First step Finance - **BANNED DIRECTORS STOLE +£6M**

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi MK44, and welcome to CAG.

 

Thank you for sharing that good news with us!

[sequenci]

Hi MK44, and welcome to CAG.

 

Thank you for sharing that good news with us!

 

Indeed great news!

[lord_tiger_putin]

First Step Finance Ltd a Debt Resolution Forum member based in Stockport is under threat of losing their CCL registration as having been issued with a ‘Minded to Revoke’ statement by the OFT.

 

Can you post a link to it?

[sequenci]

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/consumer-credit/enforcement-activity/CEA-MTR.pdf

[lord_tiger_putin]

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/consumer-credit/enforcement-activity/CEA-MTR.pdf

 

Thanks for that, I have to submit more infor to the FOS regarding this circus but I probable will have to ask them to hurry up so that I can get my money back from these clowns!!!

[diamondgirl]

My friends who are with them say its actually a credit licence they have that is mind to revoke and as they do not loan money they actually dont need that licence the one they need is the ministry of justice one. Dont know how right that is tho but Im sure that Lord_Tiger will know if thats right or not.

DG

[sequenci]

My friends who are with them say its actually a credit licence they have that is mind to revoke and as they do not loan money they actually dont need that licence the one they need is the ministry of justice one. Dont know how right that is tho but Im sure that Lord_Tiger will know if thats right or not.

DG

 

I'm pretty sure they'll need a consumer credit license from the OFT (which isn't just for those that lend btw).

[lord_tiger_putin]

My friends who are with them say its actually a credit licence they have that is mind to revoke and as they do not loan money they actually dont need that licence the one they need is the ministry of justice one. Dont know how right that is tho but Im sure that Lord_Tiger will know if thats right or not.

DG

 

They need both licenses.

 

For their "Debt Management" part, arranging payments plans, making payments (including token payments), etc., they need this Credit License.

 

For the challenging of the Credit Agreements they need the license from the Ministry of Justice.

 

Getting this license revoked will probable not completely prevent them from trading but it will severely hampering them from doing what they are trying (trying is the word) to do. This will also make it very hard for organisations like the FOS to find any complaints in their favour. The MoJ will probable also frown on this and hopefully (!!) will look into their license with them as well.

Edited March 23, 2011 by lord_tiger_putin

[42man]

Application / Licence Details

 

 

 

Licence Number:0610509

Licence Status:Current

 

Current Applicant / Licensee:

 

Business NameCompany Registration NumberFirst Step Finance Limited06384834

 

Licence Notes:

 

EvtStageOpen DateNotes4Minded To Revoke06/12/2010

 

Categories:

 

Debt adjusting/counselling

 

Right To Canvass Off Trade Premises:No

 

 

Issued Date: 26-Nov-2007

Expiry Date: 26-Nov-2012

 

 

Legal Formation:

 

Body Corporate (incorporated inside UK)

 

Current Individuals that run the organisation:

 

NamePositionChristine Whitehurst

 

Historic Individuals that run the organisation:

 

NamePositionAdrian Lee Whitehurst Margaret Whitehurst

 

Nature of Business:

 

Debt Collection

 

Current Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressRegistered Office1-3, Churchyardside, NANTWICH, Cheshire, CW5 5DE, United Kingdom

 

Historic Address(es):

 

Address TypeAddressPrincipal Place Of BusinessDiscovery Park, Suite 1, Crossley Road, Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 5BNRegistered Office93, Wellington Road North, STOCKPORT, Cheshire, SK4 2LR, United Kingdom

[noragchick]

either you STUSCFC or your relative totally mis understood what this company can do.

 

A full financial reclaim service for its clients, if the criteria is met and you want to get out of debt in the shortest time they can deliver.

 

Yes they charge a fee, (not upfront) yes it can take time,(shorter than a DM plan or IVA) can you do it your self for less cost dont think so!

 

 

prima

 

Prima, coud you tell us what this company is doing on the Ministry Of Justice "Minded to Revoke List" if, as you say "they can deliver". They deliver heartache and not an awful lot else. They're about to have their license yanked as a result. Check this folks, if you like. It is FACT.

 

It is a disgrace that you have posted this. Oh and BTW, I am a debt adviser in the NFP sector and I get more debts written off in a week than this company gets in ten years. We don't charge for this.

 

Please ignore Prima's post

[noragchick]

BTW, if anyone has been unlucky enough to fall foul of these people, demand your money back. And if they cold called you, report them to the OFT. I literally have a load of clients who went with them and entrusted often vastt sums of money to them, only to discover much later that they haven't paid a bean. Quite a few people I've helped with this end up finding out that the county court judgements have been racking up without their knowledge because First Steps sit on all correspondnce and pretend everything is in dispute.

Edited March 24, 2011 by 42man

[lord_tiger_putin]

Prima, coud you tell us what this company is doing on the Ministry Of Justice "Minded to Revoke List" if, as you say "they can deliver". They deliver heartache and not an awful lot else. They're about to have their license yanked as a result. Check this folks, if you like. It is FACT.

 

It is a disgrace that you have posted this. Oh and BTW, I am a debt adviser in the NFP sector and I get more debts written off in a week than this company gets in ten years. We don't charge for this.

 

Please ignore Prima's post

 

The Stockport Circus, aka First Crap Finance, did try to influence people by posting here themselves pretending to be someone who has "friend" with these idiots are are very happy with these loosers, prima was one "name" they used. It stand out very clearly and they didn't made any head way. This "Prima" was kicked off anyway.

[Desperate Daniella]

What would have been laughable about Prima's post (if the whole situation with FSF wasn't so appalling) was her statement that people couldn't handle their own debt management issues without help from people like FSF! There are thousands of people on this forum who are doing just that.

 

I'm not with FSF, thank God, but a question has occurred to me which other posters might be concerned about, and I'm sure someone will advise:

 

If their licence is revoked, what happens to the money they have in the pot from all their clients?

 

And, as it seems likely that the licence will be revoked, surely everyone should stop paying them immediately.

[lord_tiger_putin]

What would have been laughable about Prima's post (if the whole situation with FSF wasn't so appalling) was her statement that people couldn't handle their own debt management issues without help from people like FSF! There are thousands of people on this forum who are doing just that.

 

I'm not with FSF, thank God, but a question has occurred to me which other posters might be concerned about, and I'm sure someone will advise:

 

If their licence is revoked, what happens to the money they have in the pot from all their clients?

 

And, as it seems likely that the licence will be revoked, surely everyone should stop paying them immediately.

 

 

They will probable do what they do when you cancel. Here is just some points I have learned while dealing with these clowns and I hope it can be of some use to someone who want to cancel their agreement with them.

 

Upon cancelling they make hastily arrangements with the creditors for F&F settlements so that they can pocket 25% of the money “saved” by such arrangements. Therefore one should slam them with a section 10 notice of the DPA 1998 when you cancel so that they will have to supply good reason while they are still discussion your personal affairs with the creditors after you have informed them to cancel that. Unless they can provide a good enough reason why they should continue discussion your affairs with the creditors, they are not allowed under the DPA 1998 to do that. Them trying to make money out of the fact that you cancel, is certainly not a good enough reason. In the cancellation letter one must make it very clear to them that you cancel your arrangements with them and that it is with immediate effect and that all monies in their possession must be returned to you. Stating the fact that you cancel is very important, they try to play games by treating it as a complaint and therefore allowing them to continue to represent you and to make these unlawful F$F settlements while “investigating” your complaint.

 

I believe you should also require them to refund the interest they drew on this money.

 

When you give an organisation a section 10 notice you have to allow them sufficient time to adhere to it. It is understandable that organisations cannot immediately comply in certain situations. When you cancel with FCF then you will have to allow them enough time to “wind down” their involvement in representing you and finalise discussions and arrangements with your creditors. Therefore you will have to make it very clear that they have no permission to start new arrangements, them making F$F settlements arrangements after been served with such a notice, would be a breach of the DPA (that is my take on it and please provide a different argument and the reasoning behind it if you believe I am wrong).

 

The fact that they keep the money in the “pot” and not paying the creditors seems to be something that is frowned upon. The FOS asked me for information to show that they have done that and it seems that the FOS is not too happy about it.

 

The fact that they made F$F settlement deals after I informed them that they no longer represent me with immediate effect is one of their breaches of the DPA in my case, there are many more. The ICO have a huge backlog but I did receive a letter yesterday that they will look at setting up mediation and I will have them answering this very question and I will ask for compensation.

 

I modified this from another thread:

 

 

Statutory Notice pursuant to Sections 10 of The Data Protection Act 1998.

 

 

 

Data Subject Notice

 

 

To: Head of Compliance

 

 

First Step Finance

 

 

Your Address

 

Dear [Name removed]

 

Take notice that I require that First Step Finance cease from processing my personal data with immediately effect of the receipt by you of this Notice, especially that you do not begin to process any personal data of which I am the subject insofar as that processing involves the communication or passing of personal data of which I am the subject to any third party and insofar as the said data relates wholly or in part to the implementation by you of alleged defaults or contractual breaches or breaches contrary to The Common Law.

 

Should you feel that there is a need for the communication or passing of my personal data to a third party after the receipt by you of this Notice, I require, as specified in The Data Protection Act 1998, your reasons for doing so and you must supply me with such reasons in writing not later than 10 days after the receipt by you of this Notice. Please note that this is especially true for new negotiations (started after the receipt by you of this Notice) with third parties and I believe there is no valid reason for you doing just that.

 

This Notice is given on the grounds that the processing or continued processing by you of the said data will be likely to cause substantial damage and/or substantial distress to me and my family members in addition to that which has been caused to date. And that as the processing of the said data in the way referred to in this Notice would violate both the Principles and Data Subject’s rights of The Data Protection Act 1998, to do so would be both unwarranted and unlawful.

 

Yours sincerely

Edited August 6, 2011 by alanfromderby

[Desperate Daniella]

I'm sure that will be very helpful to a lot of people following this thread, l_t_p.

 

By the way, I just love the quotes at the bottom of your posts. They are absolute classics.

[beeper5]

Hello Everyone, Sorry for the brief earlier post but this Company makes my blood boil, they robbed me of a large sum of money and practically laughed at me when i requested my account be closed in writing and over the phone i thought that would of been it. But NO this firm continued bleeding the pot dry for almost twelve months and the only way this was discovered was when i got the financial Ombudsman involved and asked for a breakdown of costs. I can only describe the breakdown as inadequate and full of made up charges which unlike in earlier posts here they where detailed mine is not just monthly totals. Like an earlier poster said he started to receive calls and text messages so did i the day the breakdown of costs arrived forcing me to change my number. I don't know how this company even managed to register with the MOJ or any other government associated body as this has been going on for years. This is my own personal opinion but i think anyone will get any money back from this firm. I also believe it is unfair that these people even if they are blacklisted will continue in other companies or under a different name- to destroy peoples lives who are in the worst possible position in life. I now intend to send all my paerwork back to the FOS as it is clear i have suffered financial loss and they have also not honored their part of the contract in any shape or form and just hope this does not happen to someone else.

[42man]

Oooh this is VERY interesting - http://www.bournesdebtsolutions.com/blog/?p=12

 

First Step Legal also runs under the name of Licit Legal Limited and Swift Sure. Licit Legal Limited has recently gone into liquidation after complaints had been issued to the Ministry of Justice and other regulatory bodies for fraud. Anyone who is owed money by this company can contact the MD, Adrian Whitehurst on 07790 906783 or 0161 443 0290. Alternatively, you can email Adrian at: [email protected]

[42man]

1st Debt SolutionsPending1st StepPending1st Step AdvicePending1st Step DebtPending1st Step Debt AdvicePending1st Step Debt ManagementPending1st Step FinancePending1st Step Solution ServicePending1st Step SolutionsPendingFirst Debt SolutionsPendingFirst StepPendingFirst Step AdvicePendingFirst Step DebtPendingFirst Step Debt AdvicePendingFirst Step Debt ManagementPendingFirst Step FinancePendingFirst Step Solution ServicePendingFirst Step SolutionsPending

 

Minded To Refuse/Revoke Notice:

 

Date of MTR: 06-Dec-2010

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Just a quick post in reply to recent previous ones. I'm a current client of First Step Finance and have unsecured debts registered with them, and the lady I have recently spoken to in Client Support has said that they *are* still regulated by the Ministry of Justice, but that they have been "minded to revoke" by the OFT. But this is because, the lady has said to me, the OFT don't "understand" what the company primarily do on behalf of consumers. They are not pigeon-holed to be either a debt management co, of which a certain % of paid debt is kept by the co, nor are they an IVA provider, but they help in challenging/redusing the debt.

 

From a telephone call to the MOJ, they say that FSF are at present still regulated by them.

 

It is true that First Step Legal/Licit Legal went into liquidation in April 2009. I don't know what connection, if any, they have with FSF.

[sequenci]

the OFT don't "understand" what the company primarily do on behalf of consumers. They are not pigeon-holed to be either a debt management co, of which a certain % of paid debt is kept by the co, nor are they an IVA provider, but they help in challenging/redusing the debt.

 

I'm pretty certain the OFT know precisely what FSF do.

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

I'll reply to you tomorrow, lord_tiger_putin, as have no time now. By the way, desperate daniella, sorry that my couple of private messages have taken you over your message quota limit! I had to delete quite a few of my own recently.

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Don't quite understand this: I got an email notification that Stressed64 had posted a few days ago, with a criticism about First Step Finance, but it does not appear here when I clicked the link.

 

PCB

[Stressed64]

Don't quite understand this: I got an email notification that Stressed64 had posted a few days ago, with a criticism about First Step Finance, but it does not appear here when I clicked the link.

 

PCB

Hi P-CB, I did post on here with my unfortunate dealings with FSF but the post along with a reply from Desperate Daniella and my subsequent answer seem to have disappeared, not sure if I may have breached a site rule or something but I have had no notification if that is the case. If you would like to know anything please let me know.

[sequenci]

Was this your post?

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?302954-stressed64-goes-to-First-plus-finance-what-a-mistake!&p=3381170&highlight=#post3381170

[Poor-Credit Borrower]

Sequenci, I should imagine it would have been the sequence of posts from Stressed64 and Desperate Daniella's reply in between. I have read the link now.