Jump to content


  • Tweets

  • Posts

    • Makers of insect-based animal feed hope to be able to compete with soybeans on price.View the full article
    • Thank you for posting up the results from the sar. The PCN is not compliant with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Schedule 4. Under Section 9 [2][a] they are supposed to specify the parking time. the photographs show your car in motion both entering and leaving the car park thus not parking. If you have to do a Witness Statement later should they finally take you to Court you will have to continue to state that even though you stayed there for several hours in a small car park and the difference between the ANPR times and the actual parking period may only be a matter of a few minutes  nevertheless the CEL have failed to comply with the Act by failing to specify the parking period. However it looks as if your appeal revealed you were the driver the deficient PCN will not help you as the driver. I suspect that it may have been an appeal from the pub that meant that CEL offered you partly a way out  by allowing you to claim you had made an error in registering your vehicle reg. number . This enabled them to reduce the charge to £20 despite them acknowledging that you hadn't registered at all. We have not seen the signs in the car park yet so we do not what is said on them and all the signs say the same thing. It would be unusual for a pub to have  a Permit Holders Only sign which may discourage casual motorists from stopping there. But if that is the sign then as it prohibits any one who doesn't have a permit, then it cannot form a contract with motorists though it may depend on how the signs are worded.
    • Defence and Counterclaim Claim number XXX Claimant Civil Enforcement Limited Defendant XXXXXXXXXXXXX   How much of the claim do you dispute? I dispute the full amount claimed as shown on the claim form.   Do you dispute this claim because you have already paid it? No, for other reasons.   Defence 1. The Defendant is the recorded keeper of XXXXXXX  2. It is denied that the Defendant entered into a contract with the Claimant. 3. As held by the Upper Tax Tribunal in Vehicle Control Services Limited v HMRC [2012] UKUT 129 (TCC), any contract requires offer and acceptance. The Claimant was simply contracted by the landowner to provide car-park management services and is not capable of entering into a contract with the Defendant on its own account, as the car park is owned by and the terms of entry set by the landowner. Accordingly, it is denied that the Claimant has authority to bring this claim. 4. In any case it is denied that the Defendant broke the terms of a contract with the Claimant. 5. The Claimant is attempting double recovery by adding an additional sum not included in the original offer. 6. In a further abuse of the legal process the Claimant is claiming £50 legal representative's costs, even though they have no legal representative. 7. The Particulars of Claim is denied in its entirety. It is denied that the Claimant is entitled to the relief claimed or any relief at all. Signed I am the Defendant - I believe that the facts stated in this form are true XXXXXXXXXXX 01/05/2024   Defendant's date of birth XXXXXXXXXX   Address to which notices about this claim can be sent to you  
    • pop up on the bulk court website detailed on the claimform. [if it is not working return after the w/end or the next day if week time] . When you select ‘Register’, you will be taken to a screen titled ‘Sign in using Government Gateway’.  Choose ‘Create sign in details’ to register for the first time.  You will be asked to provide your name, email address, set a password and a memorable recovery word. You will be emailed your Government Gateway 12-digit User ID.  You should make a note of your memorable word, or password as these are not included in the email.<<**IMPORTANT**  then log in to the bulk court Website .  select respond to a claim and select the start AOS box. .  then using the details required from the claimform . defend all leave jurisdiction unticked  you DO NOT file a defence at this time [BUT you MUST file a defence regardless by day 33 ] click thru to the end confirm and exit the website .get a CPR 31:14 request running to the solicitors https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?486334-CPR-31.14-Request-to-use-on-receipt-of-a-PPC-(-Private-Land-Parking-Court-Claim type your name ONLY no need to sign anything .you DO NOT await the return of paperwork. you MUST file a defence regardless by day 33 from the date on the claimform.
    • well post it here as a text in a the msg reply half of it is blanked out. dx  
  • Our picks

    • If you are buying a used car – you need to read this survival guide.
      • 1 reply
    • Hello,

      On 15/1/24 booked appointment with Big Motoring World (BMW) to view a mini on 17/1/24 at 8pm at their Enfield dealership.  

      Car was dirty and test drive was two circuits of roundabout on entry to the showroom.  Was p/x my car and rushed by sales exec and a manager into buying the mini and a 3yr warranty that night, sale all wrapped up by 10pm.  They strongly advised me taking warranty out on car that age (2017) and confirmed it was honoured at over 500 UK registered garages.

      The next day, 18/1/24 noticed amber engine warning light on dashboard , immediately phoned BMW aftercare team to ask for it to be investigated asap at nearest garage to me. After 15 mins on hold was told only their 5 service centres across the UK can deal with car issues with earliest date for inspection in March ! Said I’m not happy with that given what sales team advised or driving car. Told an amber warning light only advisory so to drive with caution and call back when light goes red.

      I’m not happy to do this, drive the car or with the after care experience (a sign of further stresses to come) so want a refund and to return the car asap.

      Please can you advise what I need to do today to get this done. 
       

      Many thanks 
      • 81 replies
    • Housing Association property flooding. https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/438641-housing-association-property-flooding/&do=findComment&comment=5124299
      • 161 replies
    • We have finally managed to obtain the transcript of this case.

      The judge's reasoning is very useful and will certainly be helpful in any other cases relating to third-party rights where the customer has contracted with the courier company by using a broker.
      This is generally speaking the problem with using PackLink who are domiciled in Spain and very conveniently out of reach of the British justice system.

      Frankly I don't think that is any accident.

      One of the points that the judge made was that the customers contract with the broker specifically refers to the courier – and it is clear that the courier knows that they are acting for a third party. There is no need to name the third party. They just have to be recognisably part of a class of person – such as a sender or a recipient of the parcel.

      Please note that a recent case against UPS failed on exactly the same issue with the judge held that the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 did not apply.

      We will be getting that transcript very soon. We will look at it and we will understand how the judge made such catastrophic mistakes. It was a very poor judgement.
      We will be recommending that people do include this adverse judgement in their bundle so that when they go to county court the judge will see both sides and see the arguments against this adverse judgement.
      Also, we will be to demonstrate to the judge that we are fair-minded and that we don't mind bringing everything to the attention of the judge even if it is against our own interests.
      This is good ethical practice.

      It would be very nice if the parcel delivery companies – including EVRi – practised this kind of thing as well.

       

      OT APPROVED, 365MC637, FAROOQ, EVRi, 12.07.23 (BRENT) - J v4.pdf
        • Like

Channel 4 tonight - Dispatches


style="text-align: center;">  

Thread Locked

because no one has posted on it for the last 5254 days.

If you need to add something to this thread then

 

Please click the "Report " link

 

at the bottom of one of the posts.

 

If you want to post a new story then

Please

Start your own new thread

That way you will attract more attention to your story and get more visitors and more help 

 

Thanks

Recommended Posts

Yes,

There are a few of us at CAG who have assisted with this programme - myself included. I just hope it goes a little further than some "others" have done, and finally puts a few chinks in BrightHouse's armour! (Although this film doesn't just single out BrightHouse, it takes a good old swipe at the entire sub-prime lending business.)

It's been hard keeping quiet about it, but seeing as the "embargo" has now been lifted (and the program is being aired tonight - and mentioned in today's the Sun) let the debate begin...

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Replies 64
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

You can see the Sun article Blondmusic refers to here:

£100 loan has cost me £2,400

(I just love the ads at the bottom of the page... oh the irony...) :roll:

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

First impressions...

 

Nikki - you were brilliant! You came across as intelligent, genuine and very dignified. You should be very proud of yourself. Well done!

 

The fact that BrightHouse refused to participate (other than a few "standard" PR blurbs) means we caught them well and truly with their pants down! I would just LUUUUVE to be a fly on the wall at the director's meeting tomorrow morning!

 

It's a shame their debt collection "methods" weren't highlighted - but I can understand the reason for this. The piece focused on the high price of credit to the sub-prime, and its inclusion could have confused the intended message.

 

The producer, Steve Walsh, did a very good job of condensing a LOT of information into a 20 minute segment - and kept true to his word. So many thanks to him.

 

Thanks to all CAG members who may have helped with this film.

 

I am now off to buy a washing machine from Harrods. I understand they're quite a bit cheaper than buying one from BrightHouse.

 

 

Cheers

Lefty

  • Haha 1

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Bah I don't get ads on my computer, (Apart from the CAG ones but tbh I don't mind those :)) Any hints on what the ads are. Just about to watch it on 4oD now but well done none the less!

 

These are the ads that appear at the bottom of the Sun item...

Don't Pay Your Loan

Could Your Loan Be Written Off? Try Our 60 Second Debt Test & Find Out!

www.clearing-debt.co.uk/loan

Fast Payday Loan Online

Loan Up To £100K Till Your Next- Pay Day! Cash Within 24 Hrs Of App.

PayDayLoans.Bookmark.Ex****e.co.uk

As I said... Oh, the irony.... :rolleyes:

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well LEFTY the debate hasn't marerialized, which again hasn't surprised me This was a damp squib. Our customer base don'y on the whole watch c4 not when Corrie/Eastender/Corrie is on.WHICH BY THE WAY IS A GOOD JOB BECAUSE I JUST WATCHED A 20/30 SEGMENTOF FILM THAT WAS ADVERTISING PURE GOLD. I am talking about when NIKKI started telling everyone what she got out of BH. starting with her washing machine then onto her tumble dryer then moving on to her monitor and finally sitting on her suite telling everyone she got this for £5.00pm inc. osc/dlc. This was a better advert than the current one still running and costing many many thousands of pounds. All this with a big smile on her face 'as i said pure gold. NIKKI could have a new career in front of her she could become the SUSAN BOYLE of ADVERTISING.as for being a fly on the wall i am sure LEO MCKEE would be telling someone to phone the shop and cancel out NIKKI'S DEBT. padre.

 

Advertising gold for Harrods as well I reckon... :grin:

Look, Padre, Everyone here knows you work for BrightHouse - and, as usual, you're jumping in and stomping over thousands of pounds worth of PR BrightHouse put out every year.

"..Our customer base don't on the whole watch c4 not when Corrie/Eastender/Corrie is on.."

Yep - BrightHouse REALLY like to dumb down their customers don't they? - well, actually they don't in public, but YOU do!!!

I think, although falling some way short, the piece did a good job of exposing some of the underhand tactics BrightHouse employ... Whizzing through contracts... admitting to loading OSC and DLC automatically... admitting OSC is where they make their money... not caring a kipper about the financial welfare of their customers (I don't CARE if she's skint)... and so on.

It was a piece designed to highlight the unfair playing field that exists for people unable to obtain mainstream credit, and on that count the film succeeded.

You should really take a leaf out of Buy As You View's book. They get many, many complaints on here (just like BrightHouse), but they do not encourage over-zealous employees to jump in and comment. No. The company has registered as a member here, and simply replies to each complaint with an aplogy and a link to their customer care line.

Although I am not in any way in support of BAYV, I really do think this approach is far more professional.

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Lefty, You asked for the debate i was only trying to open one up as no one else was. Of course they would manipulate you NIKKI , that's what they do never the less i agree with Lefty that you were very good it's just that one could look at that 20/30 second segment of film and could take a different view of it.Again of course the Co didnt come out of it very well but as i knew that this was on going thanks to plumberjon and clemma's boob i thought their would be something more substantial on it Even after going undercover .Mind you although criticised the saled assistant did get over the fact that you could cancel osc at any time. LEFTY you dissapoint me ,if you look back at my previous post you will see i have givn good sound advice alway to the customers advantage . I have the deepest respect for our cust and have known their problems myself .that was one of the reason i decided to come on to this forum .PADRE

 

Yes, and I have said in the past that I genuinely believe you Do care... a little.. :)

BUT...

You can guarantee that BrightHouse HQ (who DO regularly monitor this forum) would CERTAINLY not approve of having their corner fought by an "unknown" employee... It's SO EASY to put your foot in it, and come out and say something damaging (my quote above for instance regarding your customer base not watching Channel 4 when Corrie is on.)

BrightHouse spend thousands anually on PR... They won't appreciate you, mate. Trust me.

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

LEFTY , DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME im sure you don't I AM CERTAINLY NOT WORRIED .I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA THAT I AM STICKING UP FOR BH, JUST BEING OBJECTIVE. YOU MUST REMEMBER WE HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ,YOU WANT TO SEE BH CLOSED DOWN I ONLY WANT TO SEE IT CHANGE . REGARDS .PADRE.

 

Nope.

I don't want to see BrightHouse closed down at all. I just want to see a full compliance with consumer law, and a drastic reform of the social fund to stop venture capitalists and private equity firms draining millions anually from the benefit system.

Not much to ask, is it?

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

It would bve quite interesting to know if either the store manager or the dueputy manager of that store have had any comebacks after their performance?

 

Nah - probably just had a memo from HQ telling them to check more thoroughly for hidden cameras when taking on new staff! :D

 

Seriously, though...

 

The thing that strikes me most with the whole thing is how BrightHouse declined any interview, and just provided a couple of "standard" PR blurbs in their defence. As I said earlier, they were well and truly caught with their pants down.

 

When the News of the World and Radio 1 Newsbeat did their items some time ago, BrightHouse knew in advance and on both occasions put their head of PR, Hamish Patel, up for interview.

 

Also (so I am reliably informed) each store received a memo informing staff - pre-empting them to expect questions in store etc...

 

...This then resulted in an absolute WASH of BrightHouse employees flooding both the News of the World and the BBC Newsbeat message boards, singing the praises of BrightHouse, and invoking the "Stupid chavs on benefit, shouldn't be allowed to have 42" TVs anyway" brigade! :rolleyes:

 

Not this time though, eh?

 

And YES - I think now is definitely the time for claiming mis-selling of OSC/DLC.

 

For anyone going down this road, I URGE you to please keep CAG informed.

 

 

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Get a life these people cannot get credit ANYWHERE so have to use BH if it wasnt there they would all have to do it the old fashioned way like SAVE UP ........Nobody is holding a gun to there heads and making them use BH ........As for an undercover sales assistant she has stopped a REAL unemployed person getting the job !!!!!!!!!!! and getting paid

 

Ahh... the "Stupid chavs on benefit, shouldn't be allowed to have 42" TVs anyway" brigade!! Right on cue.. :D

Cheers

Lefty

 

 

 

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

3wks actually she wasne that good her hidden camera wiz on show

 

Yes. She WAS there for three weeks. I'm a little curious how you knew that... :cool:

 

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Yep... I found that, too! ;)

 

I wonder... Hmmmm...

 

"...3wks actually she wasne that good her hidden camera wiz on show..."

 

Is it just me, or does anyone else detect a Scottish accent in there... :cool:

 

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry to disapoint but not Scottish ... Shop talk within ... But I do think that they knew they were being filmed ( I may be the only one that thinks that they knew) And I do agree that the underhand tactics should be highlighted but lets be honest no one makes them go

 

Ahh... I see... Now I understand... The store staff all knew they were being secretly filmed, so they played along to deliberately make BrightHouse look bad... Er... Okay... :confused: As you say, "that's showbiz" :D

 

But, this "they don't have a gun at their heads", and "no one makes them shop there" argument really doesn't work. Every time BrightHouse are "outed" by the media, these comments come in thick and fast - almost like a smoke screen to hide the REAL issues...

 

Speaking from a purely personal point of view, I don't see myself as someone who automatically jumps to the defence of BrightHouse customers - some who, let's be honest, DO bring their problems on themselves. (Plasma TVs, laptops, game consoles, mobile phones etc - not exactly essential items I agree.)

 

But...

 

I DO see myself as someone determined to highlight the injustices and financial discrimination dished out to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society. My BIGGEST concern is the obscene levels of profit made by companies (like BrightHouse) at the direct expense of the UK benefit system... TAXPAYERS money!

Not so OK now, is it?

 

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

What we must all remember is that Channel 4 Dispatches focused on the high(er) cost of borrowing for people who can least afford it. It wasn't just a BrightHouse piece.

 

BrightHouse were featured because the OVERALL cost of buying from them is actually much, much higher that most people (including BrightHouse customers) realise. And, as BrightHouse actively target people on lower incomes (and the credit impaired) it grapically showed just how "the poorer you are, the more you pay."

 

As the program demonstrated, BrightHouse are not the only company in the UK that milk the poor and exploit the desperate... Provident Finacial, Log Book Loans, Cash Converters, Pounds Till Payday... the list goes on.

 

The program really only scratched the surface when it comes to BrightHouse. Although exposing their Optional Service Cover as both extortinate and totally unnecessary, it could have gone much further. Blatent disregard to consumer law perhaps? Denying customers their legal rights? Selling OSC contracts on agreements over 1 year when the product is fully guaranteed anyway? And the same old nugget came out once again... "customers can return their product at any time without finacial penalty"... Customers can do that ANYWAY after having paid 50% of their agreement. So, once again, mis-selling an insurance "product" that's unnecessary and already part of your basic consumer rights!

 

Damage Liabilty Insurance (DLC) was only mentioned very briefly - but there lies another giant can of worms... Dodgy Malta based insurance company mis-selling in the UK? Most BrightHouse customers believe their product to be fully insured against damage, fire and theft. It isn't! DLC policies only insure the customer's liability to make any further payments. In the event of a claim they end up with absolutely nothing!

 

And, worse of all, both of the above "policies" are simply pay-as-you-go weekly services. If you miss a payment (or get into arrears) the services (policies) cease. The customer has NO cover whatsoever. BUT (and here's the bit that I genuinely believe borders on downright illegal) when the customer brings their account back up to date, they have to pay the arrears on the OSC and DLC policies, too! How can that be? How can you pay arrears on an insurance policy that had lapsed?

 

I use this example:

 

If I allowed my car insurance to lapse through non payment, then had an accident or a claim, I would be in big, big trouble. I couldn't go to my insurer, offer to pay back the arrears, then be "magically" re-insured for a period in the past, could I? No. You're either insured, or you're not. And in the case of OSC and DLC policies you are NOT. And by being "forced" to make arrears payments on them does not mean you WERE! It is absolutely ridiculous!

 

And what about BrightHouse and their (almost legendary) approach to debt collection and repossession? Channel 4 could have filled an entire hour of programming on that subject alone. Harrasment, bullying, lying, increasing payments, flouting trespass laws... again, the list goes on...

 

But, on the whole, I think the program was well made and did what it said on the tin. But, if I'm completely honest, I would have to say I was a little disappointed in the way the program made no conclusions or recommendations - particularly with the access they had to ministers and politicians.

 

How about LET'S OVERHAUL THE SOCIAL FUND!!! Let's make sensible and responsible credit available to the 10 million UK families totally dependant on benefit. Not small interest free loans, not hand-outs or grants - but a FAIR and AFFORDABLE form of credit, with baseline interest rates, RESPONSIBLE monitoring, a degree of COMMON SENSE and all deducted directly from benefit payments.

 

Remember, around 70% of BrightHouse customers are totally dependant on benefit. BrightHouse made an operating profit of £16 Million last year. £11 Million of that came DIRECTLY from the UK benefit system...

 

 

Cheers

Lefty

If the left side of the brain controls your right, and the right side controls your left, then left-handed people are always in their right mind!

 

Please help to support this site with a small donation... every little helps...

 

CAG- The Nation's Weekly Info Store!

;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 Caggers

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Have we helped you ...?


×
×
  • Create New...