Hi there, I know this thread is a little old but I'm going through this with a web hosting company at the moment and RBS are refusing to refund the money. What springs to mind here is the fact you say that CFO took money out of your account on 9 different transactions. If you were not in the habit of paying this amount of money regularly to them then this should have flagged up unauthorised use of your card and put a stop on your account...thereby not allowing the transactions to succeed. the matter should have been referred to their fraud dept and they should have contacted you to get your permission before paying them. This is absolutely appalling practice by a high street bank. Remember you are their customer. they have to follow strict rules in connection with money being taken from your account...and....if you have not given permission for this money to leave they are under an obligation to refund you. Never deal with the monkeys...get to the organ grinder. You have the details now so if this happens again then you must go right to the top immediately. This is shocking.

I'm having problems with RBS at the moment due to a payment being taken for £30.49 to Network Solutions. I didn't know what it was for and tried to contact the company. they never got back to me so I have had to contact RBS. They refunded the debit and sent me forms to complete. I completed the forms and instructed them on there not to make any payments to this company. they then sent me back the other side's response and asked me to reply before 4th January. This arrived just before Christmas but I completed it and sent it off. I explained that I no longer have this account with them and because my account was cancelled any payments should have been cancelled with it. they didn't receive it before 4th January and took the money out again and are refusing to refund it. I've just sent them the links found in this thread and given them until tomorrow at 5pm to deposit the money back into my account. They told me they cannot stop any payments leaving my account. Since I instructed them not to pay this company they have taken a further 3 payments. These have been refunded but the £30.49 has not. It's a disgrace!

My contract is not with National Grid....their contract is with Scottish Power.

Yes they do.....and hence the contract with National Grid is between Scottish Power and NG....not the customer and NG! The contract with SP is for the supply of gas. If the gas supply is being affected by the fact that there is no protective cover...then I think that SP should supply that. After all....they take enough in standing charges and cost of the gas. I can understand if there is a box there...the maintenance should be up to the home owner. If there is no box there, if it is needed to protect the gas supply then SP should provide it. The lack of cover is clearly affecting the gas supply to my property so it should be down to SP to provide one. I contacted Scottish Power to have these meters installed and therefore if a cover is needed for the gas supply to reach my home - it should be provided as part of my contract with them. If it doesnt affect performance...that is different. This may be a safety hazard so therefore it should be provided by the company supplying the gas.

I've just had a look at this link you provided. It says maintenance of the meter boxes are the customer's responsibility...not theirs! However, as I have said above, my account is not with National Grid. My account is with Scottish Power....and please direct me to the terms and conditions where it states that you don't take over meter boxes? You supply a new meter for PPM so therefore you should ensure that the meter is kept safe and sound. That's what the person said that came to look at my gas supply when it went off. There is something wrong and it has nothing to do with me. This never happened before I had PPM installed.

My account is not with National Grid...it is with Scottish Power. When you take over my account you should ensure everything is in working order and safe. If its not, then you should make it safe.

I would like to add that this didn't happen before I got pre payment meters fitted. the meters seem to eat money. I'm putting in £25 per week on gas and electricity and I live in a one bedroomed cottage. I had to put another £10 in on Monday and that's gone...just put another £5 in today in the gas...and electricity. Electricity now showing at just 58p...with the money added not showing. I thought some of the money I pay by law needs to go to the supply of fuel for me. This is really bad and affecting my health.

Thank you for your response David. It seems that nobody knows who is responsible for the boxes then. My meter stops working when its cold because there is not a box around it. The guy who was called out to examine my meter told me that you were responsible...and that they fit boxes every day for the energy companies. If its part of making the supply safe....ie the pressure drops when its cold and I was told that there could be an explosion when the pressure goes up again....added to the fact that 3 times in 2 weeks I was without gas because of the pressure...so the supply that I am paying for is affected by this...then it would seem appropriate that you are held responsible to ensure the pipes and meter are safe! Can you point me in the direction of the legislation that says that you are not responsible for the safety of pipes and meters. The meter is outside my property and very vulnerable.

On top of this its very confusing. I am now in emergency credit on both meters and don't know what is going to be taken off when I top up. the man told me that the gas meter only takes money off when you top up......this is just wrong! People need to know where their money is going and they need to be told before these meters are put in exactly how it works and how much is going to be taken and when. If its confusing me....I'd hate to think how people with learning difficulties get on with this. It's just not on!

I live in a one bedroom cottage and am currently paying £25 per week for gas and electricity. I am in the support group for ESA and suffer from angina and other heart conditions. I had to wait almost a year to get assessed for ESA and, until then, was living on £60 a week...after crisis loan deductions. I can't believe the amount of gas and electricity that I am using and so have just phoned Scottish Power after looking on their website where they promise to stop any deductions to debts for the most vulnerable between December and February...the winter months. They say they would write to you. This is now January and I've just been told that I wouldn't get that help backdated. It's a disgrace. I would consider myself to be in that vulnerable group. I live on my own with serious health conditions and yet they continue to take almost £6.50 per week from me before I even take any fuel. The standing charges are disgusting. I really feel as if this is a PR exercise because how can they tell who is vulnerable and who isn't? Where do they get that information from? Do they get it from DWP? If so, why are they getting this information without having my permission to receive it? I also had to get Transco round to my property because my gas supply keeps cutting out...especially when its very cold outside. One night they had to come out and told me that there should be a box covering the gas meter for protection. I had raised this issue with Scottish Power previously because this meter has never had a box since I moved in. They told me they are not responsible for the box. The guy at Transco told me that they are responsible and that they fit boxes every day of the week. When I advised them of this they still said they were not responsible. My gas supply is being prejudiced because of this and I cannot afford to buy a box..... I feel really let down....firstly because I feel that the "helping the vulnerable" statements on their website are only a PR exercise and secondly that they expect customers who are buying gas at extortionate prices now....to purchase a box that protects the safety of the meter. They say the meters are covered by another company.....so despite me paying these prices to them they still refuse to keep your supply safe. This is completely wrong!

I just wanted to update you on this case. I had a pre-proof hearing on 14th December but the day before I fell on the ice and banged my head badly. I couldnt go but called the court and told them about this. I called back the following Monday and they told me that the Interlocutor says the Proof in January is dismissed and the case taken forward to March for negotiation. I have heard nothing further from the other side re negotiation. Does this mean the repossession case has been dismissed? I sent off Answers where it was clear that they had not followed pre-action protocol. Any ideas anybody? The previous Sheriff had set a Proof but that now seems not to be going ahead.

Hi there, the mortgage providers are supposed to use repossession as a last resort. If they can change you from repayment to interest only, meaning that you would not be in arrears or be able to pay them off then, in my humble opinion, that is what they should be doing. I'm not aware of the protocol in England but have just gone through it in Scotland and have had the case dismissed due to them not following pre-action protocol. I hope somebody comes along soon to help you but if you need to get any forms in prior to the eviction date then go ahead and do it. I don't think any judge will think you are taking the proverbial. We are living in hard times and they are dealing with these things every day in huge numbers. Please do your best to contest this before it is allowed to go through.... Best of luck. I don't think that any judge will take your home from you for these arrears when you are willing to pay interest only and a payment on top. I genuinely feel these mortgage providers are too quick to take people for repossession. It's immoral....although not illegal.

I bought a Galaxy Ace from a Vodafone shop in November. I paid £100 for the phone and wanted PAYG. The shop assistant said if I paid £10 per month I would get more services than I did with PAYG. From the start the only wireless connection that works is the one in my home. I cannot get onto the web when I am away from home. The first month bills were £37....I dealt with Lee and he sorted that for me. This month they are over £40. You can never get on the internet to check your bill and when I try to take a balance it is never up to date. I want to go back to PAYG again as I cannot afford these monthly bills. I am not well and used Freedom Freebies. I am not getting my full package either and yet they say I cannot cancel and go back to PAYG. I agree that the price increase does break your contract and you have every right to cancel. I really do feel that Vodafone somewhere along the line is not behaving ethically.

Re: as per CAG Gemspan [#10704233] This is the automated response number. Thank you for helping me try to sort this out.

Thank you Lee. I will do that now. I spent almost an hour yesterday trying to get this sorted with Customer Services. They tell me that I did make the telephone call...but I know I didn't. Why would I spend 37 minutes speaking to a PPI helpline when I have claimed back PPI myself using this website? I'm at the stage of thinking I just want to return to PAYG as I got nothing like this before I had a contract. The girl yesterday told me to cancel my DD...which I did. I asked her to put it on my records that she advised me to do this until it was sorted. I received a text today advising me that I had cancelled my DD and to contact them to pay my bill. The bill is wrong and that's the reason they told me to cancel the DD. I only received the installation details yesterday for the pack I have purchased in the contract....and I had to call them to get that! Its just been a mess and I wish I'd never changed. Scared to use the Phone in case I get charged. I am sick and need my phone but can't afford £25 per month and hence why I used PAYG previously. Thank you

I have a £10 a month contract with Vodafone. I recently upgraded my phone and the guy in the shop said it would be more economical if I took a monthly contract. I decided to take the £10 contract. This entitles me to 300 free minutes, unlimited texts and internet usage. My first bill was just under £11.00. The next bill I have received was for over £25 and I called to query it. I was told that on a specific day I called an 0843 number and spoke for 37 minutes. I did not! I searched the number and found it was a PPI reclaim company and I would never call one of them back. how did this happen that I'm being charged this amount for a call I did not make? In addition I was charged £2 for 2 text messages from a marketing company. Again, I said I did not send messages and do not look at spam but simply delete it. I searched the name of the company the guy gave me and it is related to Vodafone. It uses their SMS service to supply codes for your phone. I currently cannot get internet access unless in my own home using my Sky broadband and I have to speak to tech dept. Surely if I am paying for a service then in order for me to get that service they need to send me codes....but how can they charge me for this when I wouldnt be getting the service without the codes. I do remember 2 codes being sent to my old phone when I put the sim back in to try and get my contacts. Surely this is against consumer law? Can anybody shed any light on this please? I had no problems on PAYG with stuff like this. It just seems to be since I bought this new phone and went onto a monthly contract. I am really annoyed about it because I have to call to query when I don't want spam texts to my phone, didn't ask for them...and I ceertainly did not call an 0843 number and talk for 37 minutes.

Ida, I had no idea you could do this. I started full time work last year after being unemployed for a while. My council tax arrears were being taken from my benefit and when my benefits stopped I contacted Walker Love to propose an additional £25 per month on top of my full council tax payment. The did not get back to me...I put it in writing....and just went straight for arrestment. I didn't know it at the time but I have quite a serious medical condition and had to give up work. They went for arrestment on my last salary but as I had been paid in arrears for sick pay there was no salary and they got nothing. I contacted them and advised them of my illness and suggested they now take it from my benefits again. I knew nothing about the wages arrestment so how do you find out about it? By the time they got in touch with me they had already put in the wages arrestment and my employer told me they had to act on it. If this ever happens again what is the procedure that Sheriff Officers have to take before they can go for arrestment? I think Walker Love appear to be a law unto themselves. Thanks for this info. x

Thank you...just calculated its just over £1900....so will be posting that off....will keep you updated....

You're right....lol £3700.....I am winging it a bit but if I go in with these figures they can only refuse and come back with something else....lol Thanks IMS

Seems like a very expensive PPI premium! Shocking!

I did SAR them and got very little. I have worked out, using the loan analysis that the loan would have been for 12,700 over 60 months at a % rate to get approximately the settlement figure and then subtracted the PPI rebate....... PPI was £2700 and loan was £9000...total £12700...so PPI calculated to be around 20% of the monthly repayment. Does that sound about right? Looking at the way you calculate PPI premium on monthly payments...the percentage seems very high!

hi On 4 September 2001 I got a BOS Bank loan for £9000. That is the sum paid into my account. I made 4 monthly payments of £280.98 totalling £1123.56 and then applied for another loan. This was granted on 12 March 2002 for the total of £13,500. The repayment figure for the £9000 loan was £12,083.68 with a PPI rebate of £2800.43. This means that I paid a total of £10,406.81 for a £9000 loan for 4 months. I am wondering how I work out how much the premiums were for the PPI included in the monthly payment..and the total amount paid.....as the refund is almost certainly not a full refund and some of the premium would have been included in the next loan which did not have PPI. Any loans I have had for years before that did not included PPI...and years after. This loan was the only loan to include it and there is no way I would have applied for it because I have health conditions that would stop me from claiming...and....I was self employed at the time. Can anybody help me try to work out what figures I should be claiming for please? I contacted BOS today but they say they have no details of this loan..... Do I just make an educated guess as to how much they owe me? Thanks for your help. Gemspan

Yes thank you honey bee....I am dealing with the other stuff separately.

Thank you. I am hoping now to be able to just concentrate on trying to get well again. I was really scared of going for the medical but it wasn't as bad as I expected. I have a feeling that the government are targeting people who have been long term sick; who perhaps have been on benefits for years. This is the first time in my life I have applied for benefits so maybe that went in my favour. I just don't know! I do think it's terrible that others are being treated so badly and I do feel a kind of guilt that I am in the Support Group when others, just as needy, are being refused help. It just doesnt seem right. I am glad but I would rather be well and able to work....than feel the way I do and not be able to work. I hope that makes sense. I also have the threat of repossession hanging over me...but I don't think that will happen. It doesnt help your stress levels though. I will get quite a bit of backdated money. Can anybody tell me if they take crisis loans etc., off the backdated benefit due or are they just paid as normal. They have been taking £10 off me every week for crisis loans...one was only £50....and council tax arrears. I asked if it could be a little bit less but have heard nothing.

Terrible behaviour! It makes it even worse when you think that when they were experiencing financial problems...we bailed them out! Just goes to show a leopard never changes its spots....even when it is owned by the Government.....shocking! I wish you the best of luck. You won't need it because they are clearly in the wrong. gemspan