Terms of engagement

Who you are dealing with

Wealth Claims Bureau is a trading name of Vehicle Direct Redress Limited, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 1036495, for regulated claims management activities. Our registered office is The Atrium, Ground Floor, 18 to 20 Frederick Street, Birmingham B1 3HE.

You do not have to use us

You can complain directly to the firm for free, and if you are not satisfied you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free. Using us does not make the firm or the Ombudsman act any faster. If going direct, or accepting a firm’s own free offer, is the better option for you, we will tell you so.

What we will do

• A no-obligation initial review. We assess what you have and explain, in plain English, whether your case appears to have an arguable basis. We will tell you honestly if it does not.
• Evidence and complaint. If we proceed, we gather the right documents, and after your cooling-off period, present a fact-specific complaint to the firm.
• Outcome and escalation. We keep you updated at material stages and, where suitable and with your agreement, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to you.

We will update you within 10 days of any material change, and at least every six months.

What we will not do

We are not a law firm and we are not financial advisers. We do not give legal, tax or investment advice, and we will not tell you what to do with your pension or your investments. Where you need that, we will point you to independent advice.

We cannot guarantee any outcome. Each case depends on its facts, its evidence and the time limits that apply to it.

What it costs

There is no upfront fee. We are only paid if your complaint succeeds and you receive money back. Our success fee is a percentage of what you receive, within the FCA fee cap, plus VAT.

Every band is published in full on our fees page, together with a worked example and the situations in which you pay nothing at all.

Any money awarded is paid directly to you by the firm. We never hold your money. Our fee becomes due when you accept compensation and is payable within 14 days of the money reaching your account.

Your 14 day cooling-off period

After your merits consultation you have 14 days to cancel at no cost, for any reason. You can cancel by phone, email, in writing, in person, or using the cancellation form. Any clear form of words is enough.

There is no fee whatsoever if you cancel within those 14 days, even if we had already started work, and your documents are returned to you. Your complaint is not submitted to the firm until the cooling-off period ends.

If you cancel later

An early termination fee may apply, charged at £100 per hour for the work completed up to that point including VAT, and capped so that it can never exceed the success fee that would have applied.

What we need from you

• Information that is accurate and complete, as far as you know it.
• To tell us if you have already complained to the firm, accepted a refund, or been contacted by its own review programme.
• To tell us if another claims company or solicitor is already acting for you on the same matter.
• To tell us if you are bankrupt, or in an IVA, a debt relief order or similar, because redress may be offset against your debts.
• To pass on any correspondence you receive from the firm.

If the firm has already offered you something

You may already be entitled to a refund directly from the firm without needing a representative. We check this before you sign anything, and if that is the better option for you we will set out the cost and benefit and tell you to take it.

Accepting a full and final settlement may prevent you making any future claim against the same firm about the same matter. We will explain that before you decide.

Your information

How we collect, use and share your information is set out in our privacy notice.

If you are unhappy with us

Our complaints procedure explains how to tell us and what we will do. If we do not put it right you can refer your complaint to the Claims Management Ombudsman free of charge.

Ending this agreement

You can end it at any time. The cooling-off and early termination positions above set out what, if anything, is payable.

Liability and governing law

[To be drafted and legally reviewed.]