Call from claims company after Ford Credit reclaim email

Photog_Happy

I emailed Ford Credit with the template from the MSE reclaim tool around a week ago, and then recieved a call from someone saying they were acting on behalf of a law firm, they had some of my details relating to my claim (they knew the dates and that it was with Ford), but not all my addresses.  They then sent me an online form to sign, which I told them I'd like to read, and told them to call back later.  They are basically a claim handling firm, and would take a cut in a no win - no fee kind of way, but I take it they've not been appointed by Ford to deal with the claims?  Do I leave it and wait to hear back from Ford Credit direct?  I'm slightly concerned how they got my phone number and dates if all I've done is enter the details on the tool and then emailed them direct to Ford Credit!  Any advice/similar experiences?

born_again

Ignore them.
There is going to be no decision on this till next year... FCA are still looking into the matter.

dunstonh

I emailed Ford Credit with the template from the MSE reclaim tool around a week ago, and then recieved a call from someone saying they were acting on behalf of a law firm, they had some of my details relating to my claim (they knew the dates and that it was with Ford), but not all my addresses.

MSE doesn't sell your details to third parties (there is some aggregating of data that is sold but nothing that identifies you).  So, the fact you received a call suggests they got your data from other sources.

.  They are basically a claim handling firm, and would take a cut in a no win - no fee kind of way, but I take it they've not been appointed by Ford to deal with the claims? 

No.  FCA-regulated companies do not use claims companies.   Indeed, it was a common scam back in the PPI days for some claims companies to suggest they represented the banks.  Indeed, some set up copy cat websites that looked like they belonged to the bank.

 Do I leave it and wait to hear back from Ford Credit direct?

yes.

 I'm slightly concerned how they got my phone number and dates if all I've done is enter the details on the tool and then emailed them direct to Ford Credit!  

Did you look at other sites and input data?   It wouldn't have come from MSE.  So, it has to have come from elsewhere.

You now wait a year, or two, or three (depending on legal cases).  

Photog_Happy

Thank you, I did think it was a bit odd that they got in touch, I don't remember entering my details anywhere else, that would have shared them, but maybe I did, things are a bit crazy at the moment!

DullGreyGuy

dunstonh said:
No.  FCA-regulated companies do not use claims companies.   Indeed, it was a common scam back in the PPI days for some claims companies to suggest they represented the banks.  Indeed, some set up copy cat websites that looked like they belonged to the bank.

FCA regulated companies can use third parties with the necessary authorisations, some of which are "claims companies", however they'll introduce themselves as the company or at least be very clear that they've been appointed by the principle and their costs are covered by their principle not by the customer in a no win no fee situation. Some companies are both... RAC sell insurance but also offer "accident management" with credit hire etc to business customers

Photog_Happy said:

I emailed Ford Credit with the template from the MSE reclaim tool around a week ago, and then recieved a call from someone saying they were acting on behalf of a law firm, they had some of my details relating to my claim (they knew the dates and that it was with Ford), but not all my addresses.  They then sent me an online form to sign, which I told them I'd like to read, and told them to call back later.  They are basically a claim handling firm, and would take a cut in a no win - no fee kind of way, but I take it they've not been appointed by Ford to deal with the claims?  Do I leave it and wait to hear back from Ford Credit direct?  I'm slightly concerned how they got my phone number and dates if all I've done is enter the details on the tool and then emailed them direct to Ford Credit!  Any advice/similar experiences?

Data is valuable, if you've ever responded to any spurious calls or online enquiries etc they gather and resell every scrap of information that they can get from you as you never know when it could become valuable in the future. Years ago it was the "write off your debts" or "have you had an accident" type calls, certainly when I played along with the former because I was bored of their calls they were asking about car finance, what cars I've owned etc (obv said Ferraris and Bugattis etc). If I hadn't changed my telephone number since then I wouldn't have been at all surprised to now receive a call about misselling by Ferrari Finance. 

dunstonh

FCA regulated companies can use third parties with the necessary authorisations, some of which are "claims companies", however they'll introduce themselves as the company or at least be very clear that they've been appointed by the principle and their costs are covered by their principle not by the customer in a no win no fee situation. Some companies are both... RAC sell insurance but also offer "accident management" with credit hire etc to business customers

I was referring to claims companies in the misselling category rather than the other areas.

i.e. they wouldn't employ a CMC to put in a complaint about themselves for misselling, where the consumer is then going to get hit with 40% or whatever fee.

DullGreyGuy

dunstonh said:

FCA regulated companies can use third parties with the necessary authorisations, some of which are "claims companies", however they'll introduce themselves as the company or at least be very clear that they've been appointed by the principle and their costs are covered by their principle not by the customer in a no win no fee situation. Some companies are both... RAC sell insurance but also offer "accident management" with credit hire etc to business customers

I was referring to claims companies in the misselling category rather than the other areas.

i.e. they wouldn't employ a CMC to put in a complaint about themselves for misselling, where the consumer is then going to get hit with 40% or whatever fee.

No, they wouldn't use a CMC to present the claim to them but they could use an external firm to prepare some or fully handle the claim on their behalf. Fully agree that they would be the ones picking up the cost of such outsourcing which would almost certainly be on a T&M basis not a success fee nor anything the consumer would be paying or even aware of. 

The redress programmes coming out of the review of non-advised annuity sales was outsourced by at least one provider, hell, even the FCA outsourced the creation of the calculation engine for redress to a third party. Ultimately it was a temporary call centre getting a questionnaire filled in and typing the details into the calculation engine which came back with either no miss-selling or miss-sold increase by £X and lump sum payment of £Y, £X was added as a new section to the annuity and £Y was raised as a cheque.

Companies already operating in the space are better placed to setup such arrangements and as mentioned in the previous post there are various companies that already act as both a CMC and TPA that offer their services if these things are opened up to competitive tender.