An investigation was underway on Friday night after the personal data of up to 44 million British consumers was feared stolen by hackers in a massive cyber attack. The information commissioner said it was investigating how the hack on Equifax, a US credit rating firm, affected UK customers, many of whom will be unaware their data is held by the company. Equifax and its UK subsidiary companies state on their websites that they represent British clients including BT, Capital One and British Gas. There are fears that customers of these companies could now be affected. BT said that "many companies in the UK" used Equifax services and said that it was "monitoring the situation closely". The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has urged Equifax to alert affected UK customers as soon as possible, and said it will work with the relevant overseas authorities on behalf of British citizens. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/09/08/equifax-hack-britons-data-watchdog-investigates-ukimpact-major/

Hi. I was on last 3 months of sim only contract, got in touch with Vodafone on the chat to get new device. Was told that they will put me on 24 month contract with iPhone 7 for £60/month with £9 discount, so I would pay £51 for 24 months, was happy with that so agreed to it. 'The other deal I have is for you, The deal is 24 months Apple iPhone 7 128GB (PRODUCT)RED Data 16GB, Minutes and text Unlimited, Take your home plan abroad Vodafone Global Roaming With the line rental of £60 and with the discount it will be £51. With the upfront cost of £100 and for you it will be £0.00 How does that sound? Also as I was told my new 24 month contract will start in August and I will be credited for the amount I would be overpaying now "I have taken the approval from my supervisor to end the contract on 18th of August and the deal will be updated this month with the credit for the current plan of £17.00 and half the month." I got bill from Vodafone recently for over £70 and next month charges for line rental are £54 instead of promised £51. There was no credit applied to my account as promised on the chat, luckily enough I got chat transcript so I can prove what has been agreed. Have they breached the contract? what can I do in this situation as it is annoying, they just don't care, they tell you one thing and they do something else. can I terminate contract with Vodafone fault as they did't keep to this what was agreed? Please give me some idea what can be done. Thanks in advance.

Hello, The landlords had started court proceedings for rent arrears, £3,500 although they have submitted incorrect amount to court I put in a defence providing as much info as I could & telling the court I was getting further legal advice. In the meantime I've sought legal advice from Which Legal who confirm that the landlords were in breach of Gas Safe Regs. I've then spoken to Gas Safe Register, I luckily got to speak to an Incident Investigator who said I must definitely report the landlords to HSE. We were in grave danger the entire time we lived at the property & the landlords failed to meet even the very basics of their legal obligations. The only reason there are rent arrears is because I became so ill I couldn't work for a year, still struggling now. Not sure what to do about this claim for rent arrears as I've been sent a Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track to be returned before 7th July. Which Legal can;t help as it's already at court, they told me to contact Shelter, Shelter say thay can't help any further because it's already at court?! Is there anything I can do? Get it delayed in any way? Should I update the court with the info that the landlords were in breach of Gas Safe Regs & further action is starting against them? What do you think would be the best way forward? Will I have to pay the arrears when the landlords were the cause of the arrears? I'd really appreciate any help or advice. Thank you reading my post

I have just found out via a work colleague that I am to be disciplined for something at work. It appears my line manager informed employee A of this, including the nature of what I am to be disciplined for. Employee A told employee B in a phone conversation. Employee B then informed me of this also during a telephone conversation. I have not been notified of this in anyway by my line manger and the first I heard of it was from my colleague. Speaking to ACAS they say that yes this is bad practice but what I want to know is .. .. is this a breach of my confidentiality? Any help or advice appreciated Thank you

As reported on Parking Prankster... CEL have been ordered to pay £905 in compensation & costs for breaching the Data Protection Act in regards to a private parking ticket. Ouch! http://parking-prankster.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/motorist-awarded-900-for-data.html

Hello, I am an apprentice who has accidently told someone unintentionally something I saw on something I was given to photocopy confidentially by a line manager. The nature of the document is something that will most likely be available to colleagues in about a months time. With it spilling out, I then had to see the boss to get a 'slap on wrist' warning, where I openly apologised and said it wouldn't happen again as I realised my error. I was then told that there would be a fresh start. But now a few days later they have decided to make a formal investigation out of it, so I have been suspended until I am told when to return which I don't know when. I am after some advice or encouragement so I don't mess things further.

'The payday loan firm Wonga has said up to 270,000 of its customers may have been affected by a data breach. The firm said it was "urgently investigating illegal and unauthorised access to the personal data of some of its customers in the UK and Poland". The firm said it began contacting borrowers on Saturday and was offering support through a dedicated phone line. The information stolen includes names, addresses, phone numbers, bank account numbers and sort codes.....Around 245,000 of the customers affected are based in the UK with the rest in Poland....' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39544762

Hi All, I have recently defended a claim by Shoosmiths on behalf of Capquest for a Cpaital One credit card taken out in Oct 2008, the last payment made was in Jan 2012. The claim was stayed at the end of Jan 2017 after filing a defence. Before filing the defence Capquest was sent a CCA request, a copy was also sent to Shoosmiths with a CPR31.14 request, which Shoosmiths remain in breach of. However today Capquest has sent a response to the CCA request (attached). They have also sent somebody elses application for a Barclays Sky Card which includes their name, address, DOB, household income, home, mobile and work telephone numbers and applicants signature. Any advice greatly appreciated, please advise if defence or CPR 31.14 request needs uploading. Thanks Penfolds

Dear all, I unfortunately suffer from chronic depressive illness and have done so for many years with the condition significantly worsening over the past few years. In the year 2011 I had been subject to police investigation. I attended a police interview on a voluntary basis. Due to my debilitating depression I had an appropriate adult also attend this interview who I understand was a social worker at that time. The social worker, without my explicit consent, went on to record the details of the alleged criminal charges I faced on the NHS Trust’s IT system and within my electronic patient records. This information is categorised as highly sensitive information as defined under section 2 (h) of the Data Protection Act and the Trust seemingly recorded this information unlawfully. Their response however is that the processing of this information was 'necessary for medical purposes'. The criminal matter has been long since disposed of in my favour however the Trust are continuously processing this information wherever and whenever possible. I am not clear on whether or not explicit consent was needed here. It seems to me it was. I should be most grateful for any input.

(Sorry if this has been answered before but I am not great on the laptop and couldn't find any answer on the site.) I have had a contractual breach charge left on my car in the car park of the flats I live in and wanted to get some advice. I was displaying a valid permit but they claim I was parked obstructively( I guess because the only place free I could park was in front of the steps) but I had left plenty of room for people to walk behind my car. Also, as the part of the car park where I parked does not have marked bays, isn't it up to the person parking to decide if they can park in a certain spot ( within reason of course) I haven't contacted the company who issued the CBC someone called, ethical parking management and I would appreciate some advice as what I should do because I don't feel I have done anything wrong so I am reluctant to pay them. Thanks

I would like some advice regarding the rent to home buy scheme. we entered the scheme some years ago and was told within the paperwork and contract that we would receive the first years rent back toward the deposit and fees. when the term was up the housing association wrote to us asking if we were going to buy the property. in this letter they said the first year rent allowance would be deducted from the asking price upon the completion of the sale. because we did not have the funds for the deposit ourselves as we were expecting the funds from the housing association we had no alternative but to advise them them that we could not afford to purchase the property. they proceeded to issue us with an eviction notice and we were declared homeless by the local council. Have they failed in their duty of care? have they breached contract?

Me and my partner booked tickets online to see Fantastic Beasts and where to Find them. On the Odeon Guildford website it stated that the 8pm viewing was subtitled. (We are both deaf and need subtitles to follow a film) We turned up on the night of the screening, 18th November 2016. I always check before we go into the screening that it is actually subtitled as in the past we go, only to be told there are no subtitles. I ask the staff, is the film at 8pm subtitled? He goes on to say no. I ask why? He avoids the question a number of times. I ask him again, and ask 'why not add the subtitles?' Its really is not difficult to do- (popular films delivered to cinemas USUALLY contain a subtitle track. Cinemas can switch this subtitle track on or off, like a DVD player or Sky box, BUT cinemas prefer to SCHEDULE subtitled shows in advance, so everyone knows a particular show is subtitled.) I ask him again, and the guy says 'people don't like subtitles.' I was upset and angry by this point, and I said I'd like to speak to the manager. He then says he IS the manager. I was even more shocked as this came out of the words of the manager. He could have been a bit more tactful. It clearly breaches the Equality Act. The subtitles weren't cancelled due to technical failure but because they decided to discriminate against a minority, whilst pleasing the larger minority (the hearing people) after specifically advertising the film as being accessible for that minority. It was an evening trip wasted, we planned in advance only to be hugely disappointed. We were refunded, and given two free cinema tickets and an apology, but that is not good enough. It was an injury and insult to our feelings, to be turned away just because we are deaf. Hearing people have the privilege of turning up to watch films when they like. Deaf people have restrictions - we can only see films that are shown subtitled. We've suffered as a consequence on the basis of characteristic (disability) which is protected under the equality act 2010. I have tweeted this, emailed the cinema, and am awaiting a response. I hope they don't get off lightly, I will make sure of that. I have proof of booking confirmation when I booked my tickets, which also shows the proof of it being captioned. But no proof unfortunately of the manager saying 'people don't like the subtitles.' I do though, have a witness. I am new to this forum, and so hi to everyone I am not sure what else to do, feel at a bit of a loose end and would appreciate some help and guidance on what to do next. Many thanks.

18 Nov 2016 we (stupidly) signed contract with Anglian Home Improvements for a conservatory. It was a four hour sales pitch, in our home. He offered us a special discount if we signed that night. He offered some sort of 'deal' if we used their financing. He offered us extra discount if we would agree to advertising. The meeting was between my husband and I, my mother in law and him (also add in two wired sleep deprived toddlers running around to the mix). Contract came out at 10:30 and he finally left at 11pm. We just wanted to get rid of him. At the appt, we discussed the fact that we were at the full amount we could afford and if anything else came up, extra building works, we would have to cancel. No problem at all he assured us. If we cancelled before 14 days, we would have deposit returned (£500) At worst, we would lose our deposit (£500) after 14 days. We were given the impression Anglian was very reasonable about this. We also discussed the age of our home and possible issues with planning permission. We advised that we were in a heritage area and lived in a home of special interest, as formally defined by the council. Again, he assured us this would not be a problem. 25 Nov, Anglian sent surveyor around. Surveyor flagged possible gaswork pipes issue. My husband rang Anglian to advise that we wanted our file on hold due to this possible issue. My husband again clarified our position that if any extra building issues arose, we would not be proceeding. He again was assured that monies would be returned to us in this eventuality. At no time, either sales rep advised us of any more harsh penalties. We contacted National Grid on our part. Anglian sent round a man to dig up our patio to check for pipes. This confirmed pipes location would not be a problem on the northern wall but we still needed clarification from National Grid as to where the location of the pipes intersected on the western portion of the conservatory foundation. 4 Dec, we received a letter from Anglian advising our file had been passed to CAD drawing stage. I emailed to remind them everything should be on hold. At this point, we were concerned that ancillary building works would be an issue re: the gasworks. We were also concerned with planning, having looked into it further. We also had our neighbour voicing concerns about the build and threatening to object to it. We also felt that we had been manipulated and information had been severely misrepresented. We were also starting to have little confidence in the customer service of Anglian due to their repeatedly pushing things through when we had advised them several times that our file was on hold. We sent a cancellation notice 19 Jan 2016 stating the above. On 22 Jan, we received an email from some women at Anglian telling us we would owe 30% so £7000 some odd if we cancelled. We then received a standard form letter from Anglian dated 21 Jan advising us that they were delighted to confirm their acceptance of conservatory contract (!). Clearly an attempt to bulldoze through to the next stage in order to justify their costs. We emailed back to set all this out again. On 5 Feb 2016 we received a very terse and basic legal letter advising us we owed them £7300 and that we needed to either continue with contract or pay this within ten days. I copied my email again to as many people at Anglian as I could and asked that they respond to our issues by end of day today. Unsurprisingly, we've heard nothing. I have been in touch with Citizens Advice and lodged a complaint with Trading Standards. Does anyone have any helpful words of advice? This has been extremely stressful. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I started doing work for a company in August 2015 on a self-employed basis (this is the only company I was working for). In January 2016 I had a meeting with the M.D. and the admin lady and it was agreed I would take over her role of processing orders, picking and packing, and despatch of orders, because she was leaving to work from home. This was in addition to my role as the sole production operative. I have it agreed in writing that I would be available for at least Monday and Tuesday of each week with additional hours should there be demand for so. Last month I turned up for work and the electricity had been cut off. The M.D. had not been paying the bill and also the rent on the units. M.D. came to an agreement for payment and on we went. I was then informed (by a TNT courier driver) that there was a notice of possession on the door of the units. I asked M.D. and he said all will be sorted soon. It is now the case that M.D. has defaulted on payment plan and owner of units changed locks. M.D. had again agreed another payment plan but has not signed agreement yet because he darted off on holiday and so this week will be the third week I have been without work and with rent and bills to pay, I am worried. My question is this. Do I have any right to ask for payment for lost hours because we had an agreement? Your advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

HA have done things i believe are a breach of data protection and it is bascially to turn everyone against me, it is two particular housing officers who are starting this hate campaign because they have lied and claimed the tenant upstairs is allowed laminated flooring and he is not. 1) I asked the HO not to speak to police about my case, she did this anyway and she also used my "block" on her speaking with police against me (even though i found out she did) 2) HO has told tenant above me I am getting an eviction notice. I was informed this information via the mediator. I spoke to the mediator today who claimed the HO only "said if there are any more complaints" funny he knew I was being served one though 3) HO has told mediator I had issues with another neighbour, she also told mediator i am from a domestic violence background which is why i had to move out my last property and the criminal is from "said area" 4) HO has told tenant upstairs i have other ASB against me, she said "loads" (from who?) the only thing i have written proof on is her saying she hasnt spoken to police due to my block but an email from police to confirm she is and that "several neighbours" apparently have a problem with me what can i do about this? I dont know if the mediator will admit to anything maybe if she was interviewed or required by court

While away on holiday my Father removed our Ethical Parking Permit ( as he thought it was the permit for our road) from our car which was parked on our buildings car park. We then received a ticket on our car saying we have a fine. The fine is for a "Contractual Breach" as our car was parked without displaying the permit. We own our flat and really don't see why we should pay this as it seems like blatant opportunism on their part as we have explained that we live there and it was a mistake. Does anyone have any advice? Many thanks in advance

So, despite all of the bleating, the hype, the threats, the smooth posting on these forums and elsewhere, BES utilities have been found to be in breach of several obligations of required industry standards. This will come to no surprise to a large number of people who had dealings with this shabby company and in particular it will come as no surprise to the victims who have suffered from the unjust bullying that they have received at the hands of BES utilities and which in some cases have even destroyed their businesses and their hopes and ambitions. I see that as usual, not only as a regulator taken his time in sorting this out, but the resulting sanction amounts to a mere slap on the wrist and produces no real motivation that any utilities company to do any better. Part of the reason for the limited sanction is that apparently BES utilities cooperated and also admitted the breaches – even though, there were only denials elsewhere. Of course, it makes business sense that when you've been caught out that it is best to put your hands up as quickly as possible and it seems as if this is what BES utilities have done to the regulator despite being in denial to their customers and elsewhere. It has now been left to BES utilities to approach their own customers with proposals of redress. Will they go about this in an honest and decent way? I'm sure that we will find out eventually on this forum and we invite all victims of BES utilities to come here and tell us whether they have received an approach and whether they are satisfied with the way that it is being handled. For people who are looking around for somebody to manage their energy supply, frankly we suggest that you avoid BES utilities for at least two or three years until they have established a track record of straightforward straight-dealing. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/investigation-bes-and-its-compliance-its-obligations-under-gas-and-electricity-supply-licences-standard-licence-conditions-7a-7b-7-14-and-21b-and-consumer-complaints-handling-standards-regulations-chsr-2008 BES utilities have previously come onto this forum in denial and also to assure us of their best intentions regarding their customers. I wonder if they have the bottle to come onto this forum now and to apologise and to explain to their victims what the next step is.

Hi All, I really would appreciate any help/advice regarding this matter. I worked as a contractor for this coy delivering orders for a retailer. Signed contract stipulated among others; 1) £8/hr and 2) one week notice upon termination of contract by either party. I started when I was desperately in need of job, after working first week they paid only min wage, and some months down the line £7/hr, and some weeks back they terminated contract without notice. They're in breach of said contract. They're also owing me final wages because I've not returned company property. When I started they gave a contract to sign but didn't give me a copy to keep. I only know of said breach after I sent letter threatening court action and insisting they sent me a copy of signed contract. Any suggestion would be welcome. Thanks

I have been a loyal Vodafone customer for 28 years and have always bought my own phone and had either pay as you go and more recently SIM only contracts. My last SIM contract had run its course and they were offering Unlimited minutes/Unlimited calls/20GB data for £20 p.m for 12 months - offer valid until 3rd March 2016. On 2nd March 2016 I visited my local store and dealt with the assistant manager, who I have always respected and dealt with on many occasions and felt very confident with his experience. I signed up for the above deal and specifically asked for clarification that I would only be charged for £20 on my nect bill in addition to any 'extra's' I chose to add on and he confirmed that to be correct. The mobile app confirmed this but the website didn't so I called them on 191 but they were closed. I then went on their website 'CHAT' facility and 'spoke' with a colleague who confirmed that the store Asst Manager had NOT discounted down the contract and advised me to return to the store for them to sort it out. I did so on Saturday for 75 minutes and the female assistant emailed the relevant departments and told me they would credit my account as the direct debit had been taken - I explained that under the D/D guaranteee facility I am entitled to have that refunded because Vodafone were in breach of their T&C's and they had called for the incorrect amount. The female asst agreed and I confirmed that once I had received the refund of the full amount, I would call Vodafone immediately to pay the correct amount in order to continue my services, which she said was ok. Today, I have clarified with the bank that the D/D indemnity is in place and being actioned and they confirmed it was. An hour later I find I have no mobile services.............. I'M WITHIN THE COOLING OFF PERIIOD SO i AM VISITING MY LOCAL STORE TO CANCEL TODAY AND JOIN A REPUTABLE COMPANY WHO MIGHT JUST VALUE A LOYAL CUSTOMER!!! If Lee (Vodafone Customer Contact with CAG) is available I would certainly appreciate his urgent input to this matter. Thanks in advance.

Hi I was wondering whether anyone has any good letter templates regarding a breach of data protection compliant against Vodafone. Basically, I tried to access my internet banking the other day only to be told that I was inputting the wrong password. I knew for a fact the password I was inputting was correct. After this failed a number of times I went online and tried to re-set my password with Lloyds bank. If anyone banks with Lloyds then they will know that in order to change your password for online banking they have to call you and you have to enter the 4 digit number provided on the screen. So I requested that they call my mobile phone (which I always do) however I wasn't receiving the phone calls even though it said on screen we are calling you now. I tried again the next morning and it still wasn't working so I called Lloyds Bank to see what the problem was. I was told by Lloyds bank that there has been fraud on my account, all monies had been transferred from my savings account into my current account and then attempted to be transferred from my current account overseas via Western Union. Lloyds realised this was fraud and did not allow for the payment to go through. Having discussed this with Lloyds and explaining what had happened they advised my that there must have been a diversion on my phone as someone had received the phone call with the 4 digit code and entered it correctly. I then called Vodafone who first told me that there was in fact interference/diversions on my mobile and that she would take them off for me immediately. After 1 hour and 12 minutes on hold I called Vodafone again off a different number to speak to someone else to explain my dissatisfaction with Customer Service and distress caused regarding the fraud on my account only to be told by this person that there were no diversions on my phone and that there never has been. I know for a fact the first lady told me there was and that they are not in any breach of data protection. I then asked them to confirm what phone calls have been made to Vodafone regarding my account in the 3 days, I was advised that I called them 2 days prior (the day before the fraud happened) requesting a copy of my phone bill to be emailed. I NEVER MADE THIS PHONECALL so there is a breach of data protection as they clearly discussed my account with someone else. Well after hours on the phone trying to make a complaint speaking to many different call centres based in the UK, India and South Africa I have still got no where! Can anybody help me out as I am not sure exactly what I need to put in my letter? Thanks

I've recently sent a parcel via their service but it was simply left on the front doorstep of the delivery address and then stolen. Drivers have guidelines for leaving parcels. These guidelines clearly weren't followed on my delivery. The driver left the parcel next to the front door, clearly visible from a public footpath which runs adjacent to a busy main road. The value of the item inside was £112 plus the delivery fee. I have just received a refund of the delivery fee plus £50 as that's all I was covered up to. I accept that I should have increased the cover for this item but have they breached their contract and duty of care in this instance? In the current terms and condition, it clearly states: “We shall supply the Services to You using reasonable care and skill” and “leave the Parcel in a safe place”. Clearly not in this case. The T&Cs also state: We shall be liable for non-compliance with instructions if it is proved that the non-compliance was caused by Our negligence or the negligence of Our employees, agents or Sub-contractors and that the non-compliance has caused You loss. In this case, the negligence of the delivery driver has caused me a net loss of approx. £60. I think it’s reasonable to expect a level of common sense and consideration from the delivery team. Leaving a parcel on the front door step of a house which is next to a public footpath is absurd.

Greetings Since the last talk talk data breach I have been having nothing but phone calls from people pretending to be talktalk with most of my personal details to hand. When I have been declining their services I have been called all manner of things - Insert Swear Words Here! I am still in my contract but what is the likellyhood of me leaving them and sueing them for loosing all of my data.

I in november 2015 I took out a contract and got a "new" couch from Brighthouse, I have started getting letters through in my name with JNR at the end of it. My dad has the exact same name as me, I dont stay with him, I have my own house. Surely brighthouse have discussed my account with my dad and confirmed my details to him, Surely this is a breach of contract and breaking data protection. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do regarding this,

Hi I know there are lots of articles on here and other sites about this with conflicting information, and the laws have changed a bit in the last year but I was hoping for some help for where I stand. Just moved into new flat and parked my Motorbike on some empty ground opposite so as not to use up any of the residents minimal street parking spaces. This morning I came out to find a Contractural Breach Charge on my seat (not stuck on). I looked around and EPM have put some signs up on the back wall but with no lighting and I couldn't see them when I got there last night. There are no bays marked out and no entrance or exit, it is just some empty land next to the side street and I was tucked up against a tree. The side street is council permit parking only between 9-6 Mon-Sat. It appears the advice is no longer to ignore them but if it had been windy this morning, I wouldn't have even found the ticket. It states it was observed for only 10 minutes and 9 seconds, colour not recorded, and the location is noted as a Solicitor's 2 streets away. Doesn't have my street name on it anywhere. I know this is an invoice etc but I clearly did not accept entry to any contract by parking there as the sign proclaims. What is the best course now, appeal to EPM then POPLA? Thanks Dom

Hi all, it's been a while since I last posted here, but have a bit of a question that I hope someone may be able to help with. My girlfriend has recently renewed her car insurance, although her existing insurance does not lapse until the 1st of Feb (a few days a way yet). The insurance she has just payed for is not due to become active until the old insurance lapses. Basically she has paid for her renewal early. Unfortunately her car has developed a major fault, so she now wants to cancel the policy before it actually begins. She had phoned her insurance company on the 25th and dealt with someone on the phone who took payment on her debit card. She has since phoned to cancel and has been told that she will not get a full refund. They want to charge a fee for legal cover, a fee for making a change to the policy etc etc. I suggested to her that she politely end the call and to say she would look into it and get back in touch with them, which she then did. I was of the understanding that under Distance Selling Regulations, any purchase made on the internet or over the phone that was not a "custom" order must be refunded in full within a 14 cooling off period. I would understand if the policy had already come into force, but it hasn't. Does anyone have any views, experience or advice surrounding such an issue? Many thanks in advance, Loaf..