Crusader How we won you back £500,000
REFUNDS, wrongs righted, rogues routed and reluctant traders forced to see the error of their abysmal customer service ways were the highlights of 2017 as Crusader battled on your behalf.
The accuracy of energy bills, switching confusion and old style, hard-to-read meters all contributed to consumer misery and their sense of impotence when faced with sprawling, automated systems.
Yet Barry Parsons stood firm when all those around him told him to capitulate and pay £2,000 in catch-up electricity charges.
He was sure the bill from First Utility made no sense as he was variously told he was £296 in credit, then £800, then over £1,000 in debt.
The Ombudsman Services: Energy also told him to settle, piling pressure on Barry who submitted all the evidence he had. However when we combed through what he and his wife were claimed to have used, it was double his usual total and colossal discrepancies surfaced.
First Utility admitted an error after our intervention and also provided a goodwill gesture while the ombudsman reversed the decision, saving Barry from a huge debt hangover. Moving home proved a risky business, with more firms exploiting loopholes and customers carried away by cheap prices. Goods lost or damaged in transit and temporary storage were the subject of numerous complaints we received.
Just as bad were the bogus insurance contracts some customers were advised to buy at the time of booking that provided no genuine protection.
We helped Cass Helstrip improve the compensation she squeezed out of Energize Contracts Ltd, a company that has now gone bust.
For those planning a move this year, remember to get a fixed price in writing first, use a firm that is a member of a reputable trade body.
Shoddy workmanship by some sub-contractors and double glazing firms saw homeowners who had paid thousands of pounds forced to put up with draughts, ruined plasterwork and jobs not finished.
Leslie Fellman paid more than £11,000 for new windows but the work wasn’t finished. That rendered his 10-year guarantee invalid. After months of delay the job was done but Leslie does not feel a winner as he failed to get recognition for the distress and upheaval he suffered.
We regularly fought the bullying tactics employed by debt collectors working on behalf of the likes of private parking enforcers.
Disabled Blue Badge holder and cancer sufferer Roy Harris refused to buckle when, as a result of his condition, he had to make an emergency stop to use a pub’s toilet.
Roy had permission but still got a parking charge which we fought with all we had until it was cleared.
We also exposed another scandal after receiving several complaints from small businesses who had become bad debt victims.
They then became double losers after being taken in by agencies promising they could get the money back in return for hundreds of pounds in upfront fees but in reality achieved nothing.
Fraud, cyber crime and firms’ sloppy online security made financial transactions ever more hazardous for consumers; anyone sending payments to complete on property should be very careful.
The same goes for warranties which also proved rich pickings for the less scrupulous. Charlie and Marguerite Ricketts had one from P Kelly Warranties covering their Essati garage door but like the product it failed to do the job and it was only cover through their Tesco credit card that won them an £854 refund after the door fell apart.
Nothing will ever compensate for the distress and loss of time experienced by decent, honest individuals and business owners when they are cheated or get bad customer service. Yet the £500,000 we have got for you in terms of cash back, free guidance and losses avoided did help. We know because you told us. We’re here if you want justice...and Happy New Year.