crap solicitors

ClaudiaC_3

I was wondering if anybody else had to deal with very slow solicitors who confuse things, lose cheques then decide to only tell you 3 weeks after thus delaying things unncessarily, and if they know what rights we have to complain and to whom. :mad:

Also, do Solicitor Firms have some special laws that forbid them to use email or telephone instead of snailmail for every single communication, even in this day and age???
And instead of having to forward cheques, wouldn't they be better off accepting credit cards or direct bank transfers?

If anyone was offered the same cheaper than normal solicitors based in Leicestershire from Hips4You, would they please let me know what sort of experience they had?

Many thanks
C

Catti

Claudia,

When you first instruct Solicitors, they have to send you a 'client care' letter setting out al sorts of things, including who to complain to. You should have had a very long letter setting out these items at the outset.

As a Solicitor, I find it amazing how few firms still don't use email effectively! Just persevere with using email and ask them to correspond with you in that medium.

Credit cards remain a problem for many of us - even if we did accept them we could realistically only do so for receiving payments for bills and disbursements, and not for client payments such as deposits etc. But I am surprised you can't do a bank transfer - we actively encourage clients to pay money in that fashion - it is so much easier than waiting for cheques to clear. I am sure if you asked, they would agree to this.

Hope that helps a bit!

ClaudiaC_3

Many thanks for this, it is very reassuring to see some solicitors are "on the ball"
:T

Can you believe that I haven't even been supplied with an email address and I shall ask for one now.
I asked about bank transfers and they said no, I could pay by credit card but at another office and they haven't yet supplied me with the details.
I have just offered to do so as it really is delaying things (I am 150% sure the cheque I sent 3 weeks ago was in the envelope as I had to wrap the letter around it so it wouldn't show outside as I was using a rather thin white envelope). They said, in a letter today returning my credit card and maestro card after keeping it hostage for 3 weeks :eek: (and only after I asked 2 days ago saying I needed them), that they have received the letters but no cheques were in.
They are wrong - they've lost the cheques. Not only, why wait 3 weeks to tell me????
I want to proceed with the deal swiftly and I am being very organised, and very careful, filing everything, all letters etc both electronically (my copies) and in a folder.
I simply wouldn't NOT include the cheques. I only have to deal with them.
They probably deal with dozens of customers, receive dozens of correspondence every day and because they only answer the letters 3 weeks later, it makes more likely that they have lost my cheques.
I can overlook one of them, but 2?:mad:

I have also noticed that a cheque for one of the amounts was cashed in, so the secretary said she was going to check and ring me back to let me know - I want to pay by credit card now or I'll have to wait another 3 weeks.
It's been over 1 hour and she still hasn't rung back. What's new. They have never returned any of my calls. I am sitting here waiting instead of being out shopping.

Thanks for pointing me to the original contract letter, I'll go and check and take it from there.

Would I need to complain now or after it's all gone through? I am always weary of complaining as they may take a dislike to the person and then make things more awkward for us?

Cheers
Claudia

Catti

You need to make it clear now that you are not satisfied - hopefully that may make them up their service level. If a cheque you sent has been cashed, ask to speak to the accounts department and for them to verify this.

silvercar

If anyone was offered the same cheaper than normal solicitors

You get what you pay for.

ClaudiaC_3

silvercar wrote: »

You get what you pay for.

yes that's exactly what I thought ...
although ... I think they had a deal going at the time I did the HIP, and it was an offer to be taken there and then with a deposit or their normal price is probably same as the rest.

I think maybe they get a lot of people this way so they are very busy?
Or the people who pay less are pushed atthe bottom of the list hence it takes 3 weeks to let them know that they have lost their cheques.

It says if I have any complaints to write to the senior solicitor, which I think I will do. Mybe he'll take on the case and deal with me in a more professional manner.

ClaudiaC_3

Catti wrote: »

You need to make it clear now that you are not satisfied - hopefully that may make them up their service level. If a cheque you sent has been cashed, ask to speak to the accounts department and for them to verify this.

Thanks Catti
I am about to write a letter to their senior solicitor now detailing teh reason for my dissatisfaction.

Many thanks for your help today

Claudia

G_M

You can get round the problem of poor quality/slow service by solicitors by doing the conveyancing yourself. Cheaper :beer:, more thorough :T, and you can respond same-day to the other side :j.


Of course you may find yourself dealing with solicitors on the other side and there's nothing you can do about that.:eek:

Catti

ClaudiaC wrote: »

Thanks Catti
I am about to write a letter to their senior solicitor now detailing teh reason for my dissatisfaction.

Many thanks for your help today

Claudia

Sadly I think you will find that the senior partner is the one you are dealing with - you have another pm!!

babaganoosh

I would keep in contact weekly to check how things are going. It soon gets them moving.

We phoned ours after 2 weeks to check up on things and nothing had progressed. He said he was waiting for building regs etc from sellers, which was the same thing we were told two weeks prior. Turns out the next day he had them already in the file. He soon got to work checking it all so just waiting for the report to be sent to us and then hopefully we can get that contract exchanged.

Jonbvn

Our solicitors were rubbish when we bought 3 years ago. When the sent us our final statement of account they first sent one for somebody elses purchase. They then conveniently forgot that we had paid a 10% deposit at exchange.

You learn by your mistakes, and I will use a another firm next time.