Jonosi, this appears to be how GT have dealt with this by keeping us in the dark and to say it had been on the forum is ridiculous and as you say not acceptable. There is an expert from GT on the forum called Karol who will apparently reply to emails and push your case if you put IVA Forum in the subject, I sent one last Sunday which was quite critical of their customer services and again no response. I have also noted that Karol last logged onto the forum Friday but she has not commented on any if my posts. I spoke to GT in November 2011 and was told my case would be closed in December, they knew about the VAT issue and this was not mentioned, I rang again last month and was then told about it. I am so fed up with the way they have dealt with this I will be making a formal complaint to their regulators, it won't do any good but will make me feel better, wax told it would take 3 to 6 months to complete and now approaching month 10.
I will escalate these concerns to the Grant Thornton partners tomorrow, as there seem to be a few disgruntled clients at the moment and they ought to be made aware of this. I know both of them very well and they will be concerned to note this feedback.
That would be very helpful Melanie. I appreciate the backlog may be causing severe delays for them but it doesn't help that they don't keep their clients updated on matters as they must be receiving thousands of phone calls from people looking for updates.
I appreciate that it isn't quite so simple but even if they were to offer general advice on the estimated revised time to process completions.
Mel,
my issue (similar to Mark's), is not a personal one regarding Gillian (in fact, I am not sure I have ever even spoken to her), rather the 'Don't call us, we'll call you' attitude of the company. And also while I totally appreciate actually hearing the result of a VAT claim back may take MONTHS (if not even years), to be told HMRC have not even ACKNOWLEDGED RECEIPT of their claim is hard to swallow...
I personally would get a bit concerned if I had sent an important application/claim to a firm, and be still unaware if they had received it or not 3 MONTHS later... that is my main issue. I would be chasing that firm to tell me if they had received it or not. That is the first step. I don't even care if they approve the claim or not - nothing to do with me - it's about pro-activity on a professional basis, and as others have pointed out - basic customer service to a Client who has paid you THOUSANDS of pounds for a service - we are not charity cases, and could have taken our business elsewhere.
As long as I am being treated as I see it like dirt, then I too shall drag the name of the firm - Tenon - also down in the dirt in public forums such as this.
Sorry, Loopfish, but why should Tenon be dragged down for the failing of HMRC (who, incidentally, don't acknowledge reciept of anything, these days)?
It might be hard to swallow that they have not had any ackwoledgement, but this is not confined to Tenon. None of the IP's are getting acknowledgements, or refunds, at the moment.
I know from personal experience that communicating with HMRC makes swimming through treacle seem easy!
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
OK Loopfish ... none of the IP's I have spoken to, or been in communication with. I am not speaking for all the other IP's. merely trying (unsucessfully it seems) to inject some perspective.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
Getting any form of communication out of Tenon has been like getting blood out of a stone. When I do pluck up the courage to speak to them, I do so knowing full well I will not hear anything that indicates to me that the company is even vaguely interested in trying to answer my questions, or (heaven forbid!) actually look at closing off my IVA, even on an individual basis.
The perspective from myself (and probably hundreds of others) is that I have stuck to the terms agreed in what has already been a very stressful time, leading up to, arranging, and then completing the IVA, and then to have the whole thing drag on for a YEAR after it really should have been closed off, just for the sake of a couple of hundred pounds that is going to be dissolved into the cost of keeping this all open anyway. Where's the perspective in that?
Maybe other debtors have had better experiences with their IPs, and I can see from other posts here that there are IPs who ARE closing cases...I am relaying how my experience with Tenon has been, and is still.
Loopfish, I have mentioned on previous posts that according to ICAEW guidance the IP's are entitled to charge a fee for time spent resolving the VAT issue on a case by case basis, additional fees have to be agreed by creditors by way of a variation meeting, I suspect this will compound and increase the delay in closing cases. They are also not obligated to make a claim for the VAT if they deem the amount left over after fees are deducted is negligible to the creditors. I will be asking GT if they have claimed VAT bank on my case, if they have charged fee's, how much was left over for creditors and has this increased the delay in closing my case !!!
Yes, Loopfish. I do understand just how frustrating in the extreme the whole thing is. However, the firms that are closing now have only just started and many IVA'ers are having these problems. Hopefully Tenon will be getting their act together shortly.
I also understand your frustrations regarding contacting Tenon. I, too, found them uncommunicative, however and email direct to my IP sorted that and my experience has been much improved.
With regard to your questioning perspective, I am sorry to say that you appear to be losing yours in something which is beyond your, and your IP's, control. You are attacking your IP because of the shortcomings of HMRC, now you are attacking me over the apparent shortcomings of your IP!
Try emailing your IP direct ... and remember, you will trap more bees with jam, not many with vinegar.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
As I have been constantly lambasting Grant Thorntons customer services on this forum I feel it only fair to let everyone know that I have finally received a call from Karol. I have been informed that my case will be closed, name removed from IVA register & completion certificate sent within 5 to 10 days. I had my say and was probably a bit abrupt on the phone but wanted to get across my frustration and that of fellow GT customers who feel they have been kept in the dark and not informed. I appreciate at this time and probably for months to come Karol will have a difficult job on her hands to keep customers happy. I hope everyone else on the forum awaiting closure get this a.s.a.p. unfortunately the onus appears on us to keep pushing but its worth it once you get the reply.
Glad to see its on its way to being sorted Mark, however as you say GT are being brought up lots in the forum of late for problems over completion or communication, hopefully this is something that can be sorted internally and soon!
IVA completion and certificate received 08/10/2012!!!
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
Great news Mark and well done to Karol and GT for sticking their heads above the parapet. We all make mistakes but it is how we deal with problems and queries that we are judged. Good job all round and glad you did not 'shoot the messenger'.
Great news Mark, atleast someone has a postive answer. I wonder if my long delayed case will be settled in a similar timescale as I was quoted that my case was to be closed but I didn't get told that my certificate will be with me by any given time. Maybe a call to GT is needed here as I do hope they are dealing with the longest awaiting clients first.
Last edited by jonosi on Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
