Bailiff firm begins refunds programme after overcharging

A report by The Guardian has highlighted that a Bailiff company that overcharged people it was pursuing for unpaid debts has launched a refunds programme.

Marston Holdings has apologised to consumers after overcharging ‘enforcement fees’ related to unpaid road traffic penalties it was chasing.

The Enforcement Conduct Board states that it has been actively addressing this issue for some time, working to ensure Marston refunds those affected and makes urgent changes to its practices. Chris Nichols, CEO of the ECB said: “Our mission is to ensure that everyone who experiences enforcement action is treated fairly and it is very concerning to see breaches of regulations that are there to protect the public from overcharging.

“This is unacceptable behaviour and the Enforcement Conduct Board is taking strong action to ensure that people who have been impacted are found and refunded and that this behaviour is never repeated.

“We have ensured that Marston has signed up to a robust action plan to put this right. We will closely monitor Marston’s progress in delivering this plan and will not hesitate to take further action to protect the public if necessary.

“We will also imminently launch a wider review to establish whether this behaviour has occurred at other enforcement companies. Should we find that it has, we will take appropriate action.”