This article was used to help people make affordability complaints to BrightHouse.
Now (March 2020) BrightHouse is about to go into administration, this article is no longer relevant. You can still complain, but the process is much simpler and you can no longer go to the Financial Ombudsman.
See BrightHouse administration – how does this affect customers? which says what you should do now, with a simpler template letter of complaint to use.
Have you bought items from Brighthouse where the repayments were too much for you to be able to manage?
This article looks at how you can complain about “pay weekly” credit affordability and ask for a refund of the interest you paid. It looks at:
- what is an “affordability complaint”?
- how big a refund could you get?
- a template letter to use if you have paid for the item
- what to do if you are still paying.
What is an “affordability complaint”?
BrightHouse is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The rules about responsible lending and affordability can be summarised as:
the borrower should be able to make the repayments without undue difficulty, whilst continuing to meet other debt repayment obligations and reasonable regular outgoings.
If you were struggling to pay BrightHouse and BrightHouse should have realised this before they sold you the item, you have an “affordability complaint”.
Things which show you were struggling:
- having to borrow more money every month, perhaps from payday loans or catalogues/credit cards, or
- getting behind with essential bills such as rent, council tax, utilities, or
- defaulting on other debts.
It is easier to prove that BrightHouse should have known you would struggle if:
- you had already missed payments on previous items you bought from BrightHouse, or
- the amount you were paying BrightHouse on all your purchases was a large amount of your income.
Some people were sent refunds in 2018
BrightHouse announced in October 2017 that they were refunding nearly £15 million to customers who had been sold goods they couldn’t afford.
That sounded great and there were lots of happy newspaper headlines… but most of these refunds were small and many people didn’t get one at all.
BrightHouse’s smaller rival, PerfectHome, announced a refund for 37,000 customers in March 2018.
If you didn’t get one or you don’t think it was large enough, read the rest of this article because you can still complain! Everything in this article applies to BrightHouse and PerfectHome, but I just talk about BrightHouse as they are so much bigger.
How big a BrightHouse refund could you get?
The typical compensation if you win an affordability complaint is:
- a refund of the interest you paid,
- with an extra 8% interest per year added on top of that refund, and
- any problems on your credit record (late payments, defaults) deleted.
If you are still paying for an item that is unaffordable, the BrightHouse interest that was added on is removed so you only pay for the item itself, not the extra interest.
How far back can you go?
The Financial Ombudsman (FOS) usually only looks at complaints about things which have happened in the past 6 years.
But in 2019 it decided it can look at complaints if you bought something from BrightHouse more than 6 years ago. See some of the comments below this page for readers saying they have won their FOS cases for loans over 6 years.
Who shouldn’t do this
Don’t ask for a BrightHouse refund if you are in a DRO – it could be ended if you get a large refund. If you are in an IVA or you have ever been bankrupt, it’s pointless as the refund won’t come to you.
A template letter to use
Here is a template letter asking for a refund on two items which you have finished paying for.
Change this letter so it talks about what you bought, when, and the problems you had. Delete bits that don’t apply to you. You can change this letter a lot – it’s just to get you started!
Also include your name, current address, current email address, and give your old details if any of these have changed since you bought the items.
[If you have got receipts or emails with reference numbers on for these items, include those details.] I am asking for a refund because I could not afford the repayments and have enough money left over for my other essential spending and existing debts. At that time, my income was only £x per week/month. [add a sentence saying if this was all from benefits] I had to pay £x per week for the fridge and £x per week for the TV. This was too large a proportion of my income to be affordable. [Put this in only if it is right for you: [Put this in only if it is right for you: [Put this in only if it is right for you:
Because I was paying you too much, I got behind with my rent/council tax/electricity/gas/water/other debts etc.
If you have any red letters or CCJs or letters from debt collectors/bailiffs you could attach a copy.]
I had to borrow more money because I was paying you too much to manage my other expenses.
Include details that show the financial mess you got into, for example a screenshot of your credit record showing payday loans, statements showing how much catalogue borrowing went up, statement showing how much your overdraft or credit card/catalogue bills went up.]
You should have known that I couldn’t afford these items. I had previously bought a [something] from you and had missed a lot of payments OR had to return it because I couldn’t afford it.]
The best way to send your complaint is by email:
- BrightHouse customer.relations@brighthouse.co.uk.
- PerfectHome cs@perfecthome.co.uk.
That is free, instant, can’t get lost in the post and you have a copy of what you sent. Put AFFORDABILITY COMPLAINT as the subject of your email.
What to do if you are still paying
Things are more complicated if you are still paying. If you can’t afford the payments go to your local Citizens Advice and ask for some help.
If you have returned an item
You can also complain about the interest if you returned an item because it was unaffordable – use the template letter above. If you returned it quite early, you may not get much if anything back, but the longer you were paying, the better chance you have.
How to take your complaint to the Ombudsman if BrightHouse say No (no longer possible)
If BrightHouse says No, or offers you what seems like a tiny amount to go away, you can send your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman. If you aren’t sure about doing this, why not ask in the comments below?
This is easy and free. The Ombudsman isn’t a court, you don’t have to use legal language or make a complicated argument, and it’s all done by email. The Ombudsman just wants to know from you what you think happened and why it wasn’t fair on you.
The Financial Ombudsman has a “complain online” option which asks you for the details they need, such as your contact details. This lets you attach a copy of what you sent BrightHouse and what they replied to you.
Paul Wakeman says
Hi. I’ve had items from BrightHouse for a number of years now so as I’m trying to get my finances sorted out I’d thought I’d email them and put in an affordability complaint. I sent an email 2 weeks ago to the “customer care” email address and received an automated reply stating it would be passed to a customer care rep etc. I thought a week would be long enough just to get an acknowledgement but nothing so I resent the email again. Another week has gone by and still I have had no acknowledgement that anyone is looking at it etc. I am now going to send it directly to their Chief Executive to see if that prompts a response but can anyone provide me with the email address to contact him directly? Many Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It’s pretty normal not to hear anything after the initial acknowledgement. Do you have all the details of everything you bought from them over the years? If not, it may be worth sending them a Subject Access Request asking for a copy of all your personal information, including any credit checks they made on you. Send to customer.relations@brighthouse.co.uk with Subject Access Request as the email subject.
Paul Wakeman says
Thanks. I’ve got details of everything that I’ve had with them (apart from the checks they did) so I’ll request the SAR later today.
Amy says
Is it 6 years from taking the agreement with bright House or 6 years from paying it off?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
UPDATE FOS has now decided it can look at complaints about things bought more than 6 years ago :)
This isn’t very clear yet, I haven’t seen many published decision about older loans. It may even be that the “6 year test” doesn’t matter at all for Brighthouse complaints… so i suggest you send it to Brighthouse & on to the Ombudsman if BH reject it.
I would be interested to know what happens.
Sarah Docherty says
My recently late in laws had numerous items with brighthouse over the years which they paid off. My father in law was the one who had the credit agreement and it was always my mother in law who the store assistants informed that he could get another item, is this right in itself?? Both were only on pension credits. They struggled financially and they were unable to purchase life insurance as they just couldn’t afford to pay out anymore and ofter borrowed from myself and hubby for other Bill’s or asked us to pay it for them. This resulted in my hubby and I paying for their funeral ourselves? Can i put in an affordability complaint for them even though they have passed.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes, you can put in an affordabilty complaint on behalf of their estate, if you are sorting out their affairs.
If you are on certain benefits, you can get some help with the funeral costs, see https://www.gov.uk/funeral-payments.
Sarah Docherty says
Many thanks for your reply as always Sara. Well….. My husband put in the complaint for his late father, which detailed a little like this, xxx’s are in place to protect identity:
For and on behalf of my late father –
Name
D.O.B – XX/XX/XX
D.O.D – XX/XX/XX
I XXXXX want to ask for a refund of the interest that my late father ………
Please can I add that they have both passed away now and I was held fully responsible for the full cost of both of their funerals.
This was their reply from Customer Service Executive!
Good Morning,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately as you are not a verified 3rd party on your fathers account James would need to contact us personally himself.
Please advise him to contact customer relations on XXXX so we can assist him further
Thank You
I have since had another reply stating: apologies for the confusion but as he (my hubby) is not the account holder, they can not discuss this any further!
Any advice on this please???
Sara (Debt Camel) says
oh god. I hope you aren’t too distressed at this time and can try to see the funny side of that incredibly stupid and insensitive reply.
I suggest your husband replies:
My father died without leaving a Will. As his next of kin, I am sorting out his estate. If I need to apply for probate, I will do this, but in order to apply I need an estimate of the value of his estate and it seems likely that a refund from Brighthouse for unaffordable loans will be his biggest asset. So I would like you to progress these complaints.
It might help if he could include a copy of his birth certificate showing his father’s name on it. And a copy of his father’s death certificate.
Sarah Docherty says
Thank you Sara. Should they have taken into account the full house income or just his when taking the loan for items?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If they took your MiLs income into account, they should also have assessed her expenses and other debts.
Johanna says
Hi. I am a ex bright House customer. Was a customer for 9 or ten years. I have had a TV cooker and fridge freezer that I have paid off. I have also had a sopha that I had to return as could not afford the payments.
Johanna
Sara (Debt Camel) says
if you think these loans were “unaffordable” – repaying them was a struggle and you may have had to borrow more money or get behind with essential bills – then you can use the template letter in the article above to put in an affordability complaint.
David says
Quick update / my complaint is still with the financial ombudsman and has been since February 2018, I refused part of the original decision by the ombudsman because they stated that BrightHouse had refused to look at loans beyond the 6 years. And I needed to prove I had reason to go past that.
I replied stating that we complained in the correct time frame as we were only made aware we could complain about this issue when it was national news in October 2017 about unaffordable lending with BrightHouse along with the rest of the country.
Anyway the letter arrived today 6 months after the last contact saying how sorry they were for the long delay etc and that the good news is that BrightHouse have now caved in and agreed to look at all loans from 2007 😊😊😊😊 it also said there was a number of cases complaining about the same issue hence the reason it took so long.
This is a huge win for everyone involved in claiming back from these vultures. They have now advised me I will receive my next update no later than January 2020 which I don’t mind as the interest is building everyday that it’s with them
So everyone please keep on and don’t give up I was happy with the £4K I received but I believed I was due far far more so fingers crossed it will be a good start to the new year
Sara (Debt Camel) says
EXCELLENT
Do let us know when you get an update.
A miller says
How long did you wait for your initial refund please , I have been waiting since august I received a letter on 27th November saying it’s in its final stage and will be dealt with within 28 days but has now gone over I’m assuming due to Christmas
Paul M says
Hi we have been with Brighthouse since they started in 2002 & as they were Crazy Georges for a few years before that. Weve found ourselves in a continuous downward spiral of extortianate credit with them. When struggling to pay one agrreement an appliance would break down & then we would be taking out a new agreement. Then due to such high amounts we were paying we couldnt perhaps afford Christmas presents for our children & would take out further agreements. The story goes on & on……. To this day we are still in this cycle & sometimes paying so much we have needed to resort to more credit companies just to live. We never get asked for bank statements etc & have lots of debt but Brighthouse just phone continually offering new agreements. Do you think it would be worth making a claim & if so where do i start? Thanx Paul
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Paul,
you can make a complaint for items bought after April 2007 – the ones before are too old.
If you use the template letter in the article above but change the bit at the start to say “I want to make a m=complaint about the large number of loans you gave me from April 2007 without properly checking I could afford them. There have been so many I would like you to send me a list of all the items saying when i bought them, how large the loan was, what the weekly repayments were and how much interest I paid”. You are asking for a refund of all the interest you paid.
If your partner also bought some, get her to send a similar letter.
The items you currently have, you can ask for the payments to be reduced to a more a ffordable level.
This may seem daunting, but just kick off the complaint and come back here when you get a reply?
steve says
I have received the very same letter.My last payment was for just under £13000 but i’ve been with brighthouse for nearly 20 years so this news is fantastic for me as they only paid me from 2013.The amount of money i was paying in the 2007 time was a lot more than i had been paying at one time i was paying £207 a week so i will hopefully get some more money from them.This is what they deserve FOS looking way back as they have got away with it for sooo long and this could be the beginning of the end of Brighthouse as i feel they can’t sustain these kind of redresses.
Sara if you would like me to forward this letter to you let me know
David says
Amazing news I said the exact same thing to my partner yesterday that this could be the end for BrightHouse. They are now so desperate for business since this issue was raised and all the new lending rules came in they must be struggling financially. have you noticed the amount of adverts lately on tv magazines online Facebook etc never seen so many
Also the only thing I’m worried about now is proving everything I had with them since 2007 when I SARd them they apparently only had information for the last 6 years so it’s going to be a struggle for me personally to find agreements or statements or anything to prove what I had from 2007
Have you got all your old agreements from back then ?
Steve says
Hi David
I don’t have a thing to prove what I had but a friend who worked for them told me they have every agreement customers get but they always state they only have 6 years but I am guessing FOS know this they will have ways q
DAVID says
Hi Steve that’s great news about the agreements then Fingers crossed for us all
A miller says
I have put a complaint in and keep Getting the same letter about giving them another 28 days
I have taken out 31 agreements since 2013 and at some points I was missing paying £12 late fees then I’d catch up and they would offer me something else
They asked for my proof of income 3 times in the whole of the time I was getting things off them do you think I have a case
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think you have a case with such a lot of loans – if you complained more then 8 weeks ago, don’t give them any more time, send your complaint to the ombudsman.
A miller says
How long ago did u complain to the ombudsman please , I received my final response of bright house this morning they have only agreed to pay me for 2 items and have rejected 29 I have wrote to the ombudsman now as that is an absolute joke , I don’t know how they say they responsibly lent to me when I was in arears one minute getting men knocking at my door only to be offered new agreements weeks later by pushy sales assistants
stephen patterson says
Yeh i agree.In my opinion we have had redress payments already for Brighthouse making mistakes so i really can’t see any other claims for more than 6 years changing decisions.
We need to get them closed down to help other people trapped by these companies.I no longer have accounts with Brighthouse neither does my wife.I have opened an account with another company as my washing machine broke down but this company is brilliant and interest is good now.Fair for you if you ever get desperate and you feel the need to maybe go back to Brighthouse give these a try.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Fair For You are indeed a huge improvement on Brighthouse for people ho need weekly payments. https://www.fairforyou.co.uk/
Duncan says
Hi i put in an affordability complaint using your template 4 months ago, i rang to check progress today and thry said the complaint was finalisee on the 22nd oct and it is with the quality checkers. Any idea if this may be good or bad news? Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It’s no news – it’s not good or bad.
You could have sent it to the Finacial Ombudsman at 8 weeks. I suppose you may as well give them another week, but don’t let this drag on indefinitely.
Let us know what happens!
Duncan says
Thanks the only reason i decided to wait it out was i received a letter frok then 4 weeks ago saying that theybare sorry as there is a backlog, and that they endeavor to respond within 4 weeks and will take into avcount this when conaidering their final reply. So i held out, might aswell wait it out now and see. Am i right in thinking that if i am not happy with their reply that i can still take it to the Financial Ombudsman? Cheers
A miller says
Have u had a reply yet since that last letter ??
A miller says
Have u had ur offer / or letter yet
I got told 4 weeks from 27th nov still haven’t heard anything
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you phone them on the 2nd and ask why you haven’t had a reply.
Samantha says
How long should I give brighthouse to get back to me regarding my complaint before I progress it further?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
8 weeks
Laura says
Hi all, am I too late to put a claim in?
I was with brighthouse since 2010 and paid off all my agreements a few weeks ago. I have had all sorts, tvs, several sofas, xboxs washers, dryers. Sent back all the sofas, xbox, dryer. At one point I was spending over £100 a week with them. I had 5 children and only my one income. So stupid now you look back. I only started with a cooker when I moved house. They used to call me very few weeks to say I could get something else and it just snowballed. What’s the best way to go about it? Send this template with my details to head office or the ombudsman? Brighthouse haven’t been in touch with mr to say I was entitled to any refund but I would if thought I would be. Thanks all x
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Not too late! Send the complaint to the BrightHouse email in the article above. It will probably have to go to the Financial Ombudsman, but you have to give it to BH first.
Amanda Kelly says
Ive just got a letter from FOS who are dealing with mine and apparently brighthouse have agreed to go as far back as 2007 its took some fightimg by FOS to get them too, but its hopefully the start of me winning my claim, but i think im in for a long wait till it is sorted but hopefully be worth it in the end
A miller says
How long ago did u complain to the ombudsman please xx
Nicola smith says
They charged me for sofa but they took it back
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Nicola, are you asking if you should make an affordability complaint? If you are can you say something about what your finances were like when bought the sofa…
Did you have a lot of other debts?
Any other Brighthouse contracts?
Were you working?
And how many payments did you make before they took it back?
How long ago was this?
Sorry for all the questions!
David says
Hi Guys a fantastic update just before Christmas from the financial ombudsman after 2 years of fighting i have received a unexpected email from the investigator dealing with my complaint today.
They stated sorry etc for how long its taken etc etc and they as stated previously they have now agreed to go back to 2007 onwards for affordability claims. It goes onto say that they have asked brighthouse for all the information needed to go ahead with my complaint but completely unexpectedly they have stated Brighthouse have now agreed that they did not do the correct checks :) and brighthouse would now like to make me a offer for all the interest i paid and the 8% annual interest on top.
The email for some reason does not say the amount offered or if it’s everything i have had since 2007 but the wording suggests its everything and i have until the 3rd january 2020 to accept the offer or don’t accept and leave the ombudsman carry on with the complaint :)
I have emailed back asking questions about the amount offered and if everything since 2007 is included so hopefully they respond if not i will call monday morning as they are closed the weekends :( it’s going to be along weekend lol
Fingers crossed everyone else starts getting these emails over the next few days and it looks like it was definitely worth the fight and 2 year wait
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That is great news! I hope Brighthouse are doing this for some of the other complaints that are at the Finacial Ombudsman.
Jemma says
Hi guys
I put an affordability complaint in August 2019. I had 6 items starting from April 2009 upto April 2014. After fighting hard bombarding them with emails and phone calls every week. Today I have finally got them to pay all my interest and charges back plus 8% simple interest. All in all after tax this was just under £3000. It’s been a stressful time and It shows if you don’t give up and keep pushing you will get the pay back your owed. If anyone has any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Also mine were over the 6 year period but I still managed to get all my items compensated.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well done!
A miller says
Jemma can I ask who you were emailing every time I phone up there saying in final stages I fne every week , I put my compliant in September so hopefully mines not too far behind yours
Jemma says
I got Anth Mooney the CEO involved as I had the same problem. I emailed him the next day I had a reply and Kam Nandra head of affordability onto it. She is not part of the Bradford customer service team. Her email is Kam.Nandra@brighthouse.co.uk hope this helps
A miller says
Thank you so much lovely xx I’ve emailed her will keep you updated. How long after you got in touch with them did ur claim get finalised
A miller says
Hi hun can I ask how you got in touch with anth Mooney I’ve emailed him and the other email u gave me and still just getting ignored
David says
Hi Guys just a quick question has anyone made a complaint to brighthouse or the financial ombudsman service about the historical product prices for the items brighthouse brighthouse were selling ?
I made my complaint etc back in 2017 regarding irresponsible lending etc which is now at the final stage with the ombudsman service but i’ve just read a financial article online that there is now test cases with the ombudsman service for historical product prices with brighthouse which as we all know are shocking to start with before the interest has even been applied.
I just want to know if other people have complained about them and the outcome as its something i didn’t know we could complain about and something i 100% will if its possible as the prices for the items to start with are highly exaggerated
Also if others have been compensated for the historical prices i believe everyone whos made the complaint should be compensated the same otherwise its one rule for one and different for others etc
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
what article did you see?
David says
This was the article dated the 2nd January 2020 so within the last 2 weeks
This is the section I am referring to
However, a number of risks and uncertainties remain in particular with respect to the number of claims that will be received, the rate of cases referred and key decisions by FOS. We are in the process of disputing recent cases where the FOS has given initial adjudicator views against us in terms of our historical product prices and our affordability assessments.”
https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/01/brighthouse-falls-16m-loss-latest-quarter/
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok, that statement came from the Brighthouse accounts published in December.
There are no published decisions in this area. As it says BH is disputing initial decisions, so these must currently be with an Ombudsman. I am keeping an eye open for when decisions are published but there is nothing so far.
You can see from David’s comment above that he had a complaints about loans over 6 years old upheld by an adjudicator and BH have accepted the adjuidciator decision.
I haven’t seen anyone with a complaint about the very high prices themselves. I would expect BH to contest that very hard. I suggest you talk to your adjudicator about your case – if it is just about to be decided in your favour, you have a difficult decision to take about whether to try to add on this new reason to complain, as it may delay things considerably.
vicki says
Hi , So i put a brighthouse claim in with a claims company … it has been nearly 4 months now. After emailing the comopany all i get told if there is a back log etc etc . im thinking should i have just complained my self to brighthouse and not a company. I have items with brighthouse going back to 2007 up to about 2018.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yeah, they are going to take 25% plus VAT of your refund for sending the same email of complaint you could have done.
But there is nothing you can do except wait. If you check back here once a month, say, you will get more info on what is happening to other complaints than you will get from that claims company.
vicki says
How long should I give this company to sort this out for me ? should i be on there case all the time ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
has the claims co had a response from BH? If no, then tell the claims company you want the complaint sent to the Financial Ombudsman immediately, you don’t want them to delay any longer.
Once it is with the ombudsman there is nothing the claim so or you can do to speed this up.
Paul says
Hi there so I’ve had a sofa off Bright House now for well over a year. The payments are over a £100 a month. I don’t work and wasn’t when I applied for the couch. I receive benefits that pay all my bills so have very little over each month so having the sofa payments makes things very difficult. I’ve not missed any payments but have been close on the odd occasion. When applying for the credit in store they told me I met all their criteria and fall into their top 20% off applicants so they would be happy to give me credit. The couch will be paid for after 3 years. With the monthly payments making things a struggle do I have a case to put to them here? I don’t want to lose the couch so would making a claim cause that or would a refund of the interest I’ve already paid go to paying off the couch leaving me with a few interest free payments left to pay?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think £100 a month is a lot to pay if you are on benefits, I am not surprised you are struggling. So yes, I think this is worth a complaint.
If you carry on making the payments while the complaint goes through, as the article above suggests (see the What to do if you are still paying section) then probably by the time you get a decision you may have nearly paid it all off. How much was the couch itself and when did you buy it?
Paul says
The couch was over £1000 and I bought it 14 months ago now I think. I always believe in repaying my debts so not looking for anything free here but if I’m entitled to interest refund then I would apply even if it payed off the remaining balance.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Right, so if you carry on making the payments after you complain, they can’t take it away and if you win your complaint you should already have repaid what you borrowed if the interest is removed. If you lose, then you carry on paying and are no worse off.
As you say, you aren’t trying to get something for nothing, just not pay the excessive interest if it is decided that they should never have given you the loan.
Paul says
Thanks very much
Mandy moran says
Hi i have had a washing machine,fridge 2 tvs but i dont have the paperwork can i still claim im on benefits and have been the whole time
David Lewis says
Hey everyone just a quick update I can finally say it’s all finished after the longest battle I’ve ever had 😩 but it was well worth it in the end.
I finally received the payment from brighthouse into my bank account on Friday of just over £7900 it was a 2 year battle with them and the ombudsman service but was obviously worth it in the end.
In total I’ve now received £12800 which is all Interest and the 8% on every single agreement I had taken out since 2007.
So don’t give up the fight and don’t just accept what they tell you.
FIGHT them all the way
They originally tried fobbing me off in February 2018 with a £4035 payment and they declined a number of other agreements which I disputed as they clearly did not do financial checks etc. It’s now cost them so much more than I originally claimed For due to the ombudsman allowing claimants to go back to 2007.
So don’t give up and this has again set a precedent so others should now be claiming further back to 2007 even if you have previously had a refund like I did
If I can be of any assistance I’m more than happy to help
vicki says
Hi David , That is brillient well done !! How many agreements did you originally have with them ? i have agreements going back to 2007 also but some of them i cant rememeber :( x
A miller says
Hi David can I ask you when you originally got you final response from bright house did u email them back to get the initial amount or did u take it to the ombusman they have only paid me for 2 items out of 31 shall I get back in touch with bright house or go straight to the ombusman
stephen says
goto ombudsman 2 agreements is an insult.I am currently waiting for my complaint to be done but they are going back to 2007 also according to fos.
The CEO has left already to a mortgage company so a new one there now i think he was there like 6 months jumping a sinking ship comes to mind
David Lewis says
Hi Vicky thank you they have paid me this time for a further additional 29 agreements 😳 miraculously out of the blue they managed to find all the agreements from 2007 even though they originally denied having access to them when asked and SAR request made 😂 anyway the ombudsman will get brighthouse to obtain all the agreements apparently they have to hold them for a certain amount of years before destroying them so you won’t have to find them brighthouse already hold them and the ombudsman will make them hope it helps 👍
vicki says
Hi David , Sorry to reply again !
So what exactly do they pay you back for and why ? So do they pay you every thing you have every paid them ? sorry im a bit confused as to why and what ! x
David Lewis says
Morning Vicki I personally have had every single agreement refunded since 2007 due to unaffordable lending.
The refund is not for the actual goods you purchased brighthouse keep that as you have kept and purchased the goods. The refund is actually all the interest that was paid on top and then another 8% simple interest on top of that from the date of the agreement
Hope that makes sense any issues let me know
A miller says
Hi David did you do your original claim yourself and if so how long did this take to get the initial £4035 , I have 31 agreements in total I made continuous late payments with £12 fee and was still asked if wanted more stuff
I put my claim in September and r still getting letters saying will be dealt with within 4 weeks every month
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Have you sent the complaint to the Ombudsman?
David Lewis says
morning yes I did my own complaint back in October 2017 when the news broke nationally about brighthouse and it’s irresponsible lending practices. I was one of the first to complain so lucky for me only took 4 months for the first refund. I think I was originally refunded on 8 agreements the rest was originally refused
I personally never had any late payments with them but the offer I received via the ombudsman service stated all late payment fees would also be refunded and any negative information removed from your credit file, so you should have a decent amount from the fees also.
I believe someone further up the page listed the brighthouse CEO email address might be worth sending them a email explaining your situation and the time it’s taken.
Also if you haven’t already make a complaint to the financial ombudsman service as this also takes time and the sooner you do it the better
MArie says
Hi can you advise me in the past I have had items from bright house but can’t remember all of them and payments etc how do I complain to bright house
Tracy says
Hi I’m wondering how long it takes for a cheque to come once it been issued been waiting 2 weeks ,this is the 2 one that’s been sent as the first one went to my old address,I wouldn’t of known about it if I hadn’t got a letter asking why I haven’t cashed it £6314 which I’m happy with just not the time it takes ,can they just put it in my bank
Tracy Houghton says
You complain to email customer.relations@brighthouse.co.uk it takes about 6 months but they’ll know every items you purchased ,you have to say that you struggled to pay and this left you short of food some weeks as a lot of people did otherwise you may not get anything if they think that the items purchased were affordable to you at the time ,as most of my complaints ,bright House wouldn’t accept blame only on the affordability complaints
Fiona says
Hi, I have just found out about this from my daughter! Would I still be able to submit a claim? I’ve had loads with BH over the years, suites, bed, washer, fridge freezer, Wii, TV’s. Never asked for proof I could afford payments, always rang to ask if I wanted more as well.
Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If you think the repayments caused you difficulty, perhaps getting behind with bills or having to borrow more, then you can use the template letter in the article above to complain.
Susan kearney says
Looking for some advice. I have finally had an offer from brighthouse after submitting an affordability complain In september. I am being refunded interest etc for most of the agreements i had with them however they have rejected for 3 of my agreements. Funnily enough 2 of which are quite large. Where do i go from here?? Can i dispute this direct with them or do i now need to contact fos?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
was there any particular reason why they didn’t uphold those three? Were they the first few agreements?
Susan Kearney says
The letter is a bit long winded and i find it quite confusing lol One of the agreements was from 2013 the other 2017. The one in 2013 was not the first agreement i had with them. Basically what i can understand from the letter is that there was nothing to suggest that the agreements were unaffordable at the time taken even though they have said the others were??
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I’m sorry I missed your reply.
I’m afraid you have a difficult decision here if you are being offered a refund on quite a few loans. Cases with loans over 6 years may well go extremely slowly at FOS. FOS appears to be upholding a lot of these older cases but you can’t assume you will get an answer in a reasonable timescale. How much have you been offered?
Susan says
Thanks for your reply. I have since received a cheque from brighthouse for just over £800. I have decided just to accept this offer.
vicki says
Hi really need some advice ! I left my claim to brighthouse with a claims company. its been months and months and after emials back and forth to claims company with them just saying BH are looking into it. I received an email again today bascially just saying that BH still havnt made a final decision on my claim yet and will get back to me when they have . So my advice is do i just cancel it with the claims company and push it forward my self . Or wait it out and pay the Claims Company there fee?!!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you tell the Claims Company that either they forward your complaint to the Finacial Ombudsman or you want them to withdraw from the case and you will take it forward yourself.
vicki says
I have send the claims company an email asking to forward this and the reply I got was this could take longer even upto a year ?
I feel like i am being given the run around and if i take the case off them and forward it my self , I’m afraid I might be hit be a hefy fee not form the claims company. So im in a bit of limbo on what to do now !
Samantha says
Hello new to this so any advice would be helpful. I have been with brighthouse for about 5 years now and had quite a few products with them sofa TVs bed phone etc and also have 4 agreements with them. I have paid about 7 products off already and still paying 4 off. I was only ever asked for proof of income when I started off with them 5 years ago and was receiving all benefits each month I get an email offering me upto £2000 credit when I cant afford it. I’m now upto £60 a week in payments to them and I simply cant afford it I have asked to have reduced payments as i don’t want to hand the products back as i have paid half or now already. I have had insurance out of every product other wise i was told i couldn’t have the product without it .
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That sounds like a lot of borrowing at the same time. I suggest you send them a complaint if you feel this is unaffordable. Asking for more manageable payments now is a good idea – this sort of complaint can take a long while to get through.
Samantha says
Yes it was and due to them keep on offering me I was silly enough to just take as I was told I was eligible for it even now I have emails offering me more credit of upto £2000 credit limit. I have rang them and they have put my account of hold for a bit to try and sort it out. What would you suggest is the best route for me to go.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So you have asked for lower payments, have you also told them you want to complain you were given unaffordable credit?
Samantha says
Yes I have asked for lower payments and I have also told them I want to complain I sent the form above and filled it in myself and sent it back today to the complaints department.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok, so wait and see what they come back with. There isn’t much point at the moment trying to work out what you will do if they say X or Y. You have kicked this off, so now it’s up to them to respond.
Samantha says
Ok thankyou. Have alot of the complaints been dealt with then ? How do they work out if they sold to you when they shouldn’t have ? I have paid alot off with them when I wasnt really in a position too. I have explained all this to them through email and using the template as above.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
They are getting a large number of complaints at the moment. I think they will look at how much you borrowed and what they knew about you at the time. Good luck.
David says
Best get your complaints in quick because it looks like they are finally going under due to all the compensation complaints and because of the financial ombudsman going back further than 6 years.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/money/11069653/brighthouse-brink-collapse-compensation-claims/amp/
steve says
Yeh looks like they may close within weeks.If thats the case all our claims will be useless and get 5p for every pound of compensation just like wonga
A miller says
I have a complaint with the ombudsman will that be upheld if they go into liquidation
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I have just published a story on this : https://debtcamel.co.uk/brighthouse-close-to-collapse/
At the moment it is just rumour, but it sounds quite well-informed.
Samantha says
Ok thankyou. I will let you all no how it goes anyway.
louise says
hi , i have a few different items which i stopped paying for around november time they eventually stopped hounding me for the payments but i am not sure how long or if they will start asking me for the payments again.
because i have paid quite a lot of interest and paid quite a few previous items off do you think it will be worth sending an affordability complaint in and hopefully they can use the interest extortion from previous payments to cover the other items. or shall i leave it until they maybes contact me again
Tina says
Hi there can you help me with what information/ evidence people have submitted?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Tina, do you mean to BrightHouse with your complaint? Or to the Finacial Ombudsman if BH have rejected it?
Tina says
Sorry I’m not sure how to go about this. Do I contact BrightHouse first? I have had numerous items between 2014 and 2017 that are now all paid.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yes you have to complain to BrightHouse first. The article above looks at what an affordability complaint is and then gives a template to help you explain your case to BrightHouse.
Tina says
Will they ask for evidence and things. As I’m not sure what I have as it was years ago.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
the only thinks you are usually asked for by the Finacial Ombudsman are a copy of your current credit record and the bank statements for the time you were borrowing. You can get those going back to 2014, even if you have changed bank accounts.
I would start off by sending in your complaint and then wait and see what you are asked for. It may not be anything!