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Tuesday 6 October 2015

Accident claim, part 3

I wanted to check that all this wasn't supposed to be happening, so I went to the Solicitors Regulation Authority web site, and checked out the code of conduct.

http://sra.org.uk/solicitors/handbook/code/part3/content.page

O(8.3) says "you do not make unsolicited approaches in person or by telephone to members of the public in order to publicise your firm or in-house practice or another business;"

And IB(8.6) says  "allowing any other person to conduct publicity for your firm or in-house practice in a way that would breach the Principles;"

So it looks to me, as if the guidelines are being breached. So I phoned Renaissance Solicitors LLP.

I asked for their Compliance Officer, but she wasn't available. Her name is xxxxx yyyyy. It's just as well she wasn't available, I wouldn't be happy asking her to investigate her own activities. So I asked if I could speak to someone else, and I talked with Afshan Nawaz, who was very helpful. I explained the situation, told her about "Whynotclaim.co.uk", told her that xxxxx yyyyy was the director, that Ali yyyyy, who called me on the phone, claims to be her cousin, that xxxxx registered the domain name and therefore controls the web site and email addresses of that domain, gave her the address that is listed for Whynotclaim.co.uk, gave her the phone number that is on the Whynotclaim.co.uk web site, gave her the information that is on Company's House for Whynotclaim.co.uk. All of this she could, of course, have easily looked up for herself, it's all public information.

Nawaz said that she'd certainly be looking into this.

So for now, I won't make a complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (their email address is report@sra.org.uk). Because perhaps this is all one person acting without the knowledge of Renaissance. Or maybe Ali yyyyy is acting without the knowledge of his cousin xxxxx yyyyy. Or maybe some third party is just using the name of xxxxx yyyyy in their endeavours, but that can't be right because xxxxx yyyyy did know about "Whynotclaim.co.uk".

But it leads to a wider question. I have no problem with solicitors advertising on TV. But I thnk many of us get these unsolicited phone calls "It's about the accident that you had that wasn't your fault". If the people gathering these "sales leads" do nothing with them, then the Guidelines aren't being breached. But if a firm of solicitors "allows any other person" to make cold calls, they're in breach. So as soon as a firm of solicitors pays for the sales lead, they're not conforming to the Guidelines.

So if you're fed up with these cold calls, now you can take action.




3 comments:

  1. I'm so glad i didnt ring you !! Anyway what is your number?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ms Nawaz appears....... here M'lud solicitorstribunal.org.uk

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh yes, you're right! Afshan Ejaz Nawaz

    5 June 2015, fined £6000, £26000 costs.

    Here's the full judgement:
    http://www.solicitorstribunal.org.uk/Content/documents/11294.2014.Nawaz.pdf

    ReplyDelete