Ombudsman Services - Sharper Teeth: The Consumer Need For Ombudsman Refrorm. (704)

To the Leader of The House of Commons / Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

For Clarity - Attempt 704.

704. Ombudsman Services - Sharper Teeth: The Consumer Need For Ombudsman Reform.

Dear Mrs Leadsom and Mr Clark,

Few could disagree with Martin Lewis when he told the All Party Parliament Group on Consumer Protection that consumers need ombudsmen to reform.

We've been saying the same thing for several years now and would like to add that having sharper teeth is one thing - knowing that their purpose is for biting - something else.

Martin Lewis' Report seemed to miss an excellent opportunity to explore the relationship between ombudsmen and the businesses they work with, the actual quality and integrity of what passes for an ombudsman's "investigation" of a complaint or the relationship between ombudsmen and regulators they work so closely with.

There appeared to be no mention in his report of the relationship between The RICS and Ombudsman Services:Property for instance although some OS:P data was made available to him.

We believe consumers also need regulators to reform.

They too need to be fitted with sharper teeth that actually do some damage when they bite.

Martin Lewis suggests that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy should play a pivotal role in future developments of the ombudsman system. Given that we've attempted to bring our complaint to three BEIS Ministers since 2010: Jo Swinson, Sajid Javid and now yourself, Mr Clark we believe that this is somewhat optimistic.

There is much in his report to support what we've long been saying - that reform is urgently needed.

We thought we would deal with more the contentious issues he raises, one at a time and our point of reference will be the relationship between RICS the Regulator and its, "appointed" company - Ombudsman Services:Property.

On page 3 Martin Lewis writes - "when ombudsmen fail, consumers lose: substantial reform is urgently needed."

Q. Mr Clark, independent research conducted by DJS Research warned the CEO and Chief Ombudsman and government monitors that a majority of complainants believed that the Property Ombudsman was failing consumers. Why was nothing done?

Q. Mrs Leadsom, RICS the Regulator monitored the effectiveness of the Property Ombudsman's decisions. Why did they not intervene when there was so much consumer dissatisfaction with the Property Ombudsman's decisions?

If the regulator - RICS - had been doing its job and regulating there would have been no need for it to have, "appointed" a company to resolve what are to all intents and purposes its problems.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Gilbert - Workstock Number - 510458.

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