Ombudsman Services: From, "A superb model of ADR" to a, "Broken solution" - 10 years that shook the ADR world. (attempt 38)

Ombudsman Services Part 4: The Full English Cover-Up. Attempt 38.

38) Ombudsman Services: From, "A superb model of ADR" to a, "Broken solution" - 10 years that shook the ADR world.

Dear Mrs Leadsom, Mr Clark, Mr Javid and Lord Tim Clement Jones,

We read in Utility Week that the CEO and Chief Ombudsman of Ombudsman Services is to step down after 10 years. They tell us:

    "Shand Smith said: "In the next few months I will be concentrating on

    our external agenda, while Matthew as chief ombudsman designate,

    will focus on transforming the service so that we remain fit for purpose

    in a rapidly changing environment."

We haven't included Mr Shand Smith in this email because we did once ask him 100 questions about his Property Ombudsman and the broken system under which she operated but he chose not to answer them.

Once upon a time Mr Shand Smith had said that what was on offer at Ombudsman Services was a, "superb model of ADR" and that, "our decisions are our product." Later, after a degree of reality had finally set in, the all-singing all-dancing model had become scaled back to one which the consumer is now being told is, "a broken solution in a broken market."

Only the consumer has to search high and low to find such admissions of ombudsmanic fallibility. It is not in any company report.

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, as someone who has inherited a, "close and continuing relationship with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy," what's going on?

Q. Lord Time Clement Jones, why has it taken so long before you all realised that the solution you were offering was, "broken?"

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, who broke it and why?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, back in 2008-2011 DJS Research's Customer Satisfaction Reports alerted the company to just how broken your solution was. Why didn't the CEO and Chief Ombudsman step down then and why were DJS Research's services dispensed with?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, why have DJS Research's Customer Satisfaction Reports been removed from your company's website along with your company's minutes?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, where is transparency and accountability that Mr Shand Smith speaks of?

The OFT assured the Ombudsmans61percent Campaign that they were monitoring the scheme that the British Government had approved.

Q. Mrs Leadsom, Mr Clark and Mr Javid, why did Government monitors permit this ADR scheme to become, "broken" and why didn't they intervene to protect consumers from the devastating impact of Mr Shand Smith's broken solutions?

The consumer is now being spun the line that the chief ombudsman designate will transform the service - from a broken service that he was happy to serve under.

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, does that mean that in future you will no longer patronise the near 90% of property complainants for having the temerity to complain that your best efforts are in fact, "broken?"

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, your CEO and Chief Ombudsman has admitted that the solutions your company offered property complainants was, "broken." In the interests of natural justice they will need to have their cases reviewed by fair minded and informed individuals. When will this happen?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, by criticising the near 90% of property complainants for being dissatisfied with Mr Shand Smith's broken solution aren't you in effect predetermining the outcome of future cases - what you call your best efforts will never be good enough for some consumers and is that legal to predetermine cases in such a way?

Utility Week continue:

    "Shand Smith was appointed CE and Chief Ombudsman in 2009.

    He is also chair of the Ombudsman Association and the National

    Energy Ombudsman Network.

The Ombudsman Services website, under: Ombudsman Services Annual reports states;

   "In accordance with the Ombudsman Association's requirements to be;

    open, transparent and accountable, the annual report has details about

    our performance, accounts and the complaints we have handled."

There is no annual report for the whole of 2017.

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, Mr Shand Smith is also Chair of the Ombudsman Association, why hasn't he met the requirement he set himself - to publish an annual report and be; open, transparent and accountable about the complaints he has handled?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, is failing to comply with such requirements legal - and if not why not?

Transparency and accountability all but ceased with the departure of DJS Research. But don't just take our word for it simply go the company's website and look at the Customer Satisfaction Reports and Annual Reports.

There's a big hole where transparency and accountability should be.

Regarding, "resolved" cases:

1. There is no information for 2008-9

2. 2009-10: 260

3. 2010-11: 428

4. 2011-12: 464

5. 2012-13: 589

6. 2013-14: 697

7. 2014-15: 934

8  2015-15: 680

9. 2016-16: 1166

TOTAL        5218

In 2009 DJS Research said 61% of property complainants were "dissatisfied" with the outcome of their case.

In 2017 MoneySavingExperts said nearly 90% of property complainants were "dissatisfied" with the outcome of their case. An average of around 75%.

That's roughly 3913 dissatisfied property complainants.

If each of those dissatisfied property complainants had received the maximum £25K payout that would have come to £97.8 Million. Quite some saving for those fee-paying RICS surveyors who fail to keep and maintain proper case files, who fail to put things in writing to the clients but who do visit their clients' properties unannounced to photograph them without their clients' knowledge or consent.

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, as you will already be aware, publishing a range and breakdown of financial award was one of the requirements for approval by the OFT. Why don't you comply with that requirement?

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, is failing to comply with Ombudsman Association and OFT (Government) requirements not a key part of the broken solution you're offering the British consumer?

The CEO and Chief Ombudsman in waiting was there during the, "broken solution era."

Q. Lord Tim Clement Jones, how did he get the job - was he able to lift the carpet with one hand and sweep all the crap under it with the other? Or was it less complicated than that?

A broken solution?

Q. Mrs Leadsom, Mr Clark and Mr Javid, why when things go so spectacularly wrong do you always resort to The Full English Cover-Up?

Yours sincerely,

Steve Gilbert - Workstock Number -- 510458.

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is calling for:

1. A public inquiry into the RICS and its, "appointed" company Ombudsman Services:Property.

2. Answers from: Mr Shand Smith CEO and Chief Ombudsman of Ombudsman Services and Chair of the Ombudsman Association, Gillian Fleming former Property Ombudsman, Vince Cable former Business Secretary, Jonathan May Executive Director of the OFT, Jo Swinson former Business Minister, Steven Gould RICS Regulation and former Board Member of Ombudsman Services, Roger Jeffries a former Independent Assessor at Ombudsman Services, Sajid Javid former Business Secretary, Francis Maude the former Cabinet Secretary, the Government monitors of this government approved ADR scheme and the present Ombudsman Services Board Members - Brian Landers, Michele Ibbs, Baroness Maggie jones, Sir Leigh Lewis, Justin McCracken, Jonathan Rees, Lisa tenant, Matthew Vickers, Paul McCarthy and Lyndy Geddes who under their watch allowed the solution to become, "broken."

- Compensation for the victims of this company's broken solutions, illogical decisions and maladministration.

- The setting up of a truly fair, independent, transparent and accountable system of redress.

The Ombudsmans61percent Campaign is at: www.blogger.com (the ombudsmans61percent campaign) and www.facebook.com (the Ombudmans Sixtyone-percent Campaign)