This topic was closed on 11 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 10 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 10 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 10 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 09 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 09 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 09 March 2019. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

HI Sorry to hear about your health, its not worth the stress, particularly with that horrid bunch of solicitors they use! Does anyone know what happens to the rest of us now? Thanks Susan

Hi Is the allocation hearing still 24th January? I assume this will decide if you are multi-tracked or small claims court tracked ? Please keep us in the loop. We were supposed to go to small claims court on 10th Nov but this was held off until your case is decided. Baby due in Feb so could use the cash!!!! Regards Susan

Hi, Letter in the post this morning from Paragon's Solicitors, saying that they want to postpone my case until yours has been heard due "to the complicated legal issues and the importance to the mortgage lending industry as a whole" I am planning to refuse to have my case postponed when the court contacts me as we are expecting a new baby in Feb and moving overseas in May, so really do not want this to drag on. Good luck Susan

Hi First response about two weeks before their due date to file a defence was a letter telling me that (1) I had no chance of winning, (2) if it went to court I would be ordered to pay their costs so they immediately requested me to withdraw my claim. - I ignored it. Then received a call from the solicitor at work. He called my old work number from 2005 when we repaid loan. I have subsequently moved within the company. My colleague who has my old number refused to hand out my new number (quite rightly as he didn't know who this chap was). Solicitor then tells my colleague to get me to call him ASAP as it was to do with "a court action" - don't know what data protection would say about that! I called him back and he said that he intented filing defence and that I musn't file for judgement by default until he did (cheek) so I told him he had his 28 days as laid down by the courts, nothing more. Then they filed a defence (which I will post the essence of later next week as i am off on business tomorrow and will only be back Wed night) and wrote to me saying that I had no chance of winning as I knew there was a redemption penalty when I exercised my right to repay the loan (!!), and informed me that they had filed an application to have my case dismissed as there was zero chance of me winning. I completed my allocation questionaire and waited. This morning I received word that the court has given us a date - 10 November, therefore not allowing them to have the case dismissed - YES!!!!!

Just to let everyone know the latest in the paragon saga. They have filed a defence to the court action, prepared by a solicitor they have hired, does not seem to make that much sense but if it actually goes to court I will beg some further advice. We have both completed our allocation questionaire's and I have had a number of letters from the solicitor trying to intimidate me into dropping the case. They have put in an application to have the case dismissed now on the grounds that it has no chance of success in the courts. (awful lot of effort for £2000 - must have run up that much in legal fees already!) Will keep you posted Regards Susan

Hi, did you get anywhere. I have issued money claim summons against Paragon for about £2K including interest for redemption penalties. They got a cheap one man show firm of solicitors to write me an intimidating letter saying that I had better withdraw my claim or else I would have to pay their costs (very unlikely in small claims court) and also that I was sure to lose as I had been aware of the penalty when I paid up my mortgage (doh! missed the point a little). So they have until next week to file a defense. Good luck! Susan

Hi Would like some advice as it looks like we are going to court By the way I would like to point out that there was no discount rate, fixed rate or anything that we gained advantage from, just a redemption penalty at the end: My letter to them is earlier on this thread Their reply dated 30th May 2006: I note from your letter dated 16th May that you request a refund of £1701.84 representing the charge for early settlement and representing 6 months interest. They then blah blah on about media coverage of unfair bank changes but point out that their charge is not a breach of contract charge like unfair bank charges but rather a "charge to reflect the additional costs incurred by us in you electing to repay your loan early" Then they point out that they generously did not charge me redemption when I increased by loan form 22K to 40K! They did not justify the charges though! I wrote back on 5th June stating that they can call it a breach penalty or a charge but its still unenforceable if they can't justify the actual loss incurred and quoted a bit of case law around that. They reply on 9th June (still no justification of charges). They at this point again say its a fee for exercising a right, and not a breach penalty like other bank charges (which is rubbish as far as I can see, other bank charges are being argued as unfair charges/fees). and they refuse to refund me and tell me this is their final response. Their 14 days before legal action is up on 19th June. I am planning to argue the same as other bank charges, what does everyone think? Susan

Hi I am due to issue moneyclaim tomorrow for IF and their card services. Could anyone advise on the correct address in light of some discussion on this thread about not being able to issue summons in Scotland, and therefore having to use the Halifax address? Regards Susan

HI Have contacted the credit card companies as you kind folk suggested and have submitted copies of all documents to their disputes departments. So fingers crossed Susan

Hi I gave Halifax until tomorrow to respond on the LBA, and they haven't, so am getting the money claim together so I can press submit tomorrow night! One quick question, the claim that I am making is on a joint account which my husband and I hold, but on the money claim website it seems that there is only space for one claimant, do I put both our names in? Thanks Susan

HI In the first case they emailed me to confirm that the account has been cancelled but in the second case where more money is involved, (1) AOL can't even tell me which screenname the debit is for, (2) it is for a different amount to the actual AOL plan we had signed up to and cancelled, (3) it started at around the time that the account we cancelled stopped and (4) I had never given that credit detail to AOL!!!! (so nothing to cancel) Susan

HI But in the one case it goes back to Feb 2005 (didn't spot it as credit card company were too useless to change my address and then cut off my internet banking as I was overlimit due to AOL plus overlimit charges)...how far can I ask them to reverse? and do they have to? Thanks Susan

HI Last year when financial times were very tough (even worse than now!) my husband started working nights at Tescos and we needed to get the kids into childcare quickly so that he could get some sleep during the day while I was at work. We found an nursery around the corner which operated from a village hall. They were infact a satellite operation of a larger nursery (All ofsted registered, etc) I had Sodexo pass childcare vouchers from work, totalling £217. My husband asked if he could put our eldest there, for a few mornings a week, just so he could get some sleep, they said fine. They worked out, that based on the avaerage rate of attendance, the money should last well into February, December costing about £80-ish. No contract was signed. I suddenly was offered a promotion within my company, but it involved a relocation. At beginning of December, my husband advised the nursery that we would be moving, probably end December but at that stage we were not sure of dates as there were a few work related variables. They said fine, no problem, just let them know dates as soon as we knew them. And requested a forwarding address so that they could refund our overpayment. We provided the forwarding adress when we moved on the 3rd of January, and no cheque appeared. Hubbie hounded them, and they avoided his call. Finally late in January we received a text message stating that we had not given enough notice of leaving, and as a result we owed them but they would write the amount off, so no money would be coming to us. Now I know its only just over £100 but I could use it. What action should I take? Thanks Susan

I would guess that if they are above board finance brokers they should be regulated by the financial services authority. If you search for their name on the fsa website, (you guessed it) - NOTHING

Hi I contacted AOL and gave them 14 days to refund me, nothing has happened. I am in the process of preparing a claim on www.moneyclaim.co.uk and wanted a bit of advice on the wording. This is what I have put so far The defendent has unlawfully and without permission taken an amount £397.76 from two of the claimant's credit cards and despite communication, has taken no steps to refund the amount. The claimant claims interest under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984 at the rate of 8% a year from 23 February 2005 to 30 May 2006 of £ XXX and also interest at the same rate up to the date of judgment or earlier payment at a daily rate of XX. What do you think?

Hi I am taking on Mid-Bedfordshire council regarding our council tax banding, which is E and if you look at what our house cost in 1998 which it was built, and the growth of property prices between 1991 and 1998 it should be at best a C at worst a D. They have dismissed my property price information from the land registry site and office of the deputy prime minister site as being "not representative" and have found their own "evidence" which is in their favour. My tribunal hearing is the 6th of June and they are trying to get me to withdraw my case. Has anyone had similar experiences? Has anyone any ideas on how to find better evidence? Thanks Susan:-x

Hi Claim of £2256 submitted 8 May 2006, today I received an offer of £502, requesting that I sign that it is in full and final settlement before I receive it. Basically, stating that (1) they incur costs for all transactions, (2) they outline charges in their T&C's, (3) telling me I should manage my account better and they reserve the right to close my account if I don't manage it properly. Also telling me that if my complaint remains unresolved I should tell Louise Curran, Customer Relations Manager what she needs to do. Now, do I just send off LBA on monday 22nd (when 14 days is up) ? and do I tell her I would like my £502 now, but would also like the rest? Thanks , Susan

I received the following today in response to my preliminary response dated 8th May - success, full amount of £90 refunded. I am contacting you in response to your recent letter concerning your cahoot flexible loan account. I have taken ownership of your case in order to provide a response to the issues raised in your letter. We do not accept that cahoot's charges are unfair under recent Consumer regulations. The object of these Regulations was not price control nor were they intended to interfere with people's freedom to agree the terms of their contracts. It is well known that banks make charges and cahoot's charges are in line with those of other banks. The terms and conditions of the account and the charges that apply are clear and fair and were provided to you at the time you opened it. You freely agreed to the terms and conditions and the charges when you opened the account. You were not under any obligation to do so and could have gone to another bank if you did not agree to the charges. Equally, you are free to move your account to another bank at any time if you do not agree with the charges. In any event, we do not agree that the charges are disproportionate. The charges are reasonable and proportionate to the administrative costs incurred by cahoot. Having reviewed the history of your accounts I can see that in general your account has been well managed and the charges detailed in your letter represent uncharacteristic breaches of our terms and conditions. Given this and the fact that you have been a customer for almost three years I am willing to consider a refund as a gesture of goodwill. A protracted discussion regarding these charges is in neither parties interest so I have arranged for the requested amount of £90.00 to be re-credited to your account. This is made as a gesture of goodwill and I would again like to re-iterate that we do not accept our charges are unfair or disproportionate. I hope that this resolution is to your satisfaction. I'd be grateful if you could email me at service.relationship.team@cahoot.com to confirm that you accept this payment in settlement of your complaint. Should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me again at service.relationship.team@cahoot.com . Kind regards David Cafferty Service Relationship Manager, cahoot