Avoid CHC claim - it leads to nothing but angst and reduced bank balance

[Louise7]

Check any contract/agreement you signed with the company, particularly the 'small print', to confirm what services they agreed to provide and the costs involved, and what you agreed to.

 

[Sethcat]

Good morning. Thank you for the detailed reply and advice. I shall begin with the Ombudsman service and see if I can get anywhere without going to the firm first. the firm came with good recommendations and even my solicitors said they had heard of them and they were OK. However they have ripped me off and I don't like that. Dad lost enough money when two social services ladies took to writing cheques and getting him to sign them even though they knew I had PoA. When I checked his bank statements there were sums of money missing which could not be accounted for. As he lived 80 miles away from me at that time and as North Yorkshire SS denied everything and then accused me of acting against my father's interests (of course they did as I was aware of what they were doing and had complained so I was the target), I could do little about it except tell the Bank and they stopped accepting cheques "signed" by anyone but myself.
The Advocates do not have my bank account details. They are a national company with Head office in Birmingham and I have been dealing with the Devon office. When I say dealing with, it is that I have had to push for communication. Of course as they took on the case and it was rejected I was in the loop for continuing.
Certainly I shall begin by exploring the Legal Ombudsman service but do think they will require me to complain to the firm first. I shall report back.

 

[Sethcat]

Check any contract/agreement you signed with the company, particularly the 'small print', to confirm what services they agreed to provide and the costs involved, and what you agreed to.

 

[Sethcat]

I "agreed" to them acting on my behalf and receiving estimates for each step of the process and making a decision when on receipt of each estimate. Once in the system of appeals and rejections and further appeals you rely on their advice related to chances of success and they know this. I am not pursuing this any further with the company.

 

[Sethcat]

Good morning. Thank you for the detailed reply and advice. I shall begin with the Ombudsman service and see if I can get anywhere without going to the firm first. the firm came with good recommendations and even my solicitors said they had heard of them and they were OK. However they have ripped me off and I don't like that. Dad lost enough money when two social services ladies took to writing cheques and getting him to sign them even though they knew I had PoA. When I checked his bank statements there were sums of money missing which could not be accounted for. As he lived 80 miles away from me at that time and as North Yorkshire SS denied everything and then accused me of acting against my father's interests (of course they did as I was aware of what they were doing and had complained so I was the target), I could do little about it except tell the Bank and they stopped accepting cheques "signed" by anyone but myself.
The Advocates do not have my bank account details. They are a national company with Head office in Birmingham and I have been dealing with the Devon office. When I say dealing with, it is that I have had to push for communication. Of course as they took on the case and it was rejected I was in the loop for continuing.
Certainly I shall begin by exploring the Legal Ombudsman service but do think they will require me to complain to the firm first. I shall report back.

 

[Sethcat]

When to use the ombudsman
An ombudsman is an independent service that can help you deal with an unresolved complaint you might have with an organisation.

Ombudsman services are also called alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes.

You need to fully pursue the internal complaints process of the company you're in dispute with before you go to the ombudsman.

If the company refuses to do what you ask to sort out the problem, you should ask for a ‘letter of deadlock’ to show you've done all you can to resolve your complaint.

I have to complain to the company first as I thought.

 

[Chrissie B]

When to use the ombudsman
An ombudsman is an independent service that can help you deal with an unresolved complaint you might have with an organisation.

Ombudsman services are also called alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes.

You need to fully pursue the internal complaints process of the company you're in dispute with before you go to the ombudsman.

If the company refuses to do what you ask to sort out the problem, you should ask for a ‘letter of deadlock’ to show you've done all you can to resolve your complaint.

I have to complain to the company first as I thought.

Things may have changed since 6 years ago when I had problems with Scottish Power overcharging me.

Check with Trading Standards. Trading Standards were always very helpful when I rang them in the past. When you ring them tell them you are suspicious of the company that you dealt with, and their idea to help you was to re-appeal and pay them an extra £7000 to do that. If the Advocate firm insists that you have to ring them in order to go through to a complaints department, let Trading Standards know that before ringing the company, and tell Trading Standards you are afraid of being sucked in again to part with more money.

If you can write to them, keep copies of any expenses incurred, stamps, paper, envelope, est. ink price. Keep copies of everything you write and any reply they make. Don't pay out any money to anyone or give them your bank details, even if they tell you they can win for you.

If you go on moneysavingexpert they have a resolver complaints tool and template letters. It's tricky to scroll through because you need to ensure your complaint is about service rather than goods.

I'm not sure what the situation was with Social Services and cheques was, the only thing I can think of there, is that if he was living on his own they may have sold him the careline or lifeline service, or he may have had to pay for care from them to visit so many times a day after a hospital visit or because they felt he had to have visits to help him with some day to day tasks such as bathing, and getting up or going to bed. POA documents only come into effect when you have provided them with the original documents or a certified copy and registered it with them that way. I am mystified why they wouldn't just tell you that, if the case though. All cheques are crossed nowadays, so if a cheque was written, and you had POA and the bank knew that, I would have thought that they would be able to tell you which bank account the money was paid into, especially if it's paid into a company and not with a private individual.

I do know of a bank manager that was arrested for filtering out money from elderly people and putting the money in her own account, but this was done in large amounts, she got caught and was arrested for doing it, but that's another story.

 

[Sethcat]

Things may have changed since 6 years ago when I had problems with Scottish Power overcharging me.

Check with Trading Standards. Trading Standards were always very helpful when I rang them in the past. When you ring them tell them you are suspicious of the company that you dealt with, and their idea to help you was to re-appeal and pay them an extra £7000 to do that. If the Advocate firm insists that you have to ring them in order to go through to a complaints department, let Trading Standards know that before ringing the company, and tell Trading Standards you are afraid of being sucked in again to part with more money.

If you can write to them, keep copies of any expenses incurred, stamps, paper, envelope, est. ink price. Keep copies of everything you write and any reply they make. Don't pay out any money to anyone or give them your bank details, even if they tell you they can win for you.

If you go on moneysavingexpert they have a resolver complaints tool and template letters. It's tricky to scroll through because you need to ensure your complaint is about service rather than goods.

I'm not sure what the situation was with Social Services and cheques was, the only thing I can think of there, is that if he was living on his own they may have sold him the careline or lifeline service, or he may have had to pay for care from them to visit so many times a day after a hospital visit or because they felt he had to have visits to help him with some day to day tasks such as bathing, and getting up or going to bed. POA documents only come into effect when you have provided them with the original documents or a certified copy and registered it with them that way. I am mystified why they wouldn't just tell you that, if the case though. All cheques are crossed nowadays, so if a cheque was written, and you had POA and the bank knew that, I would have thought that they would be able to tell you which bank account the money was paid into, especially if it's paid into a company and not with a private individual.

I do know of a bank manager that was arrested for filtering out money from elderly people and putting the money in her own account, but this was done in large amounts, she got caught and was arrested for doing it, but that's another story.

 

[Sethcat]

I shall contact Trading 'Standards but they have already told me they are not interested in legal matters. However I shall push that it is a complaint about a service. When I am stronger I am going to write to the legal company and complain.

Social Services were not charging my father and had no means of doing so as he was never eligible for pay for SS "services". They took it upon themselves to read his mail and write his cheques. They knew I had PoA as they were found photographing all Dad's financial and legal papers one day by a friend of mine who visited as these awful women were leaving. Dad was crying as, although he could not see, he knew something untoward was happening and did not know how to stop them.

I shall complain to this legal company and I have all the documentary evidence over the last 2.5 years so shall scan and include copies. I will put on the bottom of the letter to them that I have copied in TS.

 

[Cazzita]

Good luck @Sethcat! Hope doing this is cathartic and helps you to feel stronger x

 

[ChocolateBrownie]

Hello @Sethcat

It is so sad that families with dementia have to go through all this - when similar sums are spent in cancer patients without anyone batting an eye.

You say your advocates were a ‘Legal Claims Company’ - if so they will be regulated, and the details of their regulator should be on their website & in the contract with their complaints procedure.

You do meet to at least go through the motions of following their procedure first - look at this as a good opportunity to get all your paperwork in order.

Then you could send your comprehensive paperwork to a specialist solicitor ( make sure they are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority) who offer no-win no-fee.

Get a couple of quotes and don’t be afraid to try to negotiate a reduction on what they ask for.

Best of luck!