www.pensionless.co.uk

chuckie

Hello,

I am Malcolm Perkins who is behind the https://www.pensionless.co.uk website.
I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read the site, your valid comments and words of support. I had no idea this conversation was going on.

First of all I would like to say that I was brought up to be an honest man and I have been so all of my life. My business was struggling, I answered an advertisement from Privilige Connections and they showed me a letter from the Inland Revenue which I have a copy of, saying that they were an approved pension scheme.

I am positive that the only document Allied Dunbar received, was the 1 and only form that I signed, which asked them to transfer the £3,000 policy to Privilege. They are calling this the validated instructions.

I never signed anything which appointed Privilege as my agent. A member of Dunbar's staff then took it upon himself to phone Privilege and offer them the £94,000 policy without my knowledge, permission and signature.

I have received great support from so many people, including 3 different people as TPAS, but unfortunately a member of staff at the Pension Ombusman was the only one not on my side. He decided that the case was time-barred and so it never reached the Ombusman.

I have contacted Watchdog and the media by e-mail but have yet had no response.

Opas have established that the man behind Privilege Connections died in Spain in 2005, virtually penniless.

The Police did investigate him in approximately 2001, but the case was not followed up.

I hope this answers some of the questions posed.

Best Wishes
Malcolm.

dunstonh

I am Malcolm Perkins who is behind the www.pensionless.co.uk website.
I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read the site, your valid comments and words of support. I had no idea this conversation was going on.

Thanks for popping on here and joining in.

First I would like to say that its clear that we all feel extremely sorry for you and what has happened. You wouldnt wish that on anyone.

It is a subject that is providing good discussion. Not that it is of any benefit to you from a monetary point of view I'm afraid.

I am positive that the only document Allied Dunbar received, was the 1 and only form that I signed, which asked them to transfer the £3,000 policy to Privilege. They are calling this the validated instructions.

Are you sure about that. A transfer/discharge form doesnt normally contain any authority other than permission to talk to each other. Zurich appear to be making out that there is a further authority to act document. Have they supplied a copy? If they cannot, the general view on this things is if isnt documented, it didnt happen.

A member of Dunbar's staff then took it upon himself to phone Privilege and offer them the £94,000 policy without my knowledge, permission and signature.

IF Privilege were recorded as an agent authorised to act, that would be allowed. And this seems to be the very point that Zurich are highlighting as the reason for refusing your complaint.

I have received great support from so many people, including 3 different people as TPAS, but unfortunately a member of staff at the Pension Ombusman was the only one not on my side. He decided that the case was time-barred and so it never reached the Ombusman.

What about the Financial Services Ombudsman? After Zurich deadlocked your complaint, you could have taken it to the FOS. You havent mentioned the FOS anywhere.

The FOS do rely on providers supplying proof on their actions and where no proof of something occuring can be supplied, they usually support the person complaining. I would have placed the FOS as the main avenue to get a fair response to your issues.

EdInvestor

Was this an occupational pension scheme such as an EPP? If so, the relevant regulator would possibly be the old OPRA, and now the new Pensions regulator, which has said they will help, rather than the FOS, which deals with personal pensions.

The comment on the other BB about the trustee angle would also be worth further inspection: were Zurich acting as trustees for your scheme? If not, and this was an occupational scheme, who were the trustees?

chuckie

Hello everybody again. Thank you very much to dunstonh and EdInvestor for their replies since my last posting. Thank you very much dunstonh for your words of welcome and sympathy.

To try and answer some of the points raised.
I am as sure as I can be that the only piece of paper Zurich have received, is the one which asks them to transfer the £3,000. The have never shown any evidence or mentioned any other. I have certainly signed nothing else.
This is the first one on the website which shows that somebody at Allied Dunbar phoned Privilege Connections and they confirmed transferring the £94,000.

The pension scheme was a private one which I entered into when I was self employed. It was sold to me by Allied Dunbar's agent and invested with them.

I contacted the Financial Ombudsman Service on the 19th of October 2004
and they passed it onto OPAS. They said it fell within their jurisdiction.

I feel that Zurich are hiding behind the fact that they believe there is nothing more I can do legally against them. I am positive as I can be that they never have had anything appointing Privilege Connections as an agent, just the one piece of paper asking them to transfer the £3,000 to their pension scheme.

I am a reasonable man and if I had signed the £94,000 over and they had phoned Privilege and said he also has a £3,000 policy, I could live with that.
To a layman like me it beggars belief that have done what they did and say to me, we did nothing wrong.

I feel it is similar to me giving somebody a cheque for £3,000 and when he goes to cash it ,the cashier saying, "He's got another £94,000, do you want that as well?"

The bottle of red wine is calling.
Good Night.
Best Wishes
Malcolm.