Fast Track Reclaim - Scam Alert - July 2020 !!!

FA2020

Re: Fast Track Reclaim - Scam Alert - July 2020 !!!
The following is a personal opinion:
In my opinion this is a highly sophisticated online scam involving: Unfair Contracts and Unfair, Unclear and Misleading financial adverts/promotions/information, etc (in breach of FCA guidelines).
Which has potentially made Fast Track Reclaim and associated companies millions of pounds in profit (often at the expense of many vulnerable e.g. elderly, etc, victims).

First the banks (etc) hoodwinked/scammed customers out of their money, now the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is allowing some rogue / bullying Case Management Companies (CMCs) e.g. Fast Track Reclaim and associated companies to do the same thing. This is an absolutely disgraceful situation that should not be allowed to happen.

This company (in my opinion), used unfair, unclear and misleading financial adverts/promotions/information, etc / unfair contracts etc (in breach of FCA guidelines) e.g. 'a free no obligation PPI check' which would never really be free, if the hoodwinked customer actually had any PPI (and did not cancel in time - see below - the unfair, 14-day cancellation period) !!

Please see the FCA website for further information, as I was unable to post any links in this thread. 

Misleading financial promotions / adverts.

Unfair contracts

i)             The promotion creates an unrealistic expectation of the product. That is: it is not a free no obligation PPI Check at all, if the customer has PPI (and doesn't cancel in time).

ii)            Important information only appears in the small print.

iii)           It is not clearly explained what you need to pay or how much you will end up paying.

iv)           The promotion suggests the product is ‘guaranteed’ but does not make it clear how this ‘guarantee’ is provided.

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Please see: Fast Track Reclaim - how it works.
04/07/2020

"How It Works

PPI Claims - 100% Online - We Just Need The Name!

Our FREE PPI Check service is the quickest & easiest online - GUARANTEED!

All we need is the name of your bank to discover if you've ever paid PPI on all your loans, credit cards and mortgages - even if you don't have them anymore

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Get A Free PPI Check

Click on the 'Check Now' button and tick every loan, credit card & mortgage you've ever had from the list of lenders displayed.

Step 2: Provide Your Contact Details - Both Past & Present

Provide your current and previous addresses so that the bank can locate all your present and historic agreements to find out if you have ever paid PPI. It is important to include all previous addresses so that PPI can be discovered from those old agreements which may be the most valuable in terms of a refund.

Step 3: Sign The Letter(s) Of Authority Online

Your authority is required to start the Free PPI Check process and to allow our partner law firm, Fast Track Solicitors, to claim back your PPI if it is identified and your case qualifies . Without your signature we are unable to check your PPI. It is important that your signature matches the one held with the bank otherwise your PPI agreements will not be found. Please take time ensuring the signature matches.

Step 4: Agree To Our Terms & Conditions

The final step is agreeing to the terms of Fast Track Solicitors. The PPI Check is a no obligation, free check. We will provide the results of the Free PPI check by email free of charge. However once PPI is identified, your case will be referred to Fast Track Solicitors who will qualify and claim back your PPI on a strictly NO Win NO Fee* basis

Step 5: Your PPI refund is paid

If your complaint is upheld then a payout will be made directly by Joseph James (LS) trading as Fast Track Solicitors

If you think you may have taken out PPI or simply unsure, we can check EVERY credit card and loan you’ve EVER had to find out if you are due a PPI refund – Just the name of the bank will do!"

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This means that any hoodwinked customers that signed up only for a free no obligation PPI check, actually never had any intention to create legal relations and form an agreement which is enforceable by law for any 'paid for service' at that time, i.e. they only signed up for a free no obligation PPI check, nothing else.

The 14-day cancellation period (hidden in the small print) is an unfair contract term, because most hoodwinked customers would legitimately believe that a free no obligation PPI Check may take much longer than this i.e. much longer than 14-days to complete (e.g. it could take several months to complete, due to the huge number of PPI claims, etc). Therefore, the customer would legitimately be waiting for the results of their free no obligation PPI check to be given to them, before deciding if they wanted to proceed with any 'paid for service'. They would be very unlikely to bother cancelling what they thought was a free no obligation PPI Check (signed up for via a very quick (circa) 5 mins online form).

Authority/instructions to proceed with any 'paid for service' should have been obtained in writing by the CMC (Fast Track Reclaim, etc) after the results of the free no obligation PPI Check were given to the customer, not before (via hoodwinking customers into signing up via a quick online form (circa 5 mins to complete) which promised customers a free no obligation PPI Check). This is obviously very unfair, unclear and misleading and an unfair contract term, etc.

In my opinion this is a highly sophisticated online scam. Which has potentially made Fast Track Reclaim and associated companies millions of pounds in profit (often at the expense of many vulnerable e.g. elderly, etc, victims).

Please see all the negative reviews about this company on trust pilot, google reviews, moneycheats, etc.
Please see moneycheats - fast track reclaim another authorised CMC with poor customer reviews.
Please see who called me for: 01642 309 320 (Fast Track Reclaims number) and see user reviews.

"The overall rating for phone number 01642309320 is Harassing."

Please report all problems with this company and associated companies if appropriate to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and if appropriate to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), for investigation, as soon as possible !!!!

Hope this helps any victims who have been mislead/hoodwinked/scammed by this rogue / bullying company and any associated companies !!

FA2020

To claim something is free and with no obligation when it clearly is not (simply to hoodwink customers into signing up for a paid for service) is totally unfair, unclear and misleading and an unfair contract term in my opinion. 

It should also be noted that customers could claim back their PPI for free, so to be hoodwinked into paying circa 24% (which could equate to thousands of pounds) after completing a circa 5 min online form claiming to be a free no obligation PPI check is obviously a massive scam, in my opinion. 

From the FCA website:

Spot a misleading financial promotion

Financial promotions can be unfair, unclear or misleading for many reasons.

Here are some questions to help you spot and avoid the misleading ones.

·         What are the risks to my money and are they clear?

·         How long do I have to commit for?

·         Does the promotion make it clear who you are dealing with and who will be providing the product or service?

·         Are there any penalties if I want to move my money?

·         Does the promotion create an unrealistic expectation of the product?

·         Is there important information that only appears in the small print?

·         Is the promotion balanced (are both the benefits and negatives explained)?

·         Is it explained to you clearly what you need to pay or how much you will end up paying?

·         Does the promotion suggest the FCA has approved or endorsed the product? We do not approve financial promotions and the firms statement regarding their regulation should be factual only (for example, ‘Authorised and Regulated by the FCA’).

·         Does the promotion suggest the product is ‘secured’, ‘guaranteed’ or ‘protected’ in any way? If so, does it make it clear how this security/guarantee/protection is provided?

How to spot an unfair contract term

A contract term can be unfair for many reasons, such as where it:

·         allows the firm to change the terms of the contract, without telling you as soon as possible or explaining why it has

·         binds you to hidden terms

·         excludes or limits your legal rights unfairly

·         charges a disproportionately large sum if you do not fulfil your obligations under the contract

A contract term can be unclear for many reasons, such as where it:

·         could be read in more than one way and the contract does not make it clear how the term is meant to be interpreted

·         does not use clear or prominent wording to describe the product or service being supplied under the contract

·         does not use clear or prominent wording to let you know the cost of the product or service

However, a term is not necessarily unfair or unclear because it looks like one of these; it depends on the details of the contract as a whole.

Also: "Step 5: Your PPI refund is paid

If your complaint is upheld then a payout will be made directly by Joseph James (LS) trading as Fast Track Solicitors"

Fast Track solicitors are chasing people for money sent directly to customers. So the above statement is totally false in many circumstances. 

 

 

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My personal opinion:
It maybe, that this kind of scam is very widespread within the PPI Claims Management Company (CMC) Community. Which makes the situation much worse than I initially envisaged, as many more people (victims) are being hoodwinked / scammed by a rogue / bullying CMC.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should act now and stop this type of scam immediately. 
Rogue / bullying CMCs are making millions of pounds in profit by this scam.
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From the FCA website (with links info, etc, removed):

Enforcement

First published: 

 

22/04/2016

 Last updated: 24/04/2019

Our Enforcement division supports our objectives by making it clear there are real and meaningful consequences for firms and individuals who don’t follow the rules.

The action we take is wide-ranging – not just court action. It can occur at any stage of an individual’s or firm’s regulatory journey, and also where they are unauthorised. Credible deterrence is central to our enforcement work.

Our Enforcement division works closely with the FCA’s Authorisation, Supervision, and Strategy and Competition divisions, as well as other regulators and law enforcement. This means we can identify and act early when enforcement action is necessary.  

Our enforcement powers

We use a wide range of enforcement powers – criminal, civil and regulatory – to protect consumers and to take action against firms and individuals that do not meet our standards.

We can take action such as:

·         withdrawing a firm's authorisation

·         prohibiting individuals from carrying on regulated activities

·         suspending firms and individuals from undertaking regulated activities

·         issuing fines against firms and individuals who breach our rules or commit market abuse

·         issuing fines against firms breaching competition laws

·         making a public announcement when we begin disciplinary action and publishing details of warning, decision and final notices

·         applying to the courts for injunctions, restitution orders, winding-up and other insolvency orders

·         bringing criminal prosecutions to tackle financial crime, such as insider dealing, unauthorised business and false claims to be FCA authorised

·         issuing warnings and alerts about unauthorised firms and individuals and requesting that web hosts deactivate associated websites

 

Enforcement notices

We publish enforcement notices to inform the public, maximise the deterrent effect of enforcement action and ensure our decisions are transparent.

We also publish certain information about enforcement action once a statutory notice is issued.

 

Fines

We must pay the Exchequer all financial penalties received, apart from certain enforcement costs incurred in generating these penalties in the same year. We use these retained penalties to reduce our fees, apart from the fees levied on the penalty payer itself.

 

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This scam may be something for Trading Standards to investigate and stop, under Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading regulations.

"The Unfair Trading Regulations impose a general prohibition on traders in all sectors from engaging in unfair commercial practices with consumers. Specifically, the Regulations protect consumers from unfair or misleading trading practices and ban misleading omissions and aggressive sales tactics. It follows from this that there is a duty to trade fairly and honestly with consumers. In the main, the Regulations apply to “business to consumer” practices. Amendments to the Unfair Trading Regulations came into force on 1 October 2014, giving consumers new rights of redress if they have been the victim of misleading actions or aggressive selling."
"The following practices fall foul of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.

·         Dodgy discounts   Products advertised as 'on offer' for longer than they were sold at their full price, or increasing in price when they’re on multi-buy offer.

·         Bait advertising  Luring the consumer with attractive advertising around special prices when the trader knows that he cannot offer that product, or only has a few in stock at that price.

·         Bait and switch  Promoting one product with the intention of selling you something else  

·         Limited offers   Falsely stating that a product will only be available for a very limited time, or that it will only be available on particular terms for a very limited time, in order to elicit an immediate decision and deprive consumers of sufficient opportunity or time to make an informed choice.

·         False free offers  Describing a product as free or without charge if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding to the offer and collecting or paying for delivery of the item."

 

 

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Consumer Rights Act 2015:

Unfair contract terms

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act make it easier to challenge hidden fees and charges.

Unfair terms

Some examples of terms that may be unfair under the Consumer Rights Act include:

·         fees and charges hidden in the small print

·         something that tries to limit your legal rights

·         disproportionate default charges

·         excessive early termination charges.

 

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Misrepresentation Act 1967.
The Misrepresentation Act exists to protect consumers from false or fraudulent claims that induce you into buying something or entering into a contract. It also allows you to claim damages.

What is a misrepresentation?

A misrepresentation is an untrue or false statement of law or fact made by one party, which induces the other party to enter into an agreement or contract.

Contracts, of one sort or another, form the basis of most commercial transactions. Parties to contracts will usually make representations to the other in the course of negotiations. However, if those representations are false or misleading, and have the effect of enticing the other party to enter the contract, this is known as misrepresentation.

 

FA2020

Company information from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) website:

Quickly Finance Limited

(Reference number: 836013)

Companies House Number This is a unique number given to a UK company or limited liability partnership

06304563

Status	Name	Effective From
Registered	Quickly Finance Limited	01/04/2019
Trading	Fast Track	01/04/2019
Trading	Fast Track Reclaim	01/04/2019

Principal place of business

Address:

Fast Track House
Pearson Way
Thornaby
Stockton-on-Tees
Durham
TS17 6PT
UNITED KINGDOM

Company information from the Fast Track Reclaim website: 
Fast Track Reclaim is a trading name of Quickly Finance Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN: 836013. 

Fast Track Solicitors is a trading name of Joseph James Law.

Companies House information: 

QUICKLY FINANCE LIMITED

06304563 - Incorporated on 6 July 2007

Fasttrack House Pearson Way, Thornaby, Stockton-On-Tees, Cleveland, England, TS17 6PT

FA2020

If you believe that you have been scammed by a rogue / bullying CMC and any associated company, you can if appropriate report the matter to:
1) Financial Conduct Authority (FCA);
2) Trading Standards;
3) Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA);
4) Action Fraud; 
5) Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) - Consumer protection, etc;
6) Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) - GDPR issues, etc.
Please see their individual websites for more information about how to complain.

Browntoa

Sorry , too much text to read.

List interest halfway through the first post 

But it is a "free check" 

The claims process attracted a fee . 

Was widely advertised at the time 

Browntoa

And a spam repost of your identical thread here

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6165104/fast-track-reclaim-scam-alert-july-2020#latest

Where you have posted the identical information and already had replies. 

Please keep to one thread

[Deleted User]

OP, nobody cares about your little pet project.

Hasbeen

Browntoa said:

And a spam repost of your identical thread here

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6165104/fast-track-reclaim-scam-alert-july-2020#latest

Where you have posted the identical information and already had replies. 

Please keep to one thread

Op has had that one deleted. Too many people reporting I would guess? So this one next? If OP had asked for advice re problem, then fine. But to repost pages of spam garbage, not so good.  So au revoir at the moment.  

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I'll get the popcorn, my bank provides it free! I only have to pay them £500 a month!