Tweet
From time to time Ill be posting various correspondence I've had with the OFT and others. All my stuff gets sent. All my letters include various amounts of cash which normaly, but not always, forces a response.
To: John Fingleton
Chief Executive
Office Of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX
24/2/07
Hey Johnny boy !
How’s it hangin’ my man?
I wondered if you could drag yourself away from compiling my FOI request and do me a lemon. My nipper is doing a school project about the ‘The Seven Wonders Of The World’ and she would be thrilled if you could help her out. So over to you kid -and be nice ok? Mr Fingleton is a very clever and important man
Dear Mr Twelve Quid,
My project is entitled ‘The Seven Wonders Of The World’ and I’m featuring things like the the awe inspiring Grand Canyon, the majestic Victoria Falls, and the truly incredible decision you made allowing credit card issuers to charge a criminal £12 for sending out a letter informing their customers that their missed payment is accumulating an interest rate of 178 trillion per cent .
I just need some background on your inspiration for the decision , what kind of drugs you were on, were you bullied as a child, that kind of thing really. If you could just write it in a letter and pop it in the post to me that would be well cool.
My dad said that any request under the freedom of information act should rightly be paid for so I have my pocket money at the ready. Let me just work out how much to enclose.
Now lets see, it should only take about ten minutes of your time so if I divide that into your hourly pay of £6 (dad said you must be on the minimum wage cause that’s all you’re worth) so I’ll call it 87p. Then there is stationary and postage at, say, 50p. Now all I have to do is add the 2 numbers up, so I’ll use my new ‘OFT Ready Reckoner’ calculator that Santa got me for Christmas. So lets see, 87p + 50p = …..erm….£12.
Simple really isn’t it?
Could whack off 10 copies please? My school chums like a laugh.
Pleased find enclosed.
Buttercup (age 7)
Dear Sir
Please find enclosed your £120.
It is not clear whether you expect a response to your letter of 24 February. In any event, we are sure you will not be surprised to learn that the OFT does not have any information of the kind described in your letter. As far as you are really interested in an explanation of the OFT’s action in relation to credit card default charges, please see above and previous correspondence.
If you are unhappy about the way in which your request for information has been handled, you may seek an internal review by writing to the Internal Review Co-ordinator, Room 4C/046 Office of Fair Trading, Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX or by sending an e-mail to foiadpainternalreview@oft.gsi.gov.uk.
We will deal with any internal review within 25 working days of receipt or, if this is not possible, advise you of a date by which we expect to have completed a review of your complaint.
If you remain dissatisfied with the OFT’s response you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner at FOI/ EIR Complaints Resolution, Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SX9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Jennifer Slocombe
Consumer Protection Enforcement Group
Office of Fair Trading
To: John Fingleton
Chief Executive
Office Of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX
24/2/07
Hey Johnny boy !
How’s it hangin’ my man?
I wondered if you could drag yourself away from compiling my FOI request and do me a lemon. My nipper is doing a school project about the ‘The Seven Wonders Of The World’ and she would be thrilled if you could help her out. So over to you kid -and be nice ok? Mr Fingleton is a very clever and important man
Dear Mr Twelve Quid,
My project is entitled ‘The Seven Wonders Of The World’ and I’m featuring things like the the awe inspiring Grand Canyon, the majestic Victoria Falls, and the truly incredible decision you made allowing credit card issuers to charge a criminal £12 for sending out a letter informing their customers that their missed payment is accumulating an interest rate of 178 trillion per cent .
I just need some background on your inspiration for the decision , what kind of drugs you were on, were you bullied as a child, that kind of thing really. If you could just write it in a letter and pop it in the post to me that would be well cool.
My dad said that any request under the freedom of information act should rightly be paid for so I have my pocket money at the ready. Let me just work out how much to enclose.
Now lets see, it should only take about ten minutes of your time so if I divide that into your hourly pay of £6 (dad said you must be on the minimum wage cause that’s all you’re worth) so I’ll call it 87p. Then there is stationary and postage at, say, 50p. Now all I have to do is add the 2 numbers up, so I’ll use my new ‘OFT Ready Reckoner’ calculator that Santa got me for Christmas. So lets see, 87p + 50p = …..erm….£12.
Simple really isn’t it?
Could whack off 10 copies please? My school chums like a laugh.
Pleased find enclosed.
Buttercup (age 7)
Dear Sir
Please find enclosed your £120.
It is not clear whether you expect a response to your letter of 24 February. In any event, we are sure you will not be surprised to learn that the OFT does not have any information of the kind described in your letter. As far as you are really interested in an explanation of the OFT’s action in relation to credit card default charges, please see above and previous correspondence.
If you are unhappy about the way in which your request for information has been handled, you may seek an internal review by writing to the Internal Review Co-ordinator, Room 4C/046 Office of Fair Trading, Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX or by sending an e-mail to foiadpainternalreview@oft.gsi.gov.uk.
We will deal with any internal review within 25 working days of receipt or, if this is not possible, advise you of a date by which we expect to have completed a review of your complaint.
If you remain dissatisfied with the OFT’s response you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner at FOI/ EIR Complaints Resolution, Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SX9 5AF.
Yours sincerely
Jennifer Slocombe
Consumer Protection Enforcement Group
Office of Fair Trading
Comment