L.W.Corporation and ShopDirectGroup

by Lord de Chanson

The Barclay Brothers

In 2002 Monaco tax exiled Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay acquired the Littlewoods mail order group from the Moores Family for £750 Million via an offshore company called L.W. Corporation.

In 2003 Monaco based tax exiled The Barclay Brothers owners of Littlewoods declared a dividend of £71.6 Million.

In 2003 Monaco tax exiled Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay owners of Littlewoods scrapped the 1% of corporate profits the former owners, the philanthropists Moores Family gave to good charitable causes

In 2003 Monaco tax exiled Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay owners of Littlewoods online-catalogue group committed a cardinal sin and tore up the company’s commitment to industry recognised ethical trading standards which were designed to ban suppliers from using child or forced labour. The decision was met with a barrage of criticism from charities such as Christian Aid, unions and a former government minister Stephen Timms. The Ethical Trading Initiative E.T.I.

In 2004 Monaco tax exiled The Barclay Brothers acquired GUS (Great Universal – Kays – Choice and Marshall Ward Catalogues) for a further £550 Million brining their Mail Order Catalogue investment to a staggering £1.3 Billion.

When Littlewoods was owned by the Moores family regulators in 1997 blocked the Moores family from acquiring Freemans a competitor in the home catalogue business. In 2003 The DTI referred The Barclay Brothers proposed £590 Million acquisition of GUS (Great Universal Stores) to the Competition Commission as this would effectively give The Barclay Brothers 73% market share of budget deliveries. But the buffoons at the Competition Commission later gave the go-ahead? So much for choice and competition and more ironic – what is the point of this Competition Commission Quango that contradicts its own function and purpose?

Be aware     “Be Very Aware”

Established companies like:

K&Co.com

very.co.uk

Littlewoods.com

isme.com

woolworths.co.uk

littlewoodsireland.ie

shopdirect.com

Shop Direct Financial Services

In 2005 Monaco based tax exiled The Barclay Brothers announced that it was cutting 3,200 jobs from its Littlewoods operations.

2005 The Barclay Brothers sold-off 33 of the Index Stores to Argos for £44 Million.

In 2005 tax exiled The Barclay Brothers sold 120 Littlewoods stores to Associated British Foods for around £410 Million.

In 2006 Shop Direct closed three warehouses with 1200 job losses.

Advertising Watchdog – In 2008 The Advertising Standards Authority slated the Littlewoods Group – Shop Direct Financial Services which is owned by tax exiled Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay’s as irresponsible for distributing leaflets which read; “Hot Deals won’t wait ’till pay day”, that encouraged excessive credit spending. The mailing for the Direct Plus Account went on to say; “By the time you can afford that sexy new outfit, Mr Right, or Mr Right Now, could be long gone“. So after enticing people to take on this credit, then find they can’t afford to repay it back then find themselves in a downward spiral of despair? Just close your account and protect your credit score, which will serve you better in the future.

Shop Direct Group entice their customers with advertising slogans  “Buy Now – Pay Later” and at the same time offering “Special Offers” to get you to buy straight away. They even offer “unsecured loans” for you to buy even more? They also allow you to open additional credit accounts within their own group, for example, Littlewoods,com is one account, then isme.com another and K&Co.com etc, before you know it you are drowning in debt?

These people are very “skilled operators” You could quickly end up with a monthly bill that you can’t afford. They will show “little mercy” if you don’t pay? Default charges are quickly added to your monthly bill with interest and if you fall too far into arrears, your credit rating will be damaged to the point where you will not be able to get a mortgage or a re-mortgage or you will be charged an unsustainable interest rate.

Some of their customers have experienced “horrific harassment tactics” used by there own internal employees at their offices in Essex and if that failed, they would sell the debt to “unscrupulous debt collectors” and your problems accelerate into the abyss?

Harassment of people in debt by creditors or their agents is a “criminal offence” under the Administration of Justice Act 1970.

Littlewoods / Shop Direct Group through its Shop Direct Financial Services and its subsidiary debt collection agencies employed and used external agents to call its customers, sometimes up to “fourteen times during the day and evening per day?” In addition, they were adding charges to their customer’s bills for each threatening letter they sent plus interest.

Harassment and Intimidation

Harassment and Intimidation got so bad, in 2010 The Office of Fair Trading brought in a new set of industry guidelines to put an end to this form of harassment and racketeering. New measures now included a standard rate of charges and companies can no-longer harass their customers at work or home. If they do, call the Police as they would be committing a criminal offence.

Very.co.uk

Has been heavily criticised for miss-selling – Rubbish Customer Service – Horrendous – Bunch of Cowboys – Appalling Service – offers they do not honour – Avoid at all cost

Another disgruntled customer received a faulty dining chair back in February 2012. Very.co.uk have used fobbing-off tactics that include a £45.00 inspection charge and other obstructive measures that breach replacing faulty goods under the “Sales and Goods Act”. The customer service at Very.co.uk is rubbish. In January 2013 Very.co.uk still had not replaced the chair? Just cancel your account with this company.  An Ex-Employee of Shop Direct said, do not withhold payment as Shop Direct will pass your account onto ACD/TCU who will demand payment. Shop Direct will screw your credit report and Shop Direct Financial Services will not correct it as it’s accurate. They have an AHT to achieve.

Another customer complained that Very.co.uk in May 2013 had reformatted the layout of their statements and Very.co.uk craftily doubled the APR interest without informing the customer? The person had been a customer with Very.co.uk for several years. CANCEL your account with Shop Direct and shop in the high street.

 

K&Co

“Brenda W” purchased a TV from Kandco.com in 2010, which had an automatic one-year manufacturer’s guarantee. Then Kandco.com sent her a letter in 2011 thanking her for choosing the “service guarantee extension”. “Brenda W” then rang Kandco.com (a premium rate number) to inform them that she did not sign up to this guarantee extension. Kandco.com then said that when she received the original letter about it, she should have rung them to say she did not want it, as it is “automatically generated”. This is sharp practice / racketeering by Shop Direct Group On-line subsidiary companies.

Returns:sweat, period, urine and excrement soiled stains?

Important: Are you buying (New Clothes) when you order from Very.co.uk – Littlewoods.com – isme.com – Kandco.com – One of the common problems of today is that thousands of women are ordering clothes from these online catalogue companies where they wear the trousers, blouse, dress and/or shoes for the weekend then return them back on Monday morning to Very.co.uk – Littlewoods.com – isme.com – Kandco.com. These returned items will have another women’s sweat, soiled period, excrement and urine stains?

This is what:

Debt-Line

Debt-Line say about Shop Direct Financial Services:

Shop Direct Financial Services offer credit to customers of Littlewoods.com – Kandco.com – Very.co.uk – Woolworths.co.uk – Littlewoodsireland.ie – isme.com at varying APR rates, but some can reach as high as 49.9% typical.

Julie, a customer of Shop Direct said; “This is the most unhelpful, underhand, greedy company I have ever had to deal with. They are fine until you find yourself in financial difficulty and miss a payment or make a late payment then they are onto you like a ton of bricks adding charge after charge for non-payment, late payment, letters, phone-calls. All these at £12 charges add up, they are relentless and refuse to accept lower offers of payment. Avoid like the plague!

 

Shop Direct –

Where to vent your Complaints:

 

If you believe your case should be aired in the “public Interest“, large companies Do NOT like bad media publicity

Littlewoods.com

Very.co.uk

Kandco.com

Isme.com

Woolworths.co.uk

Shopdirect.com

Littlewoodsireland.ie

Direct Plus Accounts

So if Shop Direct refuse to be reasonable with your complaint?

“Do Not Suffer in Silence”

First, complain on these following social media forums, which will also alert other potential customers from getting into difficulty. Equally important, these forums can also be helpful in others giving you good free advice.

So Complain…………………..

Access the internet – then type in your search bar:

Shop Direct complaints forums

Littlewoods complaints forums

Shop Direct Finance Complaints Forums

Shop Direct Financial Services Complaints Forums

Very.co.uk Complaints Forums

Littlewoodsireland.ie Complaints Forums

Isme.com Complaint Forums

Woolworths.co.uk Complaints Forums

Let others know your grievances – copy and paste the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/VeryUK?filter=2

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2336863

https:www.facebook.com/pages/Very.co.uk-Bad-Customer-Service/157212824301628

But Don’t STOP There

If you believe Shop Direct Financial Services are abusing their position and/or credit terms or charging absorbent interest rates or you feel you are being harassed and intimidated and/or you feel Shop Direct are racketeering then in the

“Public Interest”   contact:

BBC Watchdog

W1 NBC 07C

BBC New Broadcasting House

Portland Place,

London  W1A  1AA

BBC Radio 4 – You and Yours

Dock House

Salford  M50  2BH

BBC Panorama

Zone D – 4th Floor

BBC Broadcasting House

Portland Place

London  W1A  1AA

Channel 4 Dispatches

124 Horseferry Road

London SW1P  2TX

Clive Bull

LBC Radio

30 Leicester Square

London WC2H  7LA

BBC Radio 4 – Money Box

W1 NBH 04B

BBC Broadcasting House

London  W1A  1AA

The Office of Fair Trading

Fleetbank House

2 – 6 Salisbury Square

London EC4Y  8JX

Trading Standards Office – There is a TSO in your local area and they can exert pressure on Shop Direct and its subsidiary companies to handle your complaint. Your local library will have their contact details or Google yell.com and type in “Trading Standards Office”.

Citizens Advice Bureau –There is a CAB in your local area and they can exert pressure on Shop Direct and its subsidiary companies if you need extra time to re-pay any outstanding debt. Again, you can also access their details via Google.

Littlewoods Christmas Campaign

In 2011 Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay “Littlewoods – Shop Direct Home Shopping were ruining Christmas for tens of thousands of young children by implying that Santa (Father Christmas) “wasn’t real” and that mums did all the hard work at Christmas, not the “fat man” with the beard and red suit. The crass commercialism Christmas campaign that depicted young children thanking their mum’s for purchasing expensive laptops, smart-phones and Xbox consoles. This unpleasant company was effectively adding enormous pressure on parents to take out credit agreements to buy these products? Probably, many are still paying for it now with interest? Despite the complaints, The Advertising Watchdog said they didn’t break any rules. Parents said this advertisement was upsetting their children, some went as far as to say that their children were distressed to find out that Father Christmas does not provide presents. Father Christmas was unavailable for comment.

Shop Direct transfer call centres to Serco

In 2012 Shop Direct transferred six call centres to Serco knowing that Serco were going to out-source them to South Africa and India with thousands of job losses in the UK. Another good reason to close your accounts with: Littlewoods.com – Kandco.com – isme.com – Woolworths.co.uk – Shop Direct – Littlewoodsireland.ie – Very.co.uk and shop with a UK retailer that employs UK workers and who pay full UK capital gains tax unlike tax exiled Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay who ultimately control Shop Direct.

• Shop Direct Limited – includes Littlewoods.com – Woolworths.co.uk – Very.co.uk – K&Co Company Accounts ending 2012 made a pre-tax loss of £57.7 Million.

 

Online Sales Tax

In 2013 Shop Direct Group which includes: Littlewoods.com – Very.co.uk – Kandco.com – Woolworths.co.uk – Littlewoodsireland.ie – isme.com – Shop Direct Financial Services – Direct Plus Account – which is owned by tax exiled Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay criticised the idea of an online sales tax, which is being muted by the government as a level playing field with high street retailers. A spokesmen for Shop Direct Group said; “I don’t think an online only tax is a good idea”. If you tax business it should do three things: it should promote growth, promote jobs and be fair. An online tax fails on all three counts”.

VAT Abuse

Shop Direct and its subsidiaries were using and abusing a VAT (Value Added Tax) loophole in the Channel Islands that enabled them to import CD’s and DVD.s duty free, where most small retailers paid the duty and hence they made less profit and were unable to compete with the large multi-chain retailers and Shop Direct Group that includes: Woolworths.co.uk – Very.co.uk – Littlewoods.com – isme.com – Kandco.com. My point is I did not hear Shop Direct and its subsidiaries complaining about that tax advantage over its fellow competitors?

The £1 Billion VAT Rebate

Double Standards:

HM Revenue & Customs in 2004 accepted it overcharged Littlewoods and its subsidiary companies VAT on sales dating back to 1973 and agreed to a rebate plus interest that totalled approximately £473 Million, even though tax exiled Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay only acquired Littlewoods in 2002.

Tax exiled,secretive and reclusive Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay via fifteen companies within Shop Direct Group that includes Littlewoods in 2007 filed two further legal actions against HM Revenue & Customs claiming the rebate interest paid in 2004 was “simple interest” and they claim it should have been calculated as “compound interest”. Another contentious area of this case, The Barclay Brothers are seeking VAT overpayments made over 25 years before Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay acquired Littlewoods in 2002? Is this not morally bankrupt?  Is this in the “spirit of the law”?

In short, if Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay win their case against HM Revenue & Customs, it will cost the UK Taxpayers a further £1 Billion on top of the £473 Million they have already paid them?

 

TAX FREE Dividend Payments

Tax exiled Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay who own Shop Direct Group and its subsidiary companies are ultimately owned under an offshore structure, which enables these two tax exiles to receive £Multi-Million Pound tax-free dividend payments.

Littlewoods – Shop Direct Group

Miss-Selling of

Payment Protection Insurance

PPI Scandal

Customers of Great Universal Stores (GUS) Littlewoods / Shop Direct Group and its other subsidiary companies which were miss-selling PPI – Payment Protection Insurance Scandal to its customers dating back to the 1990’s to the present day are having great difficulty in claiming back the PPI? It is abundantly clear from the public complaints that Shop Direct and its subsidiary companies have been dragging their feet and abusing their position and responsibilities by telling their customers their case has not been allocated yet? This is a deliberate delay tactic in the hope Shop Direct customers will simply go away? Shop Direct have been operating against the spirit of the law for some time now?

In March 2014 a spokesperson for Shop Direct claimed they have now set-up a dedicated team for dealing with PPI complaints, but refused to reveal how much it had set aside, but said that the number was “not material”. Really? They why was this dedicated team not set-up in 2009?

Did you know, PPI amounted to an “extra 25%” on average of the loan / credit agreement taken out?

PPI – Payment Protection Insurance Abuse

The first quarter of 2012 The Financial Services Authority issued the following statistics The FSA is now defunct

Payment Protection Insurance – The FSA received 2,232,294 complaints

Unregulated loans – The FSA received 48,253 complaints

Other Unregulated home finance products – The FSA received 63,302 complaints

Other General Insurance – The FSA received 283,353 complaints

How far back can you re-claim back PPI?

Theoretically, you can re-claim back PPI as far back as the 1990’s and even earlier if you still retain the paper-work.

But, there are a few stipulations?

• If the PPI started in the last six years – you can reclaim immediately.
• Older Insurance that’s still active or ended within the last six years – You can start to re-claim.
• If you’re PPI ended over six years ago: Banks and others don’t need to keep records that are over six years old. However, if you still hold the paperwork on the PPI paperwork – You can re-claim it back. But ensure you only forward a Photostat copy when reclaiming, if lost, they probably won’t pay!

 

If you are being ignored by Shop Direct or any of its subsidiaries? Then contact:

The Financial Ombudsman Service – contact

South Quay Plaza

183 Marsh Wall

London  E14  9SR

 

Shop Direct Financial Services Limited

Shop Direct Financial Services claim to treat customers fairly?

Shop Direct Financial Services claim to be fully compliant in line with the Financial Conduct Authority.

If you have been treated unfairly by Shop Direct Financial Services, Do not sit in silence, complain to:

Financial Conduct Authority

25 The North Colonnade

Canary Wharf

London  E14  5HS

 

Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay are struggling to rid this mail order group of its debt.

• Since 2002 the Barclay Brothers have invested at least £620 Million through increases in share capital alone and there has been little return on their investment.
• Shop Direct has lost £424.4 Million of its value after its assets were re-evaluated in 2013.

 

Littlewoods.com / Shop Direct Group / Shop Direct / Very.co.uk / isme / K&Co

Administration and Default Charges

 

• Supply of additional copy statement – £5

• Immediate credit file update at your request – £5

• Letter confirming clearance of your debt at your request – £12

Default Charges are payable by you in respect of the following matters:

• If you make a payment via Paypoint or the Post Office – £1

• If you make payment by cheque – 25p

• You fail to make at least the minimum payment by the payment due date – £12

• For any letters, telephone calls or other (other than home visits) debt collection activity we undertake – £12

• Home visit during debt collection activity – £32

• Debtor Trace – £25

• Any cheque, direct debit or other item for payment into your account that is unpaid or dishonoured – £15

• Temporary payment arrangement letter fee – £12

• Transfer of your debt to a debt collection agency – £25

 

Any court fees & costs incurred by us in pursuit of arrears

To protect your own credit history, DO NOT get sucked into opening an account with Littlewoods – Shop Direct – K&Co – isme – Very.co.uk – Its cheaper to buy from Primark, Asda, Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s and save money too.

 

Yodel Logistics

 

The Barclay Brothers who own Home Deliver Network Limited (HDNL) acquired DHL UK parcel delivery business in 2010 and changed its name to Yodel Logistics.

BBC Watchdog

BBC Watchdog in 2010 and again in 2012 highlighted the same poor service of Yodel’s non-delivery of parcels? The PR name change gimmick from Home Delivery Network (HDNL) to Yodel Logistics – Different name, same appalling delivery service.

COMPLAINTS……..…

A customer called Claire Jolly who order an X-Box 360 was one of the rare parcels Yodel actually delivered – almost? The Yodel drive threw it over the gate. This was caught on Claire Jolly’s home CCTV.

In 2011 The John Lewis Partnership ceased using Yodel as their unreliable, pathetic and defunct parcel delivery service.

Both Matalan and Mothercare have now ceased using Yodel the pathetic unreliable parcel delivery service in 2012.

In August 2012 over 5,000 Amazon customers and still growing called upon Amazon to ditch Yodel as their un-reliable, pathetic and defunct parcel delivery company.

Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay who ultimately own Yodel in 2012 instructed their lawyers to threaten legal action against “Twitter” unless they delete a number of “Twitters” that they believe were defamatory against Home Delivery Network trading as Yodel? What people were “Twitting” about was the shabby unreliable non-delivery of customer’s parcels. Furthermore, it is a bit rich for these two cretins to complain about “defamation”, where on Sark in the Channel Islands they defame anyone who either disagrees with their agenda or they simply take a dislike too you? “I have not read anything like this in the Sark Newsletter on Sir David Barclay and Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and how they operate their companies in the Sark Newsletter? So much for press censorship?

Yodel Logistics – Ex-Bankrupt Sir Frederick Barclay and Sir David Barclay have now moved “Yodel” from being under the ownership of “Shop Direct” to an independent structure, a company registered in the “Tax Haven” of Jersey called “LW Corporation Limited“. “Yodel” has been losing money at all levels and has been repeatedly refinanced through the issuing of shares by the parent company “LW Corporation Limited“.

• Yodel Logistics lost £110 Million in 2012

• In 2012 Its parcel delivery company Yodel Logistics Limited had a credit score of (D) = Very High Risk (Extreme Caution)

Insist on having your parcel delivered by either:

Parcelforce

UPS

CityLink

If they refuse your request, cancel your order and buy what you want from another company.

If you have experienced problems with:

1. Claiming back PPI from Shop Direct Financial Services – Shop Direct Finance or any of its subsidiaries: Littlewoods.com – Very.co.uk – isme.com – KandCo.com

2. If you have fallen into arrears due to loss of employment or illness how were you treated by Shop Direct and/or from its subsidiary companies?

3. Have you been charged excessive interest rates by Shop Direct or any of its subsidiaries?

4. Have you experienced harassment or intimidation and/or from Third Parties from Shop Direct, Lilltlewoods.com – Very.co.uk – KandCo.com – isme.com – Litlewoodsireland.ie – Woolworths.co.uk

5. Have you experienced any other problems by Shop Direct Group?

6. Have you experienced problems with getting your parcel delivered by Yodel?

7. How easy has it been to get Yodel to resolve such problems?

 

The above is a segment from the unauthorised biography on The Barclay Brothers and Family – Tax what Tax

Researched and Published by

Lord de Chanson

BOYCOT

The Barclay Brothers Companies –

Close Your Accounts with: Littlewoods.com – Very.co.uk – isme.com – Woolworths.co.uk – Kandco.com – Littlewoodsireland.ie – Shop Direct Financial Services –

Insist when ordering from Amazon that you do NOT want YODELthe diabolical parcel delivery company to attempt to deliver your parcels.

 

If you want to know more about The Barclay Brothers ultimate owners of the above companies, then go to:

 

• lorddechanson.wordpress.com
• thebarclaybrotherstaxwhattax.wordpress.com
• thebarclaybrotherscasinointerests.wordpress.com
• thebarclaybrothersfamilytree.wordpress.com

 

Click on the – Please leave a comment below:

If you are an Ex-Employee of one or more of the above companies between 2002 to 2014 and know the inside practices used that you found ethically and morally unacceptable or worse and/or you are a Customer with a bad experience to share in the Public Interest please Click on the Comment box below.