would cover a business that charges for information in the public domain.

[ncf355]

Fair comments SS and T

 

I think there will always be people too intimidated (despite our best efforts) to take it all on themselves and I'd far rather see them get their money back minus a bit of cash for a service than the bank get to keep it all

 

I just think that if a company is that convinced they know how to get the cash back, they ought to charge a % of anything they reclaim rather than charging upfront

 

(also, some of their fees seem very low - £250 up front to take on a whole case works out as not a lot for what could be a lot of effort)

[Castlebest]

It is about choice and ability - these people are not ****, they are just opportunists...

 

I'm just curious as people's opinions on what looks to be a rapidly expanding industry

 

I think the marketing of these services is becoming more aggressive rather than the industry expanding.

 

A lot of these companies were set up on the back of the publicity of late 2006 early 2007 and now, because of the stay situation are very short of cash. This also explains why they all now require an up front payment rather than a percentage of the returned charges.

 

I think anyone who is going to use one of these companies needs to be very careful and make sure they know exactly what they are paying for, and indeed if the company will still be in existence when the test case has reached a stage to allow the courts to lift the stays.

[Thailand]

I almost became one of these 'ambulance chasers', the minute I heard about all this business. I registered 5 domains, as some know. I found CAG the same week, and decided against it (I'm not that smart anyway!)

 

Champerty was a factor then, too.. what happened to all that? hasn't stopped anyone - right or wrong.

 

I get automated calls all the time, Bloomin' Virgin selling my details to all and sundry.

 

I did think about making money out of it, but soon thought differently (and I think us caggers know more about what's going on than these companies do), but as Spice says, it's an individuals choice.