www.advicecotland.com is a website belonging to Advice Talks Ltd ( SC533215). This privacy policy sets out how Advice Talks Ltd uses and protects any information that you give when you use this website or communicate with us via Messenger. Occasionally, we may change this policy from time to time, by updating this page.
This policy is effective from 16th September 2022.
Registering, Forum and Comments
When you are using the Advice Scotland site, you can make comments on blogs and pages. If you make comments you will be asked to provide your name and email address, as comments cannot be anonymous. This is to prevent abuse and trolling. All comments are held for moderation once submitted. We will be able to see your name, and email address, but only your name will be published.
Where you wish to delete any comments or have them removed, you can contact us at alanmcintosh@advicetalks.co.uk. We will then delete your information and confirm this in writing to you.
Chatting to us via Messenger
When you chat to us via Messenger, any information you share with us will be stored on our Messenger app on Facebook.
We may also be able to see profile information that is available on your Facebook Page.
We store all Messenger messages for 60 months before deleting them. This is incase any advice we have provided is later questioned.
You can request a copy of our chat with you up to the point we delete it, but you should also be able to access it through your own Messenger App. If you want a copy of your information, you can email us at alanmcintosh@advicetalks.co.uk.
Information we collect on you
We collect the following information when you register, or comment on the site:
- name
- email address
- IP Address
What we do with the information we gather
We obtain this information from you for the following reasons:
- To control access to the forums;
- For prevent spamming and trolling;
- To discourage abuse;
- To respond to you directly by email, where you request it.
We will never share your information with a third party, unless we are legally required to; or you agree to your information being passed on when you submit a form to be contacted.
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added, and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to user’s needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information that allows us to identify you.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies and you are asked whether you wish to or not when you first access this site from a new device, or when you have cleared your cookie history, and revisit the site.
If you choose to not accept the cookies when visiting our site, it will not impair your use of the site.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest or embedded material, such as YouTube videos. However, once you have used these links, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement.
You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
Controlling your personal information
- whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you are happy for your information to be passed on;
- If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by emailing us at alanmcintosh@advicetalks.co.uk.
- You can request, at any point for all information we hold on you, to be deleted by contacting alanmcintosh@advicetalks.co.uk
We will not sell, distribute or provide your personal information to third parties unless we are required by law to do so, or you agree to it.
Data concerns
The data controller for Advice Talks LTd is Alan McIntosh. Our ICO registration number is: ZB190131
Subject Access Request
You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 2018.
If you would like a copy of the information held on you please email: alanmcintosh@advicetalks.co.uk
If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please email us as soon as possible, at the above address.
We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
Hi Alan
Today I received a bank treatment letter from the sheriff’s office over what I presume is a 75 pound fine for no tv licence.
My husband and I have joint account and I am disabled and my husband is the only wage earner in our house.
As the fine is in my name and i don’t work due to I’ll health can they freeze our account and leave us with money for 14 weeks.
Which would leave us at the risk of becoming homeless as our rent wouldn’t be able to be paid and it would also loose my husband his vehicle, which is out on finance and obviously his job, as he would be unable to travel the 30 miles to his work daily.
Thanks in advance
Hi Annemarie
I am not sure what the “bank treatment” letter is?
Is it a Bank Arrestment letter?
Also you say you believe it is for a TV Licence fine, but are not certain.
I think you need to investigate and find out more what this debt it and possibly seek help from your local Citizen Advice Bureau or Local Authority Money Advice Service.
Basically, the rules regarding Bank Arrestments are that the first £529.90 is protected, but everything over that amount can be frozen up to the extent you owe money.
You then get 14 weeks to challenge this arrestment or agree to it being released, or it automatically transfers to the person who arrested the money at the end of the 14 weeks.
If your funds are below £529.90 on the date of the arrestment, the arrestment fails, although the cost of attempting to is added to your debt and your bank may apply a £25 administration fee to your account (you can ask they waive this).
If funds are attached and more funds are deposited the next day, these funds are not attached, so you should be able to withdraw them.
It is only funds in your account on the date of arrestment that are frozen.
In terms of a joint account, these can be arrested for the debt of one person, although the second person can challenge the arrestment on the basis some of the funds are owed to them. However, this takes time, may require a court hearing and you seeking advice first.
I would suggest you visit your local advice centre and see if they can help you.