Celebrating a year of Mr Justice results

Dec 27 2009 by Mr Justice, Sunday Sun

YOUR consumer champion has had another busy year fighting your corner.

I won refunds or replacement goods and services to the tune of £140,500.

But it wasn’t just about money for some of the 1,086 readers we were privileged to help.

Once again, we slapped a few wrists, patted a few backs, and righted a few wrongs.

Here are my Top Ten moments from 2009 . . .

A BUILDING society admitted breaking its own financial rules over Edward McDearmid, of Sunderland.

I revealed how he was made to jump through hoops when he switched money from his late wife Norma’s account.

Newcastle Building Society admitted staff did not follow the procedures that should have been in place. Bosses agreed to pay Edward’s legal fees incurred in seeking an unnecessary grant of probate.

SEVERAL brides told me how the biggest day of their lives was spoiled by wedding photographer Gordon Bright and his wife Rhona.

We carried a series of articles in which brides queued up to reveal their wedding albums had not arrived or he had not returned their phone calls and messages.

Some complaints were investigated by trading standards officers at Gateshead.

It is believed his outfit, The Bright Image, is no longer in business.

WE helped a catalogue agent out of a £2,600 debt after taking up her case.

Mail order company Littlewoods demanded the money from Hazel Talbot, of Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough.

Yet it was it was two of her customers, not Hazel, who had defaulted.

Littlewoods said their contract was with the agent but agreed to seek the money directly from the customers, who accepted they owed the money.

IT wasn’t all about huge sums of money – it was also about keeping a good name.

Philip and Julia Hartley, of Eston, Teesside, had been model tenants of their housing association. But Guinness Northern Counties threatened to call in debt collectors after getting their figures wrong.

I made them apologise for the error – caused by two departments not talking to each other – after finding out the couple were actually owed money.