Tweet
Payday loan firm Wonga settles dispute with disability campaigner
Payday loan firm Wonga settles dispute with disability campaigner
This is a duplicate of the Blog Entry made on: 21st October 2016 07:41
This is a duplicate of the Blog Entry made on: 21st October 2016 07:41
A disability rights campaigner who sued the payday loan company Wonga after accusing them of not accommodating his visual impairment has settled his case.
Tim Wilson, from Penrith, said he ran into problems with the firm as he tried to recover £1.75 which the firm owed him after he had paid off a loan. Because he has a visual impairment, which affects his ability to read normal sized printed text, as well as other disabilities, he had repeatedly asked Wonga when the firm wrote to him to make sure its letters were printed out in large print. “But they refused to respond,” said Mr Wilson, of Tynedale Drive, Penrith, who was speaking before he faced the company in a hearing at Carlisle County Court.
Mr Wilson said a judge had earlier awarded him £4,000 but Wonga yesterday took the case back to court to ask a district judge to set that judgement aside.Before the hearing got underway, Wonga’s lawyer John Inman, asked District Judge Dodd to exclude the press from the court, saying the case should remain “confidential”.But the judge told him that it was a public court and the News & Star’s reporter had the right to be there. In the meantime, Mr Wilson withdrew his opposition to the application to set aside the earlier judgement after agreeing a settlement with Wonga which was agreed the basis of confidentiality.
In court, Mr Inman told the judge: “Wonga is concerned about the confidentiality of the settlement agreement.” The lawyer added: “I’d be more comfortable if Mr Coleman [the News & Star’s reporter in court] wasn’t here.” Speaking before the latest hearing, Mr Wilson said: “Wonga first offered to settle the case for £600, and then for £1,000. The reason I pursue cases like this is that I have a permanent disability.....Source: Read more here
Tim Wilson, from Penrith, said he ran into problems with the firm as he tried to recover £1.75 which the firm owed him after he had paid off a loan. Because he has a visual impairment, which affects his ability to read normal sized printed text, as well as other disabilities, he had repeatedly asked Wonga when the firm wrote to him to make sure its letters were printed out in large print. “But they refused to respond,” said Mr Wilson, of Tynedale Drive, Penrith, who was speaking before he faced the company in a hearing at Carlisle County Court.
Mr Wilson said a judge had earlier awarded him £4,000 but Wonga yesterday took the case back to court to ask a district judge to set that judgement aside.Before the hearing got underway, Wonga’s lawyer John Inman, asked District Judge Dodd to exclude the press from the court, saying the case should remain “confidential”.But the judge told him that it was a public court and the News & Star’s reporter had the right to be there. In the meantime, Mr Wilson withdrew his opposition to the application to set aside the earlier judgement after agreeing a settlement with Wonga which was agreed the basis of confidentiality.
In court, Mr Inman told the judge: “Wonga is concerned about the confidentiality of the settlement agreement.” The lawyer added: “I’d be more comfortable if Mr Coleman [the News & Star’s reporter in court] wasn’t here.” Speaking before the latest hearing, Mr Wilson said: “Wonga first offered to settle the case for £600, and then for £1,000. The reason I pursue cases like this is that I have a permanent disability.....Source: Read more here