29TH March 2015 update.
Well surprise surprise. I was promised that I would have a copy of my report for my full and final settlement creditors meeting by the end of March which I am not going to get. I had to make a complaint to Freeman Jones to get them to honour their word to get it by the end of March and they have not supplied it...they are still doing it.
The reason for this is as follows:
1) I started this process at the end of December and Freeman Jones informed me 12 weeks from start to finish.
2) Freeman Jones then informed me what documents I would need to supply to get the ball rolling.
3) I duly provided all the documents they asked for which were all fully signed and dated by the persons involved. I sent this info special delivery.
4) I rang Freeman Jones about 2 / 3 days later to see if they had received everything they needed. They informed me they had and that everything was good to go.
5) I waited to get my draft report for me to read and sign and send back so Freeman Jones could set up the creditors meeting.
6) I rang 8 weeks later for an update and that is when I was informed that could take 12 to 16 weeks JUST TO WRITE THIS REPORT. I then complained as I was told 12 weeks from start to finish.
7) Complaint dealt with quickly and I was informed I would have my draft report to sign by the end of March
On the 24th March Freeman Jones rang me to tell me they DID NOT have everything they needed and that they required more info. This is contrary to the conversation I had with them in January when they stated they did have everything. They informed me they needed a copy of my parents passports to match their signatures to the letter they had signed stating they were providing the funds. My parents spend most of their time abroad in Turkey in their holiday home since they are both retired pensioners now. I asked why it has taken nearly 12 weeks to ask for this info when they originally said they had everything. Freeman Jones said they would look into it.
9) Freeman Jones rang me on the 25th March and told me, no sorry they got it wrong, it was a copy of my parents bank statement showing the funds leaving their account to mine that they needed even though the bank statement I provided from my bank account shows my mums name and the ref. numbers etc. against the deposit. I informed Freeman Jones that my parents are not in the country and are abroad for long periods at a time and they do not do internet banking ( The funds came from a Building Society account anyway which my parents do not get monthly statements for ), they have no land line phone and that we only communicated through e-mails when they are abroad and by mobile in emergency's due to the cost of the calls. They do not use Skype either ( They have only just learnt how to e-mail !! )
It was at this point I raised another complaint as I thought the service I was receiving was very unprofessional. The chap I spoke to said he would make a note of everything we had discussed and, since it was late, try and sort it out tomorrow. He informed me he would call me back the next day around 18.15
10) The next day I waited for an hour from 18.00 till 19.00 ( Freeman Jones office closing time ) for this phone call which I did not receive. Shocking service with no courtesy or manners. If you state you are going to ring someone then you should ring them even if you have no further news to give them!!
11) I rang Freeman Jones the next day and went through all the aforementioned again with someone else and they said they needed both my parents signatures and a copy of their bank statement....even through I told them they are now abroad with virtually no form of communication between us. IF THEY HAD ASKED FOR THIS INFO IN JANUARY WHEN I RANG THEM TO SEE IF THEY HAD EVERYTHING ( and they said yes we have ) THIS WOULD NOT NOW BE A HUGE PROBLEM which Freeman Jones have created.
The onus is now on me, through no fault of my own, to get this info from parents before any report can be sent to me for my creditors meeting. Thanks a lot.
I have now spent the best part of 3 days trying to get this information, driving here there and everywhere at my own expense to get them the info they require. My parents have had to make calls to the UK to friends and to the Building Society to get them to raise a document showing the funds leaving their account so I can go into the branch and pick it up. They have had to photocopy and fax over copies of their passports.
Nice one Freeman Jones. Getting Pensioners running around a foreign country doing this that and the other just because you can't do your job properly in a professional manner.
They scant manner in which we have been treated is disgraceful and I Have now made numerous complaints to Freeman Jones regarding all of the above.
I expected a certain level of professionalism from Freeman Jones which has been seriously lacking since I started this full and final offer saga.
I should have known really that this would not run smoothly. I was self employed for a while and I had to send my yearly accounts to Freeman Jones 3 TIMES over a two year period because they said they lost them and / or did not receive them !!
Let see what happens now. It makes me wonder if Freeman Jones just try to prolong this variation meeting for as long as possible just so they get more money in the way of fees since I am still paying a monthly contribution to them whilst this is ongoing.
I completely fed up with all this and it starting to get me down and annoyed which is the same way I felt before I started my IVA !!!
I chose Freeman Jones to help me and now I feel they are not working for me to the best of their ability and it's extremely disappointing.
