Welcome Finance - This company needs to be banned.

[andie_303]

Cattles PLC - Result of AGM

[T2upNorth]

A list of Dredds questions:

 

***

 

As I do not expect them to be answered I thought I would share with you the questions which have been sent to CTT via Computershare and direct:

QUESTIONS FOR AGM

 

1 Please say what the Groups Impairment Policies are in words which an ordinary shareholder can understand.

2 Please say how these policies have been incorrectly applied.

3 Which companies are affected by this incorrect application

4 At what levels of staff were the impairment policies applied.

5 When did knowledge of this incorrect application come to the knowledge of any director of the companies concerned

6 When did knowledge of the incorrect application come to the knowledge of Cattles plc

7 How did knowledge of the incorrect application come to the knowledge of Cattles plc

8 Please explain what was done in incorrect application of impairment policies and how this means that a provision in excess of £700million in excess of that originally anticipated

9 By firm how much was paid to internal auditors in the years ended 31.12.2006, 2007 and 2008?

10 By firm how much was paid to external auditors in the years ended 31.12 2006,2207 and 2008?

11 Were additional sums paid to any other accountancy firm in the years ended 31.12.2006, 2007 and 2008 and, if so, how much to whom?

12 Do any of the surviving directors associate themselves with any of the information published by the company since 01.01.2007 and available to its shareholders and in particular:

Interim management statement dated 23.10.2008

Statement re share price movement dated 11.12.2008

Pre close trading statement dated 18.12.2008

Cattles plans reduction in new lending and costs dated 7 January 2009

Cattles withdraws its application for permission to take retail deposits dated 26.01.2009

Cattles plc Annual Report and Financial statements 2007

Cattles plc Interim financial Report 2008

Cattles plc interim announcement for 6 months to 30 June 2008

Pre Close trading statement dated 19 June 2008

Interim Management Statement dated 9 May 2008

Prospectus for Rights Issue dated 23 April 2008

Trading statement dated 13 December 2007

13 If any of the directors associate themselves with any of those documents can each one of then say which, if any, of the statements contained in them are true or, if it is easier, which of the statements contained in the documents are untrue.

14 Were any changes made to the terms of reference of the Audit Committee during 2008?

15 How many times did it meet during 2008?

16 How many times has it met during 2009?

17 How effective has the Audit Committee beein during 2008 and 2009?

18 When were each of the documents mentioned in question12 reviewed by the Audit Committee?

19 When did the Audit Committee become aware of the breakdown in internal controls?

20 What steps had the audit committee previously taken, in the preceding 24 months from when it became aware, to test the relevant internal controls?

21 Were the internal controls in question part of the Group’s overall risk management systems

22 How had these internal controls been tested by internal auditors since 01.01.2007?

23 How had these internal controls been tested by external auditors since 01.01.2007?

24 Have any of the members of the audit committee since 01.01.2007 ever been employed or engaged as a consultant by or been a partner or director of any of the firms engaged by the group as internal or external auditors and, if so which, when and in what capacity?

25 When did the audit committee last review its own performance and what was the outcome of that review?

26 Who is the present chairman of the audit committee?

27 What is the recent and relevant financial experience of the chairman of the audit committee?

28 Do the directors of the company acknowledge that the board of directors of the company as a whole are collectively responsible for the success of the company?

29 Has the company been a success, in financial terms for its shareholders, since 01.01.2007?

30 In relation to information made available to shareholders since 01.01.2008 have the directors satisfied themselves as to the integrity of the financial information and ensured that financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible?

31 Please explain how it is necessary to consider making excess provisions for impairments of £700 million in 2009 if the group has financial controls and systems of risk management which are defensible?

32 Why are details of the bonus structures agreed with the directors not made available to the shareholders with the rest of the directors service contracts?

33 Please say what the bonus provisions are, and what bonuses have been paid, to any person who has held office as director of Cattles plc since 01.01.2007.

34 Please confirm that no bonus payments in cash or shares or otherwise have been or are to be paid to any of the employees of the group whose employment has been terminated in consequence of the findings of the internal review by Deloittes/Freshfields?

35 Why is James Drummond smith not contracted to the company in the same manner as other executive directors have been?

36 What explanations were required by the board of Ian Stephen Cummine; David Postings; Mark William Gerard Collins; James Joseph Corr in relation to their conduct in relation to the business of the Company after 01.09.2008?

37 When was the contract of employment of David Postings terminated?

38 What payments have been made or are proposed to be made to or in relation to ( such as pension funds contributions) David Postings after termination of his employment with the Company?

39 What, if any, steps have the board taken to prevent the former employees of the company who may have been responsible for loss to the company from dissipating their assets ?

40 Did any members of the board read the item published in Crains Manchester Business on 27th April 2009 relating to Cattles Invoice Finance?

41 How much of that article was true?

42 In particular:

Had the company entered into an exclusivity agreement in relation to Cattles Invoice Finance on or before 27th April 2009?

Had the Company engaged Ernst & Young in relation to the disposal of Cattles Invoice Finance Ltd before 27.04.09

Had the company engaged Ernst & Young in relation to the disposal of other businesses before 27.04.09

If the answer to either of the preceding 2 questions is Yes please give details of when they were instructed and in relation to which businesses

When was information in relation to the proposed disposal made known to the directors, bankers, stockbrokers, internal and external auditors, bondholders and shareholders?

43 What other options was the company exploring in relation to Cattles Invoice finance on 5th May 2009 when it informed the market of its consideration?

44 Why was such announcement not made before 5th May 2009?

45 Why is it necessary or advisable for the company to make the level of provision for impairment which is now proposed? Is it because loans which members of the group have made are not going to be repaid in full or for some other reason?

46 Will the effect of the provision proposed be to diminish the Total Shareholders Equity to a negative amount?

47 How many transactions are involved in the failure to apply the company’s impairment policies correctly?

48 What were the expectations for the results of the company as at 7th January 2009?

49 What foundation was there for the statement by the former chief executive of the company on 26January2009 that “the Group continues to trade profitably” and what were the then expectations for the profitability of the Group for y/e 31.12.2008?

50 How much has the independent forensic examination by Freshfields/Deloitte’s cost ?

51 Is the result of that investigation going to be shared with the shareholders ?

 

SRN C0772949774

 

And The supplemental as to whether the questions and answers would be published on CTT website for the benefit of shareholders.

[lawfrodo]

hi, can anyone help with the question in my thread please?

 

"welcome finance offered reduced payments... then added the shortfall to the arrears"

 

regards, lawrence.

[Dipply75]

VERY interesting titbts from the AGM:

 

"Most interestingly the Audit Committee noticed that the money in the bank did not appear to match what there "should have been" in 2007 so they asked questions. They got answers. they instructed an external review in Q4 of 2007"

 

and even better:

 

"The FSA and others can waffle for years about it but Mr Plod can work out what has become of something over £1billion of CTT monies out of WCF.

 

Clearly there are in being documents made for aco****ing purposes which, from what has been gleaned today, are false and the persons who made them knew it and they gained ( by their bonusses in 07) from it."

 

Oh, and I've got better yet ....gimme a mo

[Dipply75]

The financial director at Cattles, who was suspended then sacked for these serious irregularities is now working as......a Financial Director! WTF?! Re the FSA kidding?

 

James J. Corr, CA serves as Financial Director of IR Newport Limited. Mr. Corr served as a Director of Finance at Cattles plc until February 2009. Prior to Cattles Plc, he served as Finance Director of Polypipe plc. Previously, he held senior finance positions in a variety of listed and private companies. He served as a Director of Cattles plc from 2001 to February 2009.

 

And the Ex cheif operating officer, Ian Cummine is still oerating in other companies with a consumer credit licence,I mean come ON!

[Dipply75]

Hi Dipply - re discussion yesterday - I am still waiting lmao

 

LOL....place your bets

[EBOY]

Dipply,

It is crazy thinking that these people just move on to other companies. It amazes that the FSA are seen as anything other than a joke.

[Voda]

Hi everyone,

 

Many thanks for your comments and advice ....

 

This is my letter to Welcome Finance.

 

I cannot do much more than this at the end of the day, I feel.

 

Sadly I am not in a financial position to make full repayments now ( like many other people ).

 

I have been a good customer of their's in the past but my financial circumstances changed.

 

Voda

 

xxxx xxxxxxxx

Welcome Finance Collections Unit

2nd Floor

Centre Link House

307 High Street

Sutton

Surrey

SM1 1LL

 

July 29th 2009

 

Ref: Account Number: xxxxxxxxx

 

Dear Mr xxxxxxx,

 

Further to our telephone conversation yesterday afternoon, please find enclosed my cheque for £xxxx being the reduced payment for the month of July 2009.

 

During our conversation, you told me that you have personally arranged that “all interest and other charges are now frozen on my account”, with effect from this month and this will show on all my future Personal Loan Statements from your company.

 

Will you please speak to your Branch Manager and ask him to confirm this to me in writing, otherwise I will have no alternative but to contact the Welcome Finance CRC Complaints Department and see if they are willing to do this.

 

I was advised by CCCS ( Consumer Credit Counselling Service ) to request a letter from Welcome Finance stating that it will freeze all interest and other charges.

 

All my other creditors have done so in writing, so why is Welcome Finance so special?

 

I am also very concerned that you have no record of my letters which I have sent by Recorded Delivery to various people within your organisation, other than the letter sent by me to the xxxxxx Branch on June 3rd 2009.

 

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

BY RECORDED DELIVERY

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

Received a phone message today from 0208 643 6480 and I rang back.

 

They answered as LCU which is Welcome Finance's Collection Department in Sutton, Surrey.

 

Anyway I have been paying a nominal amount to Welcome since February 2009 as advised to pay by CCCS ( Credit Consumer Counselling Service ).

 

WF asked me to deal through them and I also sent WF a CCCS Budget Sheet and a list of other Creditors.

 

I was also told over the phone at the time, as we all know WF NEVER put anything in writing, that all interest & other charges would be frozen if I went on a Debt Management Plan with CCCS.

 

On numerous occasions since, I have written many letters to WF asking them to confirm in writing that if I go on a DMP then they would freeze all interest and other charges. Guess what, I have never had an answer in writing.

 

So when I spoke to this guy today, I told him all about the history ( as above ) and the only letter that he had on file, was one dated by me in early June. Pathetic !!!

 

I told him that I have sent all letters by Recorded Delivery so they must have received them.

 

He asked me if my finanacial position had changed and I said " No " and the amount that I was paying was all that I could afford at present.

 

I asked him about the " Freezing of all interest & other charges " and he said that w.e.f mid July this year, he would freeze them.

 

I said " Could I have that in writing please " and he said that it was not company policy to do so. I said all my creditors have written to me and what makes WF so special.

 

He had no answer to that naturally.

 

He then said that my next 6 monthly account statement will show that these charges have been frozen and I said that is not good enough.

 

He said that it would cost me £10 for a letter from him saying that WF had frozen these charges but he would have to ask his superiors if he could do that.

 

He then said if you can afford to pay £10 for a letter then why can't you pay more than the agreed monthly amount.

 

So there is no point really talking to these programmed clowns.

 

He also said, could he have an up to date Financial Statement from me and I said " Sure but nothing has changed ".

 

He also wants a six monthly personal budget from me in the future.

 

I will send them my usual monthly cheque tomorrow but have any of you any suggestions what I should do regarding this letter regarding freezing all the charges, that I want from them?

 

I have written down the time that we spoke but he never said that our conversation was being recorded. But I don't think that they have to, as it's in their small print.

 

This company is so amateurish and pathetic.

 

I have no trust in them whatsoever and that is why I have insisted that they write to me.

 

Looking forward to someone'e reply.

 

A frustrated Voda.

[T2upNorth]

Hi everyone,

 

Many thanks for your comments and advice ....

 

This is my letter to Welcome Finance.

 

I cannot do much more than this at the end of the day, I feel.

 

Sadly I am not in a financial position to make full repayments now ( like many other people ).

 

I have been a good customer of their's in the past but my financial circumstances changed.

 

Voda

 

xxxx xxxxxxxx

Welcome Finance Collections Unit

2nd Floor

Centre Link House

307 High Street

Sutton

Surrey

SM1 1LL

 

July 29th 2009

 

Ref: Account Number: xxxxxxxxx

 

Dear Mr xxxxxxx,

 

Further to our telephone conversation yesterday afternoon, please find enclosed my cheque for £xxxx being the reduced payment for the month of July 2009.

 

During our conversation, you told me that you have personally arranged that “all interest and other charges are now frozen on my account”, with effect from this month and this will show on all my future Personal Loan Statements from your company.

 

Will you please speak to your Branch Manager and ask him to confirm this to me in writing, otherwise I will have no alternative but to contact the Welcome Finance CRC Complaints Department and see if they are willing to do this.

 

I was advised by CCCS ( Consumer Credit Counselling Service ) to request a letter from Welcome Finance stating that it will freeze all interest and other charges.

 

All my other creditors have done so in writing, so why is Welcome Finance so special?

 

I am also very concerned that you have no record of my letters which I have sent by Recorded Delivery to various people within your organisation, other than the letter sent by me to the xxxxxx Branch on June 3rd 2009.

 

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

BY RECORDED DELIVERY

 

Hi Voda

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

Personally, I would make the payment conditional on receiving written confirmation. ie. payment will be made after they have confirmed.

 

I would send the letter to the compliance department at Ruddington, rather than the Sutton address, but CC'd to Sutton.

 

The above is assuming:

You have already sent a CCA request, and received a valid response.

You have already demanded a refund of charges, PPI etc. and received a valid response.

 

By valid responses I mean they have legally complied, not the usual fob-off.

 

T2

[T2upNorth]

Remember, they are on their kness, potentially moments from going bust. They are literally begging people to pay them in a last ditch attempt to make a few quid. If you give in to them they will be all over you like a rash.

 

Those are my personal opinions - I am in a fight with them too, it's not easy but I refuse to be bullied by them. Any agreement made by phone is not an agreement when dealing with Welcome.

[MarkieMark]

Hi I have been reading the comments regarding Welcome and the unlawful things that they do.

 

I am surprised you have not issued court proceedings against them. The small claims process is rather simple.

 

All their agreements are breach of the consumer credit act and many many agreements will fall foul as extortionate credit. I have taken on a few cases against them myself and they have settled all of them. I wont take any nonsense from them and neither should you.

 

I noticed many of you made application under the Data Protection Act 1998 and they failed to respond despite sending the request by recorded delivery. Let the information Commissioner know even if you have to wait a year for a reply.

 

I have to admit Welcome are the worst company I have ever dealt with.

 

I won my case against the following companies:-

 

HSBC

BARCLAYS

WELCOME on the forth case against them

RBS

 

I have been researching Consumer Credit Law for sometime and found the Consumer Credit Law is really complex and complicated.

 

If anyone else wants to research consumer credit law, I would sure recommend the following books

 

Civil Practice 2009

Enclopedia of Consumer Credit Law Volumes 1,2

Consumer Credit Law R M Goode

Consumer Credit Legislation

Consumer Sales Law

Pleadings Without Tears

The Civil Court Practice 2008 ( Green Book)

Civil Litigation

Case Preparation

Legal Drafting

Contract Law

Ansons Law of Contract

[eeeezzzyy]

Hi Voda

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

Personally, I would make the payment conditional on receiving written confirmation. ie. payment will be made after they have confirmed.

 

I would send the letter to the compliance department at Ruddington, rather than the Sutton address, but CC'd to Sutton.

 

The above is assuming:

You have already sent a CCA request, and received a valid response.

You have already demanded a refund of charges, PPI etc. and received a valid response.

 

By valid responses I mean they have legally complied, not the usual fob-off.

 

T2

Very true T2 ive lost count of the amount of letters ive sent these scumbags similar to these (recorded aswell) and still they say they've not recieved them etc etc......Like you say they are on their knees, id sooner buy a copy of the Big Issue than make a payment to Welscum:D

[violethill]

also don't forget to add your contractual interest on top of the payment + interest. Your charging them reciprocal contract interest because you have been denied the use of that money. Calculate it the same way as you would bank charges it should come to a tidy sum

jonchris please could you explain how you ask for contractual interest back and wat it is so when i ask for it iwill know wat im talking about .will they not pay it back automatically? ta very much;)

[danukindebt]

A regular trusted poster on a cattles share discussion board says all outstanding debts will go to "TLG" , any idea who this is guys.

 

Also sign this please guys its all relevant

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/CreditRA/

[Dustyd]

It appears it is The Lewis Group

 

Cattles_

[andie_303]

A regular trusted poster on a cattles share discussion board says all outstanding debts will go to "TLG" , any idea who this is guys.

 

Also sign this please guys its all relevant

Petition to: reduce the time Credit reference agencies hold data for to 3 years. | Number10.gov.uk

 

I wonder about these people on LSE do they actually KNOW anything - the Lewis Group is who TLG is and guess who own The Lewis Group - yep thats right CATTLES!!

 

Now if Welcome goes down the pan it takes Cattles with it so how in the world is The Lewis Group going to collect anything???

 

I especially love all of those on LSE share chat that are adamant the bond holders would not let this go to the wall - what they are not connecting is it is the Bond Holders that have given the notice of acceleration are the American holders - and once upon a time they said the same thing about Enron and Lehmann's - and where are they now..........??

 

They need to cut their (share)losses and get some brains!!

[andie_303]

Hi Dipply see you peeking.......still waiting lmao

[Dipply75]

Hi Dipply see you peeking.......still waiting lmao

 

Hope you're not holding your breath, unless blue suits you lol

 

tick tock tick tock....

[zaidey]

have a look at this...

 

THE future of Cattles, the troubled doorstep lender, is likely to depend on lengthy negotiations between its banks and bondholders.

During the Yorkshire-based finance group's three-hour AGM yesterday chairman Margaret Young revealed that a whistleblower had brought to light concerns about its finances which have since shown that the group has an £850m black hole in its accounts.

Observers say that the future of the business, which had its shares suspended in April, will depend whether the group's bondholders, which are owed £850m and whose trustees are headed up by HSBC, can agree a way forward with its syndicate of 22 banks led by Royal Bank of Scotland, which are owed £500m.

It is estimated that around 50% of Birstall-based Cattles' shares are now held by private shareolders.

Shareholders were told yesterday that an investigation into Cattles' accounts by law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and business advisers Deloitte has cost up to £5m so far.

The Accountancy and Actuarial Discipline Board has launched an investigation into PricewaterhouseCoopers as auditors to Cattles.

Ms Young has stepped into the role of executive chairman following the departure of chairman Norman Broadhurst and chief executive David Postings who left the group at the start of this month.

At the same time six senior Cattles executives who had been suspended until a forensic review of its accounts was completed, had their jobs terminated with immediate effect.

Finance director James Corr, chief operating officer and Welcome chairman Ian Cummine are among the sacked senior staff members.

Mark Collins, treasury and risk director also left the company with immediate effect.

None of the departing executives received any compensation for loss of office.

Yesterday shareholders backed the re-election of directors including David Haxby, the senior non-executive director and former Arthur Andersen partner.

Retired financial journalist Douglas Moffitt, who has worked on programmes on Sky, LBC and Thames TV and who holds shares in Cattles, travelled from London to attend the AGM.

He said: "The mood of shareholders was a combination of anger, frustration and betrayal. But the current board have a vision for the future and the feeling was that they should be supported so they can get on with the job."

Another shareholder said: "I hold paper that is worthless at the moment. Two-and-a-half years ago this was the 167th largest company on the British Stock Exchange."

[andie_303]

£850 million - who are they still kidding with that figure??

[Voda]

Hiya T2upNorth,

 

The letter has already gone, of course, but I will compose another one for the Compliance Department along the same lines and enclose with it a copy of the letter to Sutton.

 

What's the point in sending a CCA request?

 

I have no dispute with my agreement which has been checked to be perfectly legal and I am paying a much reduced interest rate due to my financial position and the rate of interest is fair.

 

It's not a secured loan and there is no PPI.

 

All I want is the written confirmation about the freezing of the interest and other charges.

 

But as you all say, in the next few weeks, I might be dealing with some other part of Cattles or another company altogether.

 

Cheers

 

Voda

 

 

 

Hi Voda

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

Personally, I would make the payment conditional on receiving written confirmation. ie. payment will be made after they have confirmed.

 

I would send the letter to the compliance department at Ruddington, rather than the Sutton address, but CC'd to Sutton.

 

The above is assuming:

You have already sent a CCA request, and received a valid response.

You have already demanded a refund of charges, PPI etc. and received a valid response.

 

By valid responses I mean they have legally complied, not the usual fob-off.

 

T2

[1984Dodge]

Hi all. Ive been attached to my computer reading this thread for the last few days. Im glad that I am not alone! I will not bore you all with the details but you can all assume that it has been a vry painful and upsetting experience dealing with welcome since I took out finance on a car with them in 2007.

 

I have refused to pay them since march this year due to the way they treated me. I have been threatend, abused (verbaly) and lied to by staff at welcome to many times. I dont have much knowledge on legalities etc, but I know that they have prob broken every rule in the book. I lost my job and thaey re calculated another contract for me witch would have gone on for 10 yrs. They then tried to presure me into making a payment to them without having anything in writing from them.They have refused to co-operate they have just demanded money which I dont have. I have buried my head in the sand and they have made me feel bad for so long. Only on finding this website I have found the confidence to back out of my corner. I have arranged a SAR and will be sending it tomorow also I am sending a CCA. Is there anybody who could check this out and assist me in sticking to the legal procedures of which I have no understanding.

 

Thanks to all of you .

[T2upNorth]

Hiya T2upNorth,

 

The letter has already gone, of course, but I will compose another one for the Compliance Department along the same lines and enclose with it a copy of the letter to Sutton.

 

What's the point in sending a CCA request?

 

I have no dispute with my agreement which has been checked to be perfectly legal and I am paying a much reduced interest rate due to my financial position and the rate of interest is fair.

 

It's not a secured loan and there is no PPI.

 

All I want is the written confirmation about the freezing of the interest and other charges.

 

But as you all say, in the next few weeks, I might be dealing with some other part of Cattles or another company altogether.

 

Cheers

 

Voda

 

Voda, you are correct. If you are happy with your contract being OK then a CCA serves no real purpose other than to verify that Welcome also have a copy of it.

[1984Dodge]

 

 

28/7/2009

DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998

SUBJECT ACCESS REQUEST

Dear Sir/Madam

 

Re: Account/Reference Number

Customer Number

 

Please supply me with copies of all the data which you hold on me in relation to any matter and in any form and for any period of time.

Please note that I require disclosure of any personal data which you hold on me for the entire period of my dealings with you.

The Subject Access is not limited to my transaction history and it is not limited merely to 6 years of historical information.

 

Please supply me with all data that you hold on me. This includes in particular, but is not limited to, the following:-

1. The original signed, executed credit agreement and any terms and conditions that applied to the account at the time of default and at the time the account was opened.

2. Transcriptions of all telephone conversations recorded and any notes made in relation to telephone conversations by your company, or by any previous creditor

3. Where there has been any event in my account history over this period which has required manual intervention by any person, I require disclosure of any indication or notes which have either caused or resulted in that manual intervention, or other evidence of that manual intervention in relation to my account formerly held with original creditor.

4. True copies of any notice of assignment and/or default notice or enforcement notice that you or the original creditor sent me, with a copy of any proof of postage that you hold.

5. Documents relating to any insurance added to the account, including the insurance contract and terms and conditions, date it was added and deleted (if applicable).

6. Details of any collection charges added to the account; specifically, the date it was levied, the amount of the charge, a detailed financial breakdown of how the charge was calculated, and what the charge covers.7. Specific details of the fees/charges levied by any other agency in respect of this account and a detailed breakdown of said fees/charges and what each charge relates to and on what date said fees/charges were levied.

8. A genuine copy of any notice of fair use of my data as required by the Data Protection Act 1998

9. A list of third party agencies to whom you have disclosed my personal data and a summary of the nature of the information you have disclosed.

10. Copies of statements for the entire duration of the credit agreement.

 

PLEASE NOTE that unless otherwise stated by yourselves and if the above documents are NOT provided, it will be CONFIRMED that you are unable to reproduce/provide in any way shape or form any copies of the above requested documents. You are reminded that you have a duty to inform me if you do not have the above documents. This is confirmed in High Court Law - Ezsias v Welsh Ministers - [2007] All ER (D) 65 (Dec)

You are reminded that you are obliged to supply all the above documents in line with the Information Commissioners Technical Guidance update (Dated August 2007)

 

I enclose the statutory maximum fee of £10. You have 40 days in which to comply.

If there is specific information which you require in order to satisfy yourself as to my identity, please let me know by return. However, please note that the above address is the one which you normally use to communicate my private business to me and which you have hitherto found to be acceptable.

 

Yours faithfully,

[sillygirl1]

Be aware here that the Sutton office is a 'front' - they apparently only visit it two or three times a week to collect post and the phone no (so I've been reliably told) goes to a 'field person' in the area. I go past their office daily and the ground floor is empty, and there is a large 'for sale or to let' sign on it....