use of claims management companies

dunstonh

I appreciate that they are not necessarily flavour of the month but it does seem inherently unfair that an ambulance chaser can make up all sorts of lies with impunity whilst a totally innocent broker gets charged £500 (in addition to the cost of their own time) just to be told that they have no case to answer (which they already knew).

I know I have mentioned this before but a relatively new mortgage adviser I know was almost in tears earlier in the year after getting his first complaint about PPI mis-selling. It came via a claims company and used a template (similar to those on the web for free) and listed a whole load of fake reasons why it was mis-sold as well as accusations of what they adviser had said or had not said. Yet the mortgage adviser hadn't arranged any PPI for the person. The mortgage adviser got charged £500 for doing nothing wrong. Being new, he was only a low earner and he was panicking that it wouldnt take many of these fake complaints to wipe out his earnings.

the_insider

dunstonh wrote: »

I know I have mentioned this before but a relatively new mortgage adviser I know was almost in tears earlier in the year after getting his first complaint about PPI mis-selling. It came via a claims company and used a template (similar to those on the web for free) and listed a whole load of fake reasons why it was mis-sold as well as accusations of what they adviser had said or had not said. Yet the mortgage adviser hadn't arranged any PPI for the person. The mortgage adviser got charged £500 for doing nothing wrong. Being new, he was only a low earner and he was panicking that it wouldnt take many of these fake complaints to wipe out his earnings.

The FOS should have given him a chance to answer the complaint before they charged him a fee, if there was no PPI sold then the complaint would not be considered by FOS.

dunstonh

The FOS should have given him a chance to answer the complaint before they charged him a fee, if there was no PPI sold then the complaint would not be considered by FOS.

Apparently, as the FOS had allocated a case worker the £500 was charged even though in the end they didnt look at it.

the_insider

I think he should challenge that. And also, I seem to remember hearing at one point back in my induction at the bank that FOS don't charge for the first 3 complaints from each company each year anyway. Your original post seemed to imply that this was the first complaint that had gone to FOS.

OP, sorry for hijacking the thread!! You seem to have been given some advice and have not come back with the information that was asked for.

dunstonh

I think he should challenge that. And also, I seem to remember hearing at one point back in my induction at the bank that FOS don't charge for the first 3 complaints from each company each year anyway. Your original post seemed to imply that this was the first complaint that had gone to FOS.

With IFA networks, it is the network that gets the count. Not the individual IFA firms that use network services. I said he should fight it too. However, being new, I don't think it had the strength of will that us longer established individuals would have.

magpiecottage

In view of case study 94/2 in Ombudsman News, I think a complaint to the network that or FOS might succeed.

randalbell50

I replied truly to a complaints website :

I worked at lifestyle claims for 6 months– both of stuart mac & chris work there- stuart is not very bright & his brother works there also– he is a defo staff member– they are totally as a company a legalised rip off– i was on inbound & out bound sales and took lots of calls in my last few weeks to those who cancelled and cldnt get their money back– they were deferred to a number which no-one answered- they sack a member of staff or so every week to try & appease ministry of justice as if they have controls and get some money back for some as a ‘flag-story’ to show ministry of Justice– I was warned a week after I left to not tell anyone what they do– I have myself received calls from Lifestyle claims who change their name every few months due to web forums and true reports. many forums do just attract moaners- but this company really does rip off most people and many lies are told– I will report this further to M O J- after getting their calls again today it is time they were stopped

randalbell50

to see website look at 'keepsafeonthenet'

magpiecottage

It would be better if you reported this to the Police or Crimestoppers as it is clearly organised fraud.