Is it possible for a trade union mis-sell their membership?

angelcakes_smw

One of the promoted member benefits of a particular trade union is that of personal injury cover, also extending to the member’s family.

However, it has recently come to light that the union does not actually provide this cover for members living in a particular location, despite this not being clearly, or even unclearly stated anywhere on their website or in any correspondence with members. 

In addition to this, members living in this area are still charge the full membership price and do not receive a discount for reduced cover.

There is a significant number of members who have gone up to 25 plus years without knowing this information, paying full price and thinking that they are covered for any injury that may have occurred. 

My other concern is that the union branch officers were unaware of this until it was raised by a member when they tried to make a claim and were told that they couldn’t. So, what else isn’t actually covered despite being told it is?

Would this classify as mis-selling of a union membership? Could this be reported to someone? If so, who?

MorningcoffeeIV

Anything can be mis sold.

If you feel the information isn't clear, you would make a complaint to the union. 

It's not uncommon for there to be restrictions on availability, and you wouldn't necessarily expect a reduced cost.  But the information should be made available.

Savvy_Sue

The union would argue (IMO correctly) that the main benefits of membership relate to employment support - in salary and benefit negotiations, when something goes wrong, and encouraging employers to do the right thing.

The rest - insurance, car purchases, prepaid debit cards - is icing on the cake. I never mentioned these when suggesting colleagues should consider joining.

Is the excluded location a very wide one? An easily limited one? Similar to exclusions on free delivery on online sales? 

I agree it should have been made clear that the limitation existed. I'd be surprised if it wasn't there in the t&c, but noone looked for it. Was it ever presented as a major reason to join?

SiliconChip

I'm going to take a guess that the excluded area is Northern Ireland, perhaps for historic reasons that might well no longer really apply but the rules haven't been updated. I can't see a reason for any other part of the UK to be excluded from such cover.

eddddy

If you were led to believe by the union (before you bought membership) that membership would include personal injury cover for you and your family,...

• ...AND then you or your family then suffered a personal injury, and you failed to get the promised pay-out...

• ...then you could have basis for making a claim for your losses against the union for misrepresentation

But since nobody in your family has had a personal injury, you haven't suffered a loss, so I'm not sure you have anything to claim for.

Marcon

angelcakes_smw said:

My other concern is that the union branch officers were unaware of this until it was raised by a member when they tried to make a claim and were told that they couldn’t. So, what else isn’t actually covered despite being told it is?

Would this classify as mis-selling of a union membership? Could this be reported to someone? If so, who?

Reporting it to the union so they can clarify the information on their website and in communications with members would seem the obvious route.

The only people who might conceivably have a claim against the union would be those who have suffered a personal injury which appears to come within the terms of the union's offering. Nobody else has any sort of claim for mis-selling or otherwise - they can always cancel their union membership if they don't want the other benefits such membership offers.

nicechap

angelcakes_smw said:

One of the promoted member benefits of a particular trade union is that of personal injury cover, also extending to the member’s family.

However, it has recently come to light that the union does not actually provide this cover for members living in a particular location, despite this not being clearly, or even unclearly stated anywhere on their website or in any correspondence with members. 

In addition to this, members living in this area are still charge the full membership price and do not receive a discount for reduced cover.

There is a significant number of members who have gone up to 25 plus years without knowing this information, paying full price and thinking that they are covered for any injury that may have occurred. 

My other concern is that the union branch officers were unaware of this until it was raised by a member when they tried to make a claim and were told that they couldn’t. So, what else isn’t actually covered despite being told it is?

Would this classify as mis-selling of a union membership? Could this be reported to someone? If so, who?

Which trade union is this? Link to their T&Cs please.

eddddy

nicechap said:

Which trade union is this? Link to their T&Cs please.

Looking at the T&Cs on the union's website won't really help much. It's more a case of finding out the facts of what happened.

The OP says they are referring to members who joined 25 years ago. So the key questions include...

• What t&cs were the members given or told about 25 years ago? (Possibly everything was paper-based back then.)

• Were the members informed of changes to the t&cs as they happened over the last 25 years?

• If, for example, the printed t&cs correctly explained the situation 25 years ago, but a Union Rep wrongly said that family injury protection was included - that could count as 'misrepresentation'.

(But as I mentioned previously, this is probably an academic argument, because it doesn't sound like the OP has suffered a loss.)

Marcon

Is it possible that the terms have been misread or not properly understood? An overly-quick glance at, say: https://www.unitelegalservices.org/services/cover-for-family-members or https://www.gmb.org.uk/unionline/personal-injury-claim#:~:text=If%20you%20make%20your%20personal,possible%20outcome%20for%20your%20claim.

could mean that someone reading the website thinks they are covered for personal injury rather than legal support for a personal injury claim.