Internet Media Experts - staffbenefits.co.uk - NHS Intranet Advertising

[Certified]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

So far I've just received the letter threatening to sue me if I don't pay up. My solicitor friend who is also a victim had the same letter about a month prior to me. They have not followed up on it yet.
I don't recall your email although I will check spam now.
We are based in Brentwood in Essex.
I'm ignoring them and have even blocked their emails and phone calls so the only way they can communicate with me now is by letter.
I reckon they haven't got a leg to stand on and if we all stand firm they will have to go away and leave us in peace

[bradley6051]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

If anybody has been involved with Internet Media Experts Ltd and Internet Media Experts (UK) Ltd then please get in touch by PM.
Thanks

[bradley6051]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

So far I've just received the letter threatening to sue me if I don't pay up. My solicitor friend who is also a victim had the same letter about a month prior to me. They have not followed up on it yet.
I don't recall your email although I will check spam now.
We are based in Brentwood in Essex.
I'm ignoring them and have even blocked their emails and phone calls so the only way they can communicate with me now is by letter.
I reckon they haven't got a leg to stand on and if we all stand firm they will have to go away and leave us in peace

Hi, could you please get in touch about this issue.
many thanks

[Amethyst]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Bradley - could you send me a PM please with a bit of background info on yourself and your interest in IME pls. I've taken off your details for the moment.

Thank you

Sharon

[bradley6051]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Hi,how do I send you a PM?

[Amethyst]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Thanks for speaking with me Bradley As a solicitors firm it really goes to show how convincing IME are/were with their sales pitch. It does seem that this case is going into court and it would be good to look at the claim and defence entered to see if there is any way it can be strengthened.

Has anyone on this thread ( or elsewhere) had a county court claim for payment of the monies alleged to be owed as yet ?

If you receive a court claim, or a formal letter before action, then please don't panic. We believe these claims are defendable, protection for businesses is, as we know, at a lower level than that for consumers, however the 'service' IME sold you was not provided. As well as defending any claims for money for renewing the service you should reclaim from them the money paid for the first year as the service was not received. We know that 'staff-benefits' does not feature on the Oxford, Norwich or Liverpool NHS Intranet systems. It may well be an idea to contact other NHS trusts and get something in writing from them as to whether they have any knowledge of or advertise 'staff-benefits' on their intranets.

There is a copy of the contract here -> http://legalbeagles.info/forums/show...381#post568381 If anyone has a scanned copy of the agreement/contract that would be extremely useful.

From what I can see going through the contract it is solely to advertise on the staffbenefits.co.uk website. The majority of you were sold the advertising on the basis it would be on the NHS staff intranet system. Does anyone have that in writing at all or was this claim made solely during sales call/ visit ?

3. Our Responsibilities
3.1. Subject to these Conditions, we shall: endeavour to make staffbenefits.co.uk available to Users; and provide or arrange the provision of the Services using the reasonable skill and care of a competent provider of services of the types of Services ordered.

Regarding renewal

5.5. If the Advertiser does not wish for their advertisement to appear after the expiry of the initial advertisement period, the Advertiser must send notice in writing by recorded delivery post to that effect to the Company no later than 12 months after the date on this agreement, failing which this agreement will become a twenty four month rolling contract at the same yearly value as overleaf plus artwork/production charge, which may only be terminated upon 12 months’ written notice, which must be given to the Company in accordance with clause 13.5, which must be expressed to expire on the date twelve months after the last day of the initial advertising period or any anniversary of the date 12 months after the last day of the initial advertising period.

5.6. The Company is irrevocably authorised as agent for the Client to complete any Credit / Debit Card transactions or Direct Debit, as a Direct Debit and/or as a further Direct Debit Mandate with the name and account details of the Client’s bank, and to present any such order for payment to the Client’s bank and in addition to complete all payments, frequency, account and payee details, and any relevant information. The Company may only use such mandates to secure payment of monies that may become due and payable under the terms of this Agreement. If paying by direct debit, please note that Internet Media Experts Ltd has appointed the BACS Approved Direct Debit Bureau, Eazy Collect Services Limited (www.eazycollect.co.uk), to collect your payments.


Regarding Assignment of the agreement;

10.6. Nothing in these Conditions provides for any transfer or assignment of ownership of any IPRs. (so the actual adverts themselves could not be assigned ) and I can't see any term allowing for the assignment of the rights / responsibilities under the contract to a third party.

[bradley6051]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me Sharon. We are currently defending a claim from IME (UK) Ltd with regard to automatic renewal. We are also considering further action in respect of the original agreement and return of monies. We would be interested in what others have to say about how they were approached initially and then sold 'staff benefits'. Any help would help us greatly. We are also happy to talk to anyone in a similar position and offer support. If anyone can help then please either contact Sharon or me via this forum. Many Thanks.

[Amethyst]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Assignment of the agreements took place Jan 2015 - https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/c...pdf&download=0

BRM Solicitors assisted and advised in the novation / assignment process.

[ZellMorse]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Spursky, you, I and a host of others need to communicate about these guys. I'm in exactly the same place...... driving me sick with worry, likewise i have contacted Amethyst to see if they can shed any light on how Penguinbars got on, and asking if there is anyway to get in contact.

- - - Updated - - -

LastKingofNorwich. I too am in exactly the same place and in Norwich also. Would really appreciate if we can get together on this matter, discuss and see if there is anything between us we can do to get this outfit off our backs.

I have spoken to the University Hospital techs and have a contact within who has confirmed that the link isn't to my advert etc., please get in contact somehow.......

[ZellMorse]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Certified, are you also Norwich/Norfolk based, if so, i for one would relish the opportunity to combine forces on this matter and see if together we can create a bigger and stronger impact.

[ZellMorse]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Bradley,

I am based in Norwich and undergoing exactly the same process, frustration, worries and stress as so many other contributors. Even to the extent of the same rep during the same period of time. It would seem his misrepresentations were a considered endeavour to extract monies and trap us in bogus, unfair contracts.....

I would be more than willing to share my experiences and evidences to date. Even a willing witness to your case, as a positive outcome would if required be a powerful precedence in anything which may come my way in the not to distant future.

Happy to send direct contact information if appropriate.

Sharon, is there not some way that LB can put us all in touch with each other. I guess some evidence up front would be in order so as to validate we are actually 'defendants' and not the prosecution in this matter..... OK with me for one, I have nothing to hide, but a lot of business reputation to potentially lose.

This really has gone far enough, perhaps a mail to 'watchdog' is in order. Perhaps a series of unified court actions across the country would send these guys the message. I for one am fed up with the amount of my time this is taking up, which ought to be spent driving my businesses forward.

[ZellMorse]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Amethyst,

Pasted, a copy of my reply to Bradley, but also for your attention to see how we can take this forward.

Bradley,

I am based in Norwich and undergoing exactly the same process, frustration, worries and stress as so many other contributors. Even to the extent of the same rep during the same period of time. It would seem his misrepresentations were a considered endeavour to extract monies and trap us in bogus, unfair contracts.....

I would be more than willing to share my experiences and evidences to date. Even a willing witness to your case, as a positive outcome would if required be a powerful precedence in anything which may come my way in the not to distant future.

Happy to send direct contact information if appropriate.

Sharon, is there not some way that LB can put us all in touch with each other. I guess some evidence up front would be in order so as to validate we are actually 'defendants' and not the prosecution in this matter..... OK with me for one, I have nothing to hide, but a lot of business reputation to potentially lose.

This really has gone far enough, perhaps a mail to 'watchdog' is in order. Perhaps a series of unified court actions across the country would send these guys the message. I for one am fed up with the amount of my time this is taking up, which ought to be spent driving my businesses forward.

[Amethyst]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

Yes indeed. In these kind of cases what I usually do is set up a private forum for use of those members who are validated ( usually by emailing copies of documents received from the company / court etc) Information can then be shared in the security of that area and you can chose whether to get in touch outside of the forum. Main information can still be posted on the public thread ( here) though to assist others in locating you. I think that would be a good idea and we can then have a look at the full defence Bradley is entering and assist with anything further without worrying about the claimant's having pre-warning of arguments. If you think that's a good idea I'll set it up on Monday - if anyone who'd like to be involved could email me admin@legalbeagles.info with copies of letters from the collection agency or the original contract ( I'd like a scan of a contract anyway as I only have a copy paste on here at the minute), then I can sort out relevant accesses.

With regards publicity we do have some contacts who might be interested in a small business issue like this.

I am off tramping up Kinder Scout this weekend so don't worry if I don't respond immediately.


ooo also, when you guys set up advertising so you get a log in for the SB site? I'd like nosey or screenshots of it if poss.

[ZellMorse]

Re: Internet Media Experts - B2B company - NHS Intranet Advertising

Amethyst,

Have you had any response from any of the other parties on the forum. My situation has moved on and 'Consumer Advice' & CAB have been involved the former advising the notice regarding turning up is wishful and unlikely and also that best course is to use the misrepresentation act, and failure to the performance of the contract.

Cuirrently I am facing them turning up on wednesday unless I pay their generous discounted offer. Not a chance. I would rather face my day in front of the judge, ignore the threats to serve potential winding up papers .... ps... which they can not do at this stage without a whole host of other process to follow.

Always interested in any updates from anyone please, any help, assistance and guidance. Happy to take this on, but really worried also.

Business shouldn't be this difficult ..... Should it !

- - - Updated - - -

PS... Amethyst,

Quite interested to hook up with your contacts who may be interested in small business issues such as this ... If it's a contact within the 'Watchdog' team, count me in. If not .... 'count me in'

[Amethyst]

Re: Help Please! B2B very questionable company are claiming money from me!

What's happening on Wednesday ZellMorse? I've had a scoot back through your posts and can't see anything.

If they have not taken court action and obtained a CCJ they can do nothing to you. If they bring court action you can defend. If they send a statutory demand you apply for it to be set aside as disputed.