Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service CCR Claims

[bazzani]

I feel really stupid now... after reading lots of posts on this forum (especially this very long one ) I believe I may have been swindled!
I got contacted by them aggressively back in October and I went for their spiel and paid them the £149.99 upfront fee (charged to my Barclaycard CC), filled in the details about ALL my bank accounts (2)/credit cards (5), and returned it to them.

After they looked at my details, about a week later I was offered their Platinum Service on two of my credit cards (Virgin/MBNA) that would enable them to do a "seek zero balance and closure of account" on these accounts due to enforceable agreements, which they assured me there was a 99.9% chance of having success.

I agreed to this service (Foolishly I feel now), which cost me £500 per credit card (£1000) in total. I don’t know why (maybe the greedy monster inside me wanting to wipe out the CC balances), I agreed to the using the Platinum Service without even seeing any T&C’s, and the money was charged to my Barclaycard credit card almost immediately.
As far as I am aware, paying by credit card is always a good idea in case a company does not give you the service they say they will, so I am hoping that my only saving grace to get my money back from Cento will be to use this situation, but I am not sure as how to even go about that.

I did get a receipt for the initial £149.99 fee, but I have not received any kind of receipt for the £1000, even though it has been taken out of my credit card.

I haven't heard anything from them in the past few days, but after reading a lot of forums online, I am keener to get all my money refunded from Cento.
I have tried calling them recently (04/12/09) on 01792 762387, but when I choose option 2, it just rings for a while they I hear a message saying “Cento Client Review are busy, please leave a message”. On choosing option 1, for new sales or something like that, the phone rings for ever with no answer.
I will endeavour to get bank CC charges back by myself using the invaluable information from this forum, and just pay off the credit cards on my own ASAP!

Any advice or comments as to how I could get ALL my money back from Cento would be great.

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Here is a breakdown on the timeline so far:

Mid October 2009 – First cold call contact from Cento Client review
28/10/2009 – I agree to paying the £149.99 and their starter pack is posted to me.

05/11/2009 – I complete the forms they sent me with details of my 2 bank accounts, and 5 credit cards.

12/11/2009 – I get a call from a Cento representative saying that I can take up their “Platinum Service” on my Virgin/Barclaycard credit cards. I foolishly agree for the £1000 fee to be taken from my credit card without even seeing any T&C’s.

23/11/2009 – I receive a letter from them thanking me for choosing the Platinum Service.

30/11/2009 – I receive a letter from Barclaycard with the details of my current account details (Credit Limit/Balance/Next minimum payment), and the details of my credit agreement. It also goes on to say that “the sum outstanding on by you remains legally due and payable”; and that I should “continue to repay the outstanding balance in accordance with the terms of the credit agreement.”

03/11/2009 – I call Cento to get an update and tell them about the correspondence from Barclaycard, but a representative tells me there computer systems have a “Virus” and I should call back tomorrow!

04/12/2009 – I try to call them, but cannot get through to any advisors.

[bazzani]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

I have tried attaching all related documents from Cento and Barclaycard, but am having problems

How exactly does the attachment feature work?

[Amethyst]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

click on then the paperclip and you browse and attach files in a pop up box there.

What format are the documents in ?

Yes it would be helpful to see them. If you are experiencing problems then you can email them to me admin@legalbeagles.info and we can put them up for you.

(oh and fuming having read your story ! these people need sorting out by the MOJ and quick )

[bazzani]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Here are all the related documents from Cento, in PDF format

[bazzani]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Here is the recent Barclaycard correspondence I received, in PDF format.

I was unable to add the extra two PDF documents so I am going to email them to you at admin@legalbeagles.info

[TUTTSI]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Many thanks Bazanni for starting this thread and tomorrow I for one will try and have a good read. As you can see from my initial thread which has now attracted over 16 thousand people looking at this particular thread. I just wish we could have some good news for a change as I would love to see someone be sucessfull with Cento.

On your Platinum pdf you have left on there which I presume is your name, this will need editing as you should try and keep your identity a secret.

Cento for certain should not have cold called you in the first instant, they had absolutely no right whatsoever to do this and they are definately in breach of their authorisation with the MOJ.

Did they at any point suggest how much you would be able to recover.

I really do feel that you must on Monday phone the Ministry of Justice and complain bitterely to them as to what has happened to you, the phone and contact details are on my thread I believe on the first post. Also, tell them about all the money you have paid and now you are unable to contact them and that you are really concerned that you may have been conned.

With you Barclaycard payment £1000 to Cento, I would be inclined to speak to Barclaycard and tell them that you have paid for a service which you feel has not been provided and that they since taking the money from your credit card that are now not contactable on the phone and you are concerned that you have been conned. They should investigate this immediately for you.

Also, lets see what others have to say but my first two calls on Monday morning if it were me would be to both to the MOJ and Barclaycard.

As other horror stories have now started to emerge with other Claims Management Companies that have taken peoples money from claims which they were dealing with on their behalf and have not returned the money to the claimants I get very worried when I hear more stories emerging and the quicker that the authorities stamp on these companies the better.

Please keep us informed.

Many thanks

Tuttsi

Claims Management Officer
Claims Management Regulation
Monitoring and Compliance Unit
57-60 High Street
Burton on Trent
Staffordshire
DE14 1JS
www.claimsregulation.gov. uk
Telephone: 0845 450 6858
Fax: 0845 450 6866
Email: info@claimsregulation.gov .uk

MOJ web site showing CMC's that have lost their licence. http://www.claimsregulation.gov.uk/

[witch1]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

:tinysmile_cry_t:Bazani, I am really sorry to hear your story, but the fantastic people at LB's I am sure will do everything they can to help.

These companies are nothing more than predators preying on your vulnerability and I really hope they are given a swift kick in the tush by the team here.

best of luck, t'old witch. x

[Amethyst]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Have received the barclaycard letters - did you receive a copy of the agreement following those letters ? The letters are their standard, you asked for your agreement, while we try find it we'll have a go at bamboozling you with nonsense, letters. I will post them up in a while tho.

You are continuing payments on the cards at the moment arent you ?

This letter does also mean that Cento have done some work on your cases (unless you have requested your agreement yourself under CCA and CPR 31) so at the very least they have applied for copies of your agreements. So according to the agreement you have to pay £75 per hour for the work done so far (request for info under CCA sec 78 and under the CPR sec 31 (incorrectly I might add) )

With you Barclaycard payment £1000 to Cento, I would be inclined to speak to Barclaycard and tell them that you have paid for a service which you feel has not been provided and that they since taking the money from your credit card that are now not contactable on the phone and you are concerned that you have been conned. They should investigate this immediately for you.

Yes they are obliged to, but personally if I were a card company I knew were going to have to fork out under sec 75 because someone has been conned paying someone while trying to get out of paying a debt to the same company, I wouldnt try too hard to sort things quickly. (but yes they do HAVE to look at it, although on the basis of the letter received from BArclaycard it would be questionnable as they appear to be working on it)

[Amethyst]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

First & second page barclaycard letter.

[bazzani]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

First & second page barclaycard letter.

Could you take away the 1st attachment as it has my name in it... I will email the new one to you now.

[bazzani]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Have received the barclaycard letters - did you receive a copy of the agreement following those letters ? The letters are their standard, you asked for your agreement, while we try find it we'll have a go at bamboozling you with nonsense, letters. I will post them up in a while tho.

I also received a copy of my agreement in the same correspondence.

You are continuing payments on the cards at the moment arent you ?

Yes i was told to continue paying the minimum payments to my credit cards (Virgin/Barclaycard), and to stop using them.

This letter does also mean that Cento have done some work on your cases (unless you have requested your agreement yourself under CCA and CPR 31) so at the very least they have applied for copies of your agreements. So according to the agreement you have to pay £75 per hour for the work done so far (request for info under CCA sec 78 and under the CPR sec 31 (incorrectly I might add) )

You know I kind of feel a little paranoid now, as Cento obviously have started the process with Barclaycard.
I guess i was just wondering why the letter from Barclaycard was sent to me and not Cento, if they are working on the claim. Perhaps the letter has to be sent directly to me?

Yes they are obliged to, but personally if I were a card company I knew were going to have to fork out under sec 75 because someone has been conned paying someone while trying to get out of paying a debt to the same company, I wouldnt try too hard to sort things quickly. (but yes they do HAVE to look at it, although on the basis of the letter received from BArclaycard it would be questionnable as they appear to be working on it)

Yes i dont think Barclaycard will be in too much of a rush to help me get money back from a company that i was using to clear a significant balance on a credit card from them!

I do acknowledge that Cento do seem to have been doing something with regards to my case.
I just started to feel REALLY uncomfortable after paying £1149.99 to them on my Barclaycard, and then not being able to get in contact with them, and reading all the dodgy posts about them on this forum.

Basically all this doubt in my mind stemmed from me wanting to call Cento to tell them i got a letter from Barclaycard, but they were either not contactable, or i was getting laim excuses from them about computer systems having viruses (that was not the first time they gave me that excuse, perhaps they should go to AVG Free - Download Free Antivirus and Antispyware for Windows 7, Vista and XP and get some free antivirus!)

I will play it by here and try giving Cento a call tomorrow and see what they say.

[Amethyst]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

If you have the copy of your agreement and can scan that in then that will help a lot, knowing whether you have a case or not for unenforceability / PPI etc. I expect its come to you as the letter of authority wasn't processed before they sent out the agreement, who knows, or maybe they just don't like Cento or think sending you the information will make you back out of the claim. I think its a good thing tho as you can see whats happening and take control of the claim yourself a little.

Let us know if you manage to get hold of them tomorrow.

[bazzani]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Cheers Amethyst, I will keep you posted.
Would you like me to scan the agreement and email it to you?

[Amethyst]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Yes please

[Amethyst]

Re: Cento Client Review & Their Platinum Service

Platinum service letter