Anyone had experience of a company/solicitor doing the work of reclaiming? (merged)

System

Majestic wrote: »

Thanks for that Mish.

You say it hasn't been to difficult, I was just wondering how long this type of thing takes? Y'know from actually making a claim to the bank paying up.

Just for my curiousity!

Also, anyone with infomation on using 'professional' help would be very welcome...

Majestic

P.S - I hope you get those nice shoes Mish!

Hi Majestic

I personally would never enlist a third party to reclaim charges. Typlically these people take 25% of your money, so if you were claiming £4000 they'd get £1000 for what is essentially a few hours work.

Do it yourself and get back every penny you're entitled to.

Regards
UNDERGROUND

elaineg_3

Hi, I applied through Robertson holbrook for reclaiming bank charges with First Direct. I did so on 20th December. Since then I have had no response from the company other than to sya that they have asked my bank for my charges to be outlined. every time I phone their lines are constantly busy and they don't reply to my e-mails. Am I committed to this company having signed over authority or am I able to jump ship and apply myslef directly?
Elaine

Twinkly

mishmash wrote: »

I work long hours but this has really not been too difficult.

I personally would not let anyone else get their grubby hands on my money, when I can have it all to myself.

I plan to pay off my debts, and am currently dreaming about a pair of Jimmy Choos Curtesy of Fat West, but I don't think there will be enough left over.

Oh well I can dream.

Mish x

Maybe some Jimmy Choos courtesy of Ebay then

dmdevlin

i think it makes sence for people who cant pay there court fees..

justlaugh2

I too stupidly enlisted the help of one of these so-called professionals.
Started all this at the beginning of February ( before Id visited or even knew of this site ) Whenever I call them to see how things are going they treat me is if I am being impatient and told I should wait for them to contact me as soon as they have any news.

As far as i know ( and i have called my bank to check on this) they havent even recieved the bank statements yet.
I have gone back to Feb 2002 on online banking and my claim would be around £4500. So if i were to D.I.Y I could go straight to the bank without having to wait for the statements.

Now that I have found this site I would much rather do it myself but is there any way i could get out of my agreement with them?

Part of the agreement states that if i go on to claim it without them they are still entitled to 25% of anything I get.

Can anyone help with an answer? THANK YOU:mad:

Bossyboots

I have had a look at the Robertson Holbrook site. I am a bit pushed for time today but I have looked as carefully as I can.

At this point in time, I cannot see anything, anywhere that states you cannot get out of instructing them. I couldn't find a set of terms and conditions, just a term of instruction.

From what I have read, it looks to me as though you simply have to notify the banks and/or the court that this firm are no longer instructed and you have revoked their authority to act.

However, I find it hard to believe it can be that simple and I can't see why they have put nothing in that states you have to repay to them any court fees incurred if you cease to use their services. If anyone has received any other terms and conditions in writing, then it would help if they took the time to post up any cancellation clauses that are not obvious on the website. My own feeling is that there may be something in writing sent to the client that makes the instruction binding although on the flip side, you would be quite entitled to disinstruct a solicitor from acting for you so I can't see why these people are any different.

Anyone with any info from any paperwork sent to them, please post it up as it certainly is not clear on a reccy through the website.


justlaugh 2 - It sounds like you are tied in to the company you are using. Can you name them. This is the sort of clause I was expecting to find on the website of RH as they are not going to do the leg work for you for nothing. I think it would be considered entirely reasonable to take a fee of some sort for work carried out until you disinstruct them. What percentage of the fee do they take if you let them carry on doing the work and recovering the charges?


One step for all those not happy using the services of a third party is to keep tabs on what is being done. If, for example, justlaugh2 finds out no work has been done then they could look at whether the company have failed to act and may be able to withdraw without penalty. This is a very precise issue though and you need to word correspondence carefully to make it clear that they are being disinstructed for their breach of contract in failing to carry out your instructions. You would need to be certain that a breach exists. No breach would exist for example if they have requested the statements but not received them. A breach might exist if they have failed to chase up the statements after the passing of the statutory time period in which they should have been supplied.

If these companies do their job well and people don't have the time or are frightened to do things themselves, then they can be a good thing. However, it is vital to check what you are signing up to and think about what your position will be if they don't come up to scratch before getting involved with them.

I may not be back on now until tomorrow but will try to have another good look at the site if no-one has no other info.

justlaugh2

Thanks for looking into this.

I cannot find my copy of the contigency fee agreement that i signed. But i will get a copy of it from my friend who also recieved one ( she decided that she didnt want to go with them , and i have been sending the template letters from this site on her behalf).
I shall post it on here tomorrow although i dont think i am allowed to post the name of the company ( have seen on previous posts in this thread that they have been deleted)

I would really like to get out of the agreement with them as they dont seem to be getting anywhere, or at least they are not keeping me informed of any progress.

Thanks for your help.

tunesurfer

I too decided to use one of the companies to do the work after reading on the website that they would compress the interest ect to help towards their fees. I rang them the other day after 6 weeks to see how they are getting on and they said they are still waiting for the statements and will contact me as soon as they get them to tell me the figures. Will post again if I hear anything (ps it was one of the ones martin pointed to in a mailshot).

Edinburghlass_2

justlaugh2 wrote: »

Thanks for looking into this.

I cannot find my copy of the contigency fee agreement that i signed. But i will get a copy of it from my friend who also recieved one ( she decided that she didnt want to go with them , and i have been sending the template letters from this site on her behalf).
I shall post it on here tomorrow although i dont think i am allowed to post the name of the company ( have seen on previous posts in this thread that they have been deleted)

I would really like to get out of the agreement with them as they dont seem to be getting anywhere, or at least they are not keeping me informed of any progress.

Thanks for your help.

Naming a company is difficult as there is always the chance that the person naming the company could also be the owner of said company as has happened or in the case of Greasy Palm there is an affiliate link attached to their recommendation which is not allowed on this board. Plus as I have said earlier on in the the thread MSE doesn't wish to give the more "fly by night" type companies any free publicity.

Martin names three in the article, not as a recommendation but simply that they will do the claim for you. If the company you have gone with is one of the companies mentioned in the article thats fine but if its not can you please pm Bossyboots or myself with the name of the company.

Should anyone be pm'd by anyone offering to process their claim for them for a fee, please do report this to abuse.

justlaugh2

Here is the agreement I signed with XXXX XXXXX

The agreement is legally Binding contract between
myself
and
XXXXX XXXXX LTD
What is covered by the agreement?
Lloydstsb account
Paying us.
If you obtain financial compensation, you are liable to pay a success fee.
If you do not obtain compensation you are not liable to pay anything.
If you end the agreement before your claim is concluded and you go on to obtain compensation, you are liable to pay a success fee.
In some circumstances your bank, building society or credit card company may offer to settle your complaint by way of paying any refund into your account of offsetting it against existing debt.In this event, we will endeavour to secure a refund in the form of a cheque.
If however you or the bank insist on accepting an alternative to cash redress, you will be liable to pay our success fee of 25% of the award together with the legal expenses indemnity premium.
Success Fee
This is 25% of the compensation or refund obtained.
Our Responsibilities
We must
Always act in your best interests in pursuing your claim and obtaining for you the best possible result
Give you as much relevant information as possible to assist you in deciding about whether to accept any offer of compensation.
Your Responsibilities
You must:
Inform us before or immediately on entering into this agreement if you have already complained to the retailer, the policy provider, the financial services authority and/or the financial ombudsman service and provide us with as much information and correspondece as you have in your possession concerning the outcome of each complaint.
not give information to your insurance provider direct,either in correspondece,by telephone,fax,email or otherwise as this could prejudice your claim and our ability to succeed in your claim and/or reduce the amount of compensation which we recover for you.
give us instructions that allow us to do our work properly and fully.
Not ask us to work in any improper or unreasonable way
Not deliberatly mislead us
Co-operate with us when asked.
What happens if you obtain compensation?
You are liable to pay our success fee plus the legal expenses indemnity
You agree that we must recieve the compensation. Out of this money you agree to let us take the success fee plus the leagal expenses indemnity referred to above. you take the rest. If your bank, building socioty or credit card company refuses to accept your instruction and pays you directly, you must inform us immediately and pay our agreed fees.
What happens if you lose?
If we are not successful in obtaining compensation on your behalf, you do not have to pay any of the success fee.
What happens when the agreement ends before the case itself ends?
Paying US if you end the agreement.
You can end the agreement at any time. We then have the right to decide whether you must.
Pay a fee not exceding £500 together with the legal expenses indemnity premium when we ask for it.
Pay the success fee plus the legal expences indemnity premium if you go on to obtain redress.
Paying us if WE end the agreement
a. We can end the agreement if you do not keep to you responsibilities above. We the have the right to decide whether you must:

• null
• null
• null
• null
• Pay a fee not exceeding £500 together with the Legal expenses Indemnity premium when we ask for it.
• Pay the success fee plus legal expenses indemnity premium if you go on to win the case
• We can end the agreement if we believe you are unlikely to obtain compensation. but you disagree with us. if this happens, you do not have to pay anything.
• we can end the agreement if you reject our opinin about accepting a settlement. you must then::
• Pay a fee not exceeding £500 together with legal expenses indemnity premium when we ask for it or
• pay the success fee plus the legal expenses indemnity premium if you go on to win the case.
  What happens after the agreement ends?
  After the agreement ends we will apply to have our name removed from the record as acting on your behalf.
  We have the right to preserve our lien unless another representative working for you undertakes to pay us what we are owed, including a success fee if you win
  
  SIGNITURES
  
  I cant believe i was stupid enough to sign this , but i did.
  Can anyone see a way out of this agreement, Id love to hear it.
  THANKS