NI Presbyterian mutual society, Short of funds for withdrawal?

crazymess

Perhaps we could contact the Editor of the Newsletter and ask them to facilitate this for us.

We could say, use the wording of GOODBYEPCI and then have a cut out coupon to put our details on and reply to a PO box in the Newsletter. We could run it for a couple of days and see the response.

Please give your comments.

joylikes2shop

good grief Crazymess you're all go...
I'm having probs with my internet connection but am composing a wee line or two and will hopefully post it here in the next few mins.....I've been working on it since 2pm but have had to stop for lunch and to take down Xmas decor but don't go away...

joylikes2shop

Although I think that signing a petition is a grand idea and would make those signing it feel like they’re doing something, I really do worry that without a large volume of signatures it might not send out the right signals.

If it’s only accessible online I think many people would not have access to it. My other concern about an online petition is that -as goodbyepci pointed out, and that amontylado and I agree with-people from Northern Ireland (and with savings in the PMS !!) may be shy/embarrassed and therefore may not want to add their name to a petition that is readily available for anyone and everyone to read online. I know myself from reading the numerous comments posted on various websites since the PMS went into administration that not everyone is sympathetic towards those with money invested in the society.

Crazymess suggested a book to be made available for the public to visit in person and to sign, again I think this is a grand idea, but wonder just how difficult it would be for the elderly in particular to get to and would it attract the big numbers needed ??……Please please please don’t feel at this point that I’m all doom and gloom…I’m just airing my concerns about the logistics of it all in case anyone has any other suggestions.

I wonder if it would be possible/feasible to have a downloadable template letter with names and addresses of say, the Administrator, MLA’s, the Treasury, etc . This would allow people to print out the letter in their own home (or have it printed out by family or friends ) which they could then complete without worrying about declaring their name publicly. In my mind I imagine it would be more ‘annoying’ for the recipient to receive sack loads (hopefully ??) of mail every day asking for the same thing instead of just looking at a long list of names on an a petition…..I wonder what anyone else thinks about this.

If ‘we’ could get it set up, maybe those lovely people at the NEWSLETTER could mention it in one of their articles. Although I’ve no links to anyone in the media, I know a few people who regularly view this site have, so maybe they could pull a few strings ???.

I know a few others have set up websites etc to try to keep everyone ‘together’, and I’m
not sure how busy they are, but I know the sites can be quite hard to find so…
I may regret this but I’ve just set myself up a hotmail address (I hope !!)
…. [EMAIL="joylikes2shop@hotmail.co.uk"]joylikes2shop@hotmail.co.uk[/EMAIL]
so if anyone wants to get in touch with me directly fire ahead-NO ABUSE PLEASE-
.
My reason for doing this is that there seems to be a few of us who really want to do something more and I thought we could maybe stay in touch or arrange things more easily by email.
THIS IS NOT MEANT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THIS WONDERFUL THREAD !!!.Please keep posting all helpful thoughts and information here too. :j

Also, it means if anyone reading the PMS threads that isn’t signed up to the site wants to get in touch without having to worry about other people seeing their comments it’s easier to do so via direct email.
I’ll stop typing and post this now to see what you all make of it.

crazymess

Joylikestoshop

Thank you for setting up your email address - but you didn't answer the idea of the Newsletter coupon idea - my reason for this was that most elderly, etc can access this paper and then forward the coupon on by post themselves.

Before going forward we need to get a response from investors on this, as I take on board your idea - there may not be enough interest in this. It is beyond me why people are so quiet about losing their money!! They certainly weren't as quiet re. the Northern Rock and Icelandic Banks!

Look forward to hearing some other comments - we need your support to go forward -

joylikes2shop

Sorry Crazymess for not commenting on your suggestion....I think I sort of understand the coupon idea....are you suggesting that 'we' ask the Newsletter to print a 'coupon' that people would cut out complete and then forward back to the Newsletter for the Newsletter to compile and then forward on to the PCI ?

joylikes2shop

By the way if my understanding of your idea is right, then I think its a GREAT idea....if the right wording is used. I like the idea behind goodbyepci's words-but not so sure about using the word 'demand'.It comes accross as being slightly aggressive to me and we cant afford to get anyones back up at this stage.

crazymess

joylikestoshop

Pretty much that is the idea - therefore most investors will see the petition, cut it out, reply and post back to a PO. Box number - Therefore investors can feel more comfortable about not being seen by media etc but they will need to put their names, to the reply.

The PMS of course and the PCI know the names of investors anyway.

Again - theres not much point in doing this unless we get some support from others!!

Anotherdonald, goodbyepci, groovyjon, loganjh and anyone else - where have you gone?

joylikes2shop

Just a quick update....I've sent an email this morning to one of the Money Saving Expert team just to remind them we're still having issues about the PMS situation.I've asked for some help or guidance with constructing a suitable letter which could be used to forward to the Administrator (or anyone else for that matter,) and then we might get some guidance for wording of a petition.
Hope this is ok with you all.... it cant do any harm. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything from them.

joylikes2shop

I seem to have spent the whole day on the phone, but have very little to tell.
I’m going to list my ‘findings’ below. Please forgive me if I’m telling you stuff that you already know, but I was surprised and interested in some of the following information, and perhaps someone else reading this might be too.

At the time of posting this I've had no reply yet from the MoneySavingExpert team.

Although I know that the PMS is not covered by the F.S.C.S (financial services compensation scheme) I did contact them to see if they could suggest any alternative scheme that might offer some other protection,or to see if they has any other suggestions of positive steps we could take to safeguard investments , but interestingly enough all the people I spoke with had never even heard of the PMS. This made me realize just how isolated and ‘out on a limb’ we are in Northern Ireland.

It was the same story at the ‘Mutuals’ department of the F.S.A (financial services authority)

I spoke to a journalist at the Newsletter to find out the newspapers view on the petition/coupon idea.

As can be seen by all the reports in the paper to date, it is evident that the Newsletter is very sympathetic toward the investors of the PMS, however that sympathy does not extend to publishing - and the collation of information from- a petition.
Also it would be unlikely that any report would include information about a petition. Alternatively, it would publish a petition but,at its normal advertising rates. (At a rough guess the cost for a quarter page advert would be over £100 and probably closer to £200)

Another valuable point that I hadn’t thought too much about was that for a petition to serve a purpose it needs to have a clear request… Using Goodbyepci’s wording would certainly state a very clear request !!:T

An alternative to a petition could be a ‘survey’ (perhaps seen as less aggressive’ than a petition) This would need to state who was conducting it and could give people the opportunity to indicate whether they feel the PCI should step in and underwrite any potential shortfall. :rolleyes:


I spoke to someone at the PMS office in Belfast this afternoon. She said that the Administrators report is due next Monday (12th Jan 2009) – I don’t know whether it’s to arrive with investors by then, or if it’ll just be being posted out next Monday…(Sorry !!)

My personal feeling at the moment is that until we see the administrators report and suggestions next week all we can do is sit back and wait.:eek:

I’m back to work tomorrow so won’t be making any more calls to anyone else re:PMS so if anyone else reading this has time to ring around scavenging for information, fire ahead.

In the meantime I trust and hope your lungs are still the right way round Goodbyepci.I apologise for my concern about the use of the word 'demand' and for worrying about 'getting peoples backs up'....I'm one of those people who worries a lot about not trying to annoy people. :A

goodbyepci

Opinion item in yesterday's Newsletter by David Ford

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/OPINION-Can-PMS-members-now.4839874.jp