Hi Everyone Following my phone call to Capital Law, I got a pack from GiveMeMyMoney!.co.uk this morning. They have the same office address as Capital Law (Cardiff). They've sent a contract in case I want to use their services over secret commission (but I don't). However the information they've sent about what they would ask Blemain/GE etc in an SAR is quite handy and their website is disarmingly frank. They give some advice if people want to go it alone. Their fees are 25% of any sums successfully obtained and it's no win, no fee. The only thing I wold really disagree with is a mysterious charge for telemarketing (?) but I'm sure that could be taken out of a contract. I'm putting this up just for information in case anyone does want to explore using them.

Hi everyone, Frettful and I are both Blemain victims not GE but the secret commission business seems to be being discussed here rather than on the Blemain threads, so that's the reason I'm here (hopefully not hijacking). I rang Cardiff law firm Capital Law yesterday on the recommendation of Sprouty (Blemain thread) as he said they were considering a group litigation re secret commission. This isn't strictly accurate the guy I spoke to said; they will be acting for a company called 'Give Me My Money' (can't find them on internet) presumably professional claimers... and there is a pre-litigation meeting coming up soon. He's sending me a 'welcome pack' anyway and I gather I have the option of being kept informed as to progress. But I feel several things: a) I don't want to be part of a group action that is started by professional claimers (claims touts?) b) I strongly suspect that if they need to use lawyers anyway they are not experts that would be useful to us c) As Suzie so helpfully points out, we could all find specialist lawyers if we chose to. d) If Capital Law succeed on behalf of the clients of Give Me My Money we will speedily hear about it anyway.... Re. possibly having to pay back the whole loan if the secret commission claim is upheld, for me this is too much of a risk, good though my evidence of the secret commission is. My plan is to try and find the money to repay the loan by remortgaging (may not be able to but will give it a go) and then reveal what I know when it comes to redemption, and I will use a solicitor at that point. I've sent the broker an SAR as belts and braces. I think we all have to do what suits our personal circs. but the sharing of information here is really brilliant and helps keep me motivated. So thanks to all.

Thanks for sending that link Midge, I knew it was around somewhere but I'm only learning how to use forums at the mo and only cracked searching today! The more I dig up about Blemain the more I fume.... I just can't believe the brokers could have recommended them. Have got an SAR in with the brokers now; I originally sent one last September, recorded delivery, no reply, chased again recorded delivery. The £10 cheque hadn't been cashed... then got a letter saying 'request not received, try again'. So I have, and this time I've sent it Special Delivery. Uugh..

Hi, I don't really understand the unregulated thing but have been told by Blemain themselves that mine is one of those. I've just remembered that on the reverse side of a letter they sent me last month chasing payment (which was not late - their error) there is a complete list of all their charges from August 2008. Would it be helpful to you to have this? If so I will attempt to find a scanner... then at least if they swing charges on you you'll have a better idea of what they might be. I couldn't work out what they based my early repayment charge on at all; it wasn't six months' interest and there's nothing saying that's what they want in my contract. However it is worth you insisting on absolute transparency when the time comes. What you really need to be careful about is that they don't use what is called the rule of 78 when calculating. There is info about that elsewhere on this site. Good luck with your mortgage.

Hi, if you are successful in remortgaging and redeeming the loan then you need to look at what their charges are; I got a redemption quote in 2007 and it was astronomical. With a bit of digging I have worked out what the right amount should have been. They charge for late payments, phone calls and letters as well as an early repayment charge, and if you haven't got 'their interest' noted on your buildings insurance policy they will charge you for insurance as well (Stanmore Insurance). There are other threads recommending that when you get the redemption quote you take it to either the CAB or a Trading Standards office to get them to check the calculation. I shall be doing that if I can remortgage and get shot of them. As you didn't (I don't think) use a broker then you shouldn't have a broker fee included but that doesn't stop them and Midge61 had a broker fee added though he dealt directly. Good luck and let us know how it's going.

Hi thanks, not revealing my evidence is what my gut instinct was. So it's an SAR to the broker then. Kind regards, MG

Hi Frettful, yes absolutely in writing and recorded delivery; I have had some success in getting info. writing like that which I'm now deciding what to do with. See my last post on 'GE Money Secret Commission'. Another reason why I would never ring Blemain is that I don't trust them not to charge me for the phone call.....

Hi all, still a bit confused about secret commissions. On my secured loan agreement the broker's fee of £2000 is clearly shown. However on a statement I got recently that amount is down as a 'disbursement' on my behalf, and there is a further sum of £2887 down as a 'payment' and sent to the same payee as above. Would this constitute a hidden commission then? I suppose the answer is to get an SAR to the broker... but do I tell them what I think I've found out or not? Any help gratefully received.

Hi, I just had another look at the Blemain website and their is a section for new and existing customers, with a sample statement (look at both pages). I don't think anyone on this thread has ever had one of these statements? I ought to have had one in November, after the redesign. But on page 1 they do state that if there is a dispute about the agreement itself the customer can go to the Financial Ombudsman but only if one has contacted BF first. yes, but they aren't famous for responding to queries....

Hi esile72 and frettful, you have to ask Blemain for a statement quoting paragraph 2 of thir terms and conditions where they say they will provide an annual statement. You have to make it clear that it is your free annual statement and not an extra one or they will charge you. My agreement says that Blemain are a member of the CCTA (Consumer credit Trade Association) and subscribe to its code of conduct. Their phone number is 0845 257 11 66. I would have a word with them if I were you; I shall be, when it comes to redeeming my loan. Good Luck.

Hi, can anyone explain what exactly is meant by 'hidden commission'? Also, what does joining a group litigation imply; is it on shared fee, or no win, no fee basis? MG

You can get a list of Blemain's charges from their revised website. The charge clause in my contract reads as follows ' The Lender will charge the Borrower for the provision of certain administrative services'. It then goes on to talk about further security over the property but then says 'provision of statements (other than the annual statement free of charge or settlement figures to third parties'. But there is no list of charges attached to the agreement as an appendix and I don't know whether they are enforceable. MG:-|

Midge, have you looked at Blemain's website recently? Suddendly a section for customers, including a guide to understanding their statements! Have not had one looking anything like that; has anyone else? MG

Hi Midge, I eventually got a statement from Blemain just before Christmas but it just showed amounts paid by me and nothing about the balance etc. Or at least at first - they were slow to reply so I chased; a couple of weeks later I got the same covering letter but this time with some internal info. about charges. I haven't missed any payments so was surprised to get a call from Monarch at the weekend. It turned out to be their mistake - what they wanted to tell me was that direct debits are now being taken on the last working day of the month and not as agreed on my DD.....mine will change next month. WARNING: you must all be aware of this; they said they had sent a letter but I haven't had one. I had better check that I am not being charged for the call either....

Not heard from the broker yet but have done some research into the possible future redemption charges from lovely Blemain. The amount of the loan is 432.50 more than I borrowed, the fee for redeeming the loan is 556.75 more than it states in the contract it should be (and also states on my direct debit mandate), they are charging £1100 for insurance that I don't need and they have included a telegraphic transfer (TT) fee of £35.25. As I will be sending them the money and almost certainly via BACS transfer, this is a sneaky little 'extra'. For all of you who paid up I really think it is worth pestering them for your SAR and going into the final payments because clearly from what I've found out they are proposing to try and swing bogus amounts and charges on me.

Some slight progress; Blemain have today been in touch with my solicitors over extending the length of my lease; it took two letters, two faxes and three phone calls over the course of a month. I think it was probably copying the solicitors in that did the trick. Have established the name of their Group Legal Director if anyone needs it: Anis Waiz. Maybe try copying SAR requests to him? On my possible future redemption charges I've initially done an SAR to the arranging brokers, to find out what they agreed with Blemain as this obliges them to give me third party correspondence. We shall see..

I couldn't find any connection with Lehman Bros either and I spent a lot of time on it last night. Apart from the Barclays stake, they got funding from Bank of Australia and HBOS, which is not great news given HBOS seem shaky now. JonCris, two questions if you don't mind? Surely neither Blemain or a new owner can repossess if one is completely up to date with payments? And if they are sold, could it be an opportunity to have the terms of the loan/mortgage agreement redrafted? MG

Since I haven't been charged anything yet, and am simply making my monthly repayments until I can redeem the loan, I'm going back to the beginning to ascertain what the broker has recorded as agreed. eg on the broker website it says that broker fees are not added to the loan total, and mine have been. I want to know how the broker fee was calculated, as well and bringing up the question of insurance with them. I am requesting a copy of the loan agreement form I filled out, too. We shall see... :-|

Hi Midge, thanks. What an awful time you've had. All I want is a simple 'yes' to the lease extension which makes the property I own more valuable, so you'd think they'd be happy to agree. But their delay in replying made me suspicious and then I started researching them and came across this thread; nearly died of horror and belatedly realised I've had no statements. I was stressed out this time last year and failed to notice lack of statement; the next one is just a week overdue. I'm furious that a broker recommended these people to me as responsible lenders and am writing to them to say so. I got a redemption quote purely out of interest last year so will be looking at whether the early repayment charge is fair, the redemption cost too, and I see they were also billing me for Buildings Insurance which is entirely unnecessary as I have it. Kind regards, Magiciansgirl

OscarMutley, thanks for your reply. I've looked out my agreement today (it is signed, unlike some of the others I've read about here) and it's a 2006 one. It says that Blemain are members of the Consumer Credit Trade Association, and subscribe to its Code of Conduct. Also that CTTA operate a reconciliation and arbitration service etc. I don't recall this being higher up the thread, do you? Lots of talk of Trading Standards and FSA but not CTTA. I am getting this Code of Conduct and going through it with a fine comb. Will pass on anything useful. Kind regards, magiciansgirl

God how I wish I had read this in 2006... I am up to date with Blemain but I've never had a single statement from them. Also I asked them to write to my solicitors giving permission for my lease to be extended and they simply won't reply..... I think an SAR might be appropriate.