Hi, looking for some help here as to how I can get Hermes to cough up and refund me my money after losing my parcel. On the 7th January 2019 I sold a circular saw on eBay for £150.00, because of the weight I decided a courier was the best and cheapest way to send it to the buyer. It was dropped off at my local pick up point on Friday the 9th January for next day delivery. It was over a week before the buyer got in touch to ask me what was happening with the package, I was of the understanding it should’ve been with him by now. It was saying on Hermes website the parcel was at a local depot. I sent Hermes a couple of tweets asking for someone to get in touch with me, no one ever got back to me. I finally got in touch via email where I was told my parcel has been lost. Hermes then claimed that as it was a saw it was classed as a sharp object therefore it was classed as a prohibited item, I argued that I took the blade out before I sent it (not true). They then said that despite it not having a blade it still falls under dangerous items and so they wouldn’t be refunding. I’ve since sent them 2 emails asking further questions and have had no reply. can anyone advise me where to go from here, my last email I told them if they didn’t refund my money in the next week I would be taking it to small claims court, is this the right route to go down? Or maybe there’s another method I should be taking? thanks in advance for any help and advice. kevin

Virgin Media’s 4 million subscribers are set to lose 10 UKTV Channels from Sunday 22nd July. This includes Dave, Gold, Drama and W and popular shows such as Taskmaster, Red Dwarf XII and reruns of classics like Only Fools and Horses. Virgin Media customers are venting their frustrations over the loss of UKTV via Twitter, with some threatening to switch to rival television packages Sky or BT: David Bouchier, Virgin Media’s chief digital entertainment officer said: “The problem is the BBC does not grant the UKTV digital rights with its TV shows which leaves it somewhat stranded as a linear dinosaur in an on-demand modern world.” “Part of a commitment to audiences has to be allowing them to watch what they want, when they want and that also means being able to watch those programes on demand. From US studios to small program-makers, that is how it is done. The BBC puts UKTV in a very difficult position and we have been unable to come to terms and will replace the channels.” https://uk.yahoo.com/movies/virgin-media-viewers-arms-losing-10-uk-tv-channels-132054866.html Discuss ?

2 days ago I was the victim of a crime in my local town. There was an armed robbery in one of our local shops where thankfully nobody was hurt. The getaway car that the robbers used was dumped in a back street where I live and set it on fire. Unfortunately for me, the car was dumped beside where my car was safely and securely parked as a result of the heat from the enormous blaze, the back end of my car has been damaged. The plastics covering the bumper, lights and badge on my boot were all melted and cracked and my boot door was all discoloured. It's a wonder that it survived the fire at all really what with the size of the fire. I contacted Hastings Direct as I have my insurance policy with them (Hastings Premier - not so premier if you ask me) who told me that even though my no claims bonus was protected in cases of vandalism, I was going to lose my no claims bonus. After hours on the phone and being sent from pillar to post, I finally reached a competent member of staff who assured me that it would be noted on my account that I was NOT at fault, but that I would definitely lose my no claims. What is this about? It is ridiculous! I am not at fault! This was all reported to the police and I have a crime reference number which was given to Hastings Direct, along with numerous photos of the car damaged, and the firemen putting out the fire. The firemen filed a report, as did the police! Can anyone offer me any advice at all please? I am at my witts end and feel like I am treated very unfairly!

I normally manage to avoid the store exit reps, those who are selling double glazing, conservatories etc, However, yesterday whilst I was at the Range, I got caught by a lady working for a law firm offering an hour's free advice on how to avoid assets being gobbled up by Care Home Fees and Inheritance Tax. I have already written a will, as has hubby, with the help of our own solicitor - we are tenants in common on a mortgage free property and have both nominated our son to inherit our share of the property and assets in the event one of us dies before the other. The chances of our having property value and assets that would create a need to pay inheritance tax is in the realms of fantasy (unless we come up on the premium bonds or win the lottery). The lady who was making appointments for her firm seemed to bat back my responses to her questions making like despite the plans already in place, that the authorities would still be able to place a charge on the home in the event one of us requires admission to a care home - despite the other still living in the home ? I have had a read of the following article in the Guardian and used their calculator using a hypothetical situation. According to the result of the Q/A - then if only one of us required admission to a care home and the other left still living in the property then the person who was admitted would not have their share of the property included in any calculation for fees.. this was not what we were told at the Range ? https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/aug/28/tenancy-common-care-home-fee-solution I have also looked at Age UK's website http://www.ageuk.org.uk/ I believe that I might have been misled by the above person in order to secure an appointment. The flyer I have been given indicates that there will one hour's free legal advice worth £200.00 VAT. I am assuming that if we were to go ahead with the appointment then any time outside of that hour will be charged at that rate. I will not be taking the Firm up on their offer, instead, I will contact my own solicitor on Monday to ensure that we have covered all bases, but would still be interested in hearing if anyone else has been caught out like this ?

My son is in the process of buying a house, and was recommended a solicitor, who is based away some where. My son has had to send some sensitive information to the solicitor, by post. He has sent two lots of info by recorded delivery, and on both occasions, the solicitor says he didn't receive them, although they were signed for. The solicitor seems incompetent, and is prolonging the purchase of the house, and causing consternation for my son, as he worries that the sale may fall through. Is there any complaints system to go to, or does my son have to endure this lack of professionalism ? Paul.

Hello there I have not put anything on here before but my daughter has and so she has introduced me to this. I am in a pickle and feeling the stress and at almost 70 I could do without it. I was a guarantor for my son for a loan a while back and he got into a terrible mess and tried his hardest to pay the huge monthly payment but had gotten behind with repayments along with a mountain of debt form elsewhere. Now me myself, I too am in a lot of debt and it is worrying me to the point I am awake at night just about my own mess. I own my home but there is a lifetime motgage on it as I released the equity in it a while ago. Does this mean I can't be forced to sell it? I am so worried about losing my home. Today I received a letter saying that if I don't pay the arrears of 900 pounds within 2 weeks, they will take court action against me and send the bailiffs. I can't pay 900 pounds but I am willing to pay something each month, as is my son. My question is, if this goes to court what happens? Will the bailiffs come to my house or try to make me bankrupt? I am worried sick over this thank you.

Hi, for the last 6 weeks I've noticed men in cars and vans , yes losing my mind because I think there following me, came out of my corner shop this guy staring at me, never thought no more about it, then on another occasion I'm going out of my back garden, he's there again, and now there's a white van and a black van circling my house, the guy in the black van parked outside my house for a few minutes then drove off, you must think I'm sad, I don't go out very often do to my illness, so I know who's who when I'm sat gazing out my window, I'm on benefits , so now paranoia has set in, 6 weeks I think they've had me under surveillance maybe more, what the heck is going on,

Increase in older drivers losing their licence on health grounds 3 hours ago An increasing number of people over the age of 70 are being stopped from driving for medical reasons. In the last year, the figure rose by a third to nearly 13,000. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31617865

Hi all, Hoping someone can help me here.. .unsure if I can claim against unfair or constructive dismissal due to the timeframe etc and am seeking advice on what to do and where to go so here goes.... I dismissed from an employed back in August for what they have described as gross misconduct. We worked in a sales environment and from their side they believe myself triggered a commission payment to a junior member of staff deliberately. I did not accept this claim and they dismissed myself but was however offered a lower ranking position where the salary was 5K less and due to the commission I had from my role would total 15K less per year if accepted. There was other incidents in the office where people had done the same and never been penalised and feel this was mainly due to the fact I had 3 weeks off. Senior members of staff including my line manager often let us change "files" into other members of staffs names to ensure they hit target so to me this was quite the norm. We worked in a heavily commissioned sales environment and quite often were tasked with doing junior members of staff roles, telesales etc and this impacted heavily on our commission also. In the May/June I was signed off sick by my doctor for stress and anxiety due to work and a marital split and was continually told by my friends who I worked with/colleagues that if I did not return to work after being signed off I would be demoted on my return. I decided to return after sick leave and was then confronted with the fact my targets were now increased (along with 2 other members of staff) over and above everybody else in the office and having 3 weeks off I was never going to hit these targets and miss out on significant commission payments. I was offered a lower salaried position but declined for financial reasons and the fact I had time off sick and was now even more worried about my job and home etc and felt due to this claim being brought against me I had no choice but to decline their offer of employment and to leave. I worked for the company for 3 years but had 2 breaks from the employer, once in year 1 after 6 months and after 20 months for various reasons including the company threatening to withold commission payments. Any more Q's please feel free to ask - I know I may have missed the deadline to claim but this is now impacting me on future job applications Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Citizens Advice warns that without a change in the law, more and more innocent second-hand car buyers could have their vehicle taken from them because of an outstanding logbook loan from the previous owner. New research with 874 used car buyers, released by the national charity today, finds: 63% of used car buyers did not check if the car they were buying had an outstanding loan attached; 2 in 5 drivers have never heard of a log book loan; 44% did not know they could have their car taken away by a log book lender, even if they are not the original borrower. Logbook loans, officially called bills of sale, are often taken out against a car. If a borrower fails to repay the loan, the car can be seized by the lender. But if the car is sold on while the loan is still outstanding and payments are not being made the logbook lender is legally entitled to take away the vehicle from the new owner. Evidence from Citizens Advice, released earlier this year, found one in five people who reported a problem to Citizens Advice about logbook loans had had their car repossessed despite not being the original borrower. Analysis from the charity also found the number of logbook loans taken out this year could reach 60,000; a rise of 61% on 2011. An increase in loans means an increase in risk for used car buyers. One man came to Citizens Advice after he had spent £1,100 on a second-hand car but a few weeks later he received a letter from a logbook loans company saying he owed £637. Despite contacting the loan firm to explain the car had be sold to him and providing the loan firm with the seller’s address, someone still turned up to take the car away. Worried he would lose his car and not have a way to get to work, he borrowed money in order to pay off the other person’s loan. Drivers can carry out checks to see if there is a loan attached to a car before they buy it. But not all loans will show up and often there is a cost for searches to look for loans. Citizens Advice wants the law to be changed so that logbook lenders cannot repossess someone’s car if they are not the original borrower. People who take out logbook loans also need better protections to make lenders treat them fairly. http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/pressoffice/press_index/press_210140623.htm

Hi Guys, I originally sought advice from this site about 6 years ago, suing the banks for charges and totally won which was brilliant. I'm back now, hoping some of the amazing folks on here will help me with my latest financial catastrophe. I was made redundant in 2012 with a pay-off and during 2013 while struggling to find a new job we got into some payment difficulties with our mortgage which is £790 per month. We've been in contact with the mortgage company and have paid as much as we can but there were several thousand in arrears. We made our payment in March (our normal amount) and today I started looking at mail and I have found that our bank, Santander has taken us to court and secured a repossession order. I'm so late to realise this, I have been working full time and trying to establish a part time business to earn as much money as I can, literally been killing myself with massive long hours of working, my wife is looking for work, but suffering from depression which is severely hindering her efforts and basically as we have been attacked from everywhere over debt every single day and struggling to pay stuff, we have tried to prioritise our payments but for a while there just stopped opening all these depressing envelopes - big mistake as I have just found out. The long and the short is that I have been sent a letter that says the house will be repossessed on April 30th 2014. I feel stupid and I have massively screwed up. If I throw up a red flag among my family and friends and ask for help, I am sure we can come up with the £4000 I owe to clear these arrears, my question, friends is am I too late to save my home? Is there anything I can do at this late stage? I'm so freaked out, I found out this morning and obviously I can't start making calls to try and find out what to do as it's Saturday so I am at my wits end. I have 2 children to support as well and my wife is really bad today and has been crying all day. I am severely worried about her doing something terrible. Any advice would be hugely appreciated. Thanks all.

Hi what can you claim if you lose your esa tribunal appeal . We went today for tribunal for esa what a waste of time my husband had is medical in october but since then is hernis as popped back out from 2 years ago and they won.t take that into consideration at the appeal they also didn't think that having more than 5 blackouts a year is anything to be worried about and we just went blank when we went in he also as a really bad varicose vein and bad back he.s on medication for all of them . They said we have to discuss this and send you the decision which normally means you haven.t won. What can we claim now he.s my carer as i have hyporthyroid and b12 difency with pins and needles through hands and feet constantly loss of memory and a load of other things i.ve a pip claim going through now . Is doctor says he can.t work he can.t even carry our baby son without being in pain. Should i claim esa instead of him can he even reclaim esa for is hernia now as different from before. We just don.t know what we can claim at all.thanks

A young chap , 25, has lost almost all the sight in one eye. He can still drive, for now, and he works for a large betting company. He went to one hospital and they delayed treatment and told him that if he was 16 he'd be a more urgent case. This was 2 years ago. He's been referred to another and told that they have to go through the whole evaluation again as they can't use what the other hospital has sent them and that will take 2 years and he will be completely blind by then as he needs cornea transplants amongst others. If he were a private patient he could have it done for £5000 within 2 weeks to save one of his eyes. The mods. may wish to put this on another forum. I'm thinking that he works for a large company and they would have to make provisions for his sight and can't just sack him so why not ask them to fund the operation rather than spending the money on aids for him to work there and he is a valued member of staff? He's not in their healthcare system and can't join now as it's pre-existing but he has been employed by the company before he was diagnosed. I need to check if he's in a union but asfaik he's not got anything insurance wise that he could fall back on. If anyone can think of anything and a way forward for this lad then do chip in and say.

Hi, I hope someone can help me with this nightmare I am having with Vodafone. I was looking at moving to a new service provider and requested my PAC code, however as I was away on holiday and busy at home, I didn't get around to using it, so as it was nearing the end of it's period, I called Vodafone to find out if it could be extended or if I needed a new code? I stupidly was convinced to stay with them and they would reduce my charges, I was told everything would just continue as normal on my account . A few days later,I lost service and called to find out what was wrong? I was told to switch off my phone for 5 to 10 minutes then everything would be okay, however this was not the case, so I called back and was told the same thing from the Cairo call centre who were really rude when I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told "it's all fixed " there is no need to speak to one. When I persisted I was told I would be called back in 24 to 48 hours. I called again the next morning and was passed from pillar to post before being told that I had ported my number across to O2. I told Them that this was not the case and that I had never used the PAC code and had never contacted any other service providers. I. Eventually spoke with a supervisor called Lynn at Glasgow who told me that I must have used the PAC code. By. This stage I could have banged my head against a brick wall!!!!! Lynn told me she was raising a fraud investigation and to call O2. Why should I have to call? I. Have done nothing wrong!! I did call O2 whom I had been with before I moved to Vodafone and they were very helpful. They told me that my number was still a Vodafone number and had not been ported across????? I have had to fight to get a temporary number from Vodafone and have never been called back by anyone, although I keep being told that they will get back to me. I. Have had my number for 10 years and want it back!!!!! I am now out of the country again and have had to contact family and friends to give them this temporary number. I informed Lynn the supervisor that I wanted it noted that I wanted my 7 days cooling off period extended until this is resolved, because if I leave now I will have no chance of getting my number back. I am appalled and disgusted by the level of service at Vodafone and my next step is the ombudsman. Someone please please help!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few of my own debts are with this bunch if clowns. Three infact. Had letters this month thanking me for corospondance, but they have misplaced it and would I mind sending it again. How can they lose documents? and no, I wont be sending them again.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/kfsnsnojidkf/rss2/