01618723897

Come on "Truthful" Tommy.  Was it two reductions or three?  Did you get an extra reduction between your first and second post? Sixteen minutes is pretty quick.  How come Action Fraud and Trading Standards  advise private individuals and businesses not to deal with these rate  reduction companies?

last message what a load of tosh, who would be happy with services of this company and then go looking and its not easy to find this site, and then go to the trouble of telling us all how wonderful everything is, at least we are annoying the people who need annoying

Hello Tommy
You say this company knows exactly "shat". Is that correct?

Hi please can you help with any info. I fell for the trap and feel a mug! they have taken thousands off me! any ideas ow I can get any of it back? I had there rep come out, measure up my properties, all very official, court hearing dates to claim monnies owing back and so on. She gaurenteed money back plus major savings..... nothing!

Please help with any info.

andypark2k06@yahoo.co.uk

http://www.muswell-hill.com/n10biz/info/news/business-rate-scam.htm

Trading standards warn of business rate scam

In the run up to the announcement by the Valuation Office of new business rates set to come into force in April, Haringey Council's Trading Standards have warned local businesses to be careful about companies offering to help them get their rates reduced.

In the past few years, such companies have had contracts with businesses that asked for payment of a percentage of any reduction in rateable value. However, in many cases, it seems that any savings made by businesses then are swallowed up completely by the company's bill.

Haringey Trading Standards pointed out that anyone can appeal against their business rate themselves - all you need is a form from the Valuation Office on 020 8276 2700. Businesses should also consider using an established lawyer if they can afford it but if they can't, then they should read through the proposed contract very carefully before signing anything.

Principal Trading Standards Officer, John Scale, said, "This latest five year reassessment will undoubtedly increase the rateable value for many businesses and they will naturally look for any way of reducing this cost. Our advice to local businesses is to be cautious about any offer by specialist companies to help reduce their business rates. Some of these are genuine but others will trick businesses over the subtleties of rateable value and transitional relief. These conmen are hiding among more legitimate companies and are giving the industry a bad name."

A local businessman, Pete Powell of Crescent Cars refused to pay one of these companies,  Herber Churchman, and was taken to the Small Claims Court. Mr Powell successfully argued that Herbert Churchman had misrepresented the amount of savings he could make and did not have to pay the company's bill.

Rate Reduction Scams

Small businesses may also fall victim to 'rate reduction' firms who lead businesses to
believe that for a fee they will get their business rates reduced on appeal. Sales
persons often give the impression that no fee is payable until a reduction is obtained,
however the small print in the contract requires a fee when an appeal is logged.

Local authorities are required to collect business rates on behalf of central
government. Businesses are revalued and new rates are applied every five years.
Rogue firms deliberately target businesses whose rates have increased and charge
fees of around £500 to make an appeal against the revaluation.

The best advice to businesses is to say ‘no’ to such firms. Their contracts are often
carefully worded and do not match up to verbal promises the salesperson makes.
You will have no automatic right to cancel once you have signed and paid.

Get advice from the local Valuation Office before you agree to anything. Details of
the appeals procedure are included in a revaluation notification and in the notes
accompanying the rates bill from the local authority. Details are also found on the
valuation office website at www.voa.gov.uk and at www.businesslink.gov.uk. But
remember, if you appeal your rates could go up as well as down.

For further information or assistance regarding your rates bill please contact the
Business Rates Section at Leicester City Council on 0116 252 7005; email:
business.rates@leicester.gov.uk or go to the relevant section on this website.

If you need specific advice regarding the scams
tradaing.standards@leicester.gov.uk or call 0116 252 6599

Just curious as to why both of your "surveyors" are soliciting on LinkedIn for new job offers?
Furthermore you have a " Mata Hari" in your office who you pay too much and can't keep her mouth shut

Since I posted my last msg on here, SJ associates contacted me after seeing these posts!!

Their Rep, Laura Ellison from the North East, came over to check that our properties were on the correct rates. When she looked round the 4 properties she said this is all wrong, we can GUARENTEE  to make a substantial saving and it will also be back dated over a pertiod of, I think she said 5 years!!!
All claims have being rejected after we paid them thousands pounds in total...... TOTAL SCAM.

When Nadine Worden from S J contacted me she said she was very concerned as this is not how they operate!!!! She soon changed her tune and basically told me that anything their reps say is not guaranteed....... (So basically they lie!!! great) so they have done nothing wrong.

So I would just like to tell anyone that comes across this DO NOT TRUST THEM, THEY LIE AND SCAM PEOPLE!!!!

I am an honest person who works hard and was taken in by these horrible people.

Thanks for reading and hope they haven’t got your hard earned cash!!

Thanks so much for all these posts - handling issue for sister - site survey visit planned for next week so emailed and cancelled and phones to be told we cant cancel contract as it has been signed . . . they say payment due after site survey ................ called trading standands and got a case reference now.

Waiting for call back - l will see them in court and am sure from this forum alone I could call many witnessess to bad practice .................

Thanks so much again - gives comfort to know support is out there.

It may be a help if you could publish the case reference number on here so that other victims can contact trading standards with regard to the same case

DO NOT put your case number or any of your data up on here. S.J. Associates have stooges on here and may start hassling you. Always hang up on cold callers, they are mostly scam artists or data blaggers. Go to www.voa.gov.uk and apply for a free rates review. Good luck with trading standards and let BIS know. They investigate firms if there are sufficient warranted complaints.

BIS Company Investigations:  
Reporting and complaining about companies which you feel are acting fraudulently or against the public interest should also be addressed to the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency Service: www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency/Companies/investigations-hotline

Our Investigations Hotline number is – 0845 601 3546. This is a 24 hour answer phone facility which allows you to leave your contact details so we can acknowledge your contact and send you the appropriate questionnaire. You should note that we do not routinely return calls.

Use our Complaint Form to report any conduct in companies currently trading which you feel is either fraudulent or against the public interest. When you have completed the form, click on the submit button. The following will happen automatically: -

We will instantly receive a copy of your complaint.

You will receive immediate confirmation that the complaint has been received.

You will receive an acknowledgement by e-mail together with a copy of the completed complaint form and a unique reference number.

Complaint Form:
http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/complaintformcib.htm

S.J. Associates (UK) Ltd
Company Number: 07008595
Company Type: Private limited with share capital
SIC Code: 7420, Architectural & Engineering Activities & Consultancy
Inc. Date: 03 Sep 2009
Annual Returns: 03 Sep 2012
Annual Accounts: 31 Mar 2012
Last Updated: 10 Dec 2012

Registered Address
1St Floor, Paragon House
Seymour Grove Old Trafford
Manchester
Lancashire
M16 0LN
United Kingdom
Registered Tel: 01618727737

S J Associates Called us at our restaurant made an appointment to come and see us which they did very keen to get a signature as soon as he did he was gone after thinking about this matter and looked at other appeals in the area I rang them and tried to cancel they would not listen and just tried to sell sell sell I sent them faxes which they obviously didnt read and they rang and rang they then said I would have to pay a 2and a halt percent cancellation fee which I said no to they insisted I would have to so I went on this web site and read the comments on here so I called them and said look at this site they knew all about and quickly said they would cancel the contract at no charge

Be aware con merchants

Hi there I have just had the same abuse after abuse threatening phone calls until I found this site and mentioned it to Paul Harrison he quickly said I could have a free cancellation

I PUT A REQUEST ON ASKING ABOUT CASE REFERENCE NUMBER AS THE FIRM I WORK FOR HAS ALSO BEEN TAKEN IN BY THIS FIRM. I AM CONCERNED THAT ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR THE 2010 APPEAL [WHICH THEY THEN WITHDREW] THEY WILL COME BACK AGAIN IN 2015 AS A CONTRACT EXISTS FOR 2010/2015/2020. I WROTE TO THE V.O.A. AND HAVE A LETTER FROM THEM SAYING THAT VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE APPEAL WAS WITHDRAWN. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE MATTER FURTHER.

I cannot believe that this and other companies like them are still being allowed to get away with it. They repeatedly call even when you say you are not interested. If they do visit the reps lie constantly about what you can expect and quote successful reductions that simply don't exist. Do not sign anything.

The contract states that you will be due to pay on acceptance of a VOA appeal (this is in no way a guarantee of a reduction - the VOA is simply opening a case for appeal). When the appeal time comes around many months later they simply withdraw the case (again the contract permits them to do this).

There are several companies pulling this scam - about time the authorities did something about it

We have had a vast number of cold calls over the last 3 months or so from SJ Associates who have been told politely and then not so politely by various members of our staff to remove our details from their database.  They have point blank refused to do this.  The lady who called me today interrupted me while I was going through this with her so I put the phone down on her.  She then called back to put the phone down on me!  How do these people think that this sort of behaviour will encourage me to do business with them?

I'd be interested to know if Trading Standards would be interested in this - we have kept information on the dates and times of the calls and could provide a list of these.  I have flagged this with the Federation of Small Businesses too as they claim that they are a member of the FSB on their website.

Nadine Worden Director of SJ Associates is nothing but a bully. Stand up to her and her cronies

SJ Associates called me within days of opening my first business; they promised a GUARANTEE in a reduction of business rates; how naive was I to believe them. We signed the contract under the impression that a fee was only payable once our rates had been reduced and when I later questioned this fee I was verbally threatened then coaxed into paying the bill as the reduction was already guaranteed and we would save money. After paying the £695 plus VAT we heard nothing for two and a half years then finally got a letter saying they could not get our rates reduced. I was so stupid to sign the contract but have my case open with Trading Standards and will try my best to get a refund!!!
DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS COMPANY SCAM SCAM SCAM!

SJ Associates - YES THEY ARE A SCAM
Promise reductions and save you money but suprise suprise no results!!

I wish I had found this website before they had phoned!!