Ombudsman Services - "The Chief Executive noted that there had been some level of concern ove the apparent increases in the levels of recent awards." (650)

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign Is Seeking A Public Inquiry Into The RICS, Its, "Appointed" Company Ombudsman Services:Property And The NHS' Livewell Southwest Ltd.

To the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary / Chair, Ombudsman Services.

For Clarity - Attempt 650.

650. Ombudsman Services - "The Chief Executive  noted that there had been some concern over the apparent increases in the levels of recent awards." (Minutes from 15 Dec 2009)

Dear Mr Clark and Lord Tim Clement Jones,

The above statement in which the Chief Executive noted some concern over the apparent increases in the levels of recent awards should be read alongside that of Roger Brown's and his insistence that the purpose of Ombudsman Services is to ensure that its members know that they - the executives - are spending their members' money wisely.

A bit like Wentworth Golf Club where its fee-paying members also want things to run smoothly.

This, "concern" - expressed by unnamed individuals - certainly reached the Lead Property Ombudsman.

In 2009/10 her average financial award to property complainants was £1.511.75p. After this expression of some concern it plunged to £900. The Lead Property Ombudsman said,

"In reviewing the last year, even though the average financial award was significantly less the range of award has not changed."

(2010/11 Annual Property Report page 5)

The fact that the range of awards - 12 categories - had remained unchanged will be of little comfort to those who DJS Research had reported were very dissatisfied with the financial redress they'd received.

On page 7 of the same report DJS Research also expressed concern on behalf of the complainant - a great deal of concern in fact.

They report,

"Overall satisfaction levels remain low. Around two in three were dissatisfied with Ombudsman Services:Property's handling of their complaint. The fact that most feel the report does not find in their favour (possibly because of the scale of the financial award) impacts on these poor levels of satisfaction."

What a damning indictment of private so-called, "civil justice."

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, independent research conducted by DJS Research found massive levels of dissatisfaction with the levels of financial award and yet Gillian Fleming, the Lead Property Ombudsman slashed them from £1.511.75p to £900. Why?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, why was the Lead Property Ombudsman listening to the concerns of unnamed individuals and not to those of consumers?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, was the reason DJS Research were replaced due to the fact that they were discovering widespread levels of consumer dissatisfaction with the service Ombudsman Services:Property were providing?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, who was expressing, "some concern" and why did it have such a dramatic effect on the levels of financial award doled out by the Lead Property Ombudsman?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, isn't this a direct interference in the duty of the Ombudsman to make  fair and independent decisions?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, today the level of so-called, "financial award" stands at 50 quid. Why is the range of award no longer included in the Annual Property Report and why aren't consumers asked by the research company that replaced DJS Research if they are satisfied with the way in which their complaint has been handled?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, why has transparency and accountability been all but extinguished at Ombudsman Services:Property?

In 2008 on behalf of the government the Executive Director of the OFT, Jonathan May, approved this redress scheme. He promised the consumer access to, "fair" and "independent" redress. We were also told that this scheme would be, "monitored" by the government.

Q. Mr Clark, your department has a close and continuing relationship with Ombudsman Services. How have the government monitors of this government approved scheme permitted a situation to arise in which consumers are no longer consulted on whether they are satisfied - or not - with a 50 quid financial award for the resolution of a complex and costly property complaint?

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign believes that private so-called civil justice is spectacularly failing consumers. 

We also believe it is saving those operating the inadequately regulated market in surveying millions of pounds each year as it is proving far cheaper for RICS surveyors to send their dissatisfied clients to their, "appointed" Ombudsman than to resolve disputes before they escalate to that level.

Their Ombudsman is in effect a platinum get-out-of-gaol free card.

An Ombudsman who listens intently to private expressions of concern over the levels of financial awards and acts accordingly.

Otherwise things would be different.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Gilbert - Workstock Number - 510458.

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is at: www.blogger.com