麻豆约拍

An IT manager from Pontypridd has told how he鈥檚 having to sell his home after being pushed further into debt following a cold call from a Swansea call centre.听

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David Parry was rung late in 2012 by a Swansea firm called Claim Credit Services Ltd, operating under the name CCS Advice.听

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He was more than 拢20,000 in debt and says the company told him that they could wipe out some of his credit card debts.听

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David said: 鈥淭he longer the conversation went on, the more plausible it sounded. They had a number of customers who had had their debt written off due to breaches in the Consumer Credit Act.听 And they were getting a high success rate of getting credit cards and loans written off.鈥�

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But first he had to pay their fee 鈥� an additional 拢3,800 added on to one of his cards. He says he was told the claim would take no more than four months, and he鈥檇 have his money back one way or another after that.听

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David said: 鈥淚t scared the heck out of me to be honest, but If I could get one of my credit cards written off, just one, which was easily attainable from what they were saying, then I鈥檇 be in a much better position.鈥澨�

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But the quick pay-out never materialised and David was having to cover interest on his credit card debts. Eventually he was told two of the three claims on his credit cards had failed. David never heard back from the company on his last claim, and has had none of his money back. He is now selling his home.听

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David said: 鈥淚 was just about treading water, and reducing the balance.听 I鈥檓 now, as I say, worse off. I鈥檓 actually in a position now where I鈥檓 having to sell my house. The equity will pay off the majority of my debt and I start from nothing.鈥澨�

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The company that made those claims and took David鈥檚 money, Claim Credit Services Ltd, has traded as CCS Advice and then CCS Review. Its director is Nicholas Harle. When approached by X-Ray, he denied that his staff had mislead customers and apologised if anyone had lost money. It is no longer running听 the Swansea Call Centre.听

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The call centre is now being operated by a different company, Credit Clear Services Ltd of Dorset. It has a different director, but used the same staff in Swansea to sell similar services under the similar trading name of CCS-Review.听

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X-Ray rang them up, posing as a potential customer. They claimed that they were able to get credit card debts written off and get us large amounts of money back on a mortgage. Credit Clear Services Ltd has not responded to a letter from X-Ray. The company is still operating from the Swansea Call Centre with a new trading name, The Full Financial Review.

It's the time of year when we're booking up our summer holidays. And a lot of us will be booking a hire car to get around when we are there.听 It's not something any of us do very often. So guess what? The car hire companies have lots of tricks up their sleeves to bump up the price.听

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We asked travel writer Tom Anderson for some moneysaving tips:

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1.听Make sure you know your fuel agreement.
You need to check what your agreement says about fuel. Some companies will give you the option of buying a tank of fuel from them and returning the car empty. You will probably have paid more for that fuel with the car hire company than you would do at the pumps 鈥� and if you take it back half full you鈥檝e gifted them half a tank of fuel. If you get a choice, better to opt to return the car with a full tank.听

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2. Sat Nav Hire
Car hire firms can charge up to 拢14 a day for a Sat Nav 鈥� which will mount up over a holiday. It鈥檚 much cheaper to look around the internet for companies here in the UK which rent you sat navs for as little as 拢25 for a week. That could be even cheaper听than buying foreign maps for your own sat-nav if you have one.听

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3.听Take your car seat with you.
Now we all know car seats for the kids are an essential bit of kit, but they do work out expensive if you鈥檙e renting for a week. Companies can charge up to 拢11 per day. What many people don't realise is that some budget airlines let you take them on the plane for as little as 拢10. So it's worth checking.听

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4.听Don鈥檛 fall for the hard sell on insurance
If you damage a hire car you could face paying an excess of hundreds of pounds. Companies will offer you insurance to cover this excess but it can cost you up to 拢14 per day. It鈥檚 worth going online, shopping around and buying a stand-alone car hire excess insurance policy before you fly. You can find them online from as little as 拢20 for a week, and a year鈥檚 cover starts from around 拢40. Much cheaper!

Last year Royal Mail delivered more than a billion parcels and fourteen billion letters across the country. But things don鈥檛 always go according to plan.听

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Keith and Lucy Myers Sleight are from Quakers Yard near Treharris. Last October Lucy鈥檚 mother-in-Law Barbara wanted to give Lucy a special treat for her birthday. So she popped 拢50 cash along with a card, into the post. Barbara paid 拢4.10 to send it first class 鈥楽igned For鈥� delivery to make sure it got there safely.听

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But the card never turned up. The Royal Mail website showed the present had been delivered 鈥撎齛nd yet听they didn鈥檛 recognise the signature.听

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After complaining to Royal Mail the company revealed that a postman had said he signed for the card himself and posted it through their door.听 Royal Mail went on to say the family weren鈥檛 entitled to compensation as they had used the wrong听 postal method for sending cash.听

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But after X-Ray got involved, Royal Mail did give the couple their 拢50 back as a gesture of goodwill.听The company听also apologised saying 鈥榯he proper procedures had not been followed鈥�. They later told X-RAY that the postman involved had been reprimanded.听

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And their advice: Use 鈥楽pecial Delivery Guaranteed鈥� for cash and jewellery and then if it does go missing you will be entitled to compensation.