Opus bestpay umbrella - do not use it! It's highly toxic!!!!!

**Manic** · 13th February 2018, 12:00

Originally Posted by cojak

CUK isn’t the trade body for umbrellas so I can’t see how they could provide a list of ‘accredited’ suppliers.

This kind of activities cost money (through subscription payment?), a certain amount of legal protection (to set up these accreditation standards), administration to ensure compliance (the spending of that money) and moral credibility that a trade organisation provides.

Think these things through people. Take responsibility rather than try to palm it off to someone else.

Couldn't agree more Cojak, however the number of people who come on here asking questions who haven't even got an accountant still surprises me. A simple disclaimer in the listings would protect CUK and allow the seasoned contractors to reinforce the due diligence message.

Edited to say - Written before Cojak's last post

**administrator** · 13th February 2018, 12:13

Cheers guys. We do our best to ensure that services on the umbrella listings are your standard PAYE type services. We have knocked back many requests for the 90% style take home schemes and will continue to do so - so be aware that we do check all companies before listing them. Will have a look at this in more detail and will post again shortly.

**Loan Ranger** · 13th February 2018, 12:40

Typing "opus bestpay" into Google ought to be enough to put anyone off, except

**Matt FPSGroup** · 13th February 2018, 13:35

Stick https://www.contractoruk.com/directo...companies.html into Waybackmachine (Internet Archive: Wayback Machine) and roll the webpage back to 1st August 2017....

Interesting how a certain operator has changed their name in the description text...

**NotAllThere** · 13th February 2018, 14:08

Originally Posted by whattheheck

Your comment is selfish as well... Let me give you a taste of your own medicine: Next time I see you crossing the road, I'll just say nothing and let you get your skull crushed under the wheel of that bus, shall I?!... I mean, it is up to you to perform "due diligence" and look both sides of the road, before you cross it, right?... Obviously, engaging with your fellow human beings is not part of your textbook, right?

Plenty of people have asked about various organisations offering schemes here and have been warned. We as individuals warn people if they post here and are about to do something stupid, in our opinion. Cojak has warned many people.

She's also worked hard to ensure that the people who didn't heed (or hear) the warnings, have somewhere were they can receive advice - without being told what idiots they were getting involved in the first place (that's what General is for).

I think you owe her an apology.

**Matt FPSGroup** · 13th February 2018, 15:05

Additionally using Waybackmachine if you look at the redirects setup on the old website www.bestpay.co.uk which disappeared at some point in early 2017 they point to www.bestpaymentservices.co.uk (which has also since disappeared) which would you believe it is based as Drake House, CW9 7RA. Exactly the same address as BES and Opus. What a strange coincidence

**moggy** · 13th February 2018, 15:51

who is the agency that recommended these guys to you?

**Sue B** · 13th February 2018, 16:22

Originally Posted by moggy

who is the agency that recommended these guys to you?

Very relevant.

Especially when considering not just the service provided by the agency but indeed the actual solution they are recommending.

Under the Criminal Finance Act 2017, specifically, the corporate criminal offence of failure to prevent tax evasion, if an agency is recommending a solution that is subsequently deemed to be evading tax, then the agency will now also face a criminal prosecution along with the worker.

**lucyclarityumbrella** · 14th February 2018, 15:39

Originally Posted by whattheheck

Guys, this is a nice Forum. But it needs to take proactive action to help people avoid trouble. You have thousands of members. It is high time this Forum promotes a blacklist of umbrellas that are only out there to exploit the contractors and abuse loopholes in our Laws. I want to see a list of who I can trust and who I should not touch!

Think of it as a Review system. Umbrellas supply a service for which we contractors pay them. It is high time they start to get us breathing on their necks.

Try this site - may help