Ombudsman Services:Property And The OFT Criterion 10. (661)

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

For Clarity - Attempt 651

651. Ombudsman Services:Property And The OFT Criterion 10.

Dear Mr Clark and Lord Tim Clement Jones,

When approving this private redress scheme the OFT set out a number of criteria. Consumers using this service have every right to expect That they are being monitored and met.

Criterion 10 states,

"10: There must be a range of awards which take into account the level and type of detriment caused.

Requirements to meet this criterion:

- the level and applicability of awards must be published."

That sounds fair and reasonable.

The OFT are saying there must be transparency and accountability over the level of awards being given to complainants by the Property Ombudsman..

However, the last time this OFT Criterion was met was in 2011/12 when the then Ombudsman, "reduced them significantly." Awards went from an average of £1.511.75p to £900 although DJS Research had indicated that they should actually have been raised to be more in line with the losses property complainants had suffered due to sub-standard RICS surveys and valuations that had led many to make to costly purchasing mistakes.

The Ombudsman spoke of these difficult times and promptly made a whole more difficult for consumers.

The range of awards made by the Property Ombudsman to complainants has not been published since 2011/12 and so Ombudsman Services:Property does not appear to have complied by this particular OFT Criterion.

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, why is this redress scheme failing to comply with the OFT Criterion 10?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, does this not go some way in explaining why some complainants - you don't say how many - are not satisfied with your, "best efforts?"

The EU Directive 2013/11/EU says that the independence and integrity of ADR entities is crucial to gain Union Citizens' trust that ADR mechanisms will offer them a fair and independent outcome.

Q. Mr Clark, why have the government monitors of this redress scheme not acted to protect consumers from this organisation's failure to comply with the terms it agreed in order to gain government approval back in 2008?

Q. Mr Clark, when Ombudsman Services:Property fails to comply with OFT Criterion over such a crucial issue as the level and applicability of the financial awards it makes, how can consumers have any trust in this organisation's integrity and independence?

Yours sincerely,

Steve Gilbert - Workstock Number 510458.

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is at: www.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com - Ombudsmans Sixtyone-percent.