Solicitors trying to charge me for costs

[gazzoouk]

Hi all,

 

back in June 2015 i was a passenger in a vehicle that was hit from behind whilst waiting to exit the motorway.

 

A couple of days later i was contacted solicitors firm. I naively thought they had beed directed by Hastings insurance (the drivers insurance company) to act on my behalf for a potential injury claim as they had my details including mobile number.

 

They arranged for someone to come to my house to complete the paperwork for the claim. This was a no win no fee basis .They arrived and all seemed legitimate (as for as i could tell as i had not been involved in an accident before) forms were completed and they went on their merry way.

 

I spoke to the driver telling him about the Solicitor he called Hastings and they denied instructing the Solicitor to contact me and in fact they had instructed another company to contact both me and the driver about the claim.

 

Alarm bells rang and i decided that i would cancel the agreement i had the Solicitor. I emailed them to with the instruction to cancel the agreement and this was 10 days after signing the agreement. I thought i would be covered by the standard 14 day cooling off period?

Just after i sent the email i had a call from the Solicitor asking why i wished to cancel and i explained that i wasn't happy with way they conducted their business.

 

I had a letter from them some weeks later saying that as they had not received contact from me the case would be closed.

 

Then today i received another letter asking me to pay for the costs they had incurred on my behalf. The bill amount is for £1,143.00.

 

I don't know what to do. Can someone please advise if i have a leg to stand on? I just haven't got that kind of money. :shock:

 

Gary

Edited September 12, 2015 by Andyorch
Removing commercial references.

[Ganymede]

If you cancelled within the cooling off period I'd just reply telling them that with a copy of your previous e-mail.

[citizenB]

I am not sure how these NWNF claims companies get hold of accident details.

 

This happened to OH last year - when the NWNF company telephoned, they implied that they had been instructed by OH's insurers and were very keen to have OH say that he had been injured in some way. There were no injuries at all. It was only when I was speaking to a friend that I was warned that these companies to seem to have access to the insurance data base once a claim has been put in process to the vehicle insurers. I couldn't understand why the main insurers wouldn't deal with everything.

 

I phoned OH's insurance company who said no, they hadn't instructed anyone to make contact. So I put together a rather strongly worded letter and sent it off by Special Delivery mail.

[Ganymede]

Insurers sell the information to claims management companies.

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi Gazzoouk,

 

Thanks for sharing your experience, I've read your post with interest. With the policyholder's consent, we will instruct one firm who we have a business agreement with and explain who it is on a call with him or her. That firm may contact you to handle a potential injury claim, however the policyholder would normally make any passengers aware. We will not sell or pass information to any other firm.

 

If you do feel you the firm who called you misrepresented that we had instructed them, you may log an official complaint first with them. They will provide a response and if you are unhappy with it, you have recourse to take it further with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) who can then review the case for you.

 

I hope that this provides some help for you and also that you reach an amicable outcome.

 

Kind regards,

 

Joe

[Mwynci]

It could be the recovery agent, garage, hire car company, third party insurers, third party garage and so on.

 

There's also the option of a cold call, they have to strike gold at some point otherwise they wouldn't do it.

[Ethel Street]

Insurers sell the information to claims management companies.

 

According to this item on BBC News that's been illegal since 2013 but there's still a big issue with garages selling the information.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30642368

[tobyjugg2]

Beware. HD may 'within the interpreted bounds' claim they don't sell or share your information to other parties, but it would seem they do sell/share your information to their 'partner' Albany for 'claim management'

 

Drop 'albany' into the search box here at cag and read a few of those threads.

 

(also Google 'Albany assistance claim management problems' - not sure if Albany assist is a different company to albany assistance - they both appear))