How to cancel a diesel emissions claim

Mythic_beast10

I hope this is in the right place as I am new to the forum?
Two days ago I was coerced into signing up with a company to represent me in a claim against Mercedes Benz over the diesel Emissions scandal. I have no information as to who the company is or how to get in touch with them as the only information I was sent was a link to somewhere called "diesel-emissions-check.center". Another reference could be to a company called "Emissions.co.uk" or "Emissions Cheat Claim".

I have sent an email to the "Info" of the company asking them to cancel my contract which is within the 14 day cancellation window and am hoping that they will honor my request.

Does anybody have any idea how I should proceed further if that fails?

Aylesbury_Duck

Mythic_beast10 said:

I hope this is in the right place as I am new to the forum?
Two days ago I was coerced into signing up with a company to represent me in a claim against Mercedes Benz over the diesel Emissions scandal. I have no information as to who the company is or how to get in touch with them as the only information I was sent was a link to somewhere called "diesel-emissions-check.center". Another reference could be to a company called "Emissions.co.uk" or "Emissions Cheat Claim".

I have sent an email to the "Info" of the company asking them to cancel my contract which is within the 14 day cancellation window and am hoping that they will honor my request.

Does anybody have any idea how I should proceed further if that fails?

How were you coerced?  That's important because it may change your right of cancellation.

You refer to "the 14 day cancellation window", yet have no idea who the company is or their terms and conditions, so how do you know there's a cancellation window?  Who sent you the link?

I doubt anyone can provide any advice, since you don't even know who you signed up with!

Alderbank

As above ^

I think it is unlikely that firing a random email to 'Info' is a valid cancellation. That email address might not even be monitored.
There is usually a process you have to follow to cancel. Often you have to phone and speak to them, not email. This is so that they can try to talk you round.

DullGreyGuy

Presumably this was done under a conditional funding agreement and so you can expect to have a bill for the services rendered for setting up your file etc... lawyers aren't cheap!

Graemealloyd

Mythic_beast10 said:

I hope this is in the right place as I am new to the forum?
Two days ago I was coerced into signing up with a company to represent me in a claim against Mercedes Benz over the diesel Emissions scandal. I have no information as to who the company is or how to get in touch with them as the only information I was sent was a link to somewhere called "diesel-emissions-check.center". Another reference could be to a company called "Emissions.co.uk" or "Emissions Cheat Claim".

I have sent an email to the "Info" of the company asking them to cancel my contract which is within the 14 day cancellation window and am hoping that they will honor my request.

Does anybody have any idea how I should proceed further if that fails?

Hi, did you actually sign an agreement with a solicitors which included the name of the firm and details of the the no win, no fee agreement? Did you provide any information on the vehicle and ownership?

Chances are it was an intermediary who will then pair you with a firm of solicitors, who they strike a deal with for your claim. You might not actually be signed up to a law firm yet.

The window for Mercedes is closing in February, with most firms only taking claims on until the end of this month as they then have to file these with the court after checking the clients haven't signed up with other firms.

* I work for a Bingham Long Solicitors, who are running the Mercedes claim, but I'm not legally trained.

Mythic_beast10

Thank you for your comments and helpful advice.
I tried to give a fuller account of what had happened but I am told I cannot post anything as i have not been long on the forum!

Pollycat

Mythic_beast10 said:

Thank you for your comments and helpful advice.
I tried to give a fuller account of what had happened but I am told I cannot post anything as i have not been long on the forum!

Were you trying to post links?

You should be able to post normal text.

Maybe you could start with answering the questions you've been asked...

ArbitraryRandom

Yes, if you want to post links or pictures you need to have been a bit more active (to try and weed out people who create accounts to spam or AI chat bots). 

But if you could take some time to explain how you were 'coerced' (who by and what medium), and what you think you actually agreed to/what information you have given (inc any payment or personal information) then we maybe able to help. 

Mythic_beast10

Once again my thanks for the quick replies to my last comment.

Yes, I believe I did have a link in my reply so will try to explain exactly what happened once more!
Some months ago back in 2023 I replied to a post on social media (I forget now which one it was) asking if I had bought a diesel car between 2002 and 2020 and would like to find out if I had a claim against the car company for the emissions scandal and which I replied giving my vehicle details as requested.

I had heard nothing from the company until 9th January this year with a phone call asking if I would like to proceed with a claim. I said I was not really interested at that time but the person I spoke to was extremely insistent that I should proceed as I could get as much as £10,000 in compensation! I tried to say no but eventually agreed and was sent a text massage with a link to a company I could not really decipher as it said the "diesel emissions check center" and which since I have had difficulty in finding! this link asked me to sign in that link so that they could proceed with the claim.
It was after doing that, that I became even more suspicious and tried to stop the claim but have failed to do so.
I am sure you will say why did I sign (a squiggle in the box!!) and maybe you are correct at my age (80+) I should have been more wary!

I then received a further text message from "Emissions Cheat Claim" saying they had completed their emissions report on my Vito and that they were confident that they had enough evidence to accuse Mercedes Benz of installing a defeat device, however that was where the message ended, hence the reason i wanted to stop the claim.

I have not given any other details than my address and phone number, (which anyone could obtain on the internet) and so I am hoping that I will still be able to cancel the claim if and when I receive any further information from them.

What worried me was that an article I read in one of Martin Lewis' emails, stated that if any compensation I might be due was not all that much, there might be further legal costs even though it was stated it was a no win no fee contract.

My apologies for the lengthy comment, I hope you now understand the position I am in.

sheramber

Mythic_beast10 said:

Once again my thanks for the quick replies to my last comment.

Yes, I believe I did have a link in my reply so will try to explain exactly what happened once more!
Some months ago back in 2023 I replied to a post on social media (I forget now which one it was) asking if I had bought a diesel car between 2002 and 2020 and would like to find out if I had a claim against the car company for the emissions scandal and which I replied giving my vehicle details as requested.

I had heard nothing from the company until 9th January this year with a phone call asking if I would like to proceed with a claim. I said I was not really interested at that time but the person I spoke to was extremely insistent that I should proceed as I could get as much as £10,000 in compensation! I tried to say no but eventually agreed and was sent a text massage with a link to a company I could not really decipher as it said the "diesel emissions check center" and which since I have had difficulty in finding! this link asked me to sign in that link so that they could proceed with the claim.
It was after doing that, that I became even more suspicious and tried to stop the claim but have failed to do so.
I am sure you will say why did I sign (a squiggle in the box!!) and maybe you are correct at my age (80+) I should have been more wary!

I then received a further text message from "Emissions Cheat Claim" saying they had completed their emissions report on my Vito and that they were confident that they had enough evidence to accuse Mercedes Benz of installing a defeat device, however that was where the message ended, hence the reason i wanted to stop the claim.

I have not given any other details than my address and phone number, (which anyone could obtain on the internet) and so I am hoping that I will still be able to cancel the claim if and when I receive any further information from them.

What worried me was that an article I read in one of Martin Lewis' emails, stated that if any compensation I might be due was not all that much, there might be further legal costs even though it was stated it was a no win no fee contract.

My apologies for the lengthy comment, I hope you now understand the position I am in.

Despite claims of possible £10,000 payouts the VW payouts  amounted to no more than £2000- many less- after the solicitors took their cut.

ArbitraryRandom

Mythic_beast10 said:

Once again my thanks for the quick replies to my last comment.

Yes, I believe I did have a link in my reply so will try to explain exactly what happened once more!
Some months ago back in 2023 I replied to a post on social media (I forget now which one it was) asking if I had bought a diesel car between 2002 and 2020 and would like to find out if I had a claim against the car company for the emissions scandal and which I replied giving my vehicle details as requested.

I had heard nothing from the company until 9th January this year with a phone call asking if I would like to proceed with a claim. I said I was not really interested at that time but the person I spoke to was extremely insistent that I should proceed as I could get as much as £10,000 in compensation! I tried to say no but eventually agreed and was sent a text massage with a link to a company I could not really decipher as it said the "diesel emissions check center" and which since I have had difficulty in finding! this link asked me to sign in that link so that they could proceed with the claim.
It was after doing that, that I became even more suspicious and tried to stop the claim but have failed to do so.
I am sure you will say why did I sign (a squiggle in the box!!) and maybe you are correct at my age (80+) I should have been more wary!

I then received a further text message from "Emissions Cheat Claim" saying they had completed their emissions report on my Vito and that they were confident that they had enough evidence to accuse Mercedes Benz of installing a defeat device, however that was where the message ended, hence the reason i wanted to stop the claim.

I have not given any other details than my address and phone number, (which anyone could obtain on the internet) and so I am hoping that I will still be able to cancel the claim if and when I receive any further information from them.

What worried me was that an article I read in one of Martin Lewis' emails, stated that if any compensation I might be due was not all that much, there might be further legal costs even though it was stated it was a no win no fee contract.

My apologies for the lengthy comment, I hope you now understand the position I am in.

@the_lunatic_is_in_my_head has a much better grasp of these things than I do, but as it was a service sold via phone, I believe they were required to provide you with specific information (including their contract details and your right to cancel) at the time you signed the contract.

This information had to be provided in a durable medium (which is to say in a text message or email, not following a link in a text or email). As they've not done this, I think if they try to get you to pay for anything further then you can simply refuse.

 The thing that's just occurring to me might be that they won't actually come back to you... they may have needed your permission to start a claim on your behalf, but now they have your details/signature they may claim the compensation and keep it for themselves?

 I don't know if that's possible - I have no idea how these things actually work in practice - but it feels plausible given what you've said.