Ombudsman Services:Property. Maladmanistration. The Ombudsman Association. (469)

To the Business Secretary:
For Clarity - Attempt 469.

469) Ombudsman Services:Property. Maladministration. The Ombudsman Association.

Dear Mr Javid,

We wrote to the Secretary of the Ombudsman Association:

"Dear Secretary,

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign wishes to bring to your attention our concerns about Ombudsman Serives:Property. OS:P is a member of your Ombudsman Association.

We would appreciate the Ombudsman Association's views on this company as we believe it fails to meet the requirements your organisation stipulate for member ship as set out in: 'Governance - principles of Good Governance: Independence, Openness and Transparency, Accountability, Integrity, Clarity of Purpose.'

Because these categories seem to us to overlap we've put our questions to the OA with that in mind.

You are no doubt already aware that OS:P (or The SOS as it was formerly known), was originally set up by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to, 'investigate' complaints brought by consumers about its Members or Regulated Firms.

The RICS have at least 2 of their members - that we are aware of - sitting on the Board of Ombudsman Services and yet the literature this company sends to consumer s and potential complainants maintains that it is, 'entirely' independent.

Since the 1st October 2008 the OFT gave its approval to OS ltd., to run a redress scheme for estate agents but not surveyors. 

It set out 16 criteria for the operation of the scheme run by an, 'independent' ombudsman. The same ombudsman adjudicates in complaints brought by consumers about both estate agents and surveyors. In the interests of natural justice one would expect the ombudsman to apply the same criterion to both estate agents and surveyors.

Q1. Why do you think the OFT approved a scheme for estate agents but not surveyors, is it because the company running it was set up by the RICS, the surveyors professional body?"

The Secretary of the Ombudsman Association didn't answer.

Q. Mr Javid, is it in the interests of natural justice for no-one involved with the RICS to answer questions about the RICS apparent inability to regulate its Members or Regulated Firms and the close relationship it has with the company it, "appointed" to resolve its disputes, "effectively?"

Yours sincerely,
Steve Gilbert - The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign.