Breaking RLP 'contract'

[lauraaan]

CAG,

 

Back in January, I shoplifted. I'm not proud of that, but I attempted to shoplift goods to the value of almost £50. I was caught, given an RLP notice, taken to the police station and fingerprinted.

 

When I recieved my RLP letters demanding £150 I ignored them, until they started to extremely intimidate and worry me, at which point I called up to make a repayment installment agreement. This is where I had a problem with them.

 

they sent me my 'contract', which I did NOT sign and return. The following month I made a £40 payment as arranged, however when I pulled out my contract to see when it would end, I noticed a discrepancy between the figures. It shows that I need to pay "4 months at £40 and one month at £19."

 

£179.

 

Beneath that, it says that the included debit card transfers amount to £7.50. Okay, that's £179, minus £7.50. Let's make that £160 for simplicity's sake.

 

Below this, it say the total amount that I'll end up paying is a little over £150. Which, as you can plainly see, is incorrect as I'm paying £160.

 

At this point, I've stopped paying them, heard nothing for a few months until a letter turned up on my doorstep. This has shaken me, and I'm too frightened to open it, as I broke their contract, which, as is explained on the website, is legally binding as I'm over the age of 18.

 

Is the contract still legally binding even though I didn't sign and return it to RLP?

 

Please help. I want to bury my head in the sand over this matter, but I'm too frightened of the repercussions.

 

Thank you

[2Grumpy]

I think that RLP misuse legal terms to intimidate.

 

I think that for a contract to be valid, each party will be benefiting in some way. I can't see what your benefits are.

 

You said that you phoned because you felt intimidated by their threats. I think that just about says it all.

 

That is the reason that you started to pay them. That does not imply acceptance of any contract (that you would not have been aware of the terms of)

 

First - open their letter. Remember they the designed to intimidate. post here what it says.

 

I think that you have several options other than continuing to pay:

 

1. send the single line letter denying any liability to them or their clients

2. just ignore them

3. as 1 but also demand your money back

 

See what other advice you get

[renegadeimp]

Never pay them. They have no right to ANY money from you at all.

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

Please post up the letter for us if you can, or scan it as a pdf [remove personal details though].

 

We'll help you through this, it's likely to be the same tired old threats because they're desperate for money. You may even end up smiling, people do.

 

My best, HB

[rebel11]

Hi laura

 

If they took you to court, would they succeed? I doubt it, as various court cases demonstrate, the amounts they are claiming just don't stack up.

[2Grumpy]

Can you scan the "contract" and post it up here (use paint or similar to remove name address etc)

[andydd]

GGrr.. We at CAG and other various organisation have made it clear that we do not believe that there is a valid case in law for RLP and the store to recover damages using their current system, the courts (in Oxford would appear to agree), so it is rather annoying that people ignore that advice and start paying RLP money that we believe that are not entitled to. The best option would of been not to pay anything AT ALL, and not get involved in repayment plans.

 

I fail to see how any agreement to pay could be considered a contract and fail to see what action could be taken other than start court action RLP/Store could take especially as pointed out you failed to sign and return.

 

The situation maybe different IF court action was taken and IF an agreement was made to settle and halt the action using a Court/Tomlin Order.

[rebel11]

Andy

 

I think this happened before the OP found CAG.

[lauraaan]

Andydd: This happened before I found the existence of CAG, or even really googled the company at all. I know, a bad choice on my part, but I just took them at face value as I was too frightened to get into any more trouble. With your second paragraph, are you saying that you think there's a large chance I'll get taken to court?

 

To others requesting I post scans: I'll do that this evening when I get home. I don't have a scanner, nor access to one, so I'll have to take photographs and type up the contents if they're unreadable.

 

Thank you all for your help

[ims21]

oice on my part, but I just took them at face value as I was too frightened to get into any more trouble. With your second paragraph, are you saying that you think there's a large chance I'll get taken to court?

 

To others requesting I post scans: I'll do that this evening when I get home. I don't have a scanner, nor access to one, so I'll have to take photographs and type up the contents if they're unreadable.

 

Thank you all for your help

 

You can take photos and convert them to PDF format and then post them up. Simple pictures such jpg files will be to small to read.

 

There are plenty of free PDF converters on the web if you don't have one.

[honeybee13]

With your second paragraph, are you saying that you think there's a large chance I'll get taken to court?

 

I would say rather the opposite. Have you read the Oxford court case thread here? It really didn't go well for A Retailer and the civil recovery firm.

 

My best, HB

[andydd]

Andydd: This happened before I found the existence of CAG, or even really googled the company at all. I know, a bad choice on my part, but I just took them at face value as I was too frightened to get into any more trouble. With your second paragraph, are you saying that you think there's a large chance I'll get taken to court?

 

To others requesting I post scans: I'll do that this evening when I get home. I don't have a scanner, nor access to one, so I'll have to take photographs and type up the contents if they're unreadable.

 

Thank you all for your help

 

Your local library may have a scanner, mine has one that you can scan to a doc and save it or email it to yourself...sometimes worth buying one you can get em cheap as chips now days, and certainaly cheaper than sending money to RLP.

 

Andy

[2Grumpy]

If you are asking whether you need to send any letters etc to "break" the "contract" then you don't

 

If any contract existed, you have broken it by not keeping to the terms of it

 

All that the other party could do is to consider taking you to court, or stamp their foot & send lots of legalise threats

 

If they tried taking you to court, they would get nowhere

[rebel11]

Care of Dx100 – Instructions on uploading pdfs

 

scan the required letters/agreements/sheets

as a picture file

remove all pers info inc barcodes etc using paint

but leave all figures and dates.

goto one of the many free online pdf converter websites

convert the image to pdf format.

or ir you have PDF as an installed printer drive use that

open a new msg box here

hit go advanced below the msg box

hit manage attachments below that box

hit the add files button on the top right

hit select files, navigate to your file on your pc

hit upload files

NB:you can set where it goes in the post by hitting insert inline.

the hit reply button