Dear all,

We have been receiving a lot of posts recently from people asking about firms who claim they may be able to write off credit card debt, claim back bank charges or recover money from mis-sold PPI policies.

These companies claim they can do this due to technicalities, little-known loopholes, changes in regulation, missing terms and conditions (if the agreement was taken out before April 2007) for example. Some offer a no-win, no-fee solution; others charge an upfront fee, sometimes quite a considerable one.

If you are in any way unsure or uncertain of the authenticity of these firms or their claims, before doing anything, we strongly recommend you take a look at the following websites:

MoneyMadeClear - Financial Services Authority:
PPI mis-selling
Unfair Contracts

Ministry of Justice:
Information for consumers - Claims management
Find an authorised claims management firm
Conduct of Business (code)

Other useful websites:
Consumer Direct
Office of Fair Trading

As always, we strongly recommend you check the terms and conditions of any agreement very carefully and ensure you take professional, independent advice before signing anything or verbally agreeing to something. If it looks or sounds too good to be true, it very often is.

Hope that helps.

Many thanks - keep safe.