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You were talking about illegal scams, what about the legal ones?

While that poor couple a few months ago are being investigated for selling tickets to win their house they couldnt sell, large companies (including the TV companies) can get away with not signing up to the lottery rules by asking an amazingly easy answer then getting as many people to call in on a toll number as possible.

Not only that, what about these bingo cards that come through your letter box or fall out of the newspaper. Scratch and win, and you always win...then you have to call a number that costs you an arm and a leg to find out what you've won (which of course is worth less than the phone call).
I once decided to try to play one of these in the legal sense, I sent off a letter asking for my entry to be included (by law they have to allow postal entries), they just sent back a poorly photocopied entry form. I filled it out and sent it back (2 1st class stamps later), and about 6 weeks went by.
Then I got a catalogue telling me what I had one, it was basically 10 watches, one was my prize and the rest I got something like £10 off. BUT wait for it...the postage and packing for claiming my "free watch" was £9.99. And of course the watch was only worth a couple of quid.
I rang trading standards and asked how the company can always without fail win on every punter yet be legal.
Trading standards told me this company was operating within the law.

How can such obvious cons remain legals for years...surely some of these mps out there should be protecting the innocent and making sure laws are worth the paper they are written on.
...................................
By the way...regarding Ofgen saying there is no evidence that energy companies are taking advantage of customers by keeping a positive balance on their accounts by overcharging direct debits.
Well of course they wouldnt...thats why Scottish power just sent me a letter here are the best bits its amazing!!!

"Heres some great news....offering you a new way to make your money work harder"
Its called "Pay in advance.."

So my money is working harder...but not for me, for scottish energy. You get 5% discount for paying up front a years worth.
Now thats a fair discount...you cant tell me now that energy companies are not completely switched on to the idea that having as much customers money up front as you can is a good idea.
I guess if you have money in the bank not earning 5% it might be a good idea, but I get fed up with these regulators who seem to imply that these energy companies are not trying to squeeze the last bit of profit our of customers and dont have an army of accountants working everyday to increase the cash holding in the business.

this blog is a waste of space (I'm being polite)

have you got nothing better to talk about than your typing mistakes?

there is a global financial crisis going on and the worst recession
in living memory - can you not provide some meaningful analysis
or insight?

no wonder you always get less than 5 people commenting - and probably even less watching

Weeks gone past and no new entry.

Thank you today Friday 1st May for at least mentioning how people react to the selfish people going bankrupt and various versions of it.
The guests with vested interests in arranging it of course were farcical in their claims the bankrupts suffer at all having stolen other people's money and never paying it back.
Lets be clear, having difficulty in repeat offending, as in not being able to borrow easily again for a while, is NO penalty whatsoever. Nor is there ANY reason to have them let off in a short time period to start again.
Anyone taking these IVAs, full bankruptcy's, or Debt Relief Orders are no different to thieves. Further why on earth should they keep their private pensions, any of them? Staggering! (what are they bankers!) ALL such assets should designated due to the people they owe. Even if they have to wait for them to mature.
People with debts chose to cheat and have things now rather than save up for them. Whether they lose their job or whatever cause, they got themselves in the position.
The example you showed was apparently living in immense luxury still, if that was his home? Rented presumably, or it would have been taken?
No one should ever be let off debts they owe, or any interest. They have no 'right to a life' after a few short years.

Declan:
Thanks for the OOPS regarding some of the mistakes
that were made recently....

~Dennis Junior~

TIME AND MONEY
Is it me or do others think the same,
electric companys send you a bill for what they think you have used[they have not read the meter] somebody [we dont know who] said you will pay this ammount ,its more than you have used ,the general policy with the companys seems to be [it will be deducted of your next bill[sounds a good deal to me] NO I DONT THINK SO ,direct debit = if you dont have it [YOUR BILL WILL BE HIGHER] why if i buy anything on the net they dont charge you for the bill its part of the cost of selling a product!

british management are the same as the MP,S [we can get away with anything ,tell em anything they will belive it,
[THE PRICE OF OIL WENT UP SO WE WILL PUT UP GAS BY 40% THEN WHEN IT GOES DOWN BY 50% WE WILL PUT OUR PRICE DOWN BY 10% ,WHO DOES THE MATHS FOR THIS!

dont read the meters,estimate it ,= when we over estimate WE HAVE THE MONEY for 12 weeks we will have the interest on it ,the customer will not,

Even if they only overcharged us £10 a bill x the customer base say 1million =£10,000000 , x 4 quarters in a year ,then your into a lot of wedge,

why does not this happen in germany because, they have policys with teeth =the type that would tear you a new one,unlike good old brittain
where we have ruber sharks [look good, exceptionly well paid, loads of paper work ,[BUT COULD NOT BITE A CHEESE SANDWICH ]

And dont we know it ,southern water give you a prepayment book [fixed rate of payment ,we have a meter over 2 quarters [not long moved in ]
we acumerlated £100 of credit,so after a phone call pointing out this is a fixed payment ,they gave us a lower rate of payment and a cheque for £66.00 allowing some for the next bill[result]
In a few months we are having a rainwater system put in ,
= some pipeing 2 water butts and a pump,this will save quite a bit,

With gas/ water /electric read your meter the day you get the bill,
phone the company and tell them what it is,they will then have your patten of consumption ,this will help them to understand your consuption
and bill you accordingly ,it also stops them from getting to fat to soon,

THE GREAT GAS BLAGG
We moved into a 2 bed bunglow recently ,from a 3bed house ,And when we stand by the back door in the morning,we noticed that both neighbours
had boiler vents going like a steam boat,when we spoke to them about the gas bills ,they both said unrepeatable things [one was £600 =winter quarter]
I waited untill we had the first bill [yes it was high] and we have an open fire[free wood] AND NOTICED THAT WHEN THE BOILER FIRED UP ,IT WENT WHOOF,i thought that it was a bit strong,it had been servised,
as i used to work on boillers [gas and electric] years ago ,
so i striped it down and checked it out ,the result was it had been set up to heat a 4bed house [we had all of the paperwork + the manuel]
this was corected complete with flue check and checks for co2,
the result was the next bill was £65.00 cheaper !

the point is how many houses have mallset boilers it must run into millions, ergo wasted gas and money,

our boiler now sounds nice and quiet and runs smoothly ,the water is just as hot ,same for the radiators ,the bill is not so big though

OOBUCKSHOT, do you know if there's any way for a mere layman to check if a boiler has been mis-set as you describe? I look after facilites for OAPs in sheltered housing, part of which is advising them on utilities and other normal household decisions, and I'm often amazed how their gas bills vary for similar sized properties. In some cases I've seen a £100 increase between one bungelow property on an estate and another exactly like it three doors down.

I appreciate the age and condition of the boiler and central heating system has an impact on efficiency, but would such a big hike really be down to a slightly older boiler? These properties were all refitted about 10 years ago by the council so if one system is older than the other it wouldn't be by more than 6-9 months.

I've tried the official site and also found some info on a site so I know gunk building up can effect how much the bill comes to, but I'm not able to find anything that tells me how the boiler might be set or for what property size.

Maybe it's something you need to be qualified to do, which is fine...I don't want to be messing around with gas. If it's something joe public can find out I'd love to know though.

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