Empire Claims

Karalyn

I came across this company when looking into bank charge refunds.

I suspect that my bank charges are somewhere in the region of £3500 over the last six years, it could be as much as £5000. They've charged me £800 just this year.

Empire Claims say they follow everything up for you, for 25% of whatever they gain. I wouldn't normally consider that kind of thing, but frankly whenever I think of tackling the bank myself I feel sick. I already tried to get them to reconsider the charges for this year and couldn't.

Has anyone any experience of this company? Are they at least honest? If I am willing to take the hit of 25%, will they help me and do it properly, or am I going to get hit with one of those 'insurance' schemes that the 'no win, no fee' solicitors are so good at?

Any clues?

natweststaffmember

Not a single clue to be honest.

Orford

No land address on their website, Companies House lists them as a flat in Clapham, incorporated in July 2007, 15 days before the FSA Waiver came into effect:

Name & Registered Office:
EMPIRE CLAIMS LTD
50 CLAPHAM COMMON SOUTH SIDE
FLAT D
LONDON
SW4 9BX
Company No. 06311039

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 12/07/2007

yet their website proclaims (my bold):

Empire Claims is one of the UK's leading independent financial recovery experts. Established long before the bank claiming boom,

I already tried to get them to reconsider the charges for this year and couldn't.

And it's unlikely they'll be able to succeed either

Widelats

They will have as much luck as you have, i would leave them be and claim yourself.

skripglow

Hi
I filled in Empire Claims online claim form with details of my Barclaycard charges. A week later I received a wad of paperwork from Ashworth Law including their "Form of Authority". The legal paperwork made me rethink (I was worried about winning a little and paying EC a lot) so decided not to follow up my original claim. Two weeks later, despite my lack of authorisation, I received a letter from EC informing me that I had won £400 from Barclaycard. The letter included an invoice from EC for £139. Barclaycard credited £400 to my credit card and increased my minimum payment from £12pm to £65pm and I have an outstanding debt to EC of £139 that, as I'm out of work, I cannot pay. I am now a lot worse off than I was before I filled in EC's form.
My advice: stay well away from Empire Claims and their competitors.

jinxy209

I have just been stung for £1060 for their fees.They reclaimed just over £3000 on a loan which was paid to the loan company not myself.I am currently in debt and making monthly repayments to creditors.I cannot afford to pay them and it was my foolish mistake for not understanding just how much they were claiming back for me.I am waiting to hear from them as i have been able to borrow half ( yep - more debt) and am offering to make repayments from jan.
Just be careful , they are not a bad thing to use but you need to understand the consequenses - i did make another claim which went through Ashworth law and did receive a cheque for £300 which I did use for debt repayment.

mazetbrown

As I live overseas now I filled in all the paperwork the last time I was visiting the UK and totally forgot about it. I ended up recieving credit card charges returned to me in the form of a check for around £280 - I had a fee to pay them as agreed of around £70.

I wrote them a check and posted it at the airport on leaving the country in November. A month later I recieved an email saying that I still owed the fee of £70. Obviously I was terribly embarrased telling them it must have been lost in the post (that old chestnut!) and asked them to wait a couple of weeks to see if it turned up. It didn't, so after receiving another nasty email I transfered the money directly from my account to theirs thinking that was that. That was mid January. I have since received emails asking me for my payment, from various members of staff. The last 2 were threatening court action. I am not in the UK and calling is extremely difficult due to the time difference. I have replied to all emails, cc-ing to all the people I have received emails from in the past.

Now I am worried that this is a bogus company. Does anyone have any advice?

Worried,

Empire Claims customer

natweststaffmember

mazetbrown wrote: »

As I live overseas now I filled in all the paperwork the last time I was visiting the UK and totally forgot about it. I ended up recieving credit card charges returned to me in the form of a check for around £280 - I had a fee to pay them as agreed of around £70.

I wrote them a check and posted it at the airport on leaving the country in November. A month later I recieved an email saying that I still owed the fee of £70. Obviously I was terribly embarrased telling them it must have been lost in the post (that old chestnut!) and asked them to wait a couple of weeks to see if it turned up. It didn't, so after receiving another nasty email I transfered the money directly from my account to theirs thinking that was that. That was mid January. I have since received emails asking me for my payment, from various members of staff. The last 2 were threatening court action. I am not in the UK and calling is extremely difficult due to the time difference. I have replied to all emails, cc-ing to all the people I have received emails from in the past.

Now I am worried that this is a bogus company. Does anyone have any advice?

Worried,

Empire Claims customer

Firstly was the checked paid in and cleared into your account, ie the £280.00 one?

Did you include a reference number on the payment you made online(cos how do they know what it is for)?

If they claim it has not been received then tell the company that you have paid to account number x sort code y on this date and that they should(if not reference is on the payment) look at their accounts where unidentified payments are received into.

hicskis

The following was written by Orford: - (it sends a shiver down my spine)

"No land address on their website, Companies House lists them as a flat in Clapham, incorporated in July 2007, 15 days before the FSA Waiver came into effect:

Quote:
Name & Registered Office:
EMPIRE CLAIMS LTD
50 CLAPHAM COMMON SOUTH SIDE
FLAT D
LONDON
SW4 9BX
Company No. 06311039

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 12/07/2007
yet their website proclaims (my bold):

Quote:
Empire Claims is one of the UK's leading independent financial recovery experts. Established long before the bank claiming boom,"

natweststaffmember

hicskis wrote: »

The following was written by Orford: - (it sends a shiver down my spine)

"No land address on their website, Companies House lists them as a flat in Clapham, incorporated in July 2007, 15 days before the FSA Waiver came into effect:

Quote:
Name & Registered Office:
EMPIRE CLAIMS LTD
50 CLAPHAM COMMON SOUTH SIDE
FLAT D
LONDON
SW4 9BX
Company No. 06311039

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 12/07/2007
yet their website proclaims (my bold):

Quote:
Empire Claims is one of the UK's leading independent financial recovery experts. Established long before the bank claiming boom,"

Which I am sure will help the person who is not the OP deal with an issue around a disputed payment.

neilwaynesmith

I filled in the usual forms, and to be honest, the service was pretty good taking just 4 months to recover £3.5k from MBNA

Two points to think about:
One: Make sure you can afford to pay them, because any money won will come off your balances.
Two: Remember to Add 17.5% VAT onto the 25% they charge...

Now the bad side: I received an invoice on Friday 06th March, dated 02nd March. On the same day I received an email with the following language:

I have been trying to email and call you regarding outstanding invoice you have with us claim reference : and

You do need to give me a call regarding this , failure to this matter will be escalated to legal department and you will be incurring daily interest charge on your invoice

For any further clarity please let me know on 08458740095 and ask for Abi, I am dealing with your invoice

Naturally I was a bit aggrieved about this and rang, only to be told that it was standard practice. I then received similar emails every day.

So good service upfront, but afterwards, service akin to a large bloke called 'Dodger' turning up at your door with a cricket bat and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.