Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday’s ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.
C.G. writes: My wife’s BMW was struck outside my daughter’s home by an Uber Eats delivery rider on a motorbike.
He caused an estimated £1,000 of damage but merely shouted, ‘Sorry Boss,’ and sped off.
I wrote to the chief executive of Uber Eats but the only response I received has been a phone call to say the company had five delivery people in the area at the time, but could do nothing to help me due to ‘privacy’ issues.
Tony Hetherington replies: You wrote to Uber Eats boss Matthew Price, giving him the date, time and exact location of the hit and run. You actually saw the collision, and recognised that it was an Uber Eats biker.
Price did not reply, but Uber Eats called you to explain that its delivery riders were entitled to their privacy. This was followed by a further call when you were told that the company could not give you the details of which of its personnel were in your daughter’s road for privacy reasons, which implied that the individual had been identified.
Uber Eats failed to trace rider who damaged a BMW car
I put all this to Uber Eats, and the company contacted you, saying it would co-operate with the police if you supplied a crime number.
But, of course, the police could not even open an inquiry as you did not have a vehicle registration number for the biker, who had vanished into the distance.
Getting any comment from Uber Eats was close to impossible. A spokesman said they would call me, but didn’t, and emails went unanswered.
Finally, despite telling you that there were five of its delivery people in the area when your wife’s car was hit, the company issued this statement: ‘Uber Eats’ specialist team has thoroughly investigated this incident and there is no evidence to suggest that a courier was operating on the Uber Eats platform at the time of the incident.’
So there you have it. Five couriers in the area, one courier in that road, and now none.
Uber Eats, this leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.
Centurion beats a retreat to Dubai
Mrs V.K. writes: Early this year I contacted Centurion Estate Planning Group Ltd to take out a lasting power of attorney.
Their representative came to my home, explained everything to me and my partner, and we paid £900.
However, I received nothing. I am a pensioner, so I cannot afford to lose £900.
Vanishing act: CEPG director Daniel Grant seems to have dropped out of sight, with one of his contacts suggesting he was in Dubai
Tony Hetherington replies: Centurion Estate Planning Group (CEPG) advertised its services as including preparing wills, trust deeds, power of attorney documents and home protection plans.
What do all these have in common? Anyone can do this work – no qualifications needed.
You may have been deceived by Chichester-based CEPG’s use of the Society of Will Writers’ logo, with its reassuring motto: ‘Safe to do business with.’ Except CEPG was not entitled to use the logo and I found a county court judgment against it in August followed by a High Court order to have the firm wound up.
CEPG had two directors. The man in control in Chichester was Daniel Grant. He has been behind no fewer than 33 businesses, of which at least three have court judgments against them. I would have liked to have had a chat, but he seems to have dropped out of sight, with one of his contacts suggesting he was in Dubai.
CEPG’s website is still live, and still displaying the logo of the Society of Will Writers, which sets standards for the industry. It told me that its members used to include the other director of CEPG, Peter Maughan. Society managing director Anthony Belcher said: ‘Peter was registered with us for the company, and he was due to renew in April. However, he didn’t, so the membership ceased with him.’
Maughan quit as a director of CEPG in May, and I was surprised to find that he is a solicitor as well as a Lib Dem member of Gateshead Council. What on earth was a solicitor doing, lending his name to a dodgy business like CEPG?
He told me he did it ‘as a favour to a friend’ who was involved in CEPG. He added: ‘I went down as a non-exec director. I had no shares in it.’
Maughan said that he had forgotten he was a director until his professional indemnity insurance came up for renewal. He explained: ‘The premium was massively inflated, and this was due to me being down as a director of Centurion.’
In short, the insurance firm smelled a rat in Chichester.
Maughan added: ‘I had no idea as to the state of the company – I’m shocked and appalled my name is associated with this.’
Where does this leave you? CEPG is in liquidation, and I think there is as much chance of there being £900 left in its account as there is of it being a white Christmas in Dubai.
But there is a silver lining – I have found someone who will finish the work that CEPG started, with no charges. Do let me know how it works out.
If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
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