Rise of the car hire cowboy: Ombudsman sees 73pc increase in driver grievances – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 13th, 2017 in complaints, consumer credit, financial regulation, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

‘Car hire purchase deals are now among most complained about policies in Britain, Ombudsman figures show.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th June 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Payday loan complaints see sharp rise despite new rules – BBC News

‘Complaints about payday loans have risen sharply for the second consecutive year despite strict new regulations limiting interest charges.’

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BBC News, 13th June 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Debt fears grow as county court judgments soar by 35% – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2017 in consumer credit, county courts, debts, enforcement, news by sally

‘Nearly 300,000 debt judgments were filed against individuals in English and Welsh county courts in the first three months of 2017, the highest quarterly figure for more than 10 years.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Illegal counterfactuals: the Court of Appeal shuts the back door – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted May 2nd, 2017 in appeals, competition, consumer credit, news by sally

‘Suppose a defendant to a competition claim runs a defence that, in the counterfactual world in which no anticompetitive conduct occurred, pricing would have been no different; and that the claimant replies, “maybe so, but only because you were at the same time operating some independent anti-competitive scheme, which must also be purged from the counter-factual”. Can the claimant amend his claim to plead the independent anti-competitive scheme raised in his Reply as the basis for a new substantive claim even where it would ordinarily be time-barred?’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 28th April 2017

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

City watchdogs could ban ‘irresponsible’ car loans in new investigation – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 19th, 2017 in banking, consumer credit, financial regulation, loans, news by tracey

‘”Irresponsible” car loans will be probed by the City watchdog amid suggestion that drivers could soon be made to pass mortgage-style affordability tests before leasing new motors.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

FCA considers shake-up of credit card market to help consumers struggling with persistent credit card debt – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 5th, 2017 in banking, consultations, consumer credit, debts, financial regulation, news by sally

‘Credit card companies could be required to take more active measures to help customers struggling with persistent debts, under plans outlined by the UK’s City regulator.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th April 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Bailiff industry still problematic, say charities – The Guardian

Posted March 14th, 2017 in bailiffs, consumer credit, debts, enforcement, news by tracey

‘Bailiffs are continuing to intimidate vulnerable people in financial difficulty, despite a government crackdown on the issue, a group of charities has warned.’

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The Guardian, 14th March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Payday loans complaints rise 22% despite FCA clampdown – The Guardian

Posted February 28th, 2017 in banking, complaints, consumer credit, financial regulation, insurance, news, statistics by tracey

‘Complaints to the financial ombudsman about payday loans have risen to almost 200 a week – and not all of those experiencing problems necessarily fit the image of low-income borrowers relying on short-term loans to get by.’

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The Guardian, 28th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sharp rise in county court judgments against consumers – The Guardian

Posted February 7th, 2017 in consumer credit, county courts, debts, news by sally

‘The number of county court judgments (CCJs) registered against consumers has hit a record high, according to official figures that show that an increasing number of people will have problems getting a mortgage, credit card or bank account in the future.’

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The Guardian, 6th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Whistleblower wins 13-year campaign against HSBC – The Guardian

‘A lone whistleblower has won a 13-year “David and Goliath battle” against HSBC and Britain’s chief financial watchdog, resulting in a multimillion-pound compensation payout to thousands of people.’

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The Guardian, 20th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

An intervention success story: Powell v Palani – Zenith PI

Posted November 24th, 2016 in consumer credit, costs, news, road traffic by tracey

‘It was only a matter of weeks ago that I encouraged readers to look to 2017 for any future changes to the credit hire landscape. Nevertheless, it appears I was too hasty. The case of William Powell v Babu Palani was heard on 5th September 2016 at Birmingham County Court before His Honour Judge McKenna.’

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Zenith PI, 22nd November 2016

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Update ‘archaic’ laws to protect used car buyers, says Law Commission – The Guardian

Posted September 12th, 2016 in consumer credit, Law Commission, legislation, loans, news, repossession by sally

‘Anyone buying a secondhand car privately is in danger of having it repossessed without warning by finance companies under “archaic” Victorian legislation, the Law Commission has warned.’

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The Guardian, 12th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MasterCard sued for £14bn in largest ever British legal claim – The Guardian

Posted September 9th, 2016 in class actions, competition, consumer credit, consumer protection, EC law, fees, news, tribunals by tracey

‘Credit card group MasterCard is being sued for £14bn, the largest legal claim in British history, in a landmark lawsuit over allegations that it overcharged 46m UK consumers.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Banking watchdog to announce measures to boost competition – The Guardian

Posted August 8th, 2016 in banking, competition, consumer credit, fees, news, ombudsmen, statistics by sally

‘Overdraft fees and an easier system of moving personal and small business accounts are expected to be at the centre of measures intended to bolster competition in the banking sector.’

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The Guardian, 8th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Consumer Prepayments on Retailer Insolvency – Law Commission

‘This project is complete. We laid our report before Parliament on 13 July 2016 and await the Government’s response.
This project, which was commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), considered whether greater protection is needed for consumers who lose deposits or gift vouchers when retailers or other service providers become insolvent.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 14th July 2016

Source: http://www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission

Shoppers ‘ripped off’ by MasterCard stand to gain £400 compensation in record class action – Daily Telegraph

‘Shoppers have been ripped off by as much as £400 each due to unfair chip and pin charges in shops, lawyers preparing a historic class action case against MasterCard have claimed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 6th July 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The British women who couldn’t hire a sofa without their husbands’ signature – BBC News

Posted July 7th, 2016 in consumer credit, married persons, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘-When the first British credit card launched 50 years ago it was mostly used by men
-In the 1960s and 1970s, women were viewed as a riskier investment by banks and stores
-Women had to get their father or husband to sign for most loans even if they earned more than them.’

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BBC News, 7th July 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MasterCard faces £19bn lawsuit over claims it ripped off shoppers – The Independent

‘MasterCard is facing a claim of up to £19 billion in damages in a UK collective action over card charges that were passed on to shoppers.’

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The Independent, 6th July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Further shots fired in the long-running battle between credit hire companies and insurers… Zenith PI Blog

Posted February 8th, 2016 in appeals, consumer credit, contracts, damages, insurance, news by tracey

‘Credit hire litigation is rife with technical arguments which have been accused of being “layers of artificiality” (by Judge Mackie in W v Veolia Environmental Services (UK) Plc [2011] EWHC 2020 (QB), [2012] 1 All E.R. (Comm) 667).’

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Zenith PI Blog, 8th February 2016

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Court of Appeal: shipping fuel supply agreement was not ‘sale of goods’ – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 27th, 2015 in agreements, appeals, consumer credit, news, sale of goods, ships by sally

‘A contract for the supply of marine fuel on credit was not governed by the 1979 Sale of Goods Act (SOGA), because full legal ownership of the fuel did not pass to the owners of the vessel before it was consumed, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 26th October 2015

Source: www.out-law.com