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Neil's Blog

A blog by Neil in General

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moan moan moan

Neil

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Six months ago I got flashed by a speed camera in Bristol (where I live). Thru came a form giving me some options, I ticked the "i want to pay a £60 fixed penalty", and sent it back. Then nothing.

Today I got a summons. So not only have I not had the option to actually pay the fixed penalty (the first form didn't give the option to pay at that point), the frigging summons is for Taunton Court - how does that work then? :P

So I phone the camera unit and say "I never had the option to pay the fixed penalty". They insist that the notice was sent out (yeah, of course it was ... they can't operate any of their other administrive systems properly - as I've proved to them in the past!! - but they manage to send out every single letter. Yeah, right.).

So I ask what can be done. They tell me nothing, that my only option now is court. I point out that to proceed to court is a waste of the courts time, they say tough. I point out that if it gets to court I'll get wacked a bigger fine plus costs, they say tough.

So ... my only chance now of getting just the £60 fine (which I'm happyish to pay, I was speeding) is to grovel to the court explaining that it's not my fault. But of course they're goinbg to believe me aren't they ... courts never have people stood before them telling them it's not their fault, do they? So as I'll be unusual doing that, they'll believe me. Yeah right. :D

What's wound me up is no one will take responsibility for THEIR systems not working: it's now down to me, to try and win a decent outcome in a system where the system never takes responsibility for their own failures. :)

And I've noticed this is the way things are going: no govt dept or agency has anyone or any systems for dealing PROPERLY with complaints - all they do is pass you along the line till you eventually you get to someone who tells you tough, you're f**ked.

I tried taking up a complaint against the dangerous doctors surgery I was with a few months back, the one that was so crap I ended up having to dial 999 for an ambulance and hospital admittance after failing to see a GP despite 60+ hours of trying to see one. Guess who is the ONLY place you can complain to? That doctors surgery. And of course, they're going to pass up the line complaints about the danger they put their patients in, aren't they, NOT? I wouldn't send a sick dog there, yet they're allowed to keep putting their patients at risk because their bosses won't accept a complaint against them.

No f**king wonder the country is f**ked. :)

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nobby the happy snail

The one lesson that I have learned from my recent tussles with the taxman is that you should never rely on the competance of other people, particularly if those people are in a government department with the power to extract your cash. Not that they are any less competant than anyone else mind, just because that when they do make a mistake the rules will always be rigged in such a way that it is your responsibility to ensure that they haven't dropped a bollock in the first place.

You can't beat city hall. :lol:

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Haggis

The one lesson that I have learned from my recent tussles with the taxman is that you should never rely on the competance of other people, particularly if those people are in a government department with the power to extract your cash. Not that they are any less competant than anyone else mind, just because that when they do make a mistake the rules will always be rigged in such a way that it is your responsibility to ensure that they haven't dropped a bollock in the first place.

You can't beat city hall. :lol:

It's true. Revenue & Customs use the line that you are responsible for your own tax affairs ultimately, and I'd bet that the people who issued the ticket will take the same view. They expect you to be pro-active and chase them when they f**k up

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