It has
been brought
to our
attention that
utility
companies are
entitled to
have monies
deducted
directly from
State pensions
to pay for
utility
bills.Under
Section 35 of
the Social
Security
(Claims and
Payments)
Regulations
1987,
deductions may
be made from
benefit and
direct
payments may
be made to
third parties
on behalf of a
beneficiary in
accordance
with the
provisions of
schedule 9.
Paragraph
2(1)(e) of
schedule 9
states that
benefit may be
paid direct to
a third party
in discharge
of a liability
of the
beneficiary to
that third
party in
respect of
water charges. Paragraph
7 of schedule
9 gives the
adjudicating
authority the
right to
deduct a
weekly amount
from the
specified
benefit. The
adjudicating
authority is
the body with
responsibility
under the
Social
Security Acts
and
regulations
for
determining
claims for
benefit.
Specified
benefit
includes
pension
credit.They
have to apply
to the The
Department for
Work and
Pensions .
This
we agree with.
However
it has been
brought to our
notice that
Pensioners are
required to
apply for this
and agree to
the amounts
that are
withdrawn from
their pension.
In a recent
case a
Pensioner has
been in
dispute in
regards to an
accout. Whilst
not going into
the details
the pensioner
claims that
the account
submitted
dates back
years before
he took
residence.
He requested
that the
dermination as
to what he
owes should be
determined by
a Court of
Law. A right
every citizen
has.
The
Water Board
concerned have
refused that
citizen's
right and
applied
directly to
the Department
of Work &
Pensions
without the
Pensioner
applying. He
did not even
supply his
pension
number. The
monies are now
being
withdrawn by
the Water
Board from the
Pensioner's
pension.Therefore
the Water
Board are
ignoring the
Pensioner's
legal rights.
Obviously this
is contrary to
English Law
and we are
concerned that
this has
happened to
other
pensioners. As
such we are
prepared to
act on behalf
of anyone else
who has
suffered such
actions. If
this has
affected you
or someone you
know please
get in touch
with Mike
Ripper on 0709
217 5220.
Don’t
ditch your doormat
Don’t
ditch your doormat, is
the message to flat
owners from the Health
and Safety Executive
(HSE) , as Taunton
Deane Borough Council
allege that doormats
in blocks of flats are
a health and safety
issue.
Taunton
Watchdog learns
council officials have
told tenants in one of
the Council's blocks
to remove their
doormats from outside
their flats because
they were considered
to be a health and
safety hazard. They
were bemused when a
council official
knocked on their doors
and issued the
warning. .
Apparently,
the council, supported
by the Fire Service,
had decided that mats
should not be placed
outside flats,
explaining that this
would help keep fire
escape routes clear
and prevent trip
hazards. However, the
HSE confirms that
doormats are nothing
to do with the Health
and Safety at Work
Act, which is the
legislation governing
safety in the common
areas of blocks of
flats.
The
HSE points out that if
flat owners are unsure
whether or not an
issue is health and
safety related, they
can challenge what
they have been told by
contacting the Myth
Busters Challenge
Panel at http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/myth-busting.htm
If
managing agents who
are members of ARMA
are unsure about a
health and safety
issue, they can access
free of charge the
services of
experienced H&S
consultant, Rob Lane,
by sending queries to
healthandsafety@arma.org.uk
PI
reclaims - Your bank
may have cheated you -
Again.
The BBC have found that
the banks have often been
repaying their PPI
claimants less than they
should have done.
We have
always encouraged people
not only to look at the
PPI premiums they have
paid over to their bank -
but also any charges which
were incurred as a result
of an overdraft or
shortfall caused by those
PPI charges.
The
banks are fully aware that
these sums should also
form part of a PPI refund
because they are part of
their unlawful take.
The FOS
has made it clear that
this money should be
repaid.
However
it could come as no
surprise that in many
cases the banks have not
being playing fair - or
honest and they have
failed to hand this money
over.
Specifically - and not
exclusively
Lloyds
( Cheating people out of
their money again - no
surprises here)
Barclays (could be one of
the most dishonest banks
in the UK)
Capital
One
MBNA All of
the banks declined to
appear on the programme.
Even
if you received a PPI
refund form some other
bank, you should double
check whether you have
received your full
entitlement.
Listen
to BBC You and Yours today
- and get back to your
bank and get the rest of
your money back - plus
interest - plus any
charges on those charges.
Of
course, one of these
reasons why this has
happened is that the banks
tend merely to tell
claimants what the global
refund figure is without
giving any breakdown. The
FOS, to their shame, have
been happy to go along
with this.
Once
again - there is no
requirement that the banks
should take the
initiative. It will be up
to you to make your own
claim. So much for
pro-active regulation.
Start
claiming again
straightaway. It's your
money. The banks have been
caught with their hands in
your pockets once again.
THIS
SCANDAL
IS BIGGER THAN PPI & BANK
CHARGES
We are
pleased to announce a new
service for disgruntled
consumers. We have
recently obtained judgments
against both telephone and
internet providers who have
taken money from Consumers for
Services they have unilaterally
withdrawn and not provided but
charged for. Under English
law this is breach of contract
and the courts have agreed as
those companies have failed to
give "consideration" to the
customers for that which they
have charged. As this is
common practice we are now
offering a service to recoup
such fees in similar cases.
Check your bills to see if you
have fallen victim to such
corporate activity. The biggest
culprits are within the
telephone, internet and
television subscription
providers.
These judgements
have been given on
"consideration" having not been
given. "Consideration in
English law is one of the three
main building blocks of a
contract. Consideration can be
anything of value (such as an
item or service), which each
party to a legally binding
contract must agree to exchange
if the contract is to be valid.
If only one party offers
consideration, the agreement is
not legally a binding contract.
In its traditional form,
expressed as the requirement
that in order for parties to be
able to enforce a promise, they
must have given something for it
(quid pro quo): something must
be given or promised in exchange
or return for the promise. A
contract must be "met with" or
"supported by" consideration to
be enforceable; also, only a
person who has provided
consideration can enforce a
contract. In other words, if an
arrangement consists of a
promise which is not supported
by consideration, then the
arrangement is not a legally
enforceable contract. Mutual
promises constitute
consideration for each other.
("I promise you that I will do
X, in consideration for which
you promise me that you will do
Y")."
A damning indictment of the
UK's dismissal of their
obligations to its own children as well as
its vulnerable disabled. Whilst
children in the UK are plunged into poverty
and near starvation, the
UK government pretends to be
'saving the 3rd world' from starvation and
injustice. The ultimate and
cruel hypocrisy of
today's Britain as one of the
world's richest economies,
we join the USA in hiding the
truth of what really is happening. We
too have soup kitchens, and church charities
providing food for hungry families, 200 of
them within 60 miles of where I live..
Save the
world's children dismiss your own.
The UK gave £80m to
Africa recently, that was to buy
influence away from China. Madness,
and completely immoral.
In the 30’s and 40’s, we fought
for children’s right to adequate
nutrition in the UK. Our campaigning was
a success: the Education Act of 1944
made it compulsory that all schools in
the UK provide milk to children under
the age of 18. We continue fight for
children in the UK today by supporting
some of the most vulnerable children and
families. Right now, 1.6 million
children live in severe poverty in the
UK. Our programmes make sure children
living in poverty get off to the best
possible start in education, and we’re
making sure they get the essentials they
need - a hot meal, blankets, a warm bed.
HUGO
HACKENBUSH
WELCOMES YOU TO THE
SOMERSET CHAT ROOM
The
Wessex
Tourist Board are happy to
introduce their chatroom
for the locals in
Somerset. Just click on
the picture of Hugo
to the left to enter the
room. Obviously this site
is for locals with similar
interests to chat to
each other. In order for
the room to be a success
it is necessary for you to
tell your friends about
the room so you can chat
to each other.. It is
hoped that it will become
the networking centre for
the locals of Somerset.
THIS
IS A SCAM THAT HAS
REARED ITS UGLY HEAD!!!!!
CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS BEFORE
LEAVING THE CHECK-OUT
A friend has
forwarded this story........
I had bought a
bunch of stuff, over £150, &
I glanced at my receipt as the cashier was
handing me the bags. I saw a
cash-back of £40. I told her I didn't request a
cash back & to delete it.
She said I'd have to take the £40 because
she couldn't delete it. I told
Her to call a supervisor. Supervisor
came & said I'd have to take
it.. I said NO! Taking the £40 would
be a cash advance against my
Credit card & I wasn't paying interest
on a cash advance!!!!! If they
couldn't delete it then they would
have to delete the whole order.
So the supervisor had the cashier delete
the whole order & re-scan
everything! The second time I looked
at the electronic pad before I
signed & a cash-back of £20
popped up. At that point I told
the cashier & she deleted it. The total
came out right. The cashier
agreed that the Electronic Pad must be
defective.
Obviously the cashier
knew the electronic pad was
defective because she NEVER offered me
the £40 at the beginning. Can
you imagine how many people went
through before me & at the
end of her shift how much money she pocketed?
Just to alert
everyone. My co-worker went to
Milford, Sainsbury’s, last week. She had her
items rung up by the cashier.
The cashier hurried her along and
didn't give her a receipt. She
asked the cashier for a receipt and the
cashier was annoyed and gave it
to her. My co-worker didn't look
at her receipt until later that
night. The receipt showed that
she asked for £20 cash back. SHE
DID NOT ASK FOR
CASH BACK!
My co-worker called
Sainsbury’s who investigated but
could not see the cashier pocket
the money. She then called her
niece who works for the bank and
her niece told her this. This is
a new scam going on. The cashier
will key in that you asked for
cash back and then hand it to
her friend who is the next
person in the queue.
Please, please, please check
your receipts right away when
using
credit or debit cards!
This is NOT limited to
Sainsbury’s; they are one of the
largest
retailers so they have the most
incidents. I am adding to this.
My husband and I were in
Sainsbury’s and paying with a
credit card when my husband went
to sign the credit card signer
he just happen to notice there
was a £20 cash back added. He
told the
cashier that he did not ask nor
want cash back and she said this
machine has been messing up and
she cancelled it We really
didn't think anything of it
until we read this email.
To make matters worse ....
THIS
SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE,
AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE
LOCATION!!!
BEFORE LEAVING THE
CHECK-OUT........CHECK
YOUR RECEIPT!!!!!
Tell your
friends
ELIMINATE
INTERNET
EMAIL CROOKS Phishing
the simple scam that
will never die These
phishing scams are as
old as the internet,
yet people still fall
for them every day.
The wonder of
the internet is that
sending hundreds of
thousands, if not
millions, of messages –
spamming – is so cheap
that it provides scam
merchants with the
biggest bang for the few
cents they spend.
The second wonder of the
internet is why anyone
takes any notice of what
they must know by now is
obvious nonsense. Why
does anyone fall for
tricks which are so old
they have been around
the block time after
time? Especially when
they have been the
subject of warnings
online, on television,
in newspapers and
magazines, in mailings
from financial companies
and just about anywhere
else you can think of.
And the third wonder is
the huge amount a
fraudster can make if
only one in 100,000
responds.
So I write this with an
air of “I know I should
not have to write about
this for the millionth
time but if someone is
doing this then it is
likely there will be a
victim, possibly for big
money.”
Phishing
- the scam that
won't die
The “This” is phishing -
attempts by scamsters to
get hold of your
personal details by
pretending to be your
bank and claiming a
security breech. Of
course, they have no
idea where you might
bank. As a result lots
of people are told that
someone has their secret
passwords with Barclays
or Lloyds or whatever
and they must contact
the bank immediately or
their account will be
frozen or lost, even
though they have never
dealt with the banks in
question. It's been
around for years so
surely everyone is aware
and no one bothers to
phish any more?
Wrong. This week,
I received an email
headed “Errors were
detected on your account
(Fix Now)”. And it came
from PayPal. Or at least
that
is what it said – the
sender was
“service@paypal.co.uk
but don't try it at home
because it has nothing
to do with the real
PayPal.
It read:
from:
service@paypal.co.uk
<service@paypal.co.uk>
Subject: Errors Were
Detected On Your Account
(fix now)
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013
05:04:16 -0500
Reply-To:
Dear Valued Customer,
PayPal security team is
sending you this
notification message
because we seem to be
having errors in the
proper verification of
your account. This might
be due to one of the
following reasons:
*A recent Change in your
Account Details
*An Internal error
within our servers
CLICK HERE to rectify
these Errors.
Regards,
PayPal Online Security
Team.
So I clicked
on the link to rectify
these Errors –
although I could do
nothing about the
errors in the grammar
and erroneous use of
capitals in the
message itself.
But whatever the
errors were, all I got
was a form to fill
in. And guess
what? They want
to know just about
everything about me
other than my
great-grandfather's
birthplace (which I
don't know anyway).
Had I filled it in, I
would have handed over
my credit card details
- including that three
figure code on the
back - so they could
have spent whatever
they could get away
with. Credit card
companies are much
better these days at
spotting unusual
transactions – so a
big purchase of
something easy to sell
(such as high street
store vouchers) or
easy to cash in (such
as some airline
tickets) gets picked
up.
But such protection is
never guaranteed –
nothing can be 100%
secure.
Playing
the odds
This is
phishing. PayPal
says it would never
communicate in this
way but at first
glance it looks
convincing. Now
I don't have an
account with
PayPal. As far as
possible I do not send
many payments
through it – I
think the last time
was about three or
four years ago. I
find it easier to
pay with my credit or
debit card directly.
But the
phishers are more
likely to catch the
unwary with PayPal
than by using HSBC or
NatWest. It's a simple
question of odds. More
people
online have or have
previously had some
relationship with
PayPal than with
HSBC or NatWest
or any other high
street bank. In
any case, the banks
are really fast
at removing phishing
sites.
There's
another organisation
that is even more
prominent than
PayPal and far
more in our minds
especially at this
time of year. So
expect
a number of emails
claiming to be from
HMRC offering a tax
rebate (usually
around £280) in return
for financial details
to its
“secure” site.
This
seasonal activity is
based on the recent
31st January deadline
for tax returns, the
end of the tax year on
5th April, and
the interest in
tax from next month's
Budget.
Phishing
folk seem stupid if
you spot them – and
yes, to
forestall comments,
I know it is obvious.
But they will convince
someone, maybe a
vulnerable person, and
they will get some
money from this.
So warn those you
know both about the
false PayPal and those
phoney HMRC
emails that will
come. HMRC has a
warning about this on
its website – but
the problem with all
such alerts is that
you have to find them
before the scam
merchants find
you.
Thousands
are still caught
each month, their
identities stolen and
their accounts (plus
credit
cards) cleaned
out.
Don't they annoy you? Those
sub-humans who pose as banks,
telephone companies, building
societies,Pay Pal, Tesco,
Wonga, and other institutions
and places that give on-line
accounts. Now these Vladimirs,
Mohammeds and Sergeys usually
can not even write English
properly think that they are
going to get us to click onto
their camouflaged websites and
we will give them the details
of our accounts to
plunder. As we have
about 40 email addresses we
easily notice a batch of them
landing in our mailboxes. So
we were delighted to notice
that Google has invited us all
to pass the details of these
fake websites to them so that
they may be blocked and
removed. We use
Monzilla's Thunderbird email
system. Now you can right
click onto these click-through
lines in the mail and up comes
a box which, among other
actions, allows you to
report fraudulent email
scams. Hopefully you
will use the system and help
remove these sub-humans from
our emails.
Firefox 3 or later
contains built-in Phishing and
Malware Protection to help
keep you safe online. These
features will warn you when a
page you visit has been
reported as a Web Forgery of a
legitimate site (sometimes
called “phishing” pages) or as
an Attack Site designed to
harm your computer (otherwise
known as malware).
THE
SUB-POST
OFFICE CATCH 22
Recently
our
Pensioner Patroller had
some problems with his I-Pad
which he had from Vodafone. It
necessitated that it should be
returned to Vodaphone. For the
purpose of sending it Vodafone
sent a Jiffy bag whigh was
pre-paid for by Vodafone.
The
nearest Post Office to his home
is Staplegrove Post Office. This
is still a considerable
walk. When he arrived he
passed the parcel across the
counter but the assistant would
not accept it. In fact she told
him that she would charge him
£9.75p to send it.
Disgruntled our valiant
Pensioner patroller refused to
pay and went home to complain to
Vodafone. He
was advised to take the parcel
to the Main post office in
Taunton. It seems that
these sub-post offices work on a
commission and if someone brings
a pre-paid parcel in they do not
receive any commission, so
certain sub post offices have
unilaterally decided to refuse
such parcels, as Staplegrove
Post Office did to our Pensioner
patroller. We can all choose
with our feet. Like as not she
is worried about paying staff
and keeping the premises and
business going. Life will get
harder yet, of this I am fairly
sure. The the prepay system is
not beneficial to the local sub
post office. Who of us would
like to do work and receive no
payment. The irony of it is you
still have to go to a post
office so that your parcels are
received into the postal system.
If post offices elect not to
process this type of prepay
system where are the
parcels to be deposited? Post
Offices have closed at an
alarming rate and I do feel that
folks should be more supportive
of them. However
this
is clearly a breach of their
agreement with Royal Mail. The
fact they are not getting
paid for it is a
problem between them and
Royal Mail. It does not give
them the right, as a
public service, to refuse
mail. A
Royal Mail spokesman said:
“ All Post
Office branches have to
accept items of mail on
behalf of Royal
Mail, regardless of where
or how the postage has
been obtained. At
the same time all recorded
delivery items have to be
processed through our
computer system and a printed
receipt provided."
Staplegrove Post
Office Contact Information
Branch
Staplegrove
Branch No.
215549
Address
Manor Road
Staplegrove
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 6AN
England
Branch
Size
2 counters
Telephone
01823325481
Staplegrove Post
Office Opening Times
Day
Open
Close
Monday
08:30
17:30
Tuesday
08:30
17:30
Wednesday
09:00
17:30
Thursday
08:30
17:30
Friday
09:00
17:30
Saturday
09:00
12:30
Validated
opening
times for Staplegrove
Post Office.
Opening times are based
on normal opening hours
and exclude public and bank holiday
arrangements such as
Christmas and Easter.
Please contact your
branch for local
arrangements for these
times.
WHY
DON'T
PEOPLE TAKE
NOTICE?
For
more
than a decade
now we have
been warning
people about
El-Con, Selva
Carmichael,also
known as
Michael Silva
or Michael
deSilva real
name Selvaraj
Narasimman....
Now 51. This
man, who can
not even write
English
properly, has
again cheated
innocent
people out of
their life
savings,
tricked a
charity,
conned tv
personalities
and again been
jailed for
£500,000 money
laundering
scam on
Santander. All
during the
period our
article in
2006,
reproduced
below , has
been on-line
for all to
read at the
press of a
search engine
click. Yet
Companies like
Linked-In
continue to
list him and
"his"
companies. He
was
the subject of
a ten minute
exposee by the
BBC West's
Inside Out
programme on
November 6th
2012. Selva
Carmichael is
now using the
name Michael
Silva or
Michael
DeSilva, he
can be found
at TMC The
Medical Co
Ltd, 1 Scott
House,
Admirals way,
Canary wharf
E14. He is
involved in
Schellenberg
Global Group
Plc (Danny
Narash is CEO)
and Worldwide
Finance Group.
His wife
Jashmir
Carmichael
Trading as
Global
Property.
Interesting to
note that some
of his past
companies have
been
registered to
a well known
'boiler room'
address, past
directors have
been Temple
Secretaries
Ltd. Let's get
him for all
his scams and
make sure he
is not allowed
out to scam
for many many
more years. A
Documentary
made by MAKE
World Media
Ltd using our
research on
Selva
Carmichael. Soon
to be shown on
Television.
THE
FILM PRODUCER
TRICK AGAIN This
time
Selva
Carmichael,
51, posed as
Silva Michael,
boss of
WorldScreen
Group. He
filmed with
Big Brother
stars Mario
Marconi and
Lisa Appleton
for a show
that never
aired and
posed as the
manager of The
X Factor
singer Chico.
Carmichael,
who is now
being sued by
one investor
for more than
£42,000,
declined to
comment on the
allegations.
The BBC's
Inside Out
programme has
discovered
Carmichael
also failed to
pay
celebrity-backed
charity the
Five Stars
Appeal
thousands of
pounds worth
of promised
donations.
Cico The X
Factor
contestant
Chico refused
to get
involved with
Carmichael
He then used
his celebrity
contacts to
convince
people to
invest tens of
thousands of
pounds in
WorldScreen
Group,
convincing
them it was a
successful
media company.
Carmichael,
who
is also known
as Selva
Narashiman and
now has a
family home in
Buckinghamshire,
promised a
quick return
but the money
simply
disappeared. The
X
Factor
contestant
Chico, who
refused to get
involved with
Carmichael,
said: "What he
wanted from me
was the
contacts and
friends that I
had, so he
could build a
roster of
celebrity
friends that
he could
actually use
to lure rich,
unsuspecting
victims." Big
Brother
contestants
Lisa Appleton
and Mario
Marconi spent
months filming
a show with
Carmichael
called "Lisa
and Mario:
Their
Journey",
footage from
which has only
ever appeared
on the
internet. Lisa
said:
"Knowing Selva
Carmichael
now, he's a
compulsive
liar, lives in
a deluded land
and is a
serial, serial
conman."
'Silver fox'
One
WorldScreen
Group investor
is currently
suing
Carmichael and
the company
for breach of
contract and
the return of
more than
£42,000.
Carmichael,
who likes to
be known as
the 'Silver
Fox', promised
The
Five
Stars Appeal
a £23,000
luxury
yacht holiday
as an auction
prize at an
event last
year as well
as making a
£10,000 bid,
both of which
never
materialised.
The charity
raises funds
for children
in the North
West who
suffer with
life changing
or life
threatening
illnesses.
A spokeswoman
said: "We
entrusted
Selva
Carmichael as
we do with all
of our
good-willed
supporters. We
severed ties
and took legal
action against
him, at no
cost to the
charity, to
try to recover
as much money
as possible." Carmichael
has
failed to
respond to
inquiries made
by the BBC but
Inside Out has
discovered he
is now serving
a
three-and-a-half-year
sentence for
an unrelated
money-laundering
offence.
THE
RIP-OFF
INVESTORS
TRICK AGAIN
Letter
From The
Victim
This man Silva
Michael (real
name is Selva
Carmichael -
Google this
name for his
imprisonment
details
Bristol Crown
Court) is a
massive scale
professional
fraudster, he
was imprisoned
for fraud for
4 years, he is
now carrying
out all the
same scams
again, and has
recently
scammed me out
of £42,000, my
friend
£10,000, his
ex PA £6,000,
we belive
there are so
many more
victims around
the country. I
am a single
parent, this
was my last
money from the
sale of my
family home
due to
divorce,
because of
this man I am
facing
HOMELESSNESS
next month
with 2 young
children !!
This man is so
convincing in
every scam he
carries out.
He is 5 times
bancrupt
(still
undischarged)
The Insolvency
Agency have
been chasing
him for 10
years of
income tax
etc. He is
destroying
lives and has
just started
the above new
website to
lure more
victims in to
suposedly
"invest" in
the TV
schemes, he is
NOT a film
director, my
money has
obviouly paid
towards this
new websire to
be developed.
We believe
there must be
many more
victims in the
country and he
needs
exposing, so
he does not
keep
destroying
lives like
this
repeatedly.
Even his 4
year prison
sentance has
not deterred
him. He needs
to be stopped
.
FROM
THE
HORSE'S MOUTH
We have
also been
informed that
Selva
Carmichael has
been involved
in some horse
racing scam in
the North West
of England. We
believe this
involved
either selling
race horses or
non-existent
racehorses to
professional
footballers.
Watch
this
space.
If you have
any further
information on
this man Click
here
to contact us
We
have
been contacted
by over 60
would be
investors who
tell us that
the article
below saved
them from
being ripped
off by Selva
Carmichael.
Our 2006
Article
Con-Man
Selva
Carmichael to
star and
produce
Bollywood
Movie in Chard
after
his earlier
appearance at
Bristol
Jail!!!
Selva Carmichael , real name Selvaraj
Narasimman,
46,( Known as
El Con by
Daily Mirror
readers) who
wooed
investors with
trips abroad
and promises
of a quick
return on
their money,
was jailed for
four-and-a-half
years in
Bristol Jail
for cheating
investors in a
Spanish
property scam.
Carmichael,
who operated
his company,
The Carmichael
Corporation,
from offices
in Bristol,
offered people
the chance to
invest in
property
options or
plots of land
in the Spanish
resort of La
Manga. But
soon after the
operation
began in 1996
"the whole
thing was
falling to
bits".
Most of the
investors
never saw
their money
again
including one
woman who lost
£100,000.
Despite a
police raid on
his offices in
1997,
Carmichael
continued to
trade as
normal,
telling
investors that
it was "all a
mistake" and
blaming the
police for his
problems.
Promising investors that he was going
to transform
the La Manga
resort, the
self-proclaimed
multi-millionaire,
"wooed" his
investors with
lavish trips
to apartments
in Spain and
promised them
a 100% return
within six
months.
Carmichael
pleaded guilty
to nine counts
of obtaining
money
transfers by
deception and
one count of
attempting to
obtain
property by
deception. It
was not known
what
Carmichael had
done with the
money. After
that he conned
people in the
village of
Coin outside
Marbella when
he started
managing the
old BBC
village of El
Dorado.
Stating that
he was best
friends with
Richard
Bransom
who he
called
Branston and
that he rode
with royalty.
It did not
take long
before he was
exposed by the
Daily Mirror
and ousted
from Coin
& El
Dorado.
He
also opened a
restaurant in
Newcastle Upon
Tyne and fell
foul of the
local health
authorities
and was fined.
Then
from "the Mail
on Sunday" 21
May 2006 by
Tony
Hetherington:
"ONETV
is
a shambles.
The
Advertising
Standards
Authority
upheld 65
complaints
against the
company, all
from viewers
who said goods
had not
arrived and
OneTV had
failed to
refund their
money. The
company in
Colchester,
Essex, whined
that several
top managers
had quit. And
it is true
that four
directors have
walked out in
recent months,
but that is
just the start
of it. Trading
in the
company's
shares has
been suspended
and customers
seeking
reassurance
from the
friendly
smiles of
presenters
displayed on
OneTV's
website should
know that some
of them have
jumped ship as
well. Debbie
Flint is one
of the
bestknown
faces on
various TV
shopping
channels, but
despite
appearing on
OneTV's
website, she
quit last
month,
announcing: 'I
have decided
not to present
any more OneTV
for the time
being.'
Hinting at
problems
behind the
scenes, she
offered her
good wishes to
employees
'during this
difficult
time'. The
people really
facing
difficulties
though, are
the customers
like the
couple in
Buxton,
Derbyshire,
who told me
they paid £97
for a DVD
recorder to be
delivered by
Christmas.
When it had
not arrived by
January, they
cancelled, but
months later
were still
awaiting their
refund. In the
face of all
this, OneTV
boss Graham
Avery, 61,
will say
absolutely
nothing.
Avery,
who has
half-a-dozen
other
directorships,
is probably
too busy
driving
between his
television
studio in
Colchester and
his home in
Ipswich in his
luxury
Mercedes. But
at least he is
more savoury
than one of OneTV's
owners,
45-year-old
Selva
Carmichael
- he prefers
this to his
real name,
Selvaraj
Narasimman ."
Guess
what!
Hackenbush
found
con-artist
Selva
Carmichael in
a winebar in
Chard on
Wednesday 13th
December 2006
spouting his
next venture,
and giving out
his card under
the name of a
dissolved
company. ( He
is banned as a
Company
Director and
been made
bankrupt
twice).Mr
Selva Car
Michael is now
self-styled
President of SELVASCREEN
INTERNATIONAL
PLC.
His
card
reads: SELVASCREEN
INTERNATIONAL
PLC
Film
Financing Film
Production Film
Acadamy Film
Documentaries
MR SELVA CAR
MICHAEL
President
Tel: +44
(0)1753 651700
Fax:+44
(0)1753 785737 Mobile
:+44
(0)
7841 262 2066 Email: selva@selvascreen.com
Website www.selvascreen.com
Our
Search
shows: Company
Details -
SELVA SCREEN
INTERNATIONAL
PLC
Registered
No. 05189862 Address:
CGC
33-01 25
CANADA SQUARE
CANARY WHARF
LONDON E14 5LB Type:
Public
limited
with share
capital
Incorporation
Date:
27/07/2004 Status:
Dissolved
company. Last
Accounts
Filed:
- Last
Accounts
Analysed:
-
See: http://www.ukdata.com/company-listings/Se-59.html
He
pays
by American
Express card
No
374289252191009.
He claims the
Company is
owned by his
wife and a
friend, but it
has been
dissolved. He
arrived in
Chard on
Wednesday 13th
December &
announced he
will be
filming and
starring as
the Indian
Prime Minister
in his
Bollywood
spectacular in
February at
Cricket
St.Thomas
& that he
wants to shut
Holyrood
Street for
filming.
This
article
has been
followed up by
the
Western Daily
Press see:
To
The Manor Born
at Cricket
St.Thomas
or is it
another El
Dorado?
or
in
OneTV's studio
selling
Sponsorships.
Emails
Response
from
Mr Selva Car
Michael...
alias of Selvaraj
Narasimman
I
will try and
reply the best
whey I can and
I trust this
might clarify
the situation
and I hope you
reflect on it.
In
la
manga , i felt
that at the
time there was
a great
potential in
acquiring land
on option and
hold them for
a period of
time and
ofload them
for a profit
and thus make
monies for a
small number
of investors .
As you expect
a large
proportion of
monies were
laid out by
myself , my
immediate
family and a
small group of
friends, we
started well
but because
our lack of
understanding
of spanish
laws and
things taking
longer then
our prediction
we encountered
financial
problems and
we just ran
out monies
thus the
predicment we
got ourselves
into and some
late investors
losts monies
and in any
business there
are risks for
high returns. since i
owned the
company I am
responsible
for the
outcome, To
deal with
spanish was
difficult
enough but to
be caught up
in their
system was
even more
difficult.
Because of non
payment of
promised
dividends the
police became
involved and
their presence
made in more
difficult for
us to proceed
to finalise
matters on
behalf of us
and our small
number of
investors and
all we were
delayed. I pleaded
non-guilty to
charges for
over 5 years
but on the
trial week I
was advised
that these
matters were
complicated
for a simple
jury to
understand and
against my
better
judgement
pleaded
guilty. on
sentencing i
realised that
i should have
pleaded
not-guilty and
tried very
hard to change
the plea on
the basis that
i made a
mistake but
failed. on you have
pleaded guilty
you know the
rest. I didnt
wish to enter
into something
to lose monies
for me or my
investors but
these were
circumstances
beyond my
control. We
were in La-
Manga when a
few people
knew it ,its
fair to say
its a popular
resort. I am
involved in
other business
including the
one you potray
, but as for
One TV , i
invested in
shares with Mr
Graham Avery
with a group
of friends and
have no direct
involvement in
the management
of One TV and
have sold that
stock a long
time before it
surfaced the
company was in
trouble ,
unfortunately
the reporters
in papers
concerned are
not the most
credible and
tend to make
up their own
stories and I
taking legal
advise on how
to handle it.
I have new
been the owner
of One TV or
had anything
to do with the
management. I took time
to respond to
this, I have
never said
that I was
closing any
street for
filming, I am
working on a
film project
and at cricket
st -thomas
witness by two
individuals
and i am even
more baffled
why you placed
my card number
and its a
clear
violation of
privacy , we
came to your
bar had drinks
and paid for
it and left. I
trust you will
remove it
.Should
anybody use it
clearly you
are
responsible as
a manager of
the pub and i
will inform
the
authorities.
I didnt
come to chard
to con anybody
as you portray
and I trust
you do
understand . I
took the time
to write this
and when I am
chard next I
will pop in to
see you.
Kind
regards,
selva
Second
email
from Selva
Carmichael
I
have e-mail
this article
to my lawyers
and asked them
to look into
the content as
its although
you based in
on article
that are
written are
wholly un-true
and are under
litigation you
are demed
liable for its
content and
clearly gone
to other
receipient and
liablious.
will be in
contact
soon. Kind
regards, selva
Editoral
Comment:
We are amazed
to learn
that twice
bankrupt Selva
Carmichael has
money to
invest in both
a restaurant
and One TV
whilst the
poor investors
who lost their
money, when he
failed to buy
the Spanish
Land Options
for them, have
not seen a
penny in
retribution.
The
authorities
should look
into where the
money he has
to invest
eminated from.
It is all very
well a man
being
convicted on 9
counts, but in
excess of £1
million
disappeared
never to be
found.
Innocent
citizens lost
life savings
and the
perpetrator
continues on
his merry way.From
1997
Mr Carmichael
was asked to
produce the
purchased
options &
always stated
that they were
elsewhere or
some other
feeble excuse.
If he was
innocent he
only had to
produce them.
He never did.By
any chance we
are a website
protecting
unwary
readers- not a
pub
Don't
Just Take our
word for it
SELVA
CARMICHAEL
WEBSITE
REFERENCES
We
Investigated
&
acknowledge
SELVACARMICHAEL
THERE'S no
keeping some
conmen down -
silver-tongued
SelvaCarmichael
kept popping
up throughout
the year. The
Spanish
super-swindler
started off
Our
old friend,
slimy scam
artist SelvaCarmichael
is up to his
tricks again.
This time he's
telling
would-be
investors of a
plan to turn
the former
Eldorado set
in
...
1373
of 1998 Date
of Bankruptcy
Order—17th
April 1998
These
proceedings
were
previously
advertised in
The London
Gazette on 6th
May 1998,
under the
description Selva...
on
business as
Finance
Securities
U.K., and as SelvaCarmichael.
Associates at
Suite 403,
Triumph House,
189 Regent
Street,.
London, W.I.,
as a Mortgage
...
3
Jul 2006 – And
one of the
owners of
OneTV is
convicted
fraudster SelvaCarmichael.
Switch &
save. • DEAL
FINDER: Find
the best
digital TV
package for
...
April
2006In fact,
our evidence
helped jail SelvaCarmichael for
three-and-a-half
years in 2002.
Carmichael,
45, was behind
a Spanish
property
investment
scam.
10/02
- SelvaCarmichael,
41, who wooed
investors with
trips abroad
and promises
of a quick
return on
their money,
was jailed for
four-and-a-half
years for
cheating
I
Said a Minus
100% Return.
10/02 - SelvaCarmichael,
41, who wooed
investors with
trips abroad
and promises
of a quick
return on
their money,
was jailed
for...
...Albert
J.
Rasch,
Kathleen R.
Novinger,
Sandra B.
Masino ONE
LIBERTY
PROPERTIES,
Jeffrey
Fishman 1POINT
SOLUTIONS,
Barry Stokes,
R. Mike Curry
ONE TV - SelvaCarmichael
ON...
18
October
2002Byline:
Andrew Penman,
Michael
Greenwood WITH
the flash
haircuts,
double-breasted
suits, plush
offices and
his boasts of
celebrity
friends,
slimeball Selva...
Yesterday
we spotted SelvaCarmichael just
out of prison
and boozing in
Smollenskys
bar next to
the Mirror's
London HQ in
Canary Wharf.
See the full
content of
this
La
expectación
está En la
imagen, SelvaCarmichael
en la noche
servida, sin
llamar a
marmenorense,
con unos
amigos puerta
oficial
alguna, ni
pedir
subvenciones a
cambio
Now
we
have
discovered
that one of
the digital
channel's
biggest
funders is a
serial conman
well known to
us. In fact,
our evidence
helped jail SelvaCarmichael
for...
Several
weeks ago, I
warned that
one of the
owners of
OneTV is
45-year-old
Malaysian-born
SelvaCarmichael,
alias Selvaraj
Narasimman, a
convicted
fraudster who
was jailed
for...
WITH
the flash
haircuts,
double-breasted
suits, plush
offices and
his boasts of
celebrity
friends,
slimeball SelvaCarmichael is
one of the
smoothest
conmen we've
OneTV
is part-owned
by convicted
fraudster SelvaCarmichael,
alias Selvaraj
Narasimman,
and run by
Graham Avery,
61, whose
record of ...
www.thisismoney.co.uk
Investigated
by Sammy Gee
and Annie
Martine for
the Mercia
Tourist Board
and The Wessex
Tourist
Board Click here to contact us
“IMPORTANT
NOTICE:
Private
bailiff
firms
contracted to
councils, are
defrauding
members of the
public with no
opposition
from the
Government,
Local
Authorities or
the
Police.
Local news
papers will
not, for
whatever
reason, report
on this
serious issue.
They are
failing in
their duty to
raise
awareness for
the many
thousands of
victims
involved. It
seems these
crimes will
remain
covered-up if
left to the
local press.
It therefore
must be
tackled by
members of the
public who are
prepared to
expose our
corrupt
councils.
It
has
been
publicised in
the national
press and on
TV, that
Rossendales
Ltd, who North
Somerset
Council
contract its
bailiff
services to,
is a criminal
outfit.
Have you been
charged Unfair
and Hiked-up
Enforcement
fees by North
Somerset
Council's
bailiff
contractors
Rossendales
Ltd ?
This
would
be in
connection
with either
alleged or
actual council
tax
arrears.
Does the
council state
that they are
lawful?
Does the
Citizens
Advice Bureau
(CAB) also
state they are
lawful?
You can
enquire by
contacting the
following
email for a
second, more
seriously
considered
opinion:
nelc.bailiffs@talktalk.net
Alternatively
or
additionally
you can
register with
the following
advice website
where free
guidance can
be sought
which may
potentially
save you
£hundreds in
charges:
http://tinyurl.com/7jppcez
WHO
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FIRE IN
DOWELL CLOSE ON XMAS EVE 2011?
The Old Rage
Pensioners
DEATH
AND
DESTRUCTION
As As a
pensioner resident
of the block of
flats in Dowell
Close that were set
on fire on Christmas
Eve 2011 I am
writing to register
my feelings as to
those responsible
for this event. It
appears that Taunton
Deane Borough
Council in their
wisdom decided some
time ago that areas
like Dowell Close
which were formerly
set aside for
Pensioners were
opened up to include
people of known
mental afflictions.
In Dowell Close two
such people were
placed some eighteen
months ago. Very
soon the
trepidations of the
pensioners living
here were confirmed
and regular reports
were sent to the
council and the
police about
this. The
person arrested by
the police was never
of sound mind to be
placed unsupervised
into the community.
He has recently
punched one resident
knocking a tooth out
and then posted
drugs through his
letter box with
threats, trespassed
into another
resident's flat,
argued with several
residents and been
seen prowling about
at night trying to
get into parked
cars. The police
have been in
attendence on
several
occasions.
Letters have been
sent to the council
and NHS as this was
obviously a disaster
waiting to happen.
The other person has
been abusive to
other residents
including one who
has recently died
and her relatives
who came to sort out
her home after her
demise. He has also
thrown stones at
another resident.
Trahically he was
struck by a No 25
bus in Bindon Road
on 9th January 2013
and has sadly passed
away. By
allowing these
people to be placed
amongst the most
vulnerable in the
community the
Taunton Borough
Council must be held
liable. This was a
Disaster that was of
their making and
they have been
negligent in not
dealing with it when
the residents
repeatedly
complained. Whilst
the unfortunate
perpetrator will
undoubtedly be held
responsible I am
sure that his mental
position will be
realised.
However those
responsible for
placing him there
and failing to
respond to
complaints are the
real people
responsible for this
fire which only
because of the
prompt action by the
fire brigade,
ambulance service
and police may have
resulted in
fatalities.
The Editor The
message written
above was sent
to the local
MP,the relevant
Local
Councillors,
Taunton Deane
Borough Council,
Local Newspapers
TV & Radio
and local
Pensioners
Forums on
December 25th
2011. The police
have also been
spoken to. We
have, at this
juncture,
witheld both
responses and
further comment
because there is
an ongoing
police
investigation.
However we have
emphasised that
Pensioners in
the area have
specific rights
to protection
and should have
been listened
to. In this case
they were not
afforded such
rights or
protection.
The Above
contacts have been
used by ourselves
in regards this
incident
Further
to the article
above we have
been writing
to the various
public sector
people and
have come
across varying
degrees of
response &
non response.
Basically we
have been
contacted back
by the Police,
Taunton Deane
Borough
Council Liason
Officer, The
Taunton Deane
Borough
Housing
Councillor,
The Local
Mental Health
Office, Jeremy
Browne MP,
Taunton
Pensioners
Forum,
The South West
Seniors Forum,
The Minister
For Housing
& Local
Government The
Rt Hon Grant
Shapps MP and
a twot from
the Housing
office at TDBC
whose only
reply was that
she had
registered our
editor's
letter on his
"record".
Basically so
far from the
Council side
the buck has
been passed
onto central
government in
response the
Minister's
office has
quoted chapter
& verse
showing that
such decisions
are made
locally.
Everyone else
has tried to
hide behind
the sub judice
of the case
mentioned
above.
Our question
has little to
do with that
case. The case
is only the
manifestation
of the
stupidity of
mixing oil
with water.
The simple
unanswered
question is
that the buck
passers have
placed young
people with
mental
afflictions
beside
vulnerable
senior
citizens. This
does not work
for either
party. The
senior
citizens are
being
frightened and
confused and
those with
mental
afflictions
have none of
their
contempories
to turn
to. It
is our opinion
that there is
a prima face
case for both
parties to
take legal
action against
the buck
passers at
least for
harassment and
at most for
substantial
damages. We
have found
that in the
Private Sector
a SEO or
senior member
of a Company
takes
responsibility
and tries to
rectify the
position. In
the Public
Sector they
try and pass
the
buck.
There are many
good people in
the public
sector but
there are also
some very
rotten apples.
If we do not
get
satisfactory
responses by
September 1st
2012 we shall
start NAMING
& SHAMING
these rotten
apples in
these columns
as we have
done within
HMRC in the
past in our
financial
websites. We
will not
simply put it
on a record
but let all
& sundry
know about
them. They are
hereby warned.
The pictures
on this
article are
some of those
who are
assisting in
this matter. The
Editor.
STOP PAYING HIGH CHARGES FOR 08 NUMBERS
FROM YOUR
MOBILE
Mobile networks charge
a fortune to call “freephone”
0800, 0808 and 0500 numbers. But
there are a number of smartphone
apps that can cut the cost of
calling 08 numbers from your
mobile phone. Call 0800, 0808
and 0870 numbers for free from
your mobile. Despite most mobile
tariffs offering a certain
amount of inclusive minutes,
these are limited to UK landline
01, 02 or 03 numbers and other
mobile numbers. Calling
so-called non-geographical
numbers such as 0800, 0870 and
0844, often used by banks and
insurers, will cost you extra.
For example, calling 0800
numbers from an O2 contract
mobile phone costs 20.4p a
minute. So a 10-minute call to
your bank will set you back
£2.04. Calling an 0871 number
will cost an eye-watering 35.8p
a minute.
Other networks charge similar
sky-high prices. Vodafone
charges 14p a minute to 0800
numbers and 35p a minute to 0871
or 0844. Orange charges a
whopping 40p a minute to 0844 or
0871 numbers. This means a
10-minute call to your insurance
company on an 0844 number will
cost you £4.
But if you grab one of the apps
below, you can cut the cost of
calling 08 numbers when using
your smartphone.
0870
Based on the popular saynoto0870.com
website, this app allows
users to insert the 0870 number
they’ve been given and the app
searches the database for an
alternative 01 or 02 number
which will be included in your
free minutes.
It then tells users the number
and gives you the option whether
to call it or not. However, the
database is not particularly
comprehensive – I tried several
0870 and 0844 numbers before I
found one for which the app came
up with an alternative.
It’s 69p if
you have an iPhone but a similar
app for Google Android phones
called 'Say
No
To 0870 0800 0845' is
free.
08 Saver
Costing 69p on an iPhone, this
app works in a slightly
different way from the others.
Users can search categories such
as airlines, banks and insurance
companies and find alternative
numbers for a company’s 08
numbers.
For example if you choose
“insurance”, and then Admiral,
it lists charged 08 numbers and
01 or 02 alternatives where
available for the insurer
Admiral. Users can then decide
which number to call.
There’s also a search function
where you can look up a company
and find 01 or 02 alternatives
to its advertised 08 numbers. So
unlike the other apps, you don’t
have to know the 08 number you
need to call - just the company
name.
This free app works on Android,
BlackBerry, and iPhones. It
works by replacing 0800, 0500 or
0808 calls with a 01 or 02
landline number, meaning you can
make the call using your free
inclusive minutes if you’re on a
contract or at a lower rate if
you’re on pay-as-you-go (PAYG).
The app itself is fairly basic,
allowing you to input a number,
view recent calls made with the
app and a short information
page, but that’s about it. Once
you have put the number in it
will then generate a number and
redirect your call to that
number.
0800
Buster works in a
different way to the other apps,
in that it isn’t really an app
but instead is a landline number
you call before dialling the
0800, 0808 or 0500 number you
want.
It works in a similar way to
landline prefix numbers. First
you need to visit
0800buster.co.uk and look for a
landline number starting with 01
or 02 on the left-hand side of
the page. It has several numbers
and a random one is chosen
whenever someone new visits the
site.
Save the number on your mobile
and dial it when you need to
call a 0800, 0808 or 0500
number. When you dial the number
you’ll be prompted to tap in the
freephone number you want to
call followed by the hash (#)
sign. Do this and you’ll only be
charged for a UK landline number
which will be free if you have
inclusive minutes.
Aftab Sachak- The
Ex- Eastenders Actor
Convicted of £83,000 Fraud on an old
boy from Streete Court School,
Barrington Court Is Sentenced to 3
years.
Another
Hugo
Hackenbush
Exclusive
Aftab Sachak is a
British actor, who is based in
the United Kingdom. Born in the
United Kingdom, as a member of
the wealthy east-african Sachak
family, Aftab enjoyed the life
of a "jet-setting confidence
trickster " before studying
acting. He is also a
one-time friend of Selva
Carmichael. He managed
Selva Carmichael's Night Club in
La Manga.
He made his television debut in
King of the Ghetto in 1986, but
is probably best known for
playing the serious minded shop
keeper, Ashraf Karim, in the
popular BBC soap opera,
EastEnders (1987–1990). Whilst
appearing in EastEnders, Sachak
was in fact coping with real
life bankruptcy after incurring
much publicised gambling debts,
and was even evicted from his
home after his conviction.
Sachak has commented: "I felt
like I was stuck in hell, I even
thought about suicide."
After putting his and his
victims monetary problems behind
him, Sachak concentrated on his
career. Since leaving EastEnders
he has appeared in the BBC
comedy Waiting for God (1993),
Brothers in Trouble (1995), Call
Red (1996), Out of Sight
(1996–1998), The Bill (1999),
Hope & Glory (2000), The
League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen (2003) and Second
Generation (2003) among others.
Sachak is also a veteran stage
actor and has appeared in Ayub
Khan-Din's stage production of
East is East at the Octagon
Theatre, Bolton in 2005.
Sashak was convicted
at Isleworth County Court on
Monday October 17h 2011 of
obtaining money by fraud from
one of his best friends of 20
years. The former friend,
who was a former pupil at
Streete Court School in
Ilminster, had some 18 years
previous been engaged to a young
lady. The engagement had
broken down and the victim of
this scam had not seen or heard
of the young lady since.
Then 5 years ago Sachak claimed
that he had bumped into the
young lady and she had told him
that she was in an unhappy
marriage and would love to once
more make contact with the
victim again. As "she" was
afraid of her husband she
thought it best to make contact
through texting.
So began a 5 year session
of texts between the victim and
as he thought was the young
lady. In fact it was Sachak
texting back all the time.
Posing as the young lady he text
that "she" was in need of money
and could "she" borrow some. The
victim agree and using his good
friend Sachak as go-between
passed over in excess of £83,000
over the 5 year period.
Recently it emerged that the
lady had no knowledge of the
loans and Sachak had taken the
money for himself. He was
sentenced to three years at
Isleworth County Court on June
8th 2012.
Correspondence: Please
can you provide more info on
the article relating to Aftab
Sachak. I met him in 1973 when
he conned me out of more than
2 months wages. At the time he
had an Afghan passport which
is where his family originated
from. He was as utterly
charmimg as he was ruthless.
I'm sure I recall a previous
conviction in the early 2000's
but can find no trace of this.
I'd early like to find
attributable information to
update his wiki pages etc to
show the scumbag in his true
light - CL
I
HATE THOSE COFFEE MACHINE
CAPSULES......
SAYS THEIR INVENTOR
The
man who invented the coffee
pods used by millions of
Americans in their Keurig
instant brewing machines has
admitted he regrets ever
coming up with the design. In
an interview with The
Atlantic, John Sylvan, who
came up with the idea for the
coffee pods and the machine in
the early 1990s, revealed that
he 'feels bad' about the
negative impact that the pods
are having on the environment.
Sylvan, who no longer
uses the plastic pods himself,
also confessed he wishes he
had never created them in the
first place. 'I feel bad
sometimes that I ever did it,'
said Mr Sylvan, who sold his
share of the company in 1997
for $50,000.
Keurig is currently
thought to be one of the most
popular at-home brewing
systems in America. Last year
the company sold 9.8 billion
Keurig-brewed portion packs
and earned $4.7billion.
The design is simple -
a small plastic capsule
containing ground beans that
can be put into a machine to
produce a cup of coffee at the
touch of a button.
However
despite the multi-billion
pound success of the company
nothing has been done to try
and make the packaging of the
popular Keurig pods
recyclable.
And
Mr Sylvan insists this will
never happen. 'No matter what they
say about recycling, those
things will never be
recyclable,' he said. 'The
plastic is a specialized
plastic made of four different
layers.'
Mr
Sylvan, who co-founded the
company with Peter Dragone,
added that the unique plastic
used in the K-Cups - known as
plastic #7 - is only
recyclable in a small number
of cities in Canada, and
cannot as yet be processed yet
in the United States.
Unfortunately the
plastic is also integral
to the unique design of
the pods. It ensures that
the coffee inside stays
completely protected from
any outside elements and
remains completely intact
while the coffee is being
brewed.Funny
'Kill the K-Cup' campaign
launched to tackle wastage
The
popularity of the simplistic
coffee pods has also come
across the shores to the UK.
Adverts for K-Cup featuring
the slogan 'Brew the Love',
enticed American audiences.
And in England thousands of
customers have been lured into
buying Nespresso machines
following similar adverts
featuring George Clooney.
Nespresso
is now the most prominent
capsule company in the UK. The
machines do not take the
Keurig capsules but take
similar plastic ones and
Nespresso has established its
own sustainability advisory
board.
Mr Sylvan also
confessed that despite
his earlier dedication
to the brand, he no
longer drinks coffee
made using the capsules.
In 1995
he had to go to
hospital with
heart
palpitations
after testing up
to 40 cups of
his coffee a
day. He now no
longer even owns
a K-Cup machine
and only drinks
filter coffee.
George Clooney has helped
popularise the Nespresso
brand in the UK, a similar
version of the K-Cups
Keurig has come under fire
on numerous occasions from
environmentalists who claim
that the number of K-Cups
sold in 2014 alone would
circle the earth 12 times if
they were laid down
end-to-end
They have started a Kill The
K-Cup campaign, which
features a YouTube video
showing the world being
destroyed by the pl.astic coffee
capsules.
But despite the continued
criticism, Keurig Green
Mountain, the brewing
system's parent company, has
yet to come up with a viable
solution to the problem,
despite insisting that they
have been trying to find an
environmentally-friendly
alternative since 2006
Mr
Sylvan insists that he has
managed to create a new design
for the K-Cups which would be
far more
environmentally-friendly than
the ones currently being used
Not according to Mr Sylvan. The
entrepreneur insists that he has
come up with an alternative
design to his original creation
which would involve relying on
the same kinds of materials used
for foil ketchup packets.
But while Mr Sylvan is convinced
that he holds the answer to
Keurig's ongoing environmental
concerns, he added that the
company have thus far refused to
trial his new design. 'I
told them how to improve it, but
they don't want to listen,' he
added to The Atlantic.
'There's a much better way of
doing it.'
Ironically, Mr Sylvan's current
work, running energy efficient
solar energy company ZonBak,
requires him to be much more
mindful of the environment,
which is perhaps why he is
suffering from such feelings of
guilt over his most infamous
creation.
This
article by Sean Poulter was
published in the Dail Mail
on March 5th 2015
There is another alternative for
consumers and that is to revert
to the coffee bag Phillips
Senseo alternative.
These eco-friendly bags are made
by Doue Egbert and also
available from other providers.
They are far more like a good
filter coffee and there are
several independent companies
providing excellant coffee.
Personally our taster considers
the capsule coffees as an
alternative to instant coffee
and finds the Senseo system far
more like the real thing.
PODS FOR SENSEO COFFEE
MACHINES
For
many years now we have been using
Phillips Senseo Machines to make our
office coffee. Although Phillips tied
up with Doux Egberts we found
that their range of coffees for the
machines were both more expensive and
inferior to those sold by Lydl. Lydl's
range named Melangerie included
Brazilian. Kenyan, Columbian and
Nicaraguan coffees. However
earlier this month Lydl suddenly
removed them from the shelves and
replaced then with another variety
using the Tassimo machines. We wrote
to Lydl about this and they replied:
"Re: Availability of Coffee Pods
Thank
you for enquiring about our Coffee Pods.
Unfortunately this item is not available
in our stores at the moment.
We hope to have this available
again in the future and apologise for
any inconvenience. We have passed your
interest in this item onto our Buying
Department and would like to thank you
for taking the time to contact us. Yours sincerely, For and on behalf of Lidl UK GmbH Reece Aitken Customer Service Tel – 0370 444 1234 Email -
customer.services@lidl.co.uk
Coffee Merchants UK Unit
1, 18B Bennett's
field Trading Estate Wincanton,
SomersetBA9 9DT Phone:
0196331137 Fax:
0196331137 Email:info@thecoffeepod.co.uk Email
(orders):sales@thecoffeepod.co
Now we have done our research and found
a lovely company in Wincanton; Somerset
who can provide you with the Senseo pads
in the following flavours: Colombian,
Costa Rican, Kenyan AA, Sumatra, as well
as Decaffeinated, and French
Extreme.
Colombia Supremo - Savour the
rich and nutty flavour of this classic
coffee. French Roast - A
dark-roast lover's dream! Costa Rican Tarrazu - Rich,
volcanic soil, high elevation and
climatic conditions all contribute to
the unique flavour Sumatra 'Lake Toba'- This
full-bodied yet well-balanced cup is one
of our Roastmaster's favourite. Swiss Water Decaffeinated -, and
Kenyan AA DeCaf. (ONLY included if
asked for) House Blend - One of our
Roastmaster's favourite blends - a
unique combination of 100% Arabica beans
from some of the premier growing regions
in the world. Smooth, rich &
delicious - perfection in every cup! Brazilian Santos- Brazilian Blend
will produce a balanced coffee with low
acidity and subtle chocolate and nut
notes. A good smooth, bold everyday
drinking coffee Roast Master Choice -
Blue Mountain Blend - Signature
- Kenyan AA - French Extreme
Caffeine
Coffee Sense is the solution to
your single cup coffee needs - combining
quality taste with the ease and
convenience of a single cup! The gourmet
selection offers the perfect coffees -
light roasts, exotic estate coffees,
flavoured, and decaffeinated as well as
premium hand-picked teas. Convenience,
choice and a gourmet selection!
Individually Wrapped
- 8g per pod
100% Arabica Coffee
Responsibly Grown
Coffee
Kosher Certified
The government has pledged
£250m to restore weekly bin collections
across the country...
Do you think it's one of your basic
human rights to have your rubbish
collected once a week?
Communities and local government
secretary Eric Pickles does. Last week
he said: “Every household in England has
a basic right to have their rubbish
collected each week", and announced he
is setting up a £250m fund to bring back
the weekly bin round.
According to the Government, the
move is what most people want and
that the cash will make a “significant
difference”. The majority of
English councils currently run some form
of fortnightly collection.
However, only councils that guarantee
weekly collections for five years and
demonstrate improvements in recycling
and procurement will be eligible for a
slice of the £250m fund.
Labour’s shadow communities secretary
Caroline Flint attacked the changes as a
bribe to councils to help Pickles save
face. Environmental campaigners
also railed against the plans saying
that fortnightly collections meant more
recycling and less landfill waste. Still no guarantee
Despite this cash offer, the government
still cannot force councils to bring
back weekly bin collections.
In fact, a survey by The Daily Telegraph
this week found that four out of 10
councils will not be able to guarantee
weekly doorstep rubbish collections;
even in the short term.
Indeed, a quick Google
News
search of ‘weekly bin collections’
brings up several local paper articles
detailing the rejections of Pickles’
plans by a host councils.
So, if you find yourself with a
little extra rubbish lying around, what
can you do about it? Make money
from your rubbish
Here are some simple ways to turn your
trash into cold hard
cash: Sell your broken
rubbish: If it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it. But if it is broke – sell it
on! Website simplydrop.co.uk
will pay good money for broken cameras and
MP3 players. An alternative is to offer it
on eBay,
providing a fair and accurate description
of the item. Many people are willing to
buy broken goods and fix them up when they
arrive. Printer cartridges: Cashforcartridges.co.uk
will pay up to £4.50 for some empty ink
cartridges or you could hand them in at Boots for
100
extra advantage card points. Sell your clothes: There
are several online portals that allow you
to swap your old, unwanted clothes or sell
them for cold hard cash. Try bigwardrobe.com
and whatsmineisyours.com;
both sites are free to join.
Alternatively, you could give your old
togs to charity. If you donate Marks &
Spencer clothes or soft furnishings to
Oxfam, you'll get a £5
M&S
voucher back in return. Don’t ditch your old mobile: A
host of sites have now emerged that will
buy up your old mobile phone. Envirofone,
Mazuma
and Mopay
will give you an instant price, just by
inputting your phones details. It may also
be worth giving eBay a
go, especially if you’re shifting a
high-end smartphone.
Read Turn your old
mobile phone into cash for some more
tips. Get cash for old CDs, DVDs and
computer games: If you’ve got
a stack of old films, albums and games and
can’t remember why on earth you bought
them – then sell them on! One quick and
easy way to do this is to head to Musicmagpie,
a site that allows you to send off all
your old discs for a set amount of cash.
However, as we revealed in The
worst
way to sell DVDs, Musicmagpie
doesn’t actually give you the best return
on your old media – as you’re essentially
paying for the convenience of quickly
shifting your discs.
Try eBay
or Amazon
if you’re after a bit more cash for your
old gear. Sell your books: You
should never be throwing out old books;
not when you could be making cold hard
cash for them! Greenmetropolis.com
is a nifty site that allows you to pass on
your books to other readers – for a price
of course.
BookMooch
runs on a similar set-up; however this
site encourages you to trade books. Every
time you swap, you’ll receive points that
you can then use to get hold of other
books.
Old academic text books are another
potential cash cow. If you or a member of
your family are heading back to university
with a bag load of old books from previous
modules, why not sell them on new
students? Try pinning up lists on
department notice boards and student union
walls or even setting up a stand on the
campus.
You should also keep your eyes peeled for
collectables – especially if you have a
lot of old childrens books. My Editor here
at lovemoney.com recently found one of her
childhood books (the riveting tale of Bertie
the
dog and his big red ball) listed for
£50 on Amazon.
Check out Sell
your
youth to survive the recession for
some more tips on making money from
vintage and collectable items. Have a car boot sale: Car
boot sales are great for shifting a large
range of old and unused items in a short
space of time. Head over to CarBootJunction
to find a list of sales in your local
area. Pass on large items: There’s
no reason to pay for ditching old beds and
furniture anymore – not when you can give
large old items away! Sites like Freegle,
Freecycle
and FRN
allow you to shift your old furniture for
free by passing it on to other households
who will come to your home and take it off
your hands – saving you delivery and
disposal charges.
The
sneaky
way Tesco funds price drops
by Robert Powell I'm a journalist at
http://www.lovemoney.com.
After graduating from the University of
Liverpool I studied for an MA in Broadcast
Journalism at the University of Westminster. You
can follow me on Twitter @robpowell_87 or e-mail
me at robert.powell@lovemoney.com
Picture to left Tesco Paris 1967 opened on
site of old horse butchers... the sign of
things to come?
Tesco has made £500m of
price cuts across 3,000 everyday
products. But all these savings have
to be funded somehow...
For 14,000 employees of
the supermarket giant Tesco, last
weekend was a long one. Thousands of
products were being re-priced as most
of the nation bedded down for a
Sunday.It’s all part of Tesco’s
biggest pricing shake-up in 20 years.
Big
price drop
Tesco is ploughing
£500m into price drops of up to 30% on
over 5,000 foodstuffs. The cuts will
focus on everyday products such as
eggs, milk, fruit and veg. Tesco’s own
brand products will see the biggest
reductions.
Branded as “The Big
Price Drop”, Tesco says its initiative
will give customers a more
straightforward shop. The number of
promotions is also being reduced in
favour of wide-ranging lower prices.
But this revamp isn’t
all good news for shoppers.
Halving
Clubcard points
Tesco is also making
changes to its Clubcard scheme. In
four weeks' time, the supermarket will
award just one Clubcard point for
every £1 spent. That’s half the number
currently given away to shoppers.
However, Tesco will be
improving the value of its Clubcard
scheme. The exchange rate for points
will rise from three to four times on
popular rewards like Pizza Express and
Strada.
The revamp has sparked
negative responses from rival
supermarkets. Sainsbury’s condemned
the price-cuts as “classic smoke and
mirrors”, since Tesco will be slashing
Clubcard points to fund it.
Asda also shrugged off
its rival's move, pointing to its
price guarantee scheme. Vickie North,
Head of Food PR for the supermarket
tweeted last week: “Hi Tesco. One
word. Yawn. We were 10% better value
yesterday. We are today. And we will
be on Monday. That’s why we have a
price guarantee.”
So is this rehash just
a big ruse on the part of Tesco? Or is
it a genuine leg-up for struggling
families?
Cuts on everyday
items
Take a look at this table
detailing some of Tesco’s price cuts:
Product
Description
Original Price £
New Price £
% Reduction
(value)
Eggs
Tesco free range
eggs medium box of 6
1.48
1.30
-12%
(0.18)
Milk
Tesco
semi-skimmed milk 2.272LTR /4
pints
1.49
1.25
-16%
(0.24)
Bacon
Tesco 10 rashers
smoked back bacon 300g
2.48
2.23
-
10%
(0.25)
Tomatoes
Tesco salad
tomatoes 1kg
2.00
1.20
-40%
(0.80)
Whole chicken
Tesco fresh whole
chicken
5.00
4.00
-
20%
(1.00)
Washing-up liquid
Tesco washing-up
liquid lemon 500ml
0.61
0.55
-10%
(0.06)
Plasters
Tesco assorted
fabric plasters 40’s
1.00
0.83
-17%
(0.17)
Spread
Tesco butter me
up 500g
1.26
1.00
-21%
(0.26)
Cheese
Tesco extra
mature cheddar 500g
3.99
3.19
-20%
(0.80)
Mince
Tesco beef mince
500g
2.20
1.80
-
18%
(0.40)
Ham
Tesco wafer thin
honey roast ham 420g
3.00
2.40
-20%
(0.60)
Pasta
Tesco Penne Pasta
Quills 500g
0.89
0.70
-22%
(0.19)
Cleaning product
Tesco
anti-bacterial cleaner spray
500ml
1.30
1.10
-15%
(0.20)
Source: Tesco
Obviously these figures – obtained from
Tesco – are just a snapshot of the full
range of changes. However it is
encouraging to see so many everyday items
on the list.
Research conducted in June
by Asda showed that households are about
£60 a month worse off than they were last
year. This can be in part put down to
rising food costs.
Moreover, as the purse
strings tighten, the temptation to turn to
cheap, low quality and unhealthy food is
often too great for many stretched
families. This is fuelling the widely
trumpeted ‘epidemic’ in childhood obesity.
Granted, cheap, unhealthy
food is still rife throughout Tesco. But
by taking the step of including foodstuffs
like fresh fruit and veg, meat and pasta
in its price cuts, the supermarket should
be applauded.
Cutting down on redundant
promotions is also a positive step. For
too long shoppers have been forced to buy
more than they need just to obtain a
reasonable single-unit price. This has
often led to an increase in household
waste when foodstuffs are not used before
they go off. All in this together
Tesco has made these price
drops after speaking to 200,000 customers
and analysing Clubcard data. And it shows.
The supermarket’s move is an appropriate
reaction to the current economic climate
and a wise public relations move for the
chain.
As Mark Kleinman noted in
the FT,
the language used by Richard Brasher,
Tesco’s UK Chief Executive, when
announcing this price-cut was rooted in a
common current theme. Mr Brasher spoke of
‘families suffering under budget
pressures’ and the role of Tesco in
helping them ‘make ends meet’. For anyone
who’s watched a David Cameron or George
Osborne speech recently, the sentiments
should be familiar. The message from the supermarket
is clear. We’re all in this together.
A
food delivery service where the food
isn't delivered?
My
weekends
with my little boy are precious, so I want
to spend as much time with him as
possible. That’s a big reason why, since
the turn of the year, I’ve tried out the
delivery services from a range of
different supermarkets. And without
question, Asda’s has been the worst.
A
couple of weeks ago our order from Asda
turned up two hours late, at 11pm on a
Friday night (like all the cool kids, I
tend to be at home on a Friday night).
After complaining, the supermarket offered
me a free delivery to make up for it.
Having
failed
to learn my lesson, I attempted to use
that free delivery this past Friday. We
got a call from the driver halfway through
our two-hour delivery slot asking for
directions (a common occurrence whenever
we order anything, despite the fact that
we live on a main road), and thankfully he
was only two roads away.
Sadly,
he ignored those directions and drove past
our house. And despite trying to call him
over the course of the evening, he not
only failed to pick up his phone, he also
failed to show up at all. So instead, I
had to waste an hour of my weekend in my
local supermarket shopping for baby milk.
Not good.
The
first supermarket delivery service we
tried was Tesco, and really I had no
complaints. The deliveries were almost
always on time, and on the one occasion it
was late, the driver had the courtesy to
call ahead of time to warn us. On the
negative side, virtually every time we
ordered food, at least one thing we
ordered was out of stock and so had to be
substituted for something else.
However, the best delivery
service we have enjoyed, by a country
mile, is that of Ocado. When you order,
you get a text message from the firm to
not only confirm the time of your
delivery, but also to tell you the name of
the driver, and even the number plate of
the delivery vehicle.
Even better, on the three
occasions we’ve ordered from Ocado, the
driver has not had to call for
directions once. It’s a small thing, but
it makes a difference to me!
Of course, the trouble is that
shopping at Ocado tends to be more
expensive than Tesco and Asda. Indeed,
you need to spend at least £40 just for
them to deliver.
And the delivery costs can be
a little dear. For example, if I wanted
to get my shopping delivered this coming
Friday night, at first glance it looks
like the 9-10pm slot is £4.99. But
that’s only if you spend more than £75 –
spend less than that and it jumps to
£5.99. And slots in prime timeslots can
climb as high as £6.99.
Meanwhile, with Asda, the same
Friday night slot would set you back £3
(assuming they ever showed up). And
Tesco charge £4.50 for the same slot,
while peak timeslots will see the cost
jump up to £6.
The one service I’m yet to try
is Sainsbury’s. Having looked at the
site, for the same timeslot on a Friday
night, I’d be paying £3.95 (so long as I
spent more than £40, otherwise it jumps
to £6).
So what have your experiences
been of the various supermarket delivery
services? Are they worth it, or should
you just stick to shopping in store?
TAUNTON WATCHDOG Are Taunton OAP's Still
Being Taken for a Ride?
by Hugo .Z. Hackenbush
Taunton Deane
along with Christchurch in Dorset has the
highest percentage of Old Age People in
England. Therefore anything to the
detriment to pensioners should be
reported. As you may well know the
concessions to OAP's are to be removed for
long distance coaches after October 31st
2011. Now we find out an even more
disturbing matter happening in regards to
Somerset transport. For several years now
Taunton has had a very good service called
Slinky. This service has picked people up
from their homes and taken them to their
preferred destination... and returned them
home. As this is considered a local bus
service OAPs with bus passes use this
admirable service for free. This
service is pre-booked and we have been
pleased to advertise it on this site for 5
years. The Transport in Somerset service
has another service which provides a
personal car service ,manned by
volunteers, for which they charge £2 per
head per journey. Again an admirable
service.
However the people who run these
services down at Sixacres have recently
become either confused or something more
sinister. Basically without
informing the people who have
asked for the Slinky Bus service they have
been sending the car service and the
drivers are now demanding the £2 per
journey charge. This has happened to one
local OAP twice in one week. On the second
instance a small car with a volunteer
driver arrived at Morrisons for
four OAPs ( 2 of then over 80 and the
other two over 70). The journey was very
local and the car could hardly
accommodate the driver, the 4 OAPs and
their shopping. For this he demanded £2
each . So he was taking £8 for the short
journey from Morrisons to Bindon Road.
This was in fact higher than local taxi
services.
We did have
a photo of the driver on this site, but
as of September 16th 2011 Somerset
County Council identified him as one of
theirs, a Mr.Pat Foster, and we
have removed it. If tMr.Foster had shown
identification or authorization when it
was requested of him there would have
been no need to place his photo on line.
It was his refusal to produce such
authorisation that left us no other
option than to photograph him and
circulate the picture. This was done in
the public interest in case he was a
rogue operator. In this case the
complainant apologises to Mr.Foster who
was no more than the messenger in this
matter. A person in the wrong place at
the wrong time.
But our complainant was right to be
wary as in London Transport in London are
running a campaign to warn passengers
about getting into unlicensed cars, but it
appears that Transport in Somerset in
Taunton are not taking this seriously..
See the London campaign below:
So the OAPs who go on the same journey
each week and were waiting for the bus at
Morrisons for free had to experience a
service which turned up over 20 minutes
late,refused to show any form of
identificationand tried to shuffle them
into a small car and charge them £8.
One of the 4 OAPs is one of our
contributors and he informed the driver
that he had no intention of paying the £2
as he had already had the same experience
four days previous and had informed the
booking office that he did not book the
car service. He had booked the bus
service. The driver refused to take
him. As one of the witnesses below
stated there was a "heated discussion"
which has been blown up out of
recognition. The driver & the
complainant were both victims as the fault
lay elsewhere. Our main concern is that
vulnerable people are being picked up by a
car without any prior warning that a car
will be coming.
Later that day the
complainant rang the booking number and
was answered by a person called Fordham
who explained that it was one of their
drivers that there was a shortage of bus
drivers and that they had had to provide
alternative transport which created extra
charges and was subsidised.
This we understand
but is it right that OAPs struggling on a
limited budget should be charged in this
way? A cost they have not budgeted for and
being blackmailed into paying for on the
threat of being left abandoned as the
driver did to an OAP who objected to being
charged
Our contributor would have paid if
he had been given the choice beforehand
but he and the others were picked up by
the bus on the outward journey and were
waiting at Morrisons for the return bus
when Mr.Foster, who the Council have now
identified as one of their volunteers,
appeared in lieu and asked each passenger
for £2. Regardless of protestations that
the complainant was informed beforehand
the offices at Sixacres have failed to
produce evidence that they did. The
complainant has a telephone that lists all
calls received and no such call shows.
Further the other three passengers confirm
that they were not informed either.
To add your name or write to: Mike
Gillingham, Transport in
Somerset,Sixacres, Sixacres Close, Roman
Road, Taunton,TA1 2BD (GMGillingham@somerset.gov.uk)
asking for the return of the charges not
contracted for and paid under duress This
is YOUR LEGAL RIGHT. We
will, of course, publish any written
response by Transport in Somerset.
This story was discussed on BBC Radio
Somerset on 12th September 2011 and the
representitive of Transport in Somerset
agreed that all drivers should show
identity to the passengers and that if a
car has to be sent passengers should be
informed prior. However he stated that in
the instance above the passengers were
informed. None of them can recollect being
so informed. We have been assured that
this will be done in future. This does not
seem to be the case as we are still
getting reports that cars are arriving
instead of buses without prior warning. A
lady of over 80 takes a regular trip to
visit an old friend in a care home every
week. Last Tuesday September 20th 2011 a
bus took her but unannounced a car came to
take her home at the cost of £3. She
did not want to pay but the driver called
Sixacres and told her she would have to.
We will continue to publicize this until
this matter is put right. Unfortunately we
and our lawyers have received abusive
telephone calls over this article which
includes threats of arson and the murder
of our chairman. All calls are recorded
and details have been given to the
police.
The Power
of the Press? Guess what Somerset CC
have done in response.... they have now
made passengers more vulnerable by telling
them that they will no longer inform
regular users that a car is coming instead
of a bus! Less work for Somerset CC and
more danger for passengers. Are they aware
that there is a large campaign going on in
regards this problem? They have also
turned down our suggestion that each
volunteer car should have a sticker
affixed to its windscreen showing it is
approved by Somerset County Council as
normal taxis and minicabs have to. It
seems there is one law for the private
sector and another for the public sector.
We
have
had several phone calls on this matter.
Within minutes of our publishing this
article we received 4 phone calls from
tthe same person. He purported to be from
a firm of solicitors in Taunton telling us
to remove the article. He wasn't. We have
researched his number and have that
person's details and email address. Whilst
we try and write accurate news we are open
to constructive criticism. We note that
this person helps Help For Heroes which is
very admirable. As you will see from our
main Taunton page we try and promote them
and our valiant boys fighting for us all.
May we praise him for such work, but
please go about calling us in a fit and
proper way.
MESSAGE SENT THROUGH To Our WEBSITE
This form was submitted: Sep 16 2011 /
16:03:09
by a visitor with this IP Address:
86.176.202.80
FirstLastName = Joe Smith
Email = Up yours
Message = You are scum bag who has
twisted the truth, you are pretending to
be a lawyer and you are the man in your
column you are a a fruad and I am an oap
who uses this service and you dont speak
of me. Print this if you dare but you
wont will you.
Thank
you I'm actually a vet . You obviously
need a Pat on the back son.
REPLY
The Informed Investor
began publishing from offices at 13
Nottingham Place, London, W1 (See
Picture) in 1972. It started as a
printed publication for Drummond &
Co, European Legal & Tax Advisers
since 1966, offering Investments and
Insurance. Long before today's regime in
regards commissions Drummond &
Co pioneered discount
selling of Linked Insurance and
Unit trusts- splitting the commissions
with the purchaser. Many in the Industry
condemned this and many leading
Insurance Groups refused to take their
business. Most of those companies have
gone out of business today &
Drummond & Co are recognised as the
Company that led the way. Today 38 years
later Drummond & Co still lead the
field in Financial Innovations and have
advised both the public and
professionals. As Financial Commentators
the Informed Investor have, over the
years, Informed Investors about
dangerous offers and Financial
mis-doings sometimes years before the
scandals broke. This we continue to do
through our many websites.These have
attracted over 230 million views.
This includes: www.ukinformedinvestor.co.uk,
www.chesilbank.co.uk.
We provide a free service for British
Tourism and back Britain through:
This form was submitted: Sep18
2011 / 10:10:33
by a visitor with this IP Address:
89.138.111.45
FirstLastName = DAVID J. MOHER
Email = davejmoher@yahoo.co.uk
Message = I have both witnessed this
incident and read your website. I am a
visitor to England and am amazed how
such a low key difference of opinion has
actually received such coverage. In my
country it would have been far more
demonstrative and louder. The
complainant was obviously distressed and
all he did from a distance shout to the
driver that he objected to being asked
for £2 as he had been expecting a bus
not an inappropriate car. He was
carrying a filled personal trolley and a
walking chair. It looked unlikely that
with the other passenger's shopping as
well as the passengers there was
inadequate room. Yes he was annoyed and
loud. But he was only asking Questions.
However the driver fueled the situation
by telling the complainant that he
refused to take him anyway. In fact I
don't believe he could have and he used
the excuse to avoid taking an overweight
car. The Complainant then asked the
driver to show identification and the
driver flatly refused.Two older men
following their own agenda from a
distance. It was all over in a moment
and to his credit the complainant left
the scene. If, as has been
written, the driver was an authorized
representative of the local Council he
should have both shown that he was
instead of irritating an old man who was
understandably apprehensive and hesitant
to get into the car. On the other hand
the complainant should have moderated
the volume of his voice. The Driver, in
a position of responsibility, failed to
use the basic communication skills to
diffuse a really minor situation instead
of fueling it. Which he had a duty to
do. I have witnessed far worse in an
infants play group.... just two grumpy
old men who should have known better. My
sympathies were for the other passengers
and I was apprehensive enough to write
down the car registration number in case
your complainant was right in his
apprension. I must thank you for
providing my family with such a
comprensive and interesting website on
Taunton..... we will be back.
Thank
you for visiting our lovely town.
MESSAGE SENT THROUGHto our
WEBSITE
This form was submitted: Sep 18 2011
/ 16:10:05
by a visitor with this IP Address:
86.153.174.46
FirstLastName = Matt Paynter
Email = matt2481@yahoo.com
Message = Dear writer I have
been following this story with some
interest as I bore witness to the heated
discussion at the Morrison's car park
and I must say that the gentleman with
the car was very undeserving of the
treatment dished out by your
complainant. On the whole it was very
disturbing to witness such behaviour
from an OAP to a gentleman just trying
to help. Your write up should be aimed
at the correct people and not an
individual. I do hope your web site will
post this comment as I think it's very
important for freedom of speech and the
integrity of this site if its to be
taken seriously. Regards Matt Paynter Thank
you. Obviously you have grasped the
point. This article is not about a
driver ,who failed to show
authorization, but about the people
who caused the heated discussion MESSAGE SENT To OUR WEBSITE
This form was submitted: Sep 18
2011 / 22:27:08
by a visitor with this IP Address:
213.120.211.100
FirstLastName = Mark Lewis
Email = markjameslewis@fsmail.net
Message = Surprise surprise you did not
publish my email because it was factual
and observed by four people I must agree
with the first person Joe blogs john
smith whoever. You are a fraud and a
disgrace and you report bias B**l S**t.
People like you make me laugh you are
quite pathetic and did not even reply to
my personal email as I left my address.
You are farcical and a joke and you have
the audacity to claim you are credible
website. All you publish is one sided
opinions to put over your point of view.
You are deplorable and disgraceful and
you claim to be a lawyer or within this
industry no wonder there is so much scum
on the streets. Talks about selective
reporting!
Mark Lewis Unfortunately
we can find no trace of an email from
the above Visitor. In case of error I
live in Embryo, which as you may know
is in the vicinity of Wishful
thinking.
POLICE
are
appealing for witnesses after a couple
were assaulted following a dispute
about a taxi hire.
The assault occurred at
3.15am on Saturday, October 15
2011. A couple had been out
in Yeovil socialising when they
were involved in a dispute over
the hire of a taxi. A 17-year-old woman was
hit in the face and an
18-year-old man was pushed to
the ground. The suspects are
described as a group of four or
five white males. Anyone who witnessed
the assault or knows who is
responsible is asked to contact
Avon and Somerset Police on the
non-emergency number 101.Alternatively, phone the
independent charity Crimestoppers
on
0800-555111.
Cabbie Stabbed By Passenger
17th September 2008
A taxi driver is
recovering in hospital after being
stabbed by a passenger in an unprovoked
attack on the outskirts of Taunton. The
victim, who is in his 50s and has not
been named, sustained serious but not
life threatening injuries. He
was then bundled out of the cab by his
attacker, who drove off leaving him at
the side of the road. Police
later
stopped the white Fiat vehicle near
Bridgwater with a stinger device and
arrested a teenager in connection with
the incident shortly after 2am yesterday
(Wednesday). Officers
raced to the junction of Kingston Road
and Corkscrew Lane, in Taunton, after a
caller from Ace Taxis reported one of
the firm’s drivers had been attacked
with a knife. They
found the driver, who is in his 50s, at
the side of the road suffering from stab
wounds to his leg, hand, arm and
buttocks.
A
MINEHEAD cabbie convicted of sexual
assault on a female passenger is still
taking fares in the town.
Paul Gunter, 30, of Timberscombe, has
been registered as a sex offender after he
fondled a pregnant woman's breasts while
taking her home from a town centre
shopping expedition.
A jury found him guilty at Taunton Crown
Court on August 18 but the hearing was
adjourned until September 29 for
pre-sentence reports. Gunter was released
on bail on con dition he does not carry
female pas sengers in the front passenger
seat of his cab. He was told on August 21
his Hackney carriage drivers licence was
being suspended by West Somerset Council.
The ‘You don’t have to pay your bills’ scam by Tony Levene of Love Money If you get a
text offering to help you write off your credit
card debts, don't fall for it
I've
been
hit by a plague – not of locusts but of
texts and phone messages telling me I
don't have to pay my credit card and other
unsecured loan bills.
One even told me I could escape £2,310 -
even though none of these texters and
callers can know what I owe or don't owe.
But this promised freedom from debts does
sound truly amazing.
It's also easy. I don't have to emigrate
to the Gobi desert to escape my creditors
or build a bailiff proof wall around my
home. The beauty of this plan is that it
is legal. In fact, it is actually
sanctioned by new laws – or so the above
mentioned texts and phone calls assure me.
I bet not too many readers knew
that! So I can go on a crazy spending
spree, knowing I need never bother with
the bills. Sheer heaven.
Here's one text. “Due to new
legislation, records indicate that you
can now apply to have it written off.”
And someone who described himself as “just
working in the call centre of a major
claims management company” told me if I
had a pre-2007 credit card, it was “likely
that I did not have to pay a penny.”
It only
costs £499
So how to find this
financial nirvana?
All it costs is £499 (and
that would be added to my credit card,
whose debts would be almost certainly null
and void so it was really free!!!) plus I
would get that £499 back in the remote
possibility that this did not work.
What these claims management companies
(all subject to light as a feather
Ministry of Justice regulation) all
maintain is that credit cards and credit
agreements before 2007 may not comply
exactly with sections 77 and 78 of the
Consumer Credit Act. In a nutshell, these
firms say, this puts the onus on the
credit provider (the bank) to send a copy
of the original agreement if the customer
requests it. Failing to do so within 12
working days means the consumer can regard
the agreement as unenforceable.
The same freedom can be obtained, they
say, if the credit company failed to give
proper written notice of interest rate
changes or variations in the credit limit.
Now, according to a number of blog sites,
some people have managed to achieve this –
especially a few years ago when some banks
decided it was cheaper to roll over than
to fight this in court. They don't roll
over any more.
Now here's what the claims
management people don't tell you.
What they won’t
tell you
Assuming you win because an
“i” has not been dotted or a “t” crossed,
unenforceable does not mean the debt is
wiped out. It means it cannot be enforced
through the courts. That won't stop the
banks entering your failure to pay on your
credit
record – so no new mobile phone
contract let alone a mortgage – and it
does not stop debt collectors calling you.
It won't stop the bank cancelling your
card.
Plus, it does not prevent the bank selling
the unenforceable debt to one of those
companies that buys up old debts for a
penny or two in the pound. They have no
legal right to enforcement but they often
have more graphic methods.
But even if the bank says it cannot find
your original agreement, a legal decision
(a December 2009 case known as Carey vs
HSBC but it included other banks and other
customers) that the claims people won't
mention says the bank can “re-constitute”
the contract. The bank may not be able to
find your particular paperwork from 10 or
20 years ago, but it will have a sample so
it can re-create the original. And unless
you still have your copy of the document,
you can't challenge it (it will probably
be correct, anyway).
Once this is done, the debt becomes
enforceable again.
Get out clauses
The other supposed “get-out”
clauses – not informing about interest and
credit limit changes – are covered in most
terms and conditions.
The debt management companies send out
almost identical letters costing around a
tenner so it's good earner. And you can't
ask for your money back if they can show
the debt is legally unenforceable.
But don't expect a £499 refund if lenders
find other ways of getting their cash or
punish you with blacklisting. The claims
people will argue they did what they set
out to do – and you won't find a claims
company to take your side in any
subsequent dispute.
Banks are not the most attractive firms
around. And you may have some sympathy
with those who can't pay. But those who
won't pay - and those that profit from
encouraging borrowers not to pay their
debts - simply put up the costs for the
rest of us. Follow me on twitter @tonylevene1
TAUNTON DEANE
BOROUGH COUNCIL CANCELS XMAS
& GO DECIMAL WITH THE 10 MONTH YEAR
Ref:
H81/7/7/057/5 For The
Attention of Amanda Oaten
Housing Property Services
Priory Depot, Priory Way, Taunton,
Somerset TA1 2BB
An Open Letter also being
Published on the Taunton Website of
the Wessex Tourist Board.
Dated 1st August 2011
Dear Ms Oaten
I have today had your regular
epistle pushed through my letter box
telling me that there is a Statutory
Requirement for me to have an annual
safety inspection and service of all
gas and solid fuel heating appliances
installed in my home. Now, heavens
forbid, I do not allow these
inspectors in every ten months ( I
presume you all work a 10 month year
& that is why Pension changes are
essential) I start getting your ever
stronger epistles. As I said 10 months
ago you are wasting council tax
payer's money by paying for 6 "annual"
inspections every 5 years. Whilst you
are wasting money many of your former
co-workers have lost jobs because of
cut-backs. I'm sure that they and the
rest of council tax payers will be
alarmed to learn that Xmas and Guy
Fawkes have been canceled this year as
the Council has decided that
November & December no longer
exist. In my
calculation I am due to legally to be
inspected etc on October 12th.... not
July 29th. I shall, of course, obey
the statutory law, and allow the
inspection in October. We may then
celebrate the birth of Jesus on his
real birthday on October 25th and I
may then wish you season's greetings.
Sincerely yours, Michael
Davey
(Wessex Tourist Board)
Taunton
Deane
Borough
Council state that the Council's
housing stock comprises of
approximately 6,000 rented houses with
a further 372 leasehold properties.
The housing service also owns and
manages a number of shops and meeting
halls. It is a statuory requirement
that all gas fittings must be
inspected and certified annually.
Obviously this is a very necessary
function. However as seen by the
letter above Taunton Deane Borough
Council have decided to inspect and
certify these premises every 10
months. If the occupier states that
he/she is quite prepared to be
inspected as per the statutory
requirements (i.e Once a year) he/she
are subject to a system of letters and
threats about the council breaking in
and changing the locks. This, even
though the occupier has actually made
an appointment that complies with the
law. On the above instance 5 people
turned up at the door at the time of
the mutually arranged appointment -
these included a Council Officer, A
locksmith and 3 engineers. Guess
what this whole procedure has begun
again in 2012. On a conservative
estimation the Council could be paying
£50 a visit (Although the norm is
approx £70). Therefore the cost
on 6,372 properties could be £336,600
per annum. Over 5 years this adds up
to £1,683,000 but they will be paying
£2,019,600 which is an extra £336,600.
Is that an economic way to spends
Council Tax money?
Gas Safety Week: how safe are your gas
appliances? Rebecca Rutt
Gas appliances which have stopped
working properly or were poorly fitted can
be a health hazard and also end up costing
you a lot of money. How safe are yours?
Gas Safety Week: how safe are your gas
appliances?
Every household has a certain
number of gas appliances which are used on a
daily basis. But if they’re not fitted
properly or maintained they can cost a lot
of money and be a real safety risk.
That’s why the people from the Gas Safety
Register are dedicating this week to making
sure we are all aware of the potential
dangers which could be lurking in our cooker
or gas fire.
Gas safety checks
To make sure all your gas appliances -
such as fires, boilers, wood burners or
cookers - are working safely and cost
efficiently, you need to arrange annual
services and safety checks. A registered
engineer will come to your house and perform
a series of checks, such as making sure
appliances are on the right setting and
burning with the correct pressure, checking
ventilation routes are clear and working and
that harmful gases are being removed from
your house. They will also give you advice
on when you need to replace an appliance and
produce a report detailing exactly what
state your items are in.
Signs you need to book a safety test.
If your cooker is getting a bit long in
the tooth, there are a number of early
warning signs that it may be about to break
down. Keep an eye out for a lazy yellow
flame instead of a crisp blue, as well as
black marks or stains on or around your gas
appliances. Increased condensation in a room
or a pilot light which keeps going out are
also indicators that you need to get things
checked out.
Get a safety check for free
Although these checks generally involve
you booking and paying for the engineer,
there is a chance you might be able to get
the whole thing done for free. To be
eligible for a free check you need to meet
one of the following criteria:
be of pensionable age, disabled or
chronically sick and either living alone
or with someone in the same situation,
living
in a house with at least once child
under the age of five,
if
your house hasn’t had a check in the
past 12 months or if you live somewhere
where a landlord is responsible for
arranging these checks.
Ultimately the decision lies with your
provider, but if any of the above apply to
you then call it first to ask if you're able
to get the service for free.
Finding an engineer
Instead of heading to the yellow pages
to find a local engineer, use the online
database on the Gas Safe website to make
sure you find someone who will do the job
correctly. If you don’t have access to the
internet you can call 0800 408 5500.
Carbon Monoxide poisoning
A broken gas appliance can be costly
and can also lead to serious health issues.
As carbon monoxide (CO) is invisible and has
no smell you won’t realise if there’s a leak
and smoke alarms cannot detect it. Therefore
to prevent an accident make sure you have a
CO alarm in your house in each room with a
gas appliance. The recommended models are
audible (as if you're asleep you won't
notice if an alarm changes colour) and
should have the British Standards’ Kitemark
and the mark ‘EN 5029’1. These last around
five years and cost an average of £15 from a
local DIY shop.
Save money on new appliances
There are many ways to save money on
energy and when buying a new appliance the
best thing to look for is the ‘Energy Saving
Trust’ logo which identifies items that will
save you the most energy in the home. If
you’re buying a big appliance, such as a
boiler, it’s worth while researching and
shopping around first as generally if you go
for a cheap deal you’ll end up paying out
more for it in the long run.
Some
of our special services- Click on name
of your choice
Think all banks
are the same? Think again.No
hassles. No late payments. No
unexpected charges. Just real
help with your finances. Welcome
to
thinkbanking.
Why worry about
budgeting when we can do
it all for you?
We'll set aside money from
your account so your bills
are paid, leaving you to get
on with your life. Apply
nowRead more
Bring
some
certainty to your
finances.
With a thinkbanking current
account, we'll never charge
you for missed / late
payments, or for going
overdrawn. Apply
nowRead more
The current
account that helps you budget
Our account has a budgeting
service built-in. We'll look
after all your regular bills
and payments, so you know
exactly what you can spend on
the good things in life. You
get:
Real people looking
after your money for you
No more charges for
overdrafts or missed
payments
Peace of mind, with
us managing your regular
bills
BUSINESS BANK
ACCOUNTS Has
Your Business Bank
Account Been Closed or have you been
Refused a Business Banking Account? Hit Back for Just GBP £50 or
USD $75
Having Trouble
Getting a Bank Account to pay and receive
money ? If you have a Personal Bank
account the Chesil Bank will
assist you set up facilities for your
business to accept payments on the
internet or by phone through
credit/debit cards or Paypal
in your Company name. The cost to
set up this facility is a once off fee of
GBP £50 or USD $75 regardless of status. These benefits
could really make a difference to the
smooth running of your small business
banking transactions.
So,
you're
fed up dealing with "Customer
Services" on general-purpose contact
e-mail addresses. Are you not getting
replies, or not getting the replies
you want? Time to take it to the top!
As they say fo to the organ grinder,
not the monkey. Chief Executive
Officers (CEOs) are very reluctant to
publish their e-mail addresses. This
page attempts to redress the balance
by publishing the e-mail addresses for
the CEOs of some UK companies,
government and other organisations. We
believe in letting the "little people"
get noticed.
Some tips when e-mailing:
Be polite
Keep the information concise
and to the point
Include customer reference
numbers or invoice numbers, if
applicable
Include a brief history of
the issue, if applicable
Do not accept being passed
back to "Customer Services" or
elsewhere within the organisation
Insist on a reply from the
CEO
If
you're working as part of a campaign
group, send a personal,
individually-created letter. Letters which
are cut/pasted from a standard template
will invariably receive a standard
template response in reply... Good luck
with your enquiry!
OUTSOURCING
IS
A SYSTEMATIC CAUSE
OF RECESSION IN
BRITAIN
Every
penny earned before 1pm goes to HMRC,
Every £1 you earn before lunch goes to
the taxman. What have you achieved
this morning? According to some new
research, all you’ve actually managed
to do is meet your tax obligations!
Nothing to show for it
According
to some calculations by Fidelity
International, your morning’s work is
all to the benefit of the taxman. The
firm looked at how much of our daily
earnings find their way into the
taxman’s coffers, using VAT, National
Insurance and Income Tax. And
remarkably it found that for basic
rate taxpayers working 9am to 5pm,
every penny they earn before 1pm goes
directly to HM Revenue & Customs.
It’s even worse for higher rate
taxpayers, who have to labour through
until 1.45pm before they see any
return on their efforts. So
why does the Government in this
recession allow outsourcing outside of
Europe? Do the employees of call
centres, accountants etcin areas
outside of Europe pay UK taxes? No.
Recently
Birmingham
City Council announced that they were
going to outsource to India. Are these
idiots really serious? Instead of
promoting local jobs they are
depriving Birmingham of money. Firstly
those being made redundant go on
Jobseekers allowance and maybe Housing
Benefits and Council Tax Benefits.
Then the local shops and services lose
out as there is less spending power.
All round they create more recession.
This has got to stop- we suggest that
where British Companies servicing
British people in Britain outsource
outside Europe then the fees paid for
that outsourcing should be exempt from
being accepted as a trading cost and
disallowed to be shown as such in
their accounts. If you know of
companies doing this let us know and
we shall shame them and others can
avoid using them.Click
here to contact us
POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS HAS BEEN IGNORED BY
MANY COMPANIES AS ILLUSTRATED
ABOVE The following was written on
www.firstfoot.com
There has been much outrage in the
Scottish broadsheets recently about
the membership policies of the
Honourable Company of Edinburgh
Golfers who hosted the British Open
golf tournament at Muirfield golf
course in East Lothian.
Apparently,
these
terrific
chaps
have a far-sighted way of dealing with
members who are other than male,
white, anglo-saxon and rich. FirstFoot
takes some liberties in the
paraphrasing, but basically the rule
reads:
If ye dinnae huv a
white willie an' a big fat wallet,
then fuck aff, yer no getting in an'
ye cannae play oan wurr golf course
eether. Naw, dinnae send us any
questions, jist fuck aff.
FirstFoot
applauds
such progressive thinking in this age
of increasing liberalisation. However,
we would suggest that the following
rules should also apply:
No
blacks
No
mentally handicapped
No
socialists
No
muslims
No
lesbians
or gays
No
musicians
No
female underarm hair
No
working
class riff-raff
No
newspapers
apart from The Telegraph
FirstFoot
would like to see a new Bill in the
Scottish Parliament making all
Honourable Company of Edinburgh
Golfers golf courses public parks. The
Bill would also allow for the running
of free busses from all Scottish urban
housing estates.
Cannabis
cafes
would
be allowed and help centres for
gay one-legged lesbians would be
opened.
OUR OPINION OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Political
correctness was devised by
ignorant people who do not
understand Adjectives. For
an adjective is a
descriptive word which
illuminates a noun.
Therefore such adjectives as
coloured, fat, thin,
Scottish, Irish, Jewish,
Catholic etc etc are
virtually legislated
against. However in their
place swear words have
become everyday occurance. If
this is progress then let's
be retrograde. We were
pleased to visit a toy shop
the other day and see the
return of the Golly.
The earliest Golliwog (or
Golliwogg as he was originally called)
is the hero in books of verse written by
Bertha Upton in the 1890s, and
illustrated by her daughter Florence.
The mother and daughter worked together
on twelve illustrated books, all
featuring the gallant little character
and his adventures travelling to such
exotic destinations as Africa and the
North Pole, accompanied by his friends,
the Dutch Dolls.Though the original
Golliwog character was a kindly fellow
always lending a hand to those in
trouble, later authors portrayed him
very differently. Over the years he
became a rascal, was often up to no
good, and even portrayed as a mean
spirited character.
In 1910, Golly became a
mascot for Robertson's jam, and millions
of Golly pins--the Cracker Jack prizes
of the British Commonwealth--were
collected, traded, and hoarded by
jam-addled Brits everywhere. [They still
are. This snap is just a fraction of the
collection at gollycorner.co.uk.]
Robertson's only retired Golly in 2001.
Consequently his
reputation slid and because of his poor
reputation and dark colour, he began to
be considered "politically incorrect".
The "politically correct" reference is
now "Golly". During the past few years,
possibly because of the centennial of
the creation of the Golliwog, he has
again become popular, this time not with
children so much as adult collectors and
Golly artists.And yet the
marmalade-n-pin thing has to have
created a lot of non-racially tinged
associations of childhood nostalgia,
too.
Let's
hope he will soon return to
our jam jars as a much loved
and revered member of
Britain's multinational
community.......
Then
the
following
were
not politically correct. Churchill
smoked cigars, Wilson smoked a
pipe, Walter Rayleigh introduced
tobacco (wacky-baccy) and Tommy
Cooper wore a fez.