Challenging a bill from a PPI claim company

allipilates

Hi after some advice, re paying a PPI claim company.

My mother who is registered blind was contacted by a PPI claim company who looked into a claim for her. Neither myself or my brother knew of this or that she had anything to claim but she somehow went ahead with this company. The claim was refused by the bank so she thought that was the end of it.

She has now just received a letter from the bank some time later that her claim has now been upheld and she is entitled to £4700, great we thought but she has now received a bill from original claim company for £1500.

I have no idea how she could have signed a contract with them in the first place and whether to get angry that they were taking advantage of a vulnerable adult. As far as I can see they did their work and failed, if we'd known we would have done it for her.

Can they demand this bill be paid, or should I challenge it

thanks allison

[Deleted User]

If her complaint has been upheld as a result of the claims company posting it for her, then they will be due their fee.

[Deleted User]

allipilates wrote: »

they were taking advantage of a vulnerable adult.

In what way is your Mother a "vulnerable adult"? Being registered blind does not prevent her from employing a Claims Company I'm afraid. You'd really only have a case for arguing this if she had some kind of mental impairment.

As to the fee, if the Bank declined the complaint but then changed their mind somehow then I can't see how you'll wriggle out of paying the Claim Company. Only if the Claim Company wrote closing the case would you have any leeway. How long exactly after the initial rejection was the complaint upheld? Did the Claim Company accept the rejection?

allipilates wrote: »

As far as I can see they did their work and failed

All they did was post the complaint on your Mother's behalf which is all they were employed to do. Since the complaint was ultimately successful, they clearly didn't fail.

I think you'll have to pay.

However, Claim Companies are now regulated, so you could make a complaint to the company and you'd then have access to the Ombudsman if said complaint failed. But I wouldn't reference your Mother being a "vulnerable adult" unless she has been diagnosed as such. Be aware you don't appear to have much of a case.

allipilates

thanks for all your prompt replies will do the right thing. I just wanted to explain that my main reason for using the term vulnerable is that I worry she is talked into things, she has no way of reviewing "the small print", if she is given a contract to sign then it should be in an accessible format. And whilst we try our best to keep up on things its not always possible to monitor who calls her or turns up on the doorstep.

[Deleted User]

allipilates wrote: »

my main reason for using the term vulnerable is that I worry she is talked into things she has no way of reviewing "the small print", if she is given a contract to sign then it should be in an accessible format

That's not the same as a "vulnerable adult" which is a medical term referring to an adult person who lacks the ability to function cognitively or to adequately undertake basic day-to-day functions without assistance. As I said, you should be careful not to casually make such references unless they are accurate.

Note that, if the Claim Company did not supply a contract in an accessible format, she could have requested it.

ska_lover

It is standard practise, I believe.

These companies, I think they act on a 'no win no fee' basis, and they know what they are doing, they don't waste (much) time on cases they don't think will win........it is like those personal injury lawyers - you don't pay up front

It seems completely above board, to me. They have done the donkey work and need paying - it's how they operate

Your mum is still 'up' by £3k.

societys_child

They have done the donkey work

Was the donkey needed to carry the envelope containing the OPs complaint to the post box . .