Renfrewshire Council - Paisley

Alex S.

They take forever to answer the phone. Their automated ‘Millie’ service is useless and if you complain about it they don’t record the complaint… they state online that they’ve received mainly positive feedback about it… lies!!
Can’t get through to anyone, and on the rare chance you do, the person can’t be bothered doing what they’re supposed to so you have to call again to get the same again… ultimately I keep having to make official complaints - all which they agree to failures on their side - yet no internal processes change as same happens again.
Not sure why fees are going up when less and less is getting done. Reports show they have more staff than ever yet no one is able to sort anything? What are the staff doing? The only staff I’ve had deal with anything are higher ups dealing with my complaints after numerous failures of their supposed hard working staff. Even the complaints procedure can’t be followed as you have to chase it up multiple times before someone will action it. What is going on?

Romey

Shocking, received an email from finance dept asking me to send copy of my bank details and statements and my address, as they didn't have my bank details because I didn't pay council tax direct debit, to get a refund. They should know better not to ask people for bank details to send through emails and phone calls. It is not safe to do so.

Isabella B.

Over a 3 year period I have had to complain several times to the finance recovery team about discrepancies with my mums sundry income account.
I have had final demand notices for wrong invoices or invoices never sent, received 'urgent' messages from sheriff officers instructing me to pay despite not owing anything.
Neither myself or my mum( age 92) have ever been in debt in our lives.
I look after her affairs and recognise when something is wrong straight away but many elderly people would just pay, my mum would not be aware if a bill was wrongly sent .You are meant to trust the local authority. How many others have simply paid ?It is distressing being contacted by a debt agency. I was left feeling stressed and very perturbed. I had the inconvenience of going to the office and the embarrassment of having to justify and defend ourselves.
I have always received an apology from the council but never acknowledged my request for a meeting.

A M.

Complete scammers!! Worth the read...

Received a parking ticket for parking on Moss Street Paisley. Confused as I had a visible ticket on my windscreen I appealed with immediately.

Turns out my car was not in an allocated bay therefore they have rejected my appeal as there is "clear signage" to back this. Okay so this would be fair if this is the case however it's not as there was no "clear signage" and still is none to date on street itself where I was parked.

They included a picture of a sign from the other side of the road as part of their evidence however refuse to look at my evidence which dismisses there was no signage for me and my side of the road. ( pictures to follow of where my cars parked, including the only sign which is blank white due to weather damage, how should I know what it used to say? pictures of my car with the white sign together, pictures of my car and the pay and display machine - the only thing on my side of the road, pictures of the pay and display machine itself - nowhere does it state in certain bays only. )

I can't now argue that I was in an incorrect "bay" however if they are issuing fines for such issues, it's their responsibility to make sure their rules are clear and visible. The contact number they provide in the outcome of the appeal letter have no idea on how to help and point-blank refuse to do anything, they only suggest ignoring it till the Notice of Owner arrives which i find disgusting.

If I had been ignorant and trying to park where I am not allowed, why would I go to a pay and display machine and get a ticket. What is worse about this case as there was 2 wardens who seen me arrive, seen me go to the ticket machine, seen me display the ticket and then smiled at myself and my partner as we walked off. Surely common decency would be to approach us and advise that the ticket I've just bought isn't valid for that "bay".

I have full evidence to show that there was no signage to show these rules, yet they are not accepting accountability in their mistakes with regards to replace old signs. They say they have picture to prove this yet the sign and the car isn't in the same picture, what does this prove exactly? That sign could have came from anywhere - it did, across the road. However, they want to act oblivious to my picture which show's the car and the sign beside it completely blank.

They have your hands tied because if you pay for it while trying to appeal it, it refuses your right to appeal. But if you don't pay the ticket goes up in price. I would 1000000% win this case in court, but this is where they take advantage of the public. Does anyone really want to go through all the time, stress and inconvenience of court for a parking ticket - no, so people pay the fine when they are 100% within their rights to have it revoked. Absolutely disgusting!!!!!!!

jonathan M.

Phoned and phoned and phoned, didn't get anywhere and just told sorry can't help or its already been diened. Only reason im not giving a 1 star review is because when I phoned up just to make sure of something I got put through with John Craig. Who was willing to help and sorted my problems, so thank you for the help John. If they all acted like you maybe Renfrewshire Council would have better reviews.

Edward S.

The bin lorry swallowed my bin. I have been without a grey bin for five weeks and no one willing to call me to discuss. Faceless bland emails that tell me nothing. Contemp for the Council Tax payers who pay the staff wages

Matthew A.

They to lazy to respond for the emails and the try to push to use Renfrewshire applications online not all have accounts so they prefer to use email but unfortunately no one responds.... Plus it's no chance to phone because you will spend all the on the phone

H A.

Took my elderly father to the council office to get help with various issues. Told no face to face meetings anymore but there’s a free telephone we can use!…You’re a bloody “Customer Service Building”! We were then told on the phone (after waiting for 30 minutes) we would need to be sent out forms… forms which we could have collected and filled out that day had you had face to face meetings! Beyond useless and not to mention completely ableist. Are we going to see a drop in our council tax fees for this lack of service?