Merton Council Reviews 

Really not impressed.

Today at 4:45 pm I called the helpline to make an inquiry regarding my latest Council Tax bill.

The first time I was put in a queue (I was number 1!) and had to wait before being sent to voicemail.

The second time they simply hung up on me!

Have the decency to complete your shift and disconnect at 5 pm on the dot if you can't be asked or change your operating hours online.

All queries are important and you are supposed to be available until 5 pm!

Council Tax is too high just compared to Wandsworth council which is just neighbouring. Secondly, they don't take any step back from taking extra money from you by means of PCN for parkings and just go for getting full £130. Don't even consider discounted rates

Booked a bulky waste collection which I paid for. No one turned up, all my items are still outside my front and it's bin day tomorrow. If its not collected today, I ll have to haul it all back in. I'm absolutely stressed and fuming!!!

Incompetent, slow, complacent, ineffective, disinterested. Unless it is policing its parking territory to collect its extortionate fees, and then chasing up fines, in which case it is efficient and highly organised.

I've lived in 4 councils in London and Merton is by far the worst (and certainly not the cheapest).
Waste collection is literally a joke here.
On top of that, for unknown reasons the recycling centre is not accessible during weekends except for two hrs on Sat morning if you're driving a hired mini van instead of a car (as if the point is the vehicle, not the waste...). Good luck finding an available spot!
So... If you need to get rid of an old telly and don't have a car, this leaves you with three options:
(i) Turn up on a weekday (as if people don't work)
(ii) Book a "bulky waste collection" for an extortionate price (as if we don't already pay council tax for waste collection)
(iii) Just leave your rubbish in the street

Wake up Merton Council!!!!!!

Extortionate parking costs, up to 23:00 hours, 5 days a week. This must be extraordinarily lucrative, even after they have paid their staff for what must be mind numbing jobs, consisting of responding to PCNs to reject them. I urge people to always appeal even though they won’t win; wasting their time will make their racket just a bit less profitable.

I’m giving this council 5 stars for quite obvious fraudulent reporting on Fix My Street

This council claims to fix problems in 1 day, just like Peterborough claimed to fix them in 4 days.
Clearly both need investigating

Genuinely the worst council in London! Staff are so unhelpful , my daughter went to nursery in Merton and it was poorly run , failed to tell me my daughter had an accident and then had the cheek to tell me she took the incident form
Home which is a complete breach of
Data protection, staff in parking services very unhelpful and one particularly very sarcastic they literally do not have any customer service skills in the slightest. They are poorly run and they really do not give a Damn about anyone

The worst council complete money grabbers! I’m a single parent just had a baby (3 weeks old) and health challenges, having explained my situation and also challenges with finances being on £675 per month, I offered to pay my PCN in instalments, they rudely demanded full payment of £130 further action will be taken!
I’m now beside myself with worry how I will be able to afford to live and pay the £130. There is no empathy or support from Merton!

IF your thnking of renting or letting your property to this council , please take my Following advice,

1 if you want to gain grey hair or a bald head this is the place for you
2, if you want to fall behind finanicail payments this is the place for you
3 if you want your marrige to break down this is the place for you

Please dont let your proppety to them, the landlords private rental department or any other department,

DONT go there unless you've taken CALMING pill. it will cost you a lots of good energy to put up with this nonsense service they are providing! I would choose 0 stars if its possible, but it is not then I had to tick one WELL... this council is the worst I ever seen. People working there are so lazy, laid back and slow. When I wanted to get some information about social housing the response I got was - "what is it you want from me???" well this shows the quality of the service. I wish government wouldn't support this crappy local organization as they only taking money and not giving anything in return! really sad!

I am currently considering my option in regards to taking this matter further after a number of emails why they have completely ignored this matter is in concern to dogs foul which they are happy to allow even tho it sis against the law. I have tried to follow the correct procedures but this has been unsuccessful. This was the response that I received. But the hole street has a local WhatsApp group and not one person has received any letter to this effect.

I acknowledge receipt of your email.

Please note a further warning letter will be posted around the surrounding area of the incident.

As such, no further action is required and I have closed your complaint down.

Kind regards

David Bello
Customer Care Team

Merton Council are a notorious scam outfit (just google them) infamous for fleecing motorists and members of the public for minor infringements by abusing powers given to them by central government.
I turned a corner in my car to find myself in a bus lane which I exited as quickly as I could - a couple of seconds - on a largely empty road. Merton has cameras everywhere and promptly sent me an officious and nasty letter demanding I pay them £135 for those 2 seconds, complete with a threat to increase it to £195 if I didn't pay up immediately. Those who have ever visited Russia will know this is how bent Moscow cops also operate.
It isn't about local government or enforcing local regulations, its about a council run by the Mob intent on lining their own pockets. The reason they do this - other than financing their directors exorbitant salaries is because they've made such a God awful mess of running the council's finances everywhere else. Total disgrace. Avoid shopping or visiting Wimbledon, they'll get you one way or another, Kingston is far more shopper/people friendly.
Now google: "It's a nasty way of making money" - Merton Council accused of unfair parking charges as it rakes in £4.6m from penalty notices" and:
"Drivers face paying £690 to park near their own HOME: Labour-run Merton council ramps up price of permits to make up to £1m a year"

I was sat outside Waitrose in Raynes Park this afternoon on the phone to my sister and mindlessly dropped my cigarette butt on the floor. Then all of a sudden, one of Merton Council’s ‘enforcement officers’ springs out of nowhere and tells me I’ve committed an offence. I apologise and offer to pick up the cigarette butt and put it in the bin. He then springs me with a £150 fine for my ‘anti social behaviour’.
He tells me if I want to dispute the fine, I can do so online. The council website says that you have to go to Magistrates court to do this, and risk paying an even higher fine. How very sneaky of Merton Council, full well knowing most people aren’t going to be willing to do this. Maybe they should spend more time actually collecting the rubbish piled up outside the recycling centre than trying to rob people in broad daylight.

COUNCIL IS SO CUREPT AND RACEST IS UNBELIEVABLE.
ONE LAW ORDERED FOR WHITE AND AFRO WEST INDIES PEOPLES. WHEN THEY DROP/ LITTER MITCHAM TOWN CENTRE WITH CHICKEN BONES CIGARETTE ENDS AND REST IT’S OK BY THEY CROOKED CRIMINAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICIALS.

WHEN ASIAN FEED INNOCENT PIEGONS AND DUCK IT’S DIFFERENT LAW CLASS AS LITTERING.

NO NOTICE DISPLAY NOT TO FEED BIRDS.

Absolutely abuse law order for two citizens and one another citizens.

BLOODY RACEST TO ASIAN COMMUNITY WHO WORK LIKE SLAVE FOR PEOPLES OF BRITAIN EVER SINCE 1947.

TEXTILES recycling is NEVER collected, just discarded into a road.. Over and over and over again.. Called to ask for help, and after telling that I am disabled and house bound , was told to collect the bag and put it away till next week ! Just to add insult to injury was told he is being very understanding and helpful.. I do have door collection for the rest of the Rubbish and recycling, but it never ever happened yet in 3 years ! Bins are always left on the public pathway...

As a Customer ,, I just need to let everyone know Merton council is run by a bunch of criminals Especially MARK ALLISON.

AND SHAME, I HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO PARK IN THE SPOTS RESERVED FOR THE INVALID, AND IT'S READY FROM JANUARY 12, 2021, AND YOU STILL HAVE NOT SHIPPED IT, DAMN.I hope you open as soon as possible, so I will come to compliment me for your insufficiency, and mediocrity ....... then when I am there you will notice it .....

Been brilliant collecting rubbish and have kept up key services amazingly during lockdown. Their communications and website could provide clearer information.

In general great service, but having the recycling center closed I do not agree with.