Help please! Abbey Life, claims management companies, Living Insurance, claims.

mrbrownbear

Hi all,

I would really appreciate any help on the below please.

Yesterday, rather out of the blue, my father received a call from a family friend. I understand that the family friend previously brokered/arranged some insurance policy for my father with Abbey Life. This was way back in the 1980's, and my father can only recall that it was something to do with "Living Insurance". He recalls that he stopped the payments because the premiums were costly. He does not know if he has any of the policy documents still stored.

The family friend told my father that the money was laying about still and ought to be reclaimed. He naturally knew of a claims company who could deal with this and would only take 20% of the payout. He assured my father that a letter would come out to him and that he should read it, sign it and send it back. I told him to give me a copy of the letter for my review.

A letter did indeed arrive in the post today. It was from Abbey Life, who enclosed a copy of their letter to "Life Policy Reclaim Limited". That letter listed my father's living insurance policy number and stated that the complaint was being upheld. It further stated a settlement figure for my father's complaint. So this was actually the letter at the end of the claim process - it included a form for my father to sign, in acceptance of full and final settlement of his complaint and claim. The sum is over £12,000 !

Essentially, neither my father nor I know what the "complaint" being upheld is, or upon what basis it was made. I do not know if this is meant to be misselling or what else.

What is clear is however is that:

1. My father has never instructed "Life Policy Reclaim Limited" to act on his behalf.
2. "Life Policy Reclaim Limited" have been in correspondence for an unknown length of time on behalf of my father.
3. "Life Policy Reclaim Limited" have access to much of my father's policy documents with Abbey Life.
4. The supposed "family friend" likely has an interest in "Life Policy Reclaim Limited" and will stand to benefit financially from the settlement. He is likely looking for ways to make numerous quick bucks.

This is typically scandalous behaviour from claims management companies, purporting to act on behalf of my father and it is highly shambolic behaviour from the family friend.

I have told my father to make some enquiries with the family friend and find out what the complaint actually is. I am tempted to tell him to ask Abbey Life for copies of all correspondence to and from Life Policy Reclaim Limited too.

I previously worked as a litigation lawyer, so I am quite well versed with letters of claim and the litigation process. PPI and missold insurance claims was not my practice. I am confident that I could actually progress this "complaint", whatever it is, on behalf of my father. However, without little details at all, I cannot do anything.

I absolutely want to avoid 20% of this potential settlement going to this slimy claims management company and the equally dubious family friend.

Has anyone had any similar experiences? How did you go about this and what was the outcome? How would I get all the exact information what this complaint is and what information I would need to deal with this? Is it worth contacting the FSA and outlining this situation to them?

Thank you for reading this lengthy post. I would be extremely grateful for any assistance, feedback and pointers please.

Yours,

Mr Brown Bear.

UsernameAlreadyExists

I used to work for Abbey Life in the late 80s. They were as dodgy as fluck at the time. I'd personally doubt this family friend's motives and would strongly suspect he'd be the recipient of the 20%, if only indirectly, and perhaps a lesser percentage after commission/finders fee/whatever.

Use the Abbey Life contact details on the letter and make your own enquiries. Sign nothing, and get the whole lot back for your father!

mrbrownbear

Thanks for that prompt reply. I'll make direct enquiries with Abbey Life. I too suspect he will be the eventual recipient of the 20% or less and I'd love to see what a companies house or companies account search shows!

[Deleted User]

mrbrownbear wrote: »

I too suspect he will be the eventual recipient of the 20% or less and I'd love to see what a companies house or companies account search shows!

Not much of a "family friend" by the sound of it.:eek:

UsernameAlreadyExists

I've read your post again, properly, and in full this time. sorry ... I'd only skim read before, and now I feel I've said nothing more than you actually already know/suspect yourself.

The only thing I'd not agree with is getting your father to contact the family friend over what the complaint is. I suspect he'd be fed a load of plausible bullsh1t. I think you're 100% right to be as suspicious as hell. My personal experiences with AL were short-lived and eye-opening, and I'd have a massive amount of distrust of any other previous employee. Sorry!

mrbrownbear

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Not much of a "family friend" by the sound of it.:eek:

not much at all! I did take to using inverted commas at one point to highlight that :rotfl:

mrbrownbear

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

I've read your post again, properly, and in full this time. sorry ... I'd only skim read before, and now I feel I've said nothing more than you actually already know/suspect yourself.

The only thing I'd not agree with is getting your father to contact the family friend over what the complaint is. I suspect he'd be fed a load of plausible bullsh1t. I think you're 100% right to be as suspicious as hell. My personal experiences with AL were short-lived and eye-opening, and I'd have a massive amount of distrust of any other previous employee. Sorry!

no problems :-)
yes, I think its perhaps wiser for my father not to do so. I'd sooner be in control of this one myself, rather than a shady connection and a claims management company. I might just tell my father to politely fob off the shady family friend, or tell him he is not interested. I can imagine that the shady family friend may not want to give up his potential cut so easily!

magpiecottage

I have had the misfortune to encounter Life Policy Reclaim Limited.

They are a particularly pernicious company. Amongst other things, I have seen complaints to FOS with forged signatures on them.

Please report the matter to consumer@claimsregulation.org.uk

-taff

Get your father to contact Abbey Life and let them know he instructed no-one to act for him.

dunstonh

Yesterday, rather out of the blue, my father received a call from a family friend. I understand that the family friend previously brokered/arranged some insurance policy for my father with Abbey Life. This was way back in the 1980's, and my father can only recall that it was something to do with "Living Insurance". He recalls that he stopped the payments because the premiums were costly. He does not know if he has any of the policy documents still stored.

I think I have come across that policy type before. From memory I believe it is critical illness cover.

Essentially, neither my father nor I know what the "complaint" being upheld is, or upon what basis it was made. I do not know if this is meant to be misselling or what else.

When a complaint is upheld, they dont need to tell you why. Chances are it wasnt actually mis-sold as upheld complaints on this type of product are rare. I suspect the documentation cannot be found and it leaves holes. Paper files up until the mid 90s were treated as low priority. Complaints were rare and files never needed looking at again and gathered dust. So, they were treated badly. Often farmed out to warehouses were they would manage to be moved into wrong places and effectively lost.

Also, quite a lot of the claims companies send in a template letter containing lies. I have seen such template letters at meetings designed to help us to protect ourselves. The lies are outrageous but it is very common for claims companies to use them. Getting hold of a copy of the letter sent in to see what it said would be a good idea as if it contains lies, then the claims company effectively committed fraud in your fathers name.

Is it worth contacting the FSA and outlining this situation to them?

The FSA does not regulate claims companies. It is a stupid anomaly. Firms that set these products up have to be regulated by the FSA and the staff involved qualified and authorised. The claims companies require no qualifications and are not regulated by the FSA. Yet they can put in complaints of wrong doing despite not knowing the product or requirements. I had one cold calling claims company tell me that I could put in a complaint on a policy I set up myself as an IFA. She didnt even know what an IFA was and couldnt understand why I would have to pay myself if I decided to uphold the complaint against myself. The ministry of justice is the regulator for claims companies but they are so light touch that its not worth it on individual cases. However, the MoJ do act on volume. So, as long as others complain as well and the numbers build up, the MoK will then take a look.

magpiecottage

dunstonh wrote: »

I suspect the documentation cannot be found and it leaves holes. Paper files up until the mid 90s were treated as low priority. Complaints were rare and files never needed looking at again and gathered dust. So, they were treated badly. Often farmed out to warehouses were they would manage to be moved into wrong places and effectively lost.

In my experience, Life Policy Reclaim specialises in pursuing complaints where it knows a defence is unlikely to be possible.

Also, quite a lot of the claims companies send in a template letter containing lies.

That is also familiar to me.

In one case it was shown that Life Policy Reclaim's assertions could not be true so they simply substituted a different one.

Getting hold of a copy of the letter sent in to see what it said would be a good idea as if it contains lies, then the claims company effectively committed fraud in your fathers name.

I have a copy of a FOS form submitted by Life Policy Reclaim where it turned out that the signatures of the complainants were forged.

However, the MoJ do act on volume. So, as long as others complain as well and the numbers build up, the MoK will then take a look.

Absolutely.

In addition, later this year claims companies will come under the jurisdiction of the Legal Ombudsman. That could hit them in the bank balance!