Warning - do not use wolstenholmes solicitors

Horrified_Solicitor

papermoney wrote: »

It's been a while since i've been on here and only by chance I found this thread. I used WH in July 2009. My parents were buying my house and we were using the same solicitor. It was a nightmare. It has since come to light that they requested the deposit and money from my parents mortgage on the 17th August and said we had completed. I find out from my mortgage company that they did not receive the money (to pay the house off) until the 9th September. I have no idea where the money was in the meantime.

If it was anywhere other than in the firm's client account, I'd like to see strikings off and prosecutions.

monsterchick

I thought I'd share this info with you all, although it's probably not of much use...it's a bit of info I have concerning what was left of Wolstenholmes.

Firstly, there was an office in manchester city centre, there were no solicitors there as it was basically a call centre full of tele-sales staff...did you ever wonder why most of the "get a quote" pages on the Wolstenholmes websites required you to enter your phone number? Yep so that the sales staff (who called themselves "legal assistants" despite the fact that a lot of them didn't have any type of legal background!) could ring you and persuade you to instrust them.

Some time ago I heard a rumour that this sales team were still in operation under a new name, but were working on behalf of other law firms. My problem with this is the very likely possibility that the very same non-solicitors who ran Wolstenholmes into the ground are running this call centre and making money by selling customer data or worse they've gone and bought up some new law firms!

I didn't post this info earlier because I didn't really have anything conclusive to show a link between this new call centre and the old owners...but today I came across a press release written on behalf of the firm MacIntyre Clark LLP, the press release was posted by a Vicky Grech who I know for a fact worked for Wolstenholmes (or rather the non-solicitors who took over) as she's posted press releases Wolstenholmes in the past, and even posted a few fake positive reviews of Wolstenholmes on this very forum! (username VickyG if you want to check)
I can't post links due to my low post count but have a look on prfire.co.uk and search for Wolstenholmes and Macintyre Clark to see examples of her work!

MacIntyre Clark LLP may be completely legitimate in all their dealings, and they don't even do conveyancing, but there's still that link to Wolstenholmes...their website even boasts that they have offices in "London, Birmingham and Manchester" despite the law society only listing one office in London, does that remind you of anything?!

Conrad

Trying to offer a comprehensive detailed and consumer need driven business and at the same time running on a cheap model is always going to have conflict at it's heart. It might work for happymeals, but for legal advice it's worth paying a proper rate so the solicitors have the time to work each case.

Catwoman8950

Some of you whose files are still missing might be interested in the following:

I visited my estate agent in Heald Green today and has the opportunity to peer through Wolstenholmes windows. Through the side door I could see a plastic bag on one of the desks which looked like it contained files. I also saw a file on the floor directly behind the glass door with an address of 15 "Barrington" (not quite sure) Road in black felt tip pen. If anyone on this forum recognises this, please send me a PM, or better still get in touch with DWF.

John1000000

monsterchick wrote: »

I thought I'd share this info with you all, although it's probably not of much use...it's a bit of info I have concerning what was left of Wolstenholmes.

Firstly, there was an office in manchester city centre, there were no solicitors there as it was basically a call centre full of tele-sales staff...did you ever wonder why most of the "get a quote" pages on the Wolstenholmes websites required you to enter your phone number? Yep so that the sales staff (who called themselves "legal assistants" despite the fact that a lot of them didn't have any type of legal background!) could ring you and persuade you to instrust them.

Some time ago I heard a rumour that this sales team were still in operation under a new name, but were working on behalf of other law firms. My problem with this is the very likely possibility that the very same non-solicitors who ran Wolstenholmes into the ground are running this call centre and making money by selling customer data or worse they've gone and bought up some new law firms!

I didn't post this info earlier because I didn't really have anything conclusive to show a link between this new call centre and the old owners...but today I came across a press release written on behalf of the firm MacIntyre Clark LLP, the press release was posted by a Vicky Grech who I know for a fact worked for Wolstenholmes (or rather the non-solicitors who took over) as she's posted press releases Wolstenholmes in the past, and even posted a few fake positive reviews of Wolstenholmes on this very forum! (username VickyG if you want to check)
I can't post links due to my low post count but have a look on prfire.co.uk and search for Wolstenholmes and Macintyre Clark to see examples of her work!

MacIntyre Clark LLP may be completely legitimate in all their dealings, and they don't even do conveyancing, but there's still that link to Wolstenholmes...their website even boasts that they have offices in "London, Birmingham and Manchester" despite the law society only listing one office in London, does that remind you of anything?!

I think Vicky Grech was the "right hand man" to Wasim Saddique who was the brains behind the whole operation. I hear that he is trying to do exactly the same thing all over again with another law firm.

anotherproblem

Conrad wrote: »

Trying to offer a comprehensive detailed and consumer need driven business and at the same time running on a cheap model is always going to have conflict at it's heart. It might work for happymeals, but for legal advice it's worth paying a proper rate so the solicitors have the time to work each case.

:mad: Why oh Why do people keep ramming this down our throats and anyway it seems to me that it doesn't matter what you pay it's difficult to get a good solicitor. I can assure you that my experience is you can pay over the top and still get the same poor service :mad: I wish people would stick to supporting those who are going through such a traumatic time - and if you have nothing constructive to say then don't say anything at all :mad:

anotherproblem

Catwoman8950 wrote: »

Some of you whose files are still missing might be interested in the following:

I visited my estate agent in Heald Green today and has the opportunity to peer through Wolstenholmes windows. Through the side door I could see a plastic bag on one of the desks which looked like it contained files. I also saw a file on the floor directly behind the glass door with an address of 15 "Barrington" (not quite sure) Road in black felt tip pen. If anyone on this forum recognises this, please send me a PM, or better still get in touch with DWF.

Hi - Thanks for that info. I just phoned DWF and told them and they said that all the files were removed at the intervention. However they will check it out ASAP to see if they have been left there since. Perhaps at a different point some one close by will have another look and see if they are still there.

Horrified_Solicitor

monsterchick wrote: »

Some time ago I heard a rumour that this sales team were still in operation under a new name, but were working on behalf of other law firms. My problem with this is the very likely possibility that the very same non-solicitors who ran Wolstenholmes into the ground are running this call centre and making money by selling customer data or worse they've gone and bought up some new law firms!

?!

This is very interesting, and I'm certainly surprised that anyone who has worked for Wolstenholmes has managed to get a job doing anything other than flipping burgers. The legal profession tends to be very wary of those who have worked for firms where dishonesty is suspected on a grand scale, for the reason that even if the employee is not himself dishonest, he will have been used to poor work and dodgy practices.

However, from what has happened at WH, it is possible to work out how a churn and burn scam can be worked using a solicitors firm. It needs the following ingredients:

1. Some very dishonest people to back it all. Preferably non solicitors so they are off the radar and can quietly disappear once it all blows up.

2. Plenty of money to get it running.

3. Internet and marketing expertise to expand it very rapidly.

4. A firm of solicitors as the front. This needs to have the following characteristics:

(a) Easily bought - a two man High Street conveyancing practice with partners who want to retire would be ideal as it would be cheap and usually have a good insurance and disciplinary history. You need to get the existing management out and your people in.

(b) Apparent respectability so you can act for lots of lenders before they realise what's going on.

(c) Some naive/dishonest solicitors to front it. They're going to be carrying the can, so it's important to find someone young and greedy who can be conned into thinking that the kind backers are going to make him rich. Ideally, they need to be rushing around doing lots of work and not looking into how the kind backers are running the business side.

My hope is that the SRA have worked this out for themselves and are keeping watch on activities.

mjmal51

Horrified_Solicitor wrote: »

My hope is that the SRA have worked this out for themselves and are keeping watch on activities.

I do hope so! Also I wonder who watches the watchers, as it really does seem that the SRA were incredibly slow on the uptake for WH, having received numerous warning signs.
The "Tesco Law?" you have mentioned before which will enable even more devious manipulation of funds should be looked at again by those in authority in the aftermath of this case.

Betty123

Horrified_Solicitor wrote: »

This is very interesting, and I'm certainly surprised that anyone who has worked for Wolstenholmes has managed to get a job doing anything other than flipping burgers. The legal profession tends to be very wary of those who have worked for firms where dishonesty is suspected on a grand scale, for the reason that even if the employee is not himself dishonest, he will have been used to poor work and dodgy practices.


Understand your above point, but please do not tarnish everyone who has worked there. I in fact worked there and reported many things to SRA which they did nothing about (I left a long time ago). There were alot of good staff there who left when the 2 non solicitors took over (although they will not admit that they were in charge and fooled the SRA on a visit) because they did not want to be associated with the bad practice.