Help - rating advisory bureau
Options
Comments
-
DON'T DO IT...... I am this very minute lodging a claim against them because I wrote a disclaimer in the event they couldn't achieve their 'sale'. They have done nothing at all to even contact the VO and we don't have a hope of reducing our business rates. This IS a scam and the only way you can save money is NOT to go near them. We are £954 down because I bought the sale! Stupid me, I too was, of course, only trying to say the business money. I hope this stops you from suffering the same fate as me. I am lucky, as long as I can get the court to come down on my side I may get my money back due to the disclaimer but if I hadn't written it and got it signed by the salesman they wouldn't even talk to me and in their words it would be "tough luck"!!! Stay Well Away and tell anyone you meet to as well.0
-
Let them take you to court for the money if they think you owe them. They haven't provided any service to that value - offer to pay them on receipt of the successful result.........NOT the acknowledgement of appeal. Don't be intimidated by them, keep your money in your pockets. As long as you are prepared to pay the money on receipt of the service they don't have much choice do they. I'm taking them to court to get my money back because they refuse to honour a disclaimer signed by their salesman so they are clearly not professional and 'above board'. Hang on to your money and don't take ANY notice of threats and debt collectors, as long as you are prepared to pay it once their service has been successful then at least you are not refusing to pay it at all.0
-
purplepardalis wrote: »Can they provide references from other happy customers? That might show the likelihood that they will be able to save you some money
They do show reference from some really big companies .... but
a) how do you know they are real references?
b) they probably do provide a good service to these big clients just so they can get a reference from them.
In my opinion they probably are genuine references but if you are a small company (that R.A.B. are not interested in getting a reference from) you might as well just chuck £750 + vat down the drain0 -
Seems this is a common scam. My company has just been stung by RAB and a friends business was also just suffered the same loss with his company (from another firm in manchester).
They promise you they can save you huge amounts on your rates. They say that you do not pay until the rating office has agreed you have a genuine reason for reduction.
In reality all they do is submit a claim for reduction. There is no guarantee at this point of getting a reduction (the VOA simply reply to see they will look at your case - usually many months later).
Once they have the fee they wait ... then a few days before the VOA meeting date then RAB WITHDRAW the claim. In the small print it says they are free to do this if they feel the claim will not be successful.
In short - they promise huge reductions at the initial meeting but most of what they say is not true (VOA base the majority of its values on rent paid - not the lack of street lighting, insulation, parking etc as RAB claim.
Again the small print promises nothing other than an initial meeting with there so called expert (for the £750 + vat fee).
It also states that anything said verbally by the rep counts for nothing as far as the contract is concerned - so basically they can tell you anything !!!
Please if you have been contacted by them - RUN A MILE - do not sign / pay for there services.0 -
my advice to any one is dont use company like these one (dps surveyors) to appeal rates , i used dps surveyors they came to my warehouse stating they can get me a minium of 10 percent discount due to certain factors etc i paid the fee never heard anything from them for months no updates etc in the end they send me a letter they had withdrawn the case without even consult me ,basically took my money did absulately nothing just false promises . so be warned they are very good at sale talk full of empty promises.0
-
Don't use this company. They send a very aggressive salesman who turns up uninvited at your office. Like other users on this forum, we were told that there was nothing to pay until they had got us a reduction in our Business Rates. They then sent an invoice which we paid after agreeing a reduction with them in view of financial difficulties in the current economic climate. After we had paid the agreed reduced amount in full, they put it in the hands of their solicitor to make threats regarding the rest of the original invoice. Unsurprisingly we had to chase them for the results of their so-called application to reduce the Rates and were merely told on the phone that the appeal had been unsuccessful. SHOW THEM THE DOOR IF THEY COME TO YOUR OFFICE. THEY ARE A BIG CON.0
-
Hi all
I have read all the posts here and didn't find similar situation i am now in. I had 2010 rating appeal by DPS in Dec 2010, in June 2011 they withdrew the appeal saying the rate i was paying was rather fair, there wasn't much to reduce. I was rather disappointed as they were so confident that I could get big reduction. In Oct 2013, Abbey Rowe Ltd, London tried to appeal the rate for me on ‘no win no fee’ basis, the girl on the phone said my previous appeal was withdrawn because big companies would not normally go to the end if they think the reduction is not big enough, i believed her but they sent me an invoice as soon as they submitted my appeal. So I cancelled them.(Never trust what they said!! ) The appeal was dismissed in Dec 2013.
I thought the story ended. This week, i received an invoice from Leighton Clark, Manchester M1 5LN, requesting £652 for 'standard cancellation fee'. They said i breached the contract as it says ‘ in the event of instruction by the client of another surveyor in the same matter then the client will be in breach of the contract...’ My question is:
1. The appeal agreement with DPS once sighed, it’s valid for life? They withdrew the appeal in 2011,the agreement still valid?
2. Can DPS assign my agreement to Leighton Clark Associates without my permission?
Also, i am not preparing to pay, what could debt collector could do if they come?
Any advice will be really appreciated.
Regards0 -
I thought the story ended. This week, i received an invoice from Leighton Clark, Manchester M1 5LN, requesting £652 for 'standard cancellation fee'. They said i breached the contract as it says ‘ in the event of instruction by the client of another surveyor in the same matter then the client will be in breach of the contract...’ My question is:
1. The appeal agreement with DPS once sighed, it’s valid for life? They withdrew the appeal in 2011,the agreement still valid?
2. Can DPS assign my agreement to Leighton Clark Associates without my permission?
Also, i am not preparing to pay, what could debt collector could do if they come?
Without knowing the terms and conditions of your contract with DPS, it is impossible answer questions 1 and 2. However, if any part of their terms and conditions is considered unfair, then it would not be enforceable.
A debt collector has no legal right to seize goods, only a court appointed bailiff has that right.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0 -
Thanks a lot for the reply. I don't have much English and I don't quite understand the terms and conditions. In Leighton Clark’s letter it says: I draw your attention to Paragraph 7 of Terms and Conditions which states:
‘In the event of non-payment of fees within the time stated, or instruction by the client of another surveyor in the same matter (s), or withdrawal by the client of instruction to the company then the client will be deemed to be in the breach of the contract and the Company will have the right to withdraw any appeals submitted/ outstanding and to charge by way of agreed damages a compensatory fee equal to 2.5% of the rateable values of each property according to relevant Rating list. Such fee will be payable to the company within 14 days of the date of invoice and interest will be charged on late payment at 2% per month….’ I have no non-payment or withdrawal for the appeal before.
What i would like to know is: why the agreement did not end two years after they withdrew the appeal? I will assume DPS contract is more or less standard, does that mean those who had DPS appeal before will not be allowed to use any other rate appeal agency again in the future ?0 -
Paragraph 7 of Terms and Conditions which states:
‘In the event of non-payment of fees within the time stated, or instruction by the client of another surveyor in the same matter (s), or withdrawal by the client of instruction to the company then the client will be deemed to be in the breach of the contract and the Company will have the right to withdraw any appeals submitted/ outstanding and to charge by way of agreed damages a compensatory fee equal to 2.5% of the rateable values of each property according to relevant Rating list. Such fee will be payable to the company within 14 days of the date of invoice and interest will be charged on late payment at 2% per month….’
I'm not a legal expert, but in my opinion this seems to me to be unfair terms and conditions.
I think you need proper legal advice. See if you can find a local solicitor who will give you a 30 minute consultation for free.If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.3K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 248K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards