Hello all, Today I receive a letter from barbon insurance group asking me to pay them £5919 for an overdue balance for a place I stayed at for about 2 months. This on behalf of Homelet I rented for around 1-2 months and then had to leave, this was due to the flatmate I lived with harassed me. I lived there I think around 3 years ago. I contacted the agency that rented out the flat, and told them that I didn't feel safe living there. I sent them copies of the text messages the flatmate sent me, they were threatening, and told me that he could harass me if he wanted to. The agency seemed fine with this, they also discovered themselves that the flatmate was not a nice person. According to them: 'Homelet provided rental protection to the landlord/agent (for the address I lived at) and subsequently paid out an insurance claim, due to your non payment of rent. Under the rights of subrogation we are able to pursue you to recover this outstanding amount' 'You must now make contact with us as a matter of urgency. Failure to do so may result in increased costs being applied to your debt' Not once did the agency ever say, or send me letters telling me that I owed them £5919, the only thing they did was to deduct my deposit-which of course I was fine with. I see it as a really threatening letter and am fuming about this No warning, and then a nasty letter-forcing me to comply? I can't help but feel that there is something very fishy going on here. Has anybody heard of them? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Yeah debit card-but this card I've registered to my Paypal account, Thanks dx100uk

I paid via Paypal via a registered bank card

As said before, here is their reply: What imbeciles

Hello dx 100uk, yes I paid them by Paypal. I did copy & paste CRA rules-let's hope that they are able to read & understand them, the person I've been hearing from, is honestly a bit dim. Thanks for all of your advice. I'll probably need to post here again-as well sometimes when you deal with people...who are not the brightest

Yes I've contacted them online, as I bought the boots from them online. They're sticking to the fact that I damaged the item-something they weren't saying before. Nowhere would I have worn them if they were faulty-I'm not stupid, I'm fully aware that if I wear a faulty item-I'm accepting that it is fine. So now the words are changing slightly, now the boots have suffered from immense wear, whereas before it was wear & tear, and also now brought up that I've chosen to take on the fact that they were faulty. They're completely forgetting that the contract is between myself and them, and not the boots manufacturer. I didn't inform them that the boots were already faulty, I told them that the boots gained wear & tear after wearing them. So the person that I'm writing to, and hearing from seems to like changing words slightly, and cannot stick to a discussion that remains the same.

dx100uk, Sorry I'm not sure what you mean, do you mean the retailer, as in where I purchased the shoes from online, or the brands company as in Reiker? I'm sorry if I come across as not knowing what you mean, but the whole thing has been quite a pain. It's been Bells Shoes-where I purchased the boots that I've been in contact with.

Hello all, I don't think there is any help for me, but just thought I'd write here, to see if there is anything I can do. I purchased boots from Bells shoes online-about 2 weeks ago. They arrived, and I noticed that there was discolouration on the sole of the boots, but thought that that was how they came. Anyhow I wore the boots out, for a few hours, and noticed that there were suddenly signs of wear and tear-as if I'd been wearing them for a number of months, and one part of the sole-at the end was worn out-as in 'chipped-away', if that makes any sense. I purchased the boots from Paypal, and I managed to return them for free. I was asked to send photos of the soles of the boots-which I did. Then I get an e-mail asking for an order number, which I sent to them, despite having sent them an order number beforehand. Then I get an e-mail saying: "The technical team have advised that this looks like it might just be down to wear. We can't look into this much further due to it not being or own brand. The technical team have advised you would be best going directly to Reiker about this. Apologies there isn't more we can do to help!" I then reply back that this wasn't good enough, and something like I purchased the boots from them, and not Reiker (they are Reiler brand). Then this morning I get an e-mail saying: "We have received your return and inspected the shoes further and they have still come to the same conclusion that this is just down to wear. I understand that you have only had them for a short period of time however this is just general wear and tear. If you felt as though the shoes looked worn before your wore them then you should have sent them back to us, however it does state in our terms and conditions that if you choose to wear the shoes outside, this deems that you have accepted them and we cannot accept them back. I do apologise that you feel this way, I can send the shoes back to you, please confirm which address you would like them to be sent to." First of all-I told them in the first e-mail that I had worn them (my mistake!) for a few hours, and only once, not once did they mention that as I'd already worn them, I couldn't return them. Secondly-correct me if I am wrong, shoes do not show signs of wear and tear-after being worn only once, and for a few hours. Even cheap shoes/boots that I've purchased have taken time to show wear & tear, NEVER the first time. Their attitude comes across as not giving a damn, and being downright lazy. Is there any hope, for I know companies have a no returns policy, if you wear an item, but to send me boots, that are meant to be of a pretty good company, that show signs of wear and tear after the first day?? I feel that the boots I recieved were worn before I received them, well something does not add up, and the imbeciles at Bells Shoes are going to insist that it's my fault. Thanks for reading this. Regards.

Thanks for your replies folks and I will check Shelter to see what they tell me. Yes the landlord is using a solicitor for the sale-it was the solicitor that informed the landlord of the sale and having to move out. Sorry I should have mentioned this before, I found the current place where I live at the last minute, and landlord didn't ask for a full deposit and I wasn't given a contract. I know very, very bad news for me, but I was desperate as only had a day to move out (I'd been given a month by previous landlord, but couldn't find a place until the day before I was meant to move out) and so accepted this place. Anyhow thanks again for your replies.

Hello all, I live with my landlord and two other tenants in what was his house. He put it up for sale and somebody has 'purchased' the house, he will pay my landlord this Friday for the house. Long story short but my landlord is going through a divorce and half of the money for the house that's now sold, is going to go to his wife. But she has not agreed to the amount being offered to her and wants more than half. Now my landlord was informed today that we all have to move out this Friday. Also just to inform you, my landlord has been told by his agents twice that we needed to move out by the end of the week, last week and the week before. The new owner has already showed the house to some students and they want to rent it from him. I was there when they came to see the house. The new owner doesn't even want to bother with cleaning/sorting out the house before the students move in, he wants them to move in the day after we're to move out. This sounds weird to me, I mean surely if a house is sold, the current landlord living there, or any tenants would have a month, in which to find a place? None of us have found anywhere to live yet, if we have to move out on Friday, then unless by an absolute miracle, we find somewhere, we will end up homeless. Is there something going on here, this doesn't seem at all right-or even legal (though I might be completely wrong about this). Is there something that my landlord could tell the estate agents regarding us having to move out by Friday, so that we could at least have two weeks to look for somewhere to move to? Also what are the legal requirements regarding somebody buying a house and giving the current landlord and tenants notice? Thanks for reading this and hope to hear from you soon.

Hello folks and thank you for replying. p3t3r I was told to phone up Carphone Warehouse customer services-by Vodafone, to cancel my contract, which I did but then I was told that Vodafone have to be told re cancelling the new contract, I phone up Vodafone and tell then but then they turn around and tell me that I have to take the device to CW and ask for a cancellation. You've suggested proof of cancellation but I only spoke to them on the phone, and if I go to the store it will be in person, so do you think I should send CW an e-mail or a written letter instead? Just thought I'd inform folks on here that Vodafone and CW are pointing to each other, re any returns or change of mind etc-they've done so both when I've visited the CW store and contacted them by phone, I have the feeling that the same will happen. Also both have been blaming each other, CW saying that Vodafone have to cancel the contract, Vodafone saying that as I took out the handset and tariff in store in CW that they're the ones who can deal with returns or changes, this has been going on since I've both phoned Vodafone and CW and also when I've been to the CW store where I got the handset. Oh and I've also been told by Carphone Warehouse that I cannot return the handset or cancel the new contract, both in person in the store and on the phone. One reason being due to the fact that I had an early upgrade. I went onto the CW website to see about returns and the cooling off period, and for Vodafone there is no return or the option to change ones mind re handset or tariff. So the main problem being that both Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse and pointing to each other and asking me to contact the other re cancellation etc.

Hello folks. I'm due an upgrade in September with Vodafone. Two days ago I went to Carphone Warehouse, just to look at possible handsets and tariffs. I was not expecting to walk away with a new handset or a new contract. The guy showed me a handset I was after and offered me a good tariff. He told me that to keep my existing number would cost me £3 extra each month, or if I cancelled my current contract and number and took out a new Vodafone contract on a new number, the line rental would be cheaper per month. I agreed to an early upgrade and a new contract/new number. I walked away with a new handset. He also gave me £30 for an early cancellation fee, to cover despite me having told him, and him actually seeing-on his computer that I was due an upgrade in September. Anyhow long story short...if possible... I phoned up Vodafone to cancel my existing contract-yes and I agreed to pay the early cancellation fee, but then they ask me about what CW offered me, and told me that they can offer the same deal on the same handset, but I could keep my current number, without paying anything extra. Here is where it gets interesting... I was told to go to CW and ask to cancel my new contract, which I tried to do but was told that I couldn't cancel my contract, or return the new handset, and that once a new contract was taken out, it wasn't possible to change ones mind. They also say that as you've been able to try out a new handset in store, you know what to expect, yes problem here being, giving half an hour or 15 mins to a new handset, doesn't give you the whole idea of what you are trying out, before you buy-it's stupid! I go back home and phone Vodafone again, as thought of just paying early cancellation fee etc. The chap I talked to told me that I could phone CW customer services and ask that they either pay out the old contract, or accept my cancellation of the new contract. He also told me that CW have done this to other people, as in offered people an early upgrade, but asked them to pay to keep their new number, and have refused to pay out the previous contract. Funny, as when I purchased my previous handset, Carphone Warehouse did offer to buy out my existing contract on an early upgrade which was two months early...oh yes of course but I forget, it's down to the individual's discretion! I phoned CW customer services up-the number that the Vodafone chap gave me, and the woman tells me that I cannot cancel my new contract, as Vodafone has to do it, as they're the network carrier. So I can possibly cancel a new contract-Vodafone depending but cannot return the handset-got it! I tried to explain the situation, but this woman insists that CW cannot do anything, I ask about the cooling off period of 7 or 14 days, and she tells me that it doesn't apply, as Vodafone have to cancel, and anyway I cannot return a handset either, she kept on repeating herself, no matter what I said. I told the woman that with my previous handset, CW offered to buy out the last two months of the contract with Vodafone, with my early upgrade, but the woman said that CW do not do this. I phoned up Vodafone, and for the 3rd or 4th time was told about the Carphone Warehouse non-existent 7 or 14 day cooling off period, whereby I can return a handset, or cancel a new contract. Vodafone tell me that as I purchased the handset from CW, they are the ones to accept a return within the 7-14 days cooling off period. Vodafone told me that it would cost £69.73 to cancel my existing contract and I've been told this four time by different members, however, the fifth time I rang them up, the guy tells me that it will cost £165 to cancel my existing contract-how is that possible? I can see where the £69.73 comes in, but £165 to cancel a contract nearly two months early? What I want to know is what if I go to the CW store and they tell me that I can't cancel the new contract, cannot return the handset, and that Vodafone are the ones that choose to cancel a new contract, what do I do then? Or who do I contact-as both Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse are pointing to each other and making me run around with contacting them, plus they don't seem to understand the English language (no offense here, I talked to people from the UK with both Vodafone and CW) and they seem to have an in built dialogue that likes coming out repeatedly, though I must say that the Vodafone people appear to have a better grasp of English than those of CW. Basically then it seems that you are FORCED into a contract then. Can somebody please give me some advice? Thank you for reading this Regards S.

Also dx100UK the debt is around 8 months old

Oh hello folks sorry I've not been on, I've been a bit busy. So the latest update is that when I went online with my bank's online banking system to cancel the direct debit it didn't show up, yet in the general bank statement it showed that £40 was paid out to Moorcroft on the 4th February. I then went to my bank to check this and the lady told me that Moorcroft did not set up any direct debit -so there was nothing to cancel -that they just took £40 out. I think maybe because they are expecting me to pay one more time to clear the debt perhaps?? I'm wondering what I can do I have sent them a letter telling them that I won't pay the rest of the money, and instead I would like to set up an arrangement to pay them £5 each month. ..but if they haven't set up any direct debit, then can they still take out the rest on the 4th March -despite the letter I've sent them? Also if they do decide to ignore the agreement plan and take out the rest on the 4th March then is there anything I can do? I hope I'm making sense:wink:

Thank you so very much for your replies folks:-) And Brigadier2jcs...I could not help but notice General Melchett on your profile picture:-)

Hello folks:-) I got a letter from that famous Moorcroft company and it stated that I owe Southern Water PLC £86.50 and that I needed to phone them by yesterday.. .otherwise there would be the threat of possible litigation. I phoned them yesterday, and the woman who answered gave her name as Hannah -she repeated her name several times during the call. I don't know if she was doing this on purpose-but at least her name is imprinted in my mind! I told her that I was unemployed and could not afford to pay the £86.50 and then she said that as I had not paid Southern Water for so long (around 8 months to be precise), that there was no other option than for me to pay half of the £86.50... being stupid I agreed to pay £40! then she said that on the 4th March £46.50 would be taken out of my account. I did try to tell Hannah that I was unemployed and could not afford to pay the amount, but she told me that I had no other option but to pay...half yesterday and the rest on the 4th March. Then she repeated her name a few more times and asked me to ask for her if I needed to contact Moorcroft by phone. I just wondered if she was being over-confident or cheeky by repeating her name so many times? Now looking back in hindsight I know that it was foolish of me to pay the £40 (instead of insisting that I wanted a payment plan) but I felt pressurised by her attitude. Now I'm just wondering what I can do now-as in do I write to Moorcroft and tell them that I can't and won't pay the remaining £46.50, unless it's in £10 installments each month? I also ask as I wonder if being pressurised into paying half of what you owe-when you don't have a job could be loosely seen as some kind of bullying or harassment? Thanks for reading this:-) Regards S.