What convention is being referred to? Also, this would only work if the victim of the FOS does not have to pay the legal costs. That is always the real barrier. So can this really work for the private investor?

If there is anything I can do, let me know. The FOS needs major revamping and an independent investigation. Justman

Any of you out there who have had experience with this company should bear in mind the following. Like many other stockbroking firms, Morgan Stanley Quilter really have nothing to offer in terms of discretionary and advisory fund management. Their handling of individual shares on "execution only" may be different, but for discretionary and advisory investors, they simply try to beat the FTSE and it is an established fact that this approach generally fails. You would therefore be better off (and at lower cost) with an ordinary mutual fund or a tracker. Furthermore, these stockbrokers are always far too keen to buy shares and do not bother with other asset classes such as bonds, property funds and hedge funds. You are almost certainly better off with a good independent financial adviser and a good selection of funds. In addition, such firms have no proper investment strategy in general and even less when it comes to avoiding losses. My advice is to stay clear of this firm and others like it. Finally, if they lose you money, they will mismanage your complaint to an extent and in a way that you did not believe was humanly possible. They do not make offers of compensation on principle, and they will try and avoid liability by hook or by crook. Their complaint handling is devoid of anything resembling ethics, integrity or even compliance with the laws. The above paragraph applies to many other stockbrokers and indeed many other firms or advisers in the financial industry. Beware! If you have experience with Morgan Stanley Quilter, please let me now. Some form of group action is possible! Justman

I would like to invite all members of the Action Group with experience of the Financial Ombudsman Service to express their views and relate their experiences. My experience is that it is a biased and fundamentally unfair organisation. It has complete power in effect and there are no workable controls. This means that the adjudicators and ombudsmen can do whatever they like. Given the large sums of money and the vested interest involved, this is a recipe for unfairness and injustice on a grand scale. From my own experience and that of others, I know that evidence is ignored, illogical arguments are used and even the relevant laws are not adhered to. Furthermore, the FOS often does the opposite of what it states in its own home page. My specific objective is to collect sufficient views and opinions from various people in order to put pressure on the relevant authorities. Not only does the system need to be changed, but complaints that were unfairly rejected or for which the level of compensation was unfairly low, need to be reopened and fair compensation paid. I hope to hear from many of you soon! Justman