Bad experience with PCworld anybody? They've ruined my credit score, can anybody help

Pipeandslippers20

They are unwilling and there must be something I can do..
Please see my below letter to PCworld for information on what they did when I bought a laptop.
I wrote to the store manager a year ago and was ignored. I've emailed customer services, called customer services and written to their head office. I've had a very 'wishy washy' letter of apology back, however, the fact still remains that I have a 3 month default on my account and they took £27 fraudulantly from me.
They still haven't answered, although I sent this as "signed for". What can I expect to get out of this?
"To the Manager,
I write to you regarding the purchase of a laptop computer from your store on 26th December 2007.
This is my second letter to your store since my original letter was ignored. The purpose of this letter is to give you advanced notice that I will be coming into your store in person later this month to discuss the outstanding issues with you. Because of the length of time elapsed since the purchase, I include copies of all previous paperwork. It may be beneficial to read the previous correspondence before continuing to read this letter.
For information, my original reference number from speaking to customer services is cc0001177572.
The address I wrote to was Dixons House, Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead Herts HP2 7TG.
The issues still remaining are:
1) Your sales person lied to me regarding the cost of "PC performance" by telling me it was approx 25pence per month if I took the laptop on credit. He gave a "managers discretion" for the first month, before setting up a direct debit for £8.99 per month. I was told it would be about 25p per month and that "I would be stupid not to take up this option given how cheap it was".
2) Your sales person not only set up a direct debit for £8.99 per month that I never agreed to, he also did not send the paperwork to HFC bank. I checked with my bank and found out that I had a direct debit set up to PC World, which I assumed was for the laptop (because that is all I agreed to). I received a letter from HFC bank in March 2008 stating that my account was in arrears by 3 months. This has resulted in a default on my credit report. This is due to the incompetence of your staff at the time.
Due to the incompetence and lies of a member of your staff I have suffered a great deal of stress, whilst also having my credit rating single handedly ruined and I have been unable to remortgage because of this. Since nobody at your store has sorted out the issues, I will have no other alternative to come and speak to you about this in person.
I find it amazing that your staff let me walk out of the store with £600 worth of goods without a completed financial arrangement being set up in order to pay for it.
In the absence of a proposal on how you intend to rectify this situation before Monday 9th November, I will look forward to meeting with you, in store to discuss the matter in person.
Should you still not offer me a satisfactory solution I will simply forward this case to the financial ombudsman whom I'm sure would be very interested in your alternative ways of 'selling' your insurance product.
Please treat this as a matter of urgency, because of your staff I am currently unable to re-mortgage because of the default on my credit file.
Therefore, what I expect, as an absolute minimum, is outlined below:
1. PCWorld contact HFC bank to explain how the 3 month default on my account was not my fault, as explained above. This default needs removing – it is there through your fault, not mine.
2. Since I was effectively conned out of 3 instalments of £8.99 you should also refund me this money.
3. A gesture of some sort from your company as an apology."
Yours Sincerely,

Mark_Hewitt

It's "advance notice" not "advanced notice"

I would remove demand number 3. It looks like you are just out to get as much money as you can. Whereas I'm sure what you want is your credit score fixed, right?

Pipeandslippers20

Thank you for correcting my grammer..

What I want from them is to give back the mis-sold insurance and correct my credit file. Even them that put's them even. Given that I've been trying to get them to do this for nearly 2 years I don't think a gesture of goodwill is too much to ask for really?

Mark_Hewitt

davidandrewlawrence wrote: »

What I want from them is to give back the mis-sold insurance and correct my credit file. Even them that put's them even. Given that I've been trying to get them to do this for nearly 2 years I don't think a gesture of goodwill is too much to ask for really?

Ask for what you think you can get! As you've been fighting for 2 years, be realistic.

Pipeandslippers20

Ok, so goodwill gestures aside, they can't just mis sell insurance by lying about the cost and they surely have to accept responsiblity for being incompetant when doing their part of the finance agreement and therefore giving somebody a 3 month default through no fault of their own.
If they ignore further then the next step is the financial ombudsman surely?
There has to be something in place that stops companies such as these lying to sell insurance?

Tom1234

I was told it would be about 25p per month and that "I would be stupid not to take up this option given how cheap it was

£8.99 per month

25p x 31 days = £7.75

How sure are you they didnt say 'around 25p per day' ?

Esqui

You should take them as two separate issues - the PC Performance is not related to the credit agreement with HFC.

Regarding HFC: If HFC do not receive their copy of the agreement, they will write to you requesting you sign another copy for them. If you refuse, the store is charged for the agreement and you won't be. If HFC don't have a copy of the agreement, they shouldn't be able to set it in motion.

Regarding PCP: It could be 25p per day, and either the salesman said month by mistake (their fault, you should be refunded) or you misremembered it.

Regardless of this, I would have been in store a long time ago getting it sorted. What did you do between March 2008 and now? And why haven't HFC been in contact since?

Pipeandslippers20

I've not been in store because it is 80 miles from my home and I don't have a car, so this makes it difficult. I went to my local PCworld and they wanted nothing to do with it.

The sales person definately said per month, and also said given that it's that low per month I'd be stupid not to take it..

HFC did not write to me saying they had not had the agreement. They've not been in contact since I paid them 3 months at once. They referred me to PCworld..

Interesting that you say "If HFC don't have a copy of the agreement, they shouldn't be able to set it in motion." because they did, hence the 3 months of 'missed' payments.

Thanks for useful suggestions. What I was really after having posting on here, was what I can do to sort this in terms of what the financial ombudsman could do etc. It's a bit of a mine field and any suggestions are most welcome.

Pipeandslippers20

I'm 100% sure!

Tom1234 wrote: »

25p x 31 days = £7.75

How sure are you they didnt say 'around 25p per day' ?

Esqui

Though HFC have your bank details and can take payment, I would imagine that as they can't provide you with a signed copy of the agreement, then they can't enforce it. But I don't know much about annulling credit agreements, you'd need to ask someone on here who does.

Jakg

As far as i'm aware if the agreement isn't signed the customer keeps the goods, the store foots the full bill for the goods + interest to HFC.

EDIT - And obviously the customer pays nothing.