You would be justified in thinking that if someone is billing you for a service they have not provided they would be committing some sort of criminal offence. You would hope that if caught the people doing this would spend some time in jail.
This is what we like to think is one of the benefits of democracy and the rule of law.

So, you might be rather surprised to hear that this is a business practice that is considered acceptable when it is a big business who then repays the money when they are found out for cheating and stealing money under false pretences.

These companies, TalkTalk and Tiscali pressured their customers into paying even though they were not entitled to charge them. Customers complained about aggressive demands for payment of  bills for services they had not been provided with.

A TalkTalk spokesman told the BBC, “We are pleased that Ofcom has recognised the significant steps we have taken to fix the billing issues,”

Never mind the self congratulation. Why isn’t somebody facing legal charges?

Using the excuse of software problems is no excuse at all. Producing software that commits illegal acts that charge people money for something they either do not want or do not get is, or should be, just as illegal as a mugger demanding money from you in the street.

Ofcom began an investigation back in July 2010 following complaints from customers. The two companies were told to pay compensation to affected customers by December or face the prospects of a financial penalty.

Fines have been ruled out by the regulator, for now, but it has said it would continue to monitor the situation. So the message is once again that big business can do whatever it wants and get away with it when it is found out.

What do you suppose would have happened to you if you sent out letters demanding payment for something you had not provided? Jail time would be a likely result.

Money Magic: Seven Simple Steps to True Financial Freedom (Quick Reads)

The news that Baroness Scotland had employed a housekeeper who was working illegally in the UK came as something of a surprise. When you consider that she was working in government when the law was introduced, which required every employer to check the credentials of a prospective employee, and she advises government on matters of law you would expect that she of all people would not fall foul of the law
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She may well have believed she had complied with the law by checking documents before employing this person but the fact that someone as knowledgeable about the law can make an error such as this shows how complicated modern life has become. We are all expected to follow the rule of law but these days there are so many laws and most of us have only the vaguest idea of what their requirements are.

Many people would not consider consulting a solicitor for fear of huge charges but the free community legal advice service offers a telephone helpline offering free legal advice on 0845 345 4345 for anyone on benefits or living on a low income. They offer advice on a range of legal issues but also offer a variety of leaflets and factsheets that might benefit many people who do not fall within the scope of the free legal advice service.

The website offers a lot of useful information and the leaflets cover a range of issues from debt to divorce, renting property to wills and probate and a lot of other areas as well. Well worth a look and a useful website to bookmark for the future. You can see a list of the online documents available here… CommunityLegalAdvice.org.uk

Money Magic: Seven Simple Steps to True Financial Freedom (Quick Reads)