Is this really Pearl's policy ?

mr.mandrake

Paul_Herring wrote:

No I didn't.

Yes you did. Listen Paul, if you have nothing of any value to add to this discussion - other than incorrect guesses - just resist the temptation to hit the 'reply button'.

jem16

mr.mandrake wrote:

May be, could be, might be.

Why would Pearl tell us it was sending a claim form, if such a form doesn't exist?

Because someone answered the phone who doesn't know any better.

On what are you basing your certainty that sending my late father's 'bloody certificate' will "put an end to it"? To whom do you suggest we send the 'bloody certificate'?

You managed to contact them by phone. So either ask them for an address or use the website to get an address.

When my late husband died I had to deal with pension companies, insurance companies etc. All wanted proof of the death certificate before proceeding. Once sent everything moved quickly.

The last advice we received from Pearl was to send nothing until we had received a "claim form".

And nothing has happened - so make it happen and send them the death certificate.

Paul_Herring

mr.mandrake wrote:

Yes you did.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Pearl do not have a copy of the death certificate? Therefore my statement was correct.

You have been told by quite a few people now to send it in. You have also been told by others that there may not be a claim form to send you.

Why are you not sending in the certificate, and instead still posting here about it?

Listen Paul, if you have nothing of any value to add to this discussion - other than incorrect guesses - just resist the temptation to hit the 'reply button'.

If you don't like the replies you're getting, it's not our fault.

mr.mandrake

jem16 wrote:

Because someone answered the phone who doesn't know any better.

Are you telling me that you know that there is no claim form needed for any of my late father's three pension policies? How do you know this, can you also advise as to whether Pearl made monthly payments to my father in arrears or in advance?

When my late husband died I had to deal with pension companies, insurance companies etc. All wanted proof of the death certificate before proceeding. Once sent everything moved quickly.

Did your late husband have pension policies with Pearl, did his pension company require a death certificate before they ceased making monthly payments. Did the company demand the return of payments already made prior to your late husband's death. Did the company lie to you?

I'm sure Pearl will be in contact with us as soon as someone reviews my late father's policies. There has to be a note on his file...

EdInvestor

mr.mandrake wrote:

I'm sure Pearl will be in contact with us as soon as someone reviews my late father's policies. There has to be a note on his file...

I imagine so if they have reinstated the payments.They must realise their behaviour could easily be viewed as pretty offensive by a bereaved family, not to mention incorrect in procedural terms.

dunstonh

Are you telling me that you know that there is no claim form needed for any of my late father's three pension policies? How do you know this, can you also advise as to whether Pearl made monthly payments to my father in arrears or in advance?

I can tell you for a fact that some of Pearl's plans do not require claims forms. I can also tell you that most of the pensions were set up to pay in advance as that was the default option. Arrears was possible but it had to be requested. I have 4 ex Pearl staff working with me and I am very experienced in dealing with Pearl with the hundreds of clients and millions of pounds we have moved out of Pearl over the last 3 years.

I dont know how many times its been said already but Pearls telephone call centre is mostly manned by short contract staff of low ability and knowledge. What you get told at first level isnt always what happens when it gets to the correct department. They may have said they will send you a form thinking they were saying the right thing. However, if the policy is of the type that just requires notification through death certificate (because no lump sum is payable, then a claim form may not be required.

You are making this difficult for yourself.

mr.mandrake

Paul_Herring wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong but Pearl do not have a copy of the death certificate? Therefore my statement was correct.

Your statement was simplistic... in order for it to be correct it needed to take into account that Pearl was not in possession of a death certificate through no fault other than its own.

I don't know how many times you need to be told that it was Pearl who advised we send nothing until we had received a claim form.

You have been told by quite a few people now to send it in. You have also been told by others that there may not be a claim form to send you.

Thanks for all your advice... why is it so different than the advise we have received from Pearl?

Why are you not sending in the certificate, and instead still posting here about it?

I'm sharing my experience with anyone who cares to read it. You may never find yourself in a similar situation with the company... but then you aren't everyone.

If you don't like the replies you're getting, it's not our fault.

"our fault"? Are you speaking on behalf of a committee?

Pearl (although it doesn't appear to be conscious of it yet) will find itself in a situation entirely of its own making. It will find itself having to reclaim money that it regards as having incorrectly paid out.

It is fortunate that we did not do as Pearl demanded we do, that is to say; if we had returned any money we would now find ourselves in the somewhat more usual situation of private individuals attempting to recoup funds from a less than obliging faceless pension company.

We did all that was required when we informed Pearl of my late father's death, I was somewhat surprised that Pearl would stop making pension payments on the 'strength' of what the company itself appears to regard as an anonymous phone call. I was more than surprised when the company demanded that money be returned before it had issued a statement of account. I feel Pearl was attempting to place itself in a situation it was far more used to being in - that which private individuals would be chasing it for money and not vise-versa.

Nothing in Pearl's conduct to-date leads me to believe that the company would be bending over in an attempt to resolve a situation where it had incorrectly demanded money and we had been trusting enough to pay it. I suspect that had that been the case I would now be writing to this forum with a far more common complaint asking for advise, exasperated by Pearl's faceless impersonal system.

When Pearl eventually wake-up to this situation it will find us far more accommodating than we have found it... at the very least we are open and honest, something Pearl has shown itself incapable of being on more than one occasion.

Sorry you feel your committee's advice is falling on deaf ears. Pearl is not my family's customer and we are not obliged to do anything to help it with its own shoddy, incompetent, disingenuous and outright dishonest business practices.

I may continue to add to this thread as and when Pearl's conduct dictates. If it is of no interest to you, past offering advice that we should somehow assistance Pearl in its difficulties, please feel free to skip right past it.

Sorry to be so blunt.

dunstonh

why is it so different than the advise we have received from Pearl?

Pearl do not give advice. They made all their advisers redundant nearly 4 years ago. Had you gone to an adviser (which means IFA in the case of Pearl), then this would have been sorted a long time ago. You chose to deal direct with Pearl who at this stage have no authority to deal with you as they havent received the death certificate.

When Pearl eventually wake-up to this situation it will find us far more accommodating than we have found it...

You have been anything but accomodating.

Pearl (although it doesn't appear to be conscious of it yet) will find itself in a situation entirely of its own making. It will find itself having to reclaim money that it regards as having incorrectly paid out.

Are you trying to commit fraud? Is this money really coming to you and you are not able to pay it back?

Either that are you are just trying to be difficult for no reason other than to be difficult and taking pleasure in doing so.

mr.mandrake

EdInvestor wrote:

I imagine so if they have reinstated the payments.They must realise their behaviour could easily be viewed as pretty offensive by a bereaved family, not to mention incorrect in procedural terms.

Indeed.

I really can't envisage an explanation that would leave Pearl looking anything other than unprofessional at best or outright dishonest at worst.

Until such time as Pearl has provided us with the terms of my late father's policies I must assume that the company is fully cognisant of its actions. I intend to do nothing until Pearl either contacts us directly or discontinues making deposits. The money will remain untouched (the Principal), not least because it is being deposited into a 60 day account in my late father's name alone.

It is unfortunate that we can not find the original documents relating to the monthly policies, but we did come across some correspondence between my late father and Pearl - relating to a relatively small paid-up pension which matured some years ago. It appears that Pearl were 7 days late in releasing the funds...

mr.mandrake

dunstonh wrote:

Pearl do not give advice. They made all their advisers redundant nearly 4 years ago. Had you gone to an adviser (which means IFA in the case of Pearl), then this would have been sorted a long time ago. You chose to deal direct with Pearl who at this stage have no authority to deal with you as they havent received the death certificate.

Poor Pearl.

You have been anything but accomodating.

Don't tell me, you are an IFA.

Are you trying to commit fraud? Is this money really coming to you and you are not able to pay it back?

You need to read the thread. If anyone has attempted to act fraudulently it is Pearl. I certainly don't send demanding letters insisting that the recipient pay me money to which I have no legal claim - Pearl did just that.

Either that are you are just trying to be difficult for no reason other than to be difficult and taking pleasure in doing so.

This is almost exactly my interpretation of Pearl's behaviour.