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.
Jamie says
I currently have items with Brighthouse, and have always struggled with the payments, I know it’s my fault for doing it but a cooker and fridge freezer are essential and was my only option at the time, I took the agreements out in the timescale given and have been thinking for a while about giving them back but I’ve paid off the cost of the items the next 18 months will just be interest! So will I get it written off I’m on a low income and just had to switch to universal credit so really struggling at the mo and having to pay £140 a month is something I could really do without
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Your case may come under the “unaffordable loan” cases – you can phone up and ask?
Do you have other debts apart from BrighHouse?
Jamie says
Yes I have other debts, after waiting 7 weeks for a universal credit payment which is only a months worth I’m playing catch-up with rent and all other bills
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think you should talk to a debt adviser about your whole situation. Your local Citizens Advice is good with handling rent arrears and other priority debts.
margaret says
hi sara, I was with brighthouse during the timeframe so im hoping I will get a little something back. my problem with them is when I was forced to return my goods I couldn’t afford after paying for a year, my store told me I would have a restart voucher on file to use with 12 months the value £330 as long as I got another tv. when I went back to the store to buy a tv within timeframe I was told I the voucher was no longer available as it was stopped. they went on to explain that even if it was available I still couldn’t use it, the tvs had to be matching price overall. so basically that £330 would have made a big dent in the tv I got but no one told me any of this is lost although I did have use of tv. this new redress do u get back any of your weekly payments paid out or is it a small amount like ive read online of £125 to each customer , its better than nothing I suppose.
steve says
Hi Margaret.its really a tough one to work out what they are doing with the redress.I know you wont get any weekly payments back but if its found that they didnt do affordability checks you get interest paid or something basically the avergae is approx £150 give or take.Have you contacted brighthouse to see if you are on the list that would be your first port of call and at least you will know if you are going to get any money from them
Paul Norman says
Hi I’ve been told by brighthouse im getting a refind but a bit confused.I had tv. cooker.had late fees so on until a family member came to rescue I paid brighthouse £500 early fees then I hot a fridge freezer stupid I know bug I had to.. had it for 6-8 months had to send it back as I couldn’t afford it so the reason why I’m confused is what will I get back in ways of refund all 3 items was in the time line
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I am afraid you just have to wait and see what they offer you. If you don’t think it’s enough, put in a complaint using the template letter in the artcile above. Or come back here and ask, if you are not sure?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Margaret, have you phoned them up and asked if you are going to be getting a refund letter?
If you get one, do think about whether it’s enough, because it sounds as though they treated you very poorly with this voucher that turned out to be useless… That could be a very good cause to ask for more. But come back here and ask if you aren’t sure!
Alanah says
Hi there everyone iv just been in contact with the rip off merchants.. And have been advised that I’m on the list… I told them iv paid all my good off and don’t have any documentation as I’m not with bright house any more… She then advised me it doesn’t matter whether u with them as long as you were with them in the period they mentioned … So I look forward to see what we get back.. ALSO folks if anyone has moved address you must ring them and tell them so they can settle your claim… they a total ripoff but hey let’s see what comes in post
Mandy says
I had a five items
From Brightnouse like many others I didn’t many other options at the time and they were all essential household items so couldn’t just go without. I have had success with pdl refunds and have often thought I wish I could complain to Brighthouse on the same grounds as it was hire purchase I wasn’t sure – so here I go. £127 doesn’t cut it I struggled for 3 years to pay off the items with many other pay loans whirling around me at the same. I remember clearly going into the store and the only thing the staff member checked was whether she could see income going in if she had looked closer she would have seen debt repayments to debt collection agencies pay day loan repayments etc. Thank you Sara for this website – it has given me the confidence to be brave and face up to these horrible companies that prey on the vulnerable- so far I have had approx 5k in refund from various companies and Brighthouse is next on my hit list – thanks again.
Kerry says
I rang and I’m not on the list even though I took out items during them dates. Could I ask what would class as a correct way to assess my income as I was only ever asked to show a payslip which to me doesn’t show what I have coming in and out. Never once have i been asked to show a bank statement. They also said they run a credit check but my credit really poor and at the time I had 3 ccjs and about 12 defaults.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
BrightHouse is aimed at people with poor credit record but yours sounds so bad they really should have stopped and looked into your situation in detail before lending.
Try the template letter above if you want to complain.
John Harrison says
I had a few things from brighthouse I had a DVD player and tv returned the tv earlier this year. I phoned and asked them could I pay it off I was told it would be £900 so I said take it back. I found out after it’s return I only had 8 payments which was £18 per week and it was to finish my payments. Found out the £900 included early termination fees the tv I had was £700 in Currys and overall I would have paid just over £3018 for the same tv
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That is a dreadful story.
First you need to call their helpline (number in the article above) and see if you are going to get any compensation as you may be in one of the groups. If you are, then wait until you get it and see if you think it is adequate. It is going to be quite difficult to assess what compensation you should get – the aim of redress is to put you back in the position you would have been in if their poor service had not occurred. In this case you would have had to pay 8×18 but would then have had a perfectly good TV you were happy with. I would suggest that it should be several hundred pounds at least. If you feel it is inadequate (come back here and discuss it?) then you should complain and ask Brighthouse to look at your case again. What is being paid out is an automatic trawl through the computer system – there may well be cases such as yours where people should get more money than is being offered.
If they say you aren’t on the list to get a letter with a refund, I suggest you put in an immediate complaint to them saying that you were misinformed about what your options were when you phoned up. They will still have the phone records. If your complaint is rejected, send it to the Financial Ombudsman.
Rebecca says
I have had several items in the past with brighthouse all of which my financial situation wasn’t checked properly or at all.
I received a cheque for one agreement. Are the sending cheques for agreements separately or in one letter?
I believe I should be due more and just wondering if they are sending this out separately for each agreement?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t know – you are the first person who has asked this but I think there are going to be many more! Would you mind giving some details about the refund, how much is it? what item was it for? have they said how they calculated it – was it all the interest that was added or what? when did you buy it?
Were the other items at the same time or earlier / later? Are you still paying for any of them? Did the letter just ignore these?
Rebecca says
It was for a laptop refund give was £128 this was for interest I paid whilst having it as I sent it back after a while as I couldn’t afford. it 8% extra was also paid to me and 20% was deducted for tax.
This was back in 2015 I had other stuff out after that aswell I believe i am due on these to as they never checked bank statements to see my finances and only ask for a letter signed by my employee about my wages.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Thanks. Was the 8% just 8% on the interest or was it 8% per year on the interest, which would probably be about 16% if you made the payments in 2015?
Also did you get any late payments or default marked on your credit file for this item? If you did you can ask for that to be deleted.
I think you should call the Helpline (number in the article above) and ask if you are going to get another letter for any other items. If they say no, make a list of all the things you bought and when so you can see how much the weekly payments for added up to…
1 Feb 2016 bought X, weekly payments of £11 for 3 years
4 Jun 2016 bought Y, weekly payments of £16 for 2 years, total weekly payments go up to £27
11 Jan 2017 bought Z, weekly payments of £5 for 3 years, total weekly payments go up to £32
steve says
I am glad you got something back and you are the first person ive heard to receive something but the payment is the only payment you will receive as i was told all agreement will be totalled up and refund sent on that but i cant believe they are taxing on it
Sara (Debt Camel) says
The tax will only be on the extra 8% interest that is added, not on the refund amount itself.
Ashley says
I currently have fridge freezer I pay £6.50 a week for im on disability benefits find it hard to afford what are my rights for getting rid of it or getting a refund iv never been behind on payments tho had it for about 8 months
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If you phone up the helpline (number in article above) they will be able to tell you if you are on the list for a refund. If you aren’t and you don’t think that’s fair, put in a complaint!
You can hand back the item after making half the payments if you want and it won’t hurt your credit record. But if you make a complaint and the interest is removed, then the remaining payments might be more affordable?
(PS sorry for late reply, I found your comment in the spam folder!)
chris says
I’m on the list but bright house has put it self up for sale is this to avoid paying out don’t trust them
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Not trusting a company that has ripped off so many people over so many years is natural, but the company is still very much in business and you will get this refund. When you get it, if you don’t think it’s big enough, come back here and ask!
Paul says
Hi i have a few things from brighthouse i sent a 65″ tv and sony playstation back after just over a year. 3 years the agreement was as i coulndt afford it 20 16 aprill they were sent back due to money changes in. My income never missed any payments. I am on the list for abrefund as i phoned and asked just wonderd what it may be thanks also now i deal with faiir for you. Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I don’t know – and I too would love to know how they are calculating these. Can you come back when you get the letter and say?
Also, apart from the money, do you know if they left a default on your credit record for these returned items? If they did, I hope they are planning on deleting it.
miss alfie Wright says
I have been a customer of brighthouse since 2008 and have had a huge number of items which I have paid off.
At one stage I was paying £150 per week, now down to £100 per week, I rang customer services this week and they confirmed I was due a refund but couldn’t tell me how much, I should have a letter before Christmas which hopefully should be nice.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It would be great if you could come and say what you get. Also if what you are offered looks disappointing, come back here and ask if it’s enough!
Lynn says
No not yet I thought cheque would have been send with it
Sharon says
Iv just been told my letter with a cheque was sent out on the 4th of December but wouldn’t say how much hope I get it soon x
Robyn Bailey says
Has anyone else had letters yet I have been told I am due a refund but not how much. I would of thought more people would have received them by now.
Tracey says
I have just received a letter and cheque from brighthouse for a tv I took out in may 2015, it’s a tv I later returned as I couldn’t afford it and switched to a smaller tv. They say they owe me 446.84.
It says on the letter that your refund has been calculated as follows:
Interest you paid us: £361.66
Fees you paid us: £22.00
8% interest per year (minus tax*)
Total refund to you £446.84
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Sounds OK, do you have any reason to think any of the figures are wrong? Also did they put a default or late payment marker on your credit record for this debt?
steve says
Hi Tracey thats not a bad offer at all a nice little xmas present i,m really pleased you go a decent amount
Sarah lewis says
I am waiting for a letter I have loads off them over the years and it’s saying on my account I am due something let’s hope more of us get decent amounts including myself
Karen says
I have had lots of items from Brighthouse since 2011 – phones laptops tv IPad i defaulted a few time. Some of the phones was £369 but I had to pay over £700 for them. i got one phone stolen but I could not claim on it I paid for that phone… i got a laptop in 2016 which was 4 years old before I got it I have it for under 12 month and it don’t work right now…
I hope I’m on their list for compensation
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Karen, I suggest you call their helpline (see article above) and they will say if you on the list to get a refund offer.
Karen says
I have rang the helpline I’m on the list for refund just have to wait for letter
Thank You
steve says
There seems to be a lot of people on the list posting but only 2 have actually received any payments from them there must be more people who have received something it would be great to know what people are being offered
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Brighthouse say they are contacting people “by the end of the year”. So I guess the letters are going out in batches.
I wouldn’t expect people who are getting a refund for just one payment before they cancelled to post – they will have got an amount they had probably forgotten all about and even though it’s small, it was probably a nice surprise and there is no reason why they would think it’s not enough.
Karen says
I don’t know If this the right place to post this but I got a laptop in 2016 from brighthouse and i could not aford it So i sent it back and they give me a cherper one it was 4 years old when i got the laptop it had no reinstall on it and the screen was coming away and num lock not working i complained about it got no were So then it went to the Ombusman witch i lost my claim….i got a letter asking me do i accept the dession what the Ombusman made..I did not accept the finale dession
Is there anything else I can do about this laptop or would it be better to wait and see what they offer me on the refund
I’m geting a refund from Brighthouse am on the list but I don’t know what it’s for
Thank You
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I think it makes sense to wait and see what you are offered first.
Lee Wright says
So if you had a contract and made payments but couldn’t keep up and they recovered the goods between 2014 and 2016 they’re refunding charges and fees plus 8%?
The question is are “fees” all the payments made toward the item/s or just the interest element of the payments and late charges?
Any idea?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I would hope you will get a refund but the only way to be sure is to call the helpline and ask. Otherwise you may spend the next 6 weeks waiting for a letter which never comes…
I expect you would only get back the interest you paid plus any additional charges. I would also hope they will remove any default from your credit record.
But so far only a couple of people have said how much they have been refunded so it’s not possible to be sure. Could you come here and say what you are offered?
Lee Wright says
Yes I am due as soon as it comes I’ll update. Have also raised complaint against all other contracts outside of the redress so will also keep updated on that too.
aileen says
I have called them and am due a Refund just waiting a letter and told it can come anytime up till the 31st dec!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Good – do let us know what you get!
Sarah Mason says
I called them yesterday to see if a letter had been sent out to me or not yet and he said yes it’s on it’s way too me ?
Kylie says
I am also waiting on a refund.i have had may items off them from 2012 and still paying for my couch, fridge and washing machine. Seems to me they are paying customers who gave back there things 1st rather than there existing customers who are still to this day paying for there things. To me there digging their heels in just wish they’d hurry up and send everyone’s checks out!
Clare Russell says
I have been a customer of brighthouse since 2008, and it that time i’ve had a few re-writes on my agreements because i was struggling to meet the weekly demand, so rather that loose the items i had i chose a re-write. Also in 2013 i was paying for a laptop that had stopped working so i took it to brighthouse to be repaired which they said would take 6-8 weeks (in that time i was still paiyng for item) after 8 weeks brighthouse then discovered that it had been lost by them, so they agreed to give me another laptop but after i had signed all the paperwork i then discovered that i was taking out a new agreement to start again and none of the monies that i had originally paid was been put forward to new agreement. Is this something that i can get a refund on?? how do I find out if i’m one of the customers affected.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can find out if you are getting a refund by calling their helpline 0800 30 40 80. My guess is from the dates you have said that you won’t get an automatic refund, but it’s worth checking.
They are only giving out the automatic refunds for items bought after April 2014. But the regulator’s rules were the same before that date, so you can make a complaint about your earlier purchases as the article above says.
The fact that you had struggled to pay for some items by needing re-writes of the terms and conditions shows that they should have stopped and thought before lending afterwards to you, as you may not have been able to afford it. So every re-write makes it more likely that you should get a refund on the later loans.
Your complaint about your laptop is worth going into detail about. Rewording what you have said above, you could add this paragraph to your letter:
“In 2013 I was paying you for a laptop that had stopped working so I took it to [name of your BrightHouse store] to be repaired which they said would take 6-8 weeks (in that time I was still paying for it). After 8 weeks you discovered it had been lost so you agreed to give me another laptop but after I had signed all the paperwork I then discovered that I was taking out a new agreement to start again and none of the monies that I had originally paid was been put forward to new agreement. I don’t think this is fair. I would like a refund of all the amounts I paid on the first laptop, not just the interest that I paid.”
A says
I called them last week to ask if I was one of the customers affected…. the man was quite rude but yes I am. I changed my address as they had an old one and was told I would receive a letter before the end of the year
Lee Wright says
I work for a company in cheque cashing and I’ve seen a lot of small refunds coming through. It’s only an assumption but I would believe the bigger payouts will roll out last as there’s more to calculate etc.
The cheques I’ve seen so far have gone from 6.70 up to 48 and there’s been a lot so I think they will clear down the smaller and quicker proportion then move on to the bigger ones for payout. I could be wrong though?
Would be helpful if people post on as and when they get the refunds.
I paid £1,400 towards mine and returned the goods with only a few payments to make and still yet to receive redress so we will see.
Karen says
Hi
I got my refund from brighthouse it was for £21.89
That was for 2 laptops I sent back and a appale iphone in the time frame I also got a Samsung S6 and payed 10 payments of £11.01 aweek but got nothing for that Samsung S6 and had to send it back because I could not afforded it….Because I was paying for a 50in TV witch was damaged sent it off to be fixed but came back the same so they down graded me to a 49in TV…..I also got a Acer laptop in 2016 witch was 4 years old when Brighthouse sold it me and now it don’t work right….Took it to the Ombusman but went on the decision with brighthouse….is there any else I can do about this payment and the laptop I got in 2016
Thank You
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You need to use the template letter above to make any complaints about other items to BrightHouse. So that sounds like the Samsung – say it was unaffordable so you had to send it back and would like a refund of the interest you paid.
The TV switch – was it to a much cheaper one? They sound about the same size, perhaps the old model you had wasn’t made any more? Unless you feel you were given a much cheaper one, you aren’t likely to get anywhere with this.
If the laptop case has already been to the Ombudsman it is unlikely you can complaint more about this.
KELLY Marks says
I got a check today for 12.60 for a washing machine I had back in 2012 that I returned, do you just get one check or one for each agreement as I’ve sent alot back and paid over the odds for washing machines and fridge freezers
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Going by the rules they have set themselves, you only get a cheque for a purchase that old if you had cancelled it in the first 14 days. If you returned other good but it was after 14 days they won’t have considered you for a refund UNLESS the purchase was between April 2014 – September 2016.
I doubt you will be getting another cheque – you can confirm this by calling the helpline 0800 30 40 80.
BUT if you think you were sold goods that were more than you can afford, then use the template letter above to ask for a refund of the interest you paid on them. BrightHouse have just some type of computer selection of who gets a refund, you could still have a good case if you write to them and explain it.
Dee says
I haven’t sent anything back to bright house but have been told I am entitled to redress – still waiting for letter they did say it was sent on Sunday. I’ll probably only get a tenner or something! Will let you know on here as I have been checking this website regularly.
Sarah Dione Gray says
My daughter has just had her refund……£7.99…..!!!!
Kylie says
I got a check for £7 too not happy one little bit after taking quite a few things from them over the years like washing machine,fridge, couch,ps4 and a sat nav. Felt sick when i opened up the letter to see a £7 check i was hoping for a couple of hundered but there you go thats bright house for you. I really feel like stopping my payments of £30 odd per week and just keeping the things
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Don’t do that, use the template letter above to make a complaint!
Kylie says
Can this be for an item purchases this year?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes if you feel the weekly payments are more than you can afford.
steve says
I have been told by family members they all received payments today by brighthouse.
my mum got 70p
step father 6.32
and sister 17.12
i feel that brighthouse are having a laugh at all customers these cheques are an insult and i feel that most of the low cheques will not be cashed so they will keep the money.We all need to do something and get things done about them the problem is not what they are paying out for the biggest problem is the affordability a lot of people that use brighthouse are on low incomes or benefits and have no other means of getting good so thats why they use them.Most of the brighthouse stores are in low income areas and they prey on them.
Chezza says
Hi I took out 4 agreements in 2013 and returned them in summer 2014 as I could no longer afford them . I can see that bright house are saying that refunds go from April 2014 … does that include the returns too or just the purchases
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suspect (but don’t know) it means purchases :(
BUT 4 purchases at a time may well have been “unaffordable” so use the template letter in the article above to list them and ask for a refund. Well worth a try! Only some people are being refunded automatically, many thousands of others may be able to get money back if they complain. Just send the letter, then send it on to the Ombudsman if BrightHouse say No.
Kylie says
I done the template letter and emailed them it on the 14/12/17.i have sent two emailed since then and they havent got back to me other than there automatic email saying they will look into it within 10 days???? im still waiting i dont think ill hear back
Sara (Debt Camel) says
They are getting a lot of complaints so they are busy! Just wait and if they haven’t got back to you in 8 weeks (I make that the 8th of February) ask them again and unless they respond immediately, send your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman as the article says.
Lots of people feel they are chancing it, or won’t have any luck when they ask for a refund. But then they get a nice surprise!
Becky says
I have rang the customer service today after I was told I would receive my letter by the end of December only to be told today I have not had a letter generated yet so he sent an email through for them to send me one out ASAP but doesn’t know a time scale as they are backlogged hopefully will hear from them soon
Sara (Debt Camel) says
interesting – they were supposed to have sent them all out by the end of December – I wonder how many people are still waiting?
hollick says
i am still waiting
kelly says
im still waiting too
A says
I’ve received my letter and cheque £59.33 but what I don’t understand is it’s for the Samsung s4 I purchased. On the letter it says because I cancelled it within the 14 days or never received the item….but I didn’t do any of those I paid it off in full over 1.5years?? The only thing I did was take it back 2 days later as it was faulty and they exchanged it? Never started a new agreement or anything. Super confused….
Amanda says
Well I am fuming my husband and I have had numerous items of them since 2012 and been told he is not due a refund we have had no end of problem repaying and endless problems with the condition of items ie leather sofa was broken and when asked to fix a man came out had to get parts and never returned now they are paid of we have been told there is nothing they will do as now paid for we had similar problems with a washing machine and were still struggling with 39pound weekly payments any advice please
Sara (Debt Camel) says
There are two different sorts of problems.
Ones to do with the condition of the goods, how well they lasted, any repairs done etc are “consumer issues”. If you have these contact Citizens Advice Consumer helpline see https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/.
Ones to do with you struggling with the payments are “affordability issues” – use the template letter in the article above to complain first to BrightHopuse and then send the complaint to the Ombudsman if they reject it. If you are still paying for the washing machine, how near is it to the end of your payments?
hollick says
i just talk with them and it s now the 31 of January before there send the last letters out
Beverley Campbell says
Hi I am a brighthouse customer part of the redress i was with a iva in 2014 and struggling to manage debts brighthouse saw the iva on bank statements and still over me almost a £100 a week which I struggle they have now put me in the category of taking item back nothing to do about the affordable lending I’ve taken it higher on the cheques they have given nothing about going to a financial ombudsmen if not happy please can you help me x
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So they have sent you a cheque? And you don’t think it’s enough? Do you mind saying how much it is, and what happened to these items – did you have to return them? after how long?
“I’ve taken it higher” does this mean you have asked them to look at this again and they have said no?
Beverley says
Hi they sent me 3 cheques in total for around £30 for taking items back paid almost over half on a mobile phone and one was for a iMac one was for a washing machine had 2 repairs and never offered a loaner has part of the insurance if it broke down went to the laundrette for almost 8 weeks and then on the second time it was repaired argued couldn’t afford the laundrette after 2 weeks of going back to repairs with the same problem the did give me the loaner after arguing with them after 3 time having back same problem and i told brighthouse wasn’t happy wanted to buy another one from a shop they gave me a cheque for nearly £400 has i had almost paid on item 3 item was for a Mac book couldn’t afford so never ended up collecting after waiting for it to come from another store
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I’m a bit confused. Could you put in three separate comments, one for each of the mobile, the washing machine and the laptop. For each one put
– roughly when you bought it
– what happened, eg did you send it back?
– have BH sent you any compensation before for this?
– how much have they sent you now?
– do you think this is reasonable?
Beverley says
I’ve gone through customer complaints been giving 3 reference been told on 3 different occasions when requesting to speak to a manager i will get a call back within 3 days that was on the 27th Dec still nothing I’ve sent conformation over of the iva letters a back statement showing this back in 2014 and waiting to have my case looked in to again nothing was said about the afford ability also falling behind on payday loans i was paying brighthouse back £92.04 a week and was struggling i had a tumble dryer few months ago went in for repair once again no loaner offered has part of the extra cover i taken if at to be repaired would get a loaner almost 2 months again down laundrette to dry clothes for children 5 of us in total 2 months then argued they give me one made complaint after the 3rd month of seeing if my dryer had been fixed they said it was in Manchester on the way to west Drayton and this went on for a few weeks and still arguing then they finally said they had lost item and would have to replace wirh a like for like I too 2 Apple computer out this Xmas got them home both pass worded ruined the kids Xmas couldn’t use them kids upset has that was they main other than clothes and still waiting on them to resolve
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you try to cancel the Apple computers. You will be paying an absurd amount for these, I can’t imagine it will be affordable. Also you know by now that BrightHouse’s customer service is rubbish, so you could face endless problems with these. BrightHouse is not a suitable place to buy this sort of thing.
Beverley says
Also when took the Apple computer also took a bed which at to wait 2 weeks for delivery brighthouse was taking the money out of my account even before receiving the bed when I disputed this they said they would take the money off my next weekly payment
Beverley says
Mac book paid first payment and didn’t end up collecting from store at to wait for it to come from another store says in March 2017 cancel 14 day cooling off period £12.33 refunded back
Aqualitis washer taken june 2012 had alot of problems with this I had this almost over the the year they state in letter the agreement was cancelled within 14 days statutory and the good never delivered i had this dryer for a while refund £8 .47
Samsung galaxy 5s dec 2015 saying cooling off period with 14 days almost had the phone for about 8 months couldn’t afford refund £15.40
Beverley says
Don’t think any of its reasonable provided information of iva letter debt management also bank statements now trying to get them to look into my case properly for the afford ability i struggle to payback and was with a debt support iva and what brighthouse said I was just to blame for taking out the credit not them keep offering me more with texts and going into store to make payments
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I agree it’s not reasonable!
Saying you cancelled an item within the 14 day period when you had it much longer is a clear error on their part.
On that basis they should reconsider refunds for all of the three items you have mentioned here. If they don’t offer you what you think is a reasonable amount, then send each of the three cases to the Financial Ombudsman. You have to let them have 8 weeks from the point you complained to them that their offer was wrong or indadequate.
I am not sure if you made it clear to them that you were complaining that they sold you items you could not afford. If you didn’t say this very clearly, you need to contact BrightHouse now and say your complaints are affordability complaints. Being in an IVA should have been a big red warning flag to them that you couldn’t afford these items.
Tom bar says
Hi.
Just a quick question.
I’ve put In around 13 claims to different companies. One has got back to me asking for a credit file at the time of my loans during 2014 also want bank statements. Should I send them?? Also The financial ombudsman currently have these for another claim he’s asked for them within 14 days. I robably ain’t gunna get them back from the FO in time. Whats the procedure here???
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you reply
” You can check my credit record yourself if you want – that will still show the problems I had in 2014. I don’t have my bank statements at the moment as they are being sent to the Financial Ombudsman for a different complaint. please consider my complaint without them.”
Tom bar says
I’ve had one settled before Christmas that didn’t want any bank statement of credit file
Tom bar says
Also thanks I’ll reply that now
Becky says
I have rang them again after my complaint of not receiving my letter one person told me they had till the 31st of January to sort it but then put me through to customer relations who sent my case to a specialist team where I should receive a call with any up dates but still waiting
David Lewis says
Hey I’ve today received a cheque for over £4000 from Brighthouse completely out of the blue after a complaint I made in November 2017 because when I called them they stated I wasn’t affected by the recent refund scandal even though I had taken out 3 large items in July 2014. Im ashamed to say but i have spent in excess of £35k in 12 years with this company which I finished paying off in April last year. There is no explanation letter just this cheque. What I’d like to know is if I cash this cheque will that mean I can not take it further with the financial Ombudsman service ?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Wow – that is the largest refund I have heard of by a long way. I suggest you ask them what purchases the refund relates to and how they calculated it.
It is likely that it is in full settlement of your complaint, so you can’t cash it and then go to the ombudsman. So it’s good to know the facts before you decide what to do.
David Lewis says
Thanks Sara for your quick reply I’ll wait then for the other part of the letter before I cash it and see what’s what thank you ????
Cathrine Witty says
I desperately need your help, I was sent a letter at the end of December stating that brighthouse owed me £453. I contacted them on the 6th January as requested and my account was updated to the correct address. Two weeks later I received a cheque for £18. I called asking where the other cheque was and they said they couldn’t find it. After 40 minutes in the phone the gentleman found it, due to my orginal store being closed this created multiple accounts. I have put in complaints and escalated my issue and still nothing. Any advice would be very much appreciated
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I hope they will sort this error out soon. There isn’t much you can do to speed this up except call every few days :(. Work out when 8 weeks is from the time you had that first letter ( should be next few weeks?) and tell them you are sending a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman if they don’t pay you by then.
Cathrine Witty says
8 weeks will be next Friday. Do I just call and say unless a resolution is found by next Friday I will be contacting the financial Ombudsman?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That is what I would do.
Cathrine Witty says
Thank you, I was told when I first called that mine is not the only account this has happened to. They would be on me so fast if it was me owing them money.
Mandy says
I received a call from a man at customer relations today and he said he was working on my final response today – I made an unaffordability complaint in Nov last year. Last night I filled in 5 complaint forms because the 8 weeks has well passed. I received the call just before I was leaving for the post office so I have held off. He did say the would be making a payment to me but it had not been calculated yet but I will get the letter/offer next week. He was very apologetic about the delay and said they have a lot of complaints to get through but mine was one of the earlier ones. So progress at last let’s see what the offer is. I have five items between 2013 and 2015 and I’m not part of the redress programme.
David Lewis says
What was the offer in the end Mandy ?
Mandy says
I have been chasing this hard since Monday – received a call today which case handler said my final letter and calculation is complete the offer is £802. I am happy enough with that.
Nicola says
I did a unaffordable complaint same happened to me took since 12 the of November phone them up last week said you have gone over time scale said they where putting a letter together to tell me what payment I would be getting and said you will have your cheque next week still waiting on postman look out no cheque today ????
Nicola says
???????????? cheque has come today thank you bright house £292 80. All for doing a letter threw resolver made up
David lewis says
Hi Nicola did your final response Letter arrive today also or just the cheque ?
Beverley says
I’m still waiting for my response disputed in December took them beginning of feb to day they are looking into it again after being with a iva so going for the procedure of waiting 8 weeks for outcome so frustrating they where supposed to be looking into customers files and checking this information so frustrating its true if you owe them money you occur lateness fees as well as phone calls and texts
Sam says
Email them stating you have sent a complaint and haven’t replied, and it will be escalated in the next 7days if I don’t receive a response, worked for me
Mimi says
Hi, I asked 4 months ago whether I was part of a redress scheme and was told I wasn’t. I still made a complaint and was rejected. It’s now with FOS investigator. Although, I got a text message saying that they may be wrong with regards to the redress scheme and want to re-review my case again. Took my details etc and also explained it’s with FOS. The gentleman said, they will look at it again regardless. Has anyone else had this sort of text?
steve says
I have been with brighouse since the very early days of crazy georges i asked someone 2 years ago who no longer works for them to try and get a ball park figure of what i has spent with them the totl she told me was just over £180.000.but i have cointinued to purchase things from them as i have a large family and kids wanted the things that all kids want and i couldnt afford them so they were easy option currently i pay £160 a week and last week i made a complaint to them about affordability and also spoke to someone from ombudsman they couldnt give a definate answer but they said that what i have said i should have a case i am on benefits and i am majorly struggling and have done for a very long time.I will never be buying anything else from them the items i currently have have a minimum of 4 weeks to 14 weeks left to finish and then i will be free of them.
I have put in a compaint but have been informed it can take upto 3 months for claim to be looked at as there is a lot of this type of claim at present and they are backlogged do i give the so much time before i do something or do i just wait for them to contact me.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Seen the complaint to the Ombudsman as soon as it gets to the 8 week point. BrightHouse will carry on looking at it but this gets you in the queue.
But if you are struggling now, that is a very long time to wait. Read https://debtcamel.co.uk/brighthouse-never-never/. I suggest you ask BrightHouse if you can reduce your weekly payments to something more affordable – as that link says so late in the contracts they won’t try to repossess the goods.
steve says
I have now esculated my complaint with the ombudsman they have delayed so much after the 8 weeks i got a letter saying they are sorry for delay and give them another 2 weeks which i did and still nothing its been with ombudsman and they have asked for all information they have so now its in hand and hopefully i should hear something soon.I did ring brighthouse other day to see if they have any update and they told me i have to go through ombudsman now and they wont speak to me any longer the only thing they told me is that it could take a while as i have had over 160 agreements with them since becoming a customer but i am only allowed to complain from 2007 others before this date wont be taken into consideration.I will let you now how it goes.
I have just heard from ombudsman regarding a logbook loan and thats been upheld so i should get around £1500 back from loans to go so thats one piece of good news
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Good move to stop waiting and go to the Ombudsman. It is correct that the Ombudsman cannot look at loans before April 2007.
Good news about the logbook loan though! Would you like to put a few details about that over on this page: https://debtcamel.co.uk/bad-credit-loans-avoid/. People always like to hear about wins.
steve says
Thanks Sara.
no problem i will put details up for you i can scan and upload letter if you want i will delete delicate info though.
David says
Good luck with the ombudsman service I’m currently dealing with them at the moment about brighthouse and even though they fully agree with me that brighthouse did not do the correct level of affordability checks they are now demanding that I get proof of all bank statements and credit reports from 2007 until 2018 to show that If they had done the correct checks I would not have been able to afford the loans. So even though my complaint was against brighthouse about affordability checks not being completed it’s now changed to them agreeing with me but I must now prove to the ombudsman service that I couldn’t afford the items. The system is a joke and and obviously not impartial as they state
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi David – sorry but that is the way the system works. To win an affordability complaint you have to be able to show the loan was unaffordable AND that the lender should have known this.
The Ombudsman only wants your current credit report – you won’t be able to get old ones.
If you are still with the same bank, the bank should now send you the statements without making any charge for them. If they say they will charge, tell them it should be free after GDPR and that you are making a subject access request for your personal data.
Make sure the ombudsman knows you are getting the statements if that looks like taking a while.
Good luck – that is a LOT of borrowing!
Sam says
I complained direct to brighthouse , and today I have received a letter, from them admitting they should of carried out better checks and that , I paid too much interest,. £119 cheque in the post!
Took them a while to reply and I had to remind them in email, but a result..
Thanks
steve says
well i have a gambling problem and have always had one its all over my bank statements thats why i have just won an affordability complaint so what i will do with the info david had said i will download all bank statements from as far back as i can get and send them to ombudsman so they have as much information as possible.Good luck to you David dont give up it will taake as long as it takes but you could get a good payout.All my agreements are for tech all high priced items at one time i was paying 207 a week currently i am paying 143 i just want to get rid of all my agreements and make them see they cant get away with this kind of financial abuse against people any longer
Sara (Debt Camel) says
If you have already provided some bank statements to FOS they will be able to reuse those on other complaints.
Sam says
I had a gambling problem, and this was one of the main factors of my complaint, which they admitted the checks where not good enough, and the fact my bank statements showed this, .
David says
Thanks for the reply i really hope you hit them where it hurts because I fully agree with you it’s so nice to see this company finally getting what it deserves after all the years of taking advantage of the vulnerable. I have actually already had a payout from brighthouse but only on a few items that was back in January a nice cheque for £4036 but that’s no where near what they owe and that’s why I’ve gone to the ombudsman for all the other items Im Not finished with them yet lol I won’t rest till I win after all the years of suffering lol ???? good luck with everything
Sara (Debt Camel) says
£4036 – um just checking that wasn’t a typo?
steve says
If you received a cheque like that David there must be something wrong and they have picked up on it so they sent you it as hush money you fight them and get back what you deserve i have been with them from day 1 back in the day paid them £180,000 so if i win i should hopefully get a nice cheque too :) fingers crossed it all depends on what ombudsman thinks i guess
David says
Nope definitely not a typo Sara so it was a nice surprise when it turned up, but I’ve supplied all the information the ombudsman has requested including bank statements and lots of old debt letters and stuff proving my situation when the loans were taken out that no longer show on my credit file. The ombudsman has replied this afternoon with a update stating that brighthouse are still disputing the complaint regarding the loans taken out in 2011 as they are over 6 years but he said he is still currently working on resolving it ???? he also stated that brighthouse should have used more than a single payslip when doing affordability checks and allowing me to take out the agreements etc that’s even if I had a perfect credit history but he said it will take time so fingers crossed and everyone else please don’t give up you get what your entitled to they have prayed on people like us for years
steve says
well i am still waiting to see whats happening.The lady from FOS rang me and said that Brighthouse have asked for more time and i should get a call from her when she has info at end of july beginning of august i am getting so frustrated with them as they are delaying all the time fast enough to take money and threaten to take goods away and even coming to door when you run a little late but no reply within 4 months is ridiculous
steve says
the way i look at it is either they are stalling or no news is good news and they have found so many problems its gonna take a while and maybe a big payout may come my way lol :)
steve says
thats a nice cheque david but if its for that amount they will definatley owe more i got 77 pound from them on the redress which is an insult but that was for 1st payments refunds and nothing at all to do with affordability i am currently downloading all my statments but only go back upto 2010 but theres an awfull lot of gambling sites but theres also bh payments too missed direct debits etc i think i should have a good case.
steve says
Well i sent bank statements to the ombudsman and i thought i would send my current credit report and after i sent them i received an email from ombudsman thanking me for info but they said that brighthouse have contacted them asking for another 4-6 weeks i think brighthouse are using stal tactics this has already gone on for months and now i have to wait even longer just for the investigator to check things out then it will be adjudicator and then more than likely the ombudsman so it looks like its going to take at least 6 month more minimum.
I checked my credit report and from 2012 to current there is 91 agreements and all for tech and nothing for small amounts minimum item weekly price is approx £15 a week so that adds upto a lot of money i have been told i can only claim upto 6 years
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I understand your frustration. From the Ombudsman’s point of view, they much prefer to get a proper reply from BH – if they start looking at this now before they have that, they could miss something and have to start again when they do have BH’s response. Also there is much more chance of BH accepting an adjudicator decision if their opinion has been taken into account, so that could save months being added on at the end.
Are you currently making payments to Brighthouse?
steve says
Yes i am currently paying £143 a week i am currently a week late but will catch up
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Ok, I suggest you ask for your weekly payments to be reduced while the complaint is being considered.
Deb lou says
I’ve been waiting since February for a response, the 8 weeks went by then I received a letter dated the 30th April staring I would get a final response within 14days but never did, so rather than going to the Ombudsman, I contacted the CEO of brighthouse and all of a sudden they contacted me to tell me my case is at the final stage and I should receive a cheque within a week!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Fingers crossed it is a good refund!
steve says
I took a leaf out of debs book and i sent an email to the ceo i got a very fast response but not from him. Please find below my reply.
Dear Sir,
Many thanks for taking the time to contact Hamish Paton (BrightHouse CEO) earlier today. Hamish has passed your details to me in order that we can review your concerns as a matter of urgency.
Firstly I would like to apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused in relation to this matter. Before I can investigate this for you, I just need to confirm DPA so I can log a complaint on your behalf. The details I need can be found below. If you could please email me this at your earliest convenience that would be much appreciated.
– Store name
– Your address
– D.o.B
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself.
Kind Regards,
****** *********
Customer Relations, Executive Assistant Case Handler
BrightHouse
5 Hercules Way
Leavesden Park
Watford, WD25 7GS
I hope they can help get my complaint looked at quicker as its taken a long time to even get to this far and still hasnt started anything in process
steve says
I have just had a phonecall from brighthouse exec and they have made me an offer of a minimum of £12700 but could go up once final checks have been made.They have told me that i should receive payment within 7 to 10 days.The best thing i did was get in touch with hamish as he has sorted my issues out very quickly.My advice to anyone is contact ceo before going to ombudsman.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
well done!
steve says
Well i was contacted by the ombudsman asking me to end my complaint as brighthouse had told me that they had made an offer and i had accepted and payment had been made so i said ok close the case as i am happy with the reolution.
Today i conatced brighthosue to let them know i had closed the complaint and stated that i had not received the letter they said they had sent to me they told me that the letter has not been sent neither has the payment and then the girl hung the telephone up on me
they have lied about this and even lied to the ombudsman i find this unacceptable so i have decided to reject the offer and take it all the way as i feel the offer was good but when you have paid over £200,000 to them i have a feeling the offer was hush money
David says
Any updates Steve ?
steve says
I got a payment of just under £13000. it came from caversham finance i told them i didnt want a cheque i want Bacs and they obliged.They havnt learned from there mistakes though and still do the same unaffordable practices
Bev says
Just had my out come with the finical ombudmans even tho many bank statement show payday cash converter and being with iva they are quite happy to say no further refund giving even tho they have kept the small amount offered they have terminated my account even tho took more items out in 2017 when you look at what they would owe me i worked out almost over £10,000
David Lewis says
I complained to FOS in February 2018 I gave the case handler everything they requested in respect of all contracts with brighthouse and bank statements etc I’m now constantly being told every time I enquire about a update that Your case was last reviewed on 15th August, and was then placed with a specialist team who are looking at these specific types of complaints. When one of them has capacity, they’ll get in touch to let you know the outcome of your complaint. Can’t believe how long this process is taking
Richard Pearson says
To me this seems an unacceptable delay. Maybe, like the ICO, they have more work than they can cope with. From my days in the Civil Service, the only way to get things prioritised was to complain to your MP which gave it some priority. I would consider this route as it is 9 months now and if enough people complain, maybe more staff will be allocated.
stephen patterson says
I don’t know what to do i am in need of some advice.
Basically last july i got a refund from brighthouse of Irresponsible lending and affordability but i feel they have not learned by the mistakes they made in past.
I am currently paying brighthouse 94 a week and i only get 170 and with other bills its leaving me in dire straits.I don’t want to return the items as it just wouldn’t be viable for me.
Even though i got a refund last year am i within my rights to make a new complaint and goto FOS if needs be to get thios addressed.
David says
Just a quick update everyone after my £4036 cheque payment from Brighthouse back in February 2018 for not doing affordability checks, I took my complaint further to the ombudsman service as noted above, and after a whole year of fighting the ombudsman service contacted me on Friday to say they are now finally at a stage of making decisions on all the complaints against this disgusting company who pray on the vulnerable apparently there were thousands hence the long delay.
They simply asked was there anything further I wanted to add to my complaint before a decision is made as brighthouse we’re still disputing all my contracts before the 6 year rule, the ombudsman said it’s up to themselves if they want to go back further hence all the information and proof I had to provide them.
Fingers crossed for everyone waiting we start seeing nice big payouts in the next month or so and brighthouse will have to close a few more shops due to loss of profits 😂😂😂😂😂
Sara (Debt Camel) says
My fingers are crossed for you all!
Beth McLeish says
Could I ask Steve how many items he had with BH? I had a conversation with them at the beginning of the week to advise my payment would be “in excess of £500” but they couldn’t give me an exact figure. I was told that I would receive a letter in the next 14 days. All accounts were settled in full and I have no outstanding balance. Has this happened to anyone else please? I would appreciate some feedback, many thanks
steve says
Hi Beth
I had 136 agreements over a 6 year period.When i was offered the figure they said i would get a minimum but it could go up with final checks.Ask for a BACS payment and refuse a check i did and it was transferred to my account by Caversham Finance.
I would recommend you dont accept offer as i did due to the amount but a few weeks later they stated to clear existing agreements and they found more errors also a few weeks after that i got just under another £600 due to them finding more errors.
I feel they dont do the full checks required properly
Beth McLeish says
Thanks Steve, out of interest how long did you have to wait for the bacs payment? I have called them and requested this but they couldn’t say how long it would take definitely.
steve says
I waited around 10 days or so
Paul Hartley says
Does this only apply to customers who gave the items back or does it cover those agreements which were paid in full?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It covers everyone where the agreement was unaffordable. If your repaid it, are still paying or handed the item back. You are likely to have paid a lot less interest if you handed the item back somthose may be harder cases.
Daron says
I’ve also put complaint in for bright house I could clearly not afford the goods from 2011 then took loads payments out I default on the goods caused a snow balling effect with payday loans I had taken out
Nick Alexander says
Hi i have had few items from brighthouse in the past that are fully paid off. Currently i have 3 agreements with them: 55 inch samsung tv cooker and two piece sofa. Can i claim refund for the past agreements? And also if i claim refund for the current agreement will they take items back? I am paying £160 per month. The tv is over a year and sofa and cooker only took out last year.
Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
“Can i claim refund for the past agreements? ” yes – but probably only for those you bought in the last 6 years.
“if i claim refund for the current agreement will they take items back?” not if you are still paying for them. You could also ask them for a payment arrangement at the same time as making the complaint so your monthly payments are reduced to a more manageable amount.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
PS expect them to reject your complaint and don’t be depressed – send it to the Ombudsman!
Amanda says
Hi i put an affordablity claim in on 28th may, its took me a lot of chasing and emailing but they finally awarded me £295 as they have stated they admitt part blame, however they didnt look at some of the items i asked them too, including a sofa that i really struggled to pay and yet they still let me take more agreements out, ive esculated to the FOS to help me as i think that the sofa wasnt checked properly on of i could afford it, at the time i was a single mum on around £90 a week to pay all bills including brighthouse! I personally feel that i shouldnt have been allowed to take that put as i wasnt in a position to pay for it as i would fall behind on payments they even sent 2 men round to my house when i would to try intimidate me, banging on my doors and windows shouting through letter box. I did pay this off and still was stupid enough to tale more agreements out ! On one occassion a staff memeber was looking at my bank statement and saw i paid car insurance she said we will put your dad pays that so you can take item out! She knew full well i would be struggling hence why she said that! I just hope the FOS goes in my favour as ive spent around 65,000 with this company ive litrally just paid my last item off and will never use them again! Brighthouse rang me today to say they have sent my file over to the FOS so im hoping it wont be to much longer till i hear as i find this really stressful
David Lewis says
Good news about the payment but if you spent £65k you should be due a lot more than the £295 they gave you. I received £4K in February 2018 and instantly sent my complaint to the FOS.
19 months later it’s still with the FOS as BrightHouse have put up a fight and I’m now at the stage of awaiting a ombudsman to look at my issues so be prepared for a long wait 😔
Amanda says
Well thats what i was thinking ive been with them 12 years and always relied on them really but i feel the £295 is a bit of a insult so im looking at a long wait then but hopefully worth it in the end then well done on your payout thats brilliant,