Evening all Was wantin to pick your brains over an issue I have with Samsung. I bought an american style fridge freezer in december of 2007, which turned out to have dangerous manufacturing defects, samsung sent out an engineer to rectify this. When it was 3 and a half years old it packed in , with what turned out to be a design fault (featured on watchdog) samsung replaced it. The SAME fault has now occurred (3 years on) and samsung are adamant that this slightly newer model does not have the same design fault and will not do anything. I quoted SOGA to no avail. This was a £1000 purchase, I would expect the 1st one to still be going strong at this point not for the 2nd to have packed in too!!! Any advice on next steps anyone? Am I going to have to fork out?

Have just spent half hour on the phone with them. Apparently they acted on my complaint about unfair charges/fees and removed them all from my account, but then stuck £300 repossession fee on. As they cannot and have not repossessed my car I argued that I was not liable for this. Result was, £311 paid and ownership transferred

By my reckoning I owe £311, then some late payment interest. They are charging me £100 for 4 letters and £100 for the field agent. I get that these are 'penalties'. I havent paid them yet and shall be offering a settlement based on my calculations, so we shall see

I am ALMOST free of this. Have an agreement to pay slightly less than the original monthly payment but am now down the the last few hundred. Put the account into dispute in July as it transpires that they have me owing a couple of hundred more than my reckoning (which they cant explain and are 'looking into it') They sent a field agent out 3 times in the last two months.......despite the fact that i am paying them. Today they rang and informed me that they have added £100 charges for the field agents fees........surely they cant do this? The field agent said he had come to see if I would 'hand the car back' to which I replied 'No chance mate its almost paid for and why are you here when I am paying BCT?' He shook his head and said he would hand the paperwork back to Bct. Are they legally entitled to pass this cost on to me? Seems a bit naughty as there was really NO reason for him to attend

They CAN be beaten. Its all just shilly-shallyin hoping you will get 'scared' and pay up. Stand your ground, they have NOTHING on you, just laugh in their face when they spout their crap. They are doing their job, but I found that they DO blatantly lie and deny knowledge of letters/emails etc.....they leave you alone for a while to think you have it sorted then pop up again later. I am expecting a letter from them confirming my account is closed but I shall save millions of copies just in case. I don't trust them not to pop up again in a few years still trying it on. Power to the people and many thanks to the knowledgeable people on this site

UPDATE** I have today received an email from the council tax manager Thankyou for your e mail of 23 July 2013 regarding the above. My apologies for not responding earlier but I was on leave until today. I have reviewed all the correspondence you have sent to both ourselves and Rossendales. As a result I have instructed Rossendales to cancel both the levy and van attendance fee. I agree that the vehicle was subject to finance at the time of the levy, the document you sent to Rossendales at the end of June 2013 confirms the same. As the fees incurred by the bailiff have now reduced to £43.30 which is less than the £73.80 you have already paid Rossendales will be refunding you £30.50 in the coming days along with a letter confirming the cancellation of the fees and closure of the account. I hope this has clarified the situation and thankyou for bringing the matter to my attention. If you haven’t received the refund after 14 days please contact me so I can take the matter up with Rossendales. Result! Thanks for the input from everyone

Incidentally, dont know how relevant this is....(I may have dreamt but is there some kind of ruling that fees cannot be more than initial LO) This was for £106 that I overlooked

I do use it for social as well. For work I have to drive anywhere in yorkshire with 40 loaves of bread, a box of dough, 40 aprons/baking trays/hairnets etc etc......the only way i could continue is with a hire car. turbo went on my beastie and everyone joked that I should cycle with a trailer, but that is not going to get me wakefield to sheffield by 10am with a 9am start lol......appreciate the info edited to add: its insured sdp and business use with one driver....ME

Ploddertom, do you know what criteria is used to define 'tools of trade?' I could not possibly do my job without my car, is that not sufficient? :/

I emailed and posted an 'official' complaint when they first came back out of the woodwork about 2 months ago. Sent to rossendales and copied council and local MP in. Never got any acknowledgement from the MP. Council recently wrote back with a statement outlining what I had been charged and saying it was out of their hands. Rossendales deny all knowledge then after an email (seems to be the only thing they acknowledge) stated that in their opinion BECAUSE the finance was paid up (or should have been) las Nov then it was a valid levy. Levy was in 2010 lol..........Emailed them statement from finance company (last months) showing arrears and was greeted by the 'Well we will contact finance company, take your car, pay them off and ourselves of course, from the proceeds' Book price for my car is probably 2grand, so if they only get £200 how will that work then? Even if they were to somehow get away with it?

Just done that. Also my MP (again lol) If they have all had the paperwork then they SHOULD lift the levy. Should I say, here goes another round of arguing lol! Thanks for the input peeps, will update as and when

I need them to accept and agree it was an invalid levy. I suspect they will continue to argue until it IS paid off then take it

Ah, thats interesting Jospephbloggs! Basically then, they are believing it to be a valid levy. (even though it wasnt) So when I do pay the car off can they come and take it then? How long do I have to worry about this? Sheesh!!

Have just spoken to the finance company and they state that under no circumstances would they authorise ANYONE to remove the car from my possession. So, bully boys scare tactics are NOT going to work. Emailed them. I have proof all all emails sent and can print to show whoever. Dont trust them with written snail mail as they ignore you to lull you into a false sense of security then creep out of the woodwork later, when all the bits of paper are misplaced GRRRRRRRRRRR :/

Other question, is the levy not supposed to be to cover the LO, which is cleared? This is them threatening to take the car just for their fees.

Is not relevant that I only spoke to them to confirm the levy was invalid? They are so dodgy, leaving it alone until the finance agreement *should* have been paid off then resurrecting the case. My gut feeling is it is all scare tactics but knowing my luck I will get up to find my car gone

Yes they visited 3 times. On the 3rd visit, I was in but the first I knew of their attendance was when a letter was pushed trough door stating they had levied my car. I immediately informed them (in writing copy of hp agreement) and on phone that their levy was invalid. Heard nothing until a couple of months ago and they are now chasing levy and van fee, claiming they never had the proof of the HP. Have given them the proof now but they are saying they are going to take the car after speaking to finance company.

I suppose the other question is, as the CT is paid then COULD there be a LO on bailiff fees? If there is no LO on it then how can they take anything anyway? *confused, stressed and peed off*

Going to try and clarify with the finance company asap. The fact that it is also ESSENTIAL to my job is also relevant but Rossendales have totally disregarded this

It is as I thought according to that thread. he only thing making me doubt my position is the fact that I have not yet paid it off. It was due to end Nov last year and I still owe £771. I have rung them but there is no-one available in their finance specialist department so I requested a call back. I suppose it might be in their interests to say they can as they will assume that will make me clear off the arrears quicker? Bloody hell!!!! Ever wanted to drop a bomb on someone lol

Surely that cant be right? So if I get my son to phone up and say he will pay the outstanding arrears they could sign it over to him? Surely not? Edited to add: If my contract says they cannot take the car back without a court order then surely that is applicable in all situations? The levy is for unpaid council tax which has now (long since) been paid and it is fees which are (as far as I know) NOT subject to the liability order? If it wasnt for the arrogant bully boy tactics i would probably have paid their fees, but they have got my back up with all the underhanded stunts they have pulled. I do appreciate all this advice, so thanks gain to you all

I'm thinking the 'safest' option is to just pay the dodgy buggers, but that really sticks in my throat

But surely that is in effect a 'repossession' and they cant do it without a court order?

Thanks everyone. I am aware of the fact that the finance CANNOT take back my car without a court order, but was unsure as to whether they could assign 'ownership' to the bailiff. Thinking about it iits logical that they cant. Bailiffs do tend to rely on you not knowing your stuff and intimidating you into paying up. As my council tax is clear and up to date, I am under the impression that the bailiffs would have to take me to court to get these fees? Liability order was for the amount owing in CT. I just cant help having the niggling feeling that they will attempt something shifty

Yes. i have in fact paid them £73 in fees (in an automated call where it connected me to a payment line and I abandoned the call before confirming any payment due to card fees, but apparently a payment of 373 was taken anyway). I understand I would be liable for fist and second visits totalling £42.50. They are chasing me for £152, which is the outstanding amount of their fees for the levy and van attendance. I could pay then fees but it chokes me to do so because of the underhand way they have dealt with this. They are adamant that they have a valid levy. ;(