Mr & Mrs A - December 2016

We were introduced to The Claims Bureau through other satisfied clients. Our lives had been traumatised by huge financial losses incurred in Overseas Investments 6 years earlier with Instant Access Properties (IAP). We were advised to remortgage our house to the hilt and use this money to invest in overseas property investments. For some of these properties the developer went into liquidation (before they were built) and on those that did complete we were paying huge mortgages each month as the rental income is not there to cover the mortgages. The financial loss was a massive bitter pill to swallow but these investments were affecting our day to day lives and we felt we had been told lies by IAP.

The whole team at The Claims Bureau dealt with our claim from start to finish. They were fantastic and very professional in the way they handled our claim. We had to provide all the information so they could audit trail and build our case. We had written off the money we had lost in 2009 and were ecstatic when we received a letter from the FSCS in Dec 2016 advising us that we had been awarded just shy of £79000 compensation, all as a result of the persistence and tireless work of the team at The Claims Bureau.

We can’t thank them all enough for their efforts.

Mr E

Some years ago I was advised to re-mortgage my home in order to raise funds for an investment in buy-to-let property. I had placed my faith in a financial adviser who suggested I should take advantage of the booming property market and I was told that such an investment was risk free as the value of property would only ever go up and certainly never down. So, on the advice of my financial adviser I re-mortgaged my property on an interest only basis to release funds to purchase a buy-to-let in the UK. At the time I was never offered any advice with regards to paying off the capital element of the loan. Then the property market crashed and I was left with a buy-to-let in negative equity and I suffered a significant financial loss in the subsequent sale of the property. This caused a great deal of heartache and distress and forced me to cancel many of my plans for the future. After a number of years I had pretty much come to terms with my loss and had abandoned all hope of retrieving my money, then out of the blue I received a letter from the Claims Bureau. In it they informed me of the existence of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and that a claim could be made to recover my losses.

I have to say that I responded with little hope of success and forgot all about it until I received a call from them. Their approach right from the start was very efficient and professional. I followed their instructions, provided the necessary documentation and six months later I took another phone call informing me that my claim had been successful and I would be receiving £25,000.

I could hardly believe it! The news took some time to sink in. I could now go forward with some of the plans I’d abandoned years ago. Although the award did not cover the total of my losses it was a significant amount and I feel my life is now back on track. I simply cannot thank the Claims Bureau enough for all their advice and help.

Mr & Mrs C

To be honest – having suffered from a failed property investment that had left us in debt and with an interest only mortgage that we were now going to have problems paying off – when we were contacted by the Claims Bureau we were reluctant to rekindle any memories and ignored the paperwork they had sent. However, after a period of time and having been contacted again by the Claims Bureau, we began to deliberate whether or not to make a claim and even so we remained suspicious. It sounded too good to be true. Was it genuine? Could it be another scam?

We could not have been more wrong! Submitting a claim was the best thing we ever did. We found the Claims Bureau to be thoroughly professional. We gave them the details of what had happened and they did everything else, keeping us informed all the way. Now we have been awarded £32,000 and we still can’t believe it. It means that we can at long last pay off the debt we incurred and leave the past behind us. The future now looks a lot brighter thanks to the Claims Bureau. We can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done and we’d recommend them to anyone.

Dr & Mrs N

Following advice from Fuel Investment and Instant Access Properties (IAP) we remortgaged our home in October 2006 to withdraw equity and invest in an off-plan development in Florida. The whole process cost us more than £80,000 through fees to IAP and deposit on the property. The property was meant to be built by year 2010 but unfortunately the developer went bankrupt and by 2009 we became aware that our dream was not going to be realised. We were so disappointed, felt let down and suffered a significant financial loss which put a strain on our lives and our marriage. It was difficult to cope with this loss, so we contacted some lawyers in the USA, Urban Thier Federer & Jackson, P.A, with the hope of recovering as much as possible. Unfortunately, the only amount we could recover was the escrow of about £16,000. Despite many other attempts there was no further options available to the lawyers.

We were heartbroken, had a big mortgage on our property to deal with but had no investment property to show for it. Life was not easy and we explored every avenue to get back to IAP but IAP had also gone into liquidation and we could not get anything positive from this. We joined fellow IAP members to explore legal action but that did not produce any positive outcomes. This was really putting a lot of strain on us and we came to a point we felt that throwing more good money after bad money was not worth it. As difficult as it was we had to draw a line under this huge financial loss and try to move on with our lives and endeavour to overcome the big mess that had been created.

In March 2015, I received a call from The Claims Bureau (TCB), they understood that we had suffered a financial loss through inappropriate mortgage advice and they could help us recover some of the money through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). I confirmed that we were drawing a line under the matter as we have exhausted all legal avenues available and just wanted to forget about it and get on with our lives. I was aware of the existence of the FSCS but never imagined that we could approach them for compensation. At this point I did not believe that the TCB could help us in any way as I believed that we had exhausted all our options and just wanted to forget about the terrible experience. After listening they said that although there were no guarantees, the TCB would not be taking our case on a “no win no fees” basis if they did not believe that there is a high chance of success. I was still not very convinced but reluctantly agreed for them to send me an email with details and further information.

Due to the uncertainty I never gave the email the attention and urgency that it deserved. I did not provide the information requested and only did so in August 2015 after further encouraging phone calls and emails from TCB, prompting me and stressing the importance of us taking this forward. I vividly remember on one occasion when they called and after our conversation and encouragement, the gentleman jokingly said to me that “If you do not need this money, I do!” This was an eye opener to me (I do not know why) and that is the moment when the penny dropped, I became convinced and we began to believe that the TCB could actually help us to recover some of our financial loss. From there on I began to take the application process more seriously and provided additional information when required, although sometimes I still required to be prompted. There was further communication and provision of further information throughout the year 2016 and constant persistence, persuasion and encouragement from all the staff at TCB that I communicated with.

February 2017 (about 10 years after our financial loss) I received a call at work informing me that our claim has been upheld and we were successful. I came home that evening and received the letter from the FSCS confirming our award of approx. £76,000.00. My wife and I were astonished, excited and overwhelmed with joy and could not believe what had happened. It was like a dream come true and it has been a big relief to us and our financial situation. We have already booked a long family holiday this summer in Spain and the kids are really excited and looking forward to it. We are already planning to carry out some of the home improvements that we had been planning but could not afford.

We are now moving on with our lives with more optimism and certainty than before we came into contact with the Claims Bureau. We cannot thank TCB enough for their professionalism, patience and encouragement throughout the application process. We are particularly indebted to the persistence shown, without which we may never have progressed with the application. Words cannot really express how we feel. You (the TCB) have made such a big difference to our lives going forward. Thank you very much to all the staff at the TCB.

Mr & Mrs M

In 2007 we paid to join Instant Access Properties who promised we would make sufficient money from property investment over 10 years to ensure we had a decent sum put away to boost our pensions. This seemed like a good idea, since my husband had retired early and although I am 8 years younger than him, my teaching pension would be reduced once I reached retirement age because I had taken several years out of work in order to raise children.Acting on their advice, we took out a huge mortgage on our own property, which had been mortgage free, to fund the purchase of two UK properties and two more in the US. One of the US properties was off-plan; the other, a refurbished hotel condominium; both in Florida.Pretty soon it became evident that we had been misled about the rental market and indeed the whole business of hidden costs in property investment both at home and abroad.

Rental income was well below what we had been led to expect, set-up, management fees and maintenance costs were exorbitant. Soon we were pouring our own money into the properties, especially the US condominium, just to keep afloat. Despite visiting the Company and seeking help and advice, we found we were alone, with the situation exacerbated by the banking crisis and my redundancy. I managed to get another job, but we had to lease our house and move into rental for a year in a new location. We were unable to afford completion on the off-plan US property so we lost our deposit of £60,000, although I did manage to claw back a small sum from the escrow. Unable to afford mounting costs on the hotel condominium, we had to undertake a short sale, which meant the mortgage company took any monies and we got nothing back at all. It sold for about half what we had paid for it anyway. We sold our own house, repaying the outstanding mortgage with my pension lump sum and redundancy money, sold one of the UK properties and downsized.

By this stage, I had had to retire early to care for my husband, who has Alzheimer’s. We reckoned we were out of pocket by about £200,000 and although we still own one property, it is in negative equity which means that when we sell before the mortgage runs out next year (we can’t afford to remortgage) we will be further out of pocket. We were in despair because we would have to sell our current home and downsize further to cover this additional expense. We knew we’d been well and truly conned but we were angriest with ourselves for being so stupid, having turned our retirement into a nightmare rather than the comfortable lifestyle we had hoped for. However, we had resigned ourselves to never recouping any of our losses.

Then came a letter from the Claims Bureau. At first their offer of help seemed too good to be true. We phoned them up to check the details, and very patiently, they talked us through the process. Having been conned once, we were very worried this could be another con, but pretty soon we realised that this was a genuine, professional business that we could trust to work on our behalf. We began to get excited that we might actually get something back, and if that was the case, the Claims Bureau fee was entirely justified, because without their help, we would have nothing. All the personnel at the Claims Bureau with whom we dealt were professional, supportive and encouraging. Importantly, they also managed our expectations well. After all the stress of the past few years, that was a welcome relief. They were always ready to answer any questions and allay any anxieties. Then we were informed our claim was successful and we were to be awarded the full amount, so £100,000 (the maximum possible being £50,000 per claimant)… It is the most wonderful news and we still can’t get over the excitement. It isn’t everything we lost, but it’s a huge help. We can sell our remaining rental property and pay off its negative equity without having to sell our home to do so. We’ve been given a second chance, and it’s all thanks to the Claims Bureau.

We cannot recommend them highly enough.

Mr W

I first became aware of the Claims Bureau through a fellow Instant Access Properties (IAP) victim. We were members of the same group that had successfully reclaimed our money in Spain but a few of us still had lost deposits on UK and Florida property outstanding. I had already pursued legal and investigative means in Florida but had run out of options, so learning of a route through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) was good news.That said, I wanted to do my research as a few companies were offering the same services, or so I thought. I was, however, unable to find any other company that was able to prove they had successfully recovered funds from the FSCS on behalf of their clients for lost deposits in Florida due to negligent mortgage advice, in my case Fuel Investments Limited. I also spoke with other investors who had been successful with the Claims Bureau, so I decided to contact them and I’m so glad I did. The decision to ‘go with’ IAP has been stand-alone the worse decision of my life by some very clear distance. It has put me and my family through 9 years of uncertainty and strain, and me through a 4-year clinical depression. I lost my job and all sense of purpose as I could not see beyond the fact that I had given away over £100,000.

The developers in both my cases are now criminals, some convicted but another is currently in hiding. There is no recourse from these people. My recourse in Spain was from the bank that took our deposit money but Florida looked hopeless. For 5 years I spent on US lawyers and private investigators, all to no avail.

But it was then, in January 2016, that I was made aware of the Claims Bureau.From my initial contact I can honestly say that not only was my approach dealt with quickly and effectively but also with a great deal of sympathy toward what I’d been through and my present situation. Although they had probably heard it hundreds of times, I was not made to feel like a number, nor was I ever made to feel that they wanted to ‘get-off-the-phone’ despite my often rambling pretexts and petty questioning. The pre-claim process and information gathering was made easy for me to understand and again they listened to my incoherent responses. They even recovered mortgage information from my bank, despite the bank having told me that they only keep it for six years. The transition to a Claims Writer was smooth and before I knew it my claim had been submitted to the FSCS. I would hear within 6 months, but as it had been 8 or 9 years of pain and frustration, I couldn’t take in how fast this was all happening. Two and a half months later I got a call from the Claims Bureau to tell me that I had been awarded the maximum possible payment by the FSCS. To say I was over the moon is a ridiculous understatement, I just could not believe it. I still can’t while writing this!

Suffice to say that all IAP victims have been through a lot, some much more than others, but the impact on all our lives has been significant to say the least. We have all had the calls from companies looking to feed off our misfortune. They have websites and fancy testimonials.All I can say is do yourself a favour and contact the Claims Bureau. They can change your life and bring closure to what has been an awful saga. What’s more they will do it painlessly and quickly.

Deepest thanks. You have made me and my family whole again and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Mr & Mrs C-H

When our off-plan investment in Spain went pear-shaped, it put us under a lot of pressure both financially and emotionally. We had tried to claim back our investment through the Spanish courts, but to no avail and after paying thousands of Euros to solicitors who kept asking for more, in the end we gave up. But then along came the Claims Bureau who offered to support our case through a UK mis-selling route at no financial risk to ourselves.

We were very pleased with the service we received, they were professional and kept us informed with progress along the way. Because they are a UK company we had none of the problems of language barriers, interpreting foreign law or practices as we had when trying to deal directly with Spain. We would confidently recommend that anyone who feels they may have been mis-sold a property investment anywhere in the world, makes use of the excellent services of the Claims Bureau. You really do have nothing to lose.

Finally, we can put to bed 8 years of worry and stress. Thank you the Claims Bureau.

Mr & Mrs S

Mr & Mrs S, like thousands of others, were impressed by what IAP had to tell them. By remortgaging their home with Fuel Investments they could release the capital tied up in their bricks and mortar and invest it, at discounted rates, in other property. They chose an off-plan apartment in the Grand Palisades resort, Florida, confident in the potential of a quality apartment in a tourist area in the vacation capital of the world’s leading economic power. What could go wrong? As it turned out, quite a bit.

The Florida property was never built and Mr & Mrs S lost their money but were still left with an increased mortgage on their home. They tried everything they could and ultimately came to believe that they had exhausted all possibilities. Their money was lost forever. Mrs S explains; “We were highly sceptical when, out of the blue, we took a call from the Claims Bureau. We immediately thought of PPI claims companies and others like them, but we listened and were soon persuaded by their empathy, knowledge and the track record of success they had built up. We had no idea we were able to make such a claim.

It took quite a while of working with them to gather all the necessary information, but once we had they wrote our case and we were informed to expect a decision in around 6 months’ time. 24 days later I noticed a missed call on my phone asking me to ring the Claims Bureau. By the time I picked up the message it was after office hours and I assumed that it would just be a request for further information, so I told myself I’d call in the morning, but before I could we had a letter drop on the doormat from the FSCS saying our claim had been successful.

I was speechless, I could not believe the speed of the decision or the amount we had received. We were very sceptical whether we would receive any money at all, and we weren’t expecting to hear either way for a long time. We couldn’t believe it! This is money we absolutely thought we’d never see again. The Claims Bureau were so efficient and it was obvious that they really cared about what they were doing. It was definitely worth the effort to gather all our paperwork and forms. We can now pay-off a large part of our mortgage and begin to look positively at our retirement planning. This money will make a vast difference to our lives. I feel quite liberated by it.

Thank you Claims Bureau.”

Mr H

"The best thing I ever did was replying to The Claims Bureau. When I was asked to provide all the paperwork it was a bit daunting. Rob at 'TCB' was extremely versed in getting me to do all the paperwork. I thought I might get £5 to £10 thousand, but when I got the call from The Claims Bureau I was amazed and elated. Thank you to Rob and The Claims Bureau."

Mr P

The process has been long with many question to answer. This was handled with lots of help from The Claim Burau, your guidance and help gave us a successful outcome. Once again, many thanks for your support and patience. Big thank you to Rob and Diane.

Mr P - March 2020

Having suffered at the hands of Instant Access Properties & Fuel Investments with two failed property investments, we decided to try to live with the naivety/stupidity of our decision and move on from the emotional and financial impact of our lives.

However, whilst filing some documents we found a letter from The Claims Bureau and decided to have one last try to see if we could recover some of our lost funds, so we gave them a call.

Initially sceptical of what they could do for us, we met with Diane who talked us through the process and gradually our scepticism was replaced with positivity.

Diane was professional, showed empathy and was helpful throughout the claims process.

Although the pay-out by the FSCS wasn't large, we are grateful that The Claims Bureau have assisted us in recovering some of the funds and we would definitely recommend them.

Thank-you for your support.

Mr G

Since losing my pension to a financial advisor and investment company I was wary of dealing with any such organisations ever again, but The Claims Bureau was suggested by my solicitor, a person I trusted and respected.

I had taken redundancy from Royal Mail and set out on a few ventures of my own. I had started a small window blind fitting service and had bought a public hire taxi to keep the cash coming in as the blind business grew. Everything was going according to plan until 2007-08 and the big crash. Sales fell in the business and it seemed that everyone in the construction sector had a taxi as backup, the streets were flooded with cabs! My business got into debt and credit cards seemed the short term answer, until I could capitalise on my pension which I had invested. As it turned out very unwisely.

My wife and I worked hard and to get through the worst times, the kids knew that belts had to be tightened and we got by. There were no family holidays and Christmases were happy but lean. I found my wife crying a few times, these were the hardest moments as I felt that I had let her down but she stood by me and that gave me strength.

I wasn’t overly confident in making a claim but I filled out the forms and set things in motion. It wasn’t long before I got a call from The Claims Bureau. The caller didn’t promise riches and a speedy end to my case, but with great clarity and professionalism explained what the situation was, who the FSCS were and how the claim would progress. After the call I was left with a clear picture of what I had to provide to The Claims Bureau and what would happen next. I had a few calls over the months that followed, some were to report on the progress and others were just to let me know that it was a slow process and not to worry if there was nothing to say right now. Although I was not expecting much, these calls let me know that someone was in my corner without raising hopes too high.

When the FSCS were near to making their determination, The Claims Bureau kept me informed.

I couldn’t recommend The Claims Bureau enough, courtesy, support and contactable are words I would use to describe them but if I only had one word it would be professionalism. Their manner and approach instilled a quiet confidence. They were clear and exact when giving or asking for information and in all communications. There are very few companies who were as prompt when settling when the award came through.

Mr D & Mrs J-M

Having replied to an ad in a national paper way back in 2009, my wife and I were persuaded to purchase 2 properties in the Caribbean, which were to take no more than 3 years to complete. In order to fund the initial deposit we took out a second mortgage on our home.However, our investment soon met with delay after delay and with no end in sight we desperately searched for a way out. That’s why we contacted The Claims Bureau for help to end our misery over the last 3 years and try to recover our money.

To our great relief a recovery was achieved! £86,849.20 by way of compensation, upheld by the FSCS. We wish to thank the staff of The Claims Bureau for their help and understanding and for keeping us informed as an when required. Thanks to the efforts of The Claims Bureau our lives have been given back to us and the pressure of debt has been removed.

Mr & Mrs S

We foolishly invested in 2010 when my Husband’s self employment was affected due to the recession and we found that I only had my salary to pay for all the bills, so in a panic we looked to re-mortgage and was sold the idea of investing in a Harlequin development which would give us a lump sum in retirement and pay off the mortgage. Naively at the time we thought this was a win/win situation which turned out to be far from the truth. So when the interest payments stopped in 2012 we were very concerned and then found out our investment was valued at nil rating. Being so close to retirement we did not have time on our side to recoup the financial losses we were faced with and then after being made redundant myself, we really thought that we might lose our house as well. I was fortunate to be given some money when I lost my job but ended up having to live off that for some months while both of us secured new lower paid jobs.

When we initially looked into things we were advised that we had no redress as the investment we made was not sold to us by a regulated company, however, the Claims Bureau informed us that we did in fact have redress as we were sold the re-mortgage of our home to make the investment by a regulated company who were covered at the time. So we instructed them to act of our behalf.To be awarded this sum of money will greatly ease our financial crisis and for us there truly is now light at the end of the tunnel.They were always prompt in their replies to us and were very emphatic and understanding in answering any questions we had. We found them to be very human and kind to our situation and they prioritised our claim with the FSCS.

We cannot and will not hesitate to recommend the Claims Bureau to anyone else who has lost money through poor advice. They are real champions and a saving grace.

Mr & Mrs P

Our first contact with the Claims Bureau was when we received a phone call suggesting the Bureau could assist us via the FSCS in making a claim for monies lost in an investment with Harlequin Holiday Properties.

Previously we had spoken to the Claims Bureau and at that time they were unable to assist us and we had virtually written off our investment. As we had made this investment to augment our pensions on retirement this loss was a devastating blow for us.

Over the past six years we have tried to recoup this loss via different companies but unfortunately with no avail. When we were contacted by the Bureau we were surprised and sceptical at our claim being reopened with the possibility of recouping our investment.

We were asked to complete various forms, and several phone calls were made and discussions took place with Diane Ingram from the Bureau requesting information which was required to assist in the reimbursement of our claim. Diane was professional, pleasant and very efficient, and gave us hope that we could recoup our investment. We were regularly kept informed of progress.

We were totally amazed when we received a call from Diane to say the FSCS had agreed our claim and we would be reimbursed with our investment.

After eight years when we initially made this investment we can put this episode behind us and enjoy our retirement.

We would like to say a big thank you to the Claims Bureau for all the hard work which took place and being successful in the reimbursement of our claim.

Mr & Mrs H

Dear Diane, now that the dust has settled and we have got our breaths back I am writing to say a big thank you from Mr & Mrs H for the hard work to recover the lost money that came from the bad advice we were given.

It is a shame that events went so badly for the Buccament Bay project as it was a marvelous concept and the actual resort was lovely. We did visit it and had a gorgeous week there.

My wife thought I was wasting my time sorting out all the paperwork and sending it to you but The Claims Bureau came through with a wonderful result.

I know you have a good commission from the return but we would not have any return if it were not for you.

Thanks to all those involved with the successful claim.

Mrs R

Our claim was taken care of with great communication and professionalism. We were regularly kept up to date on what was going on with our claim. It did take a while to get the result we needed, which was a successful result, but we got there in the end. We would like to thank everyone who helped with our case, especially Georgina Toy who really helped us and guided us through it all.

Mr K & Mrs B

We would like to thank you and the claims Bureau for your works in achieving the compensation claim which has really helped give us some closure and much needed financial relief, which was unexpected a year ago but very welcome now finalised. Thank you and we wish everyone at the Claims Bureau the best and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Mr & Mrs M

The Claims Bureau listened very sympathetically to our story, which wasn’t one we had told many people as we were embarrassed. Everything we said they were accepting of and they reassured us that our story was actually common and we weren’t on our own. Whilst this was a positive experience we still came away from our first conversation quite sceptical as such a long period of time had lapsed and other attempts (Legal Action against Ocean view Properties and providing information to Liquidators) had come to nothing. Our lives had been so impacted by our financial loss. We had been advised to use monies secured to build our own house to invest in overseas properties instead, capitalise on the ‘boom’ and that we would have plenty of money to build our own home with a very low mortgage remaining. Sounds too good to be true, but we placed our trust in our then financial adviser. As a result we had to watch every penny, limiting our activities, what we provided for our children and proceeding to build our house on a shoe string budget. Within all of this we also had to move in with relatives (who weren’t aware of our situation) for 2 years, squeezed in to a small house with two children. There were many tears and arguments over this period and it placed a huge strain on our marriage.

As my interactions with The Claims Bureau became more regular (usually by email but sometimes by telephone) we became a bit more confident in the process. Nothing was too much trouble and their correspondence with me was always professional, efficient, honest and relevant. I felt like I knew the person behind the email. The Claims Bureau made sense of all the paperwork and dealt with the FSCS directly. Remarkably, I received a letter from the FSCS 7 years after we lost our money, to say that we were being awarded approximately £81,000. Words cannot describe my emotions on that day and every day since. I can feel myself welling up inside as I write this testimonial. The relief and impact on our family has been amazing; paying off several loans, a lump sum of our mortgage, having more disposable income and currently doing some home improvements which I envisaged would take years. We can now move on with our lives and put this horrendous episode behind us thanks to The Claims Bureau. From the bottom of my heart I thank you and we will be indebted to your professionalism and expertise forever.

Mr & Mrs C

When my wife and I first spoke with the Claims Bureau back in 2013, our dream holiday property which was sold to us by our Financial Adviser, had left a ridiculous amount of debt hanging over our heads, with an interest-only mortgage we had no means of paying off and the very real prospect of losing the house we lived in. After being kicked down so many times from the point of our investment, I had truly reached a position where I felt there was simply no hope.

However, the first conversations we had with the team at the Claims Bureau were nothing but positive. It was great to speak to a group of professionals who not only clearly knew the industry inside out, but also showed a great deal of sympathy toward our situation. Much to my surprise, it was really easy to get the ball rolling toward compensation. The guys ran me through their application forms, and all I had to do was complete the relevant sections, give them a general overview of our story and provide some paperwork. From this point, they handled everything else. Throughout this period, it was great to know that there was always someone at the Claims Bureau to talk to over the phone to put our minds at ease.

Finally after all these years I had some very real hope for a brighter future and maybe I could put all of this mess behind me. A few months down the line I got a call from one of the team to say that my case had been packaged up and sent off to the FSCS, and these were the people who would eventually determine whether or not I would get my money back. All I could do now was keep my fingers crossed. Before too long, I received a letter through the post with the best possible news – thanks to the Claims Bureau our application for compensation had been accepted and they would be paying out £86,000!

I simply couldn’t believe my eyes, it was just an amazing feeling knowing that I would be able to keep my house with a manageable mortgage. I am very grateful for the work done by the Claims Bureau, and can honestly say they changed my life.

Mr & Mrs F

We were introduced to The Claims Bureau through Russell and Company Solicitors. Ten years earlier a mortgage broker had given us advice on releasing the equity in our house by re-mortgaging through him and using the funds to invest in properties in the UK and overseas. Under his guidance, we borrowed to the max and the monies were paid into the broker’s own property company. Within weeks of re-mortgaging our home and borrowing huge sums to invest in the properties, the banking crisis of 2007 struck.

Our broker continued to get us to release funds to invest in his property company, leading us to believe that all was fine and we could trust him – and we foolishly did trust him. The company went into liquidation and all monies were lost. We had tens of thousands of pounds added to our house mortgage and no assets to show for our money. We never heard from our financial broker after that.

We were under huge financial pressure just to meet the interest payments on our borrowings, which put enormous personal stress on our whole family – at several points, we thought we might have to walk away from our home and declare ourselves bankrupt. Having almost given up hope, our introduction to The Claims Bureau was the first time in 10 years when we dared to think we might get some resolution. Our contact there was Keith Merritt, who directed us through the whole process. He was always on hand to help with any queries, he was patient and friendly in his approach (knowing we were complete novices to the process) and he gave us confidence that we had a strong case for the miss-selling of our mortgage.

In August 2017 we received good news from the FSCS that we were to be awarded the maximum allowance of £100,000 for a joint claim. Although this did not cover all of our losses it was life-changing for us. Enabling us now to plan for our financial future.

For the past 10 years a very dark cloud has hung over us, affecting many aspects of our lives and that of our family, but thanks to the professional experts at The Claims Bureau, we now have a much brighter future – we would not have achieved this result without them and we can’t thank them enough for their assistance. We would strongly recommend anyone going through a similar situation to get in touch with The Claims Bureau and seek their advice.

Mr & Mrs S

And having almost completed it used a large amount of equity generated in it to invest in some Off Plan properties in America and Spain based on the financial advice to “diversify in different countries as one country may suffer recession but not all”. The collapse of the world economy made a mockery of that advice. So after we lost, what to us, was a lot of money in our property investments in America and Spain and after attending endless alternative ‘financial rescue’ meetings trying to offset those losses, we had written off any chance of retrieving any of the deposited monies on our off plan property investments. We did manage to recoup a small amount from what was left in the ESCROW Account in America using an American litigator but the outcome left us with large financial gaps in our life’s financial plan. Fortunately, I was able to continue working even though we were close to retirement. Unfortunately, we had insufficient time to await the resurgence of the property markets and had no funds to re-invest anyway.

Born out of a barrage of unsolicited phone calls I had innate scepticism of any cold calling claims company promising the return of the monies we had invested since most of the companies were from the very countries we had lost our money to. I also suspected that many of the claims companies were affiliated with the very companies that had lost our monies or they had purchased our details from those failed companies. On my own initiative, I searched online and found ‘The Claims Bureau’ – a company in the UK who took the information I provided initially and more realistically promised nothing until we had provided more information and they had given an initial review. The Claims Bureau then provide my wife and me with some confidence that there was a possibility that we could claim compensation through the FSCS. We knew nothing of the FSCS and its purpose prior to consulting The Claims Bureau. Our contacts with The Claims Bureau became more intense and personalised over the next few months.

We dealt initially with Rebekah Gary, and later, Katie Bishop. Both gave us really supportive guidance in the information gathering process. We were always treated with respect and politeness and our queries patiently and professionally responded to without patronisation and explained in layman’s terms. Our ignorance of legal matters and most other legal processes was also dealt with as a matter of course. The sheer volume of paperwork that required sorting through in order to validate our claim requirements was enormous and again all taken in their stride. Gradually our scepticism melted away and our trust in The Claims Bureau developed into a slow realisation that there was a real possibility of compensation and we dared to start thinking positively.

We were absolutely delighted when trust in The Claims Bureau came to fruition much quicker than expected with a decision letter from the FSCS awarding us £64,872.18 in compensation (some 8 years after we lost our investments). This has made so much difference to our life plans now because it will allow us to do the things we had planned to do in retirement that would not otherwise have been financially viable. We are so very grateful not least because the trust we placed in the Claims Bureau was justified but also because of the life improvement benefits the relief of the financial burden has made to my wife and I and our wider family. Thank you.

Anonymous Off Plan Property Investor

Thanks so much to the team at The Claims Bureau. It was a long slog over 2.5 years…. and to be honest I didn’t hold out a great amount of hope. I’d always wanted to become a property investor, but didn’t know how to, so I was an easy catch and had been mesmerised by the sales pitch and bought into something that turned out to be fresh air… very expensive fresh air… It was a long while ago – over 10 years ago and I’d put it down to an expensive learning and carried on, picked up the pieces as best I could and swept it under the carpet.

Then I came into contact with The Claims Bureau. They told me that some people had won their case against this company and there was a good chance I could receive compensation… I didn’t hold out much hope, didn’t want another letdown…

But the team (and I think I must have had some sort of contact with most, if not all of them!) soldiered on and kept persevering on my behalf. They didn’t leave a stone unturned. There was a lot of searching through paperwork that I had, and then they helped me by contacting banks and other places to get all the evidence together. Then yesterday, I had the best news! Katie called to congratulate me saying that I had won my case and was going to receive compensation! And as it happens, even after their fees, I’m still up on what they had originally said I might be eligible to win!

I almost couldn’t believe it – I’d pretty much written the whole thing off! It was worth it in the end, perseverance definitely pays off! I’m feeling blessed and thankful. The payout will help me pay off some expensive debts and help me face the future with more confidence.

A huge thank you to Katie, Laura, Peter, Rhianna, Nicholas, Rebekah, Georgina and anyone else who was directly or indirectly involved in this amazing outcome.

If you have a case you would like to be settled and want someone to fight your cause, I’d be more than happy to recommend you take a look at this amazing team.

Mr & Mrs W

When Mr W lost his job, he and his wife decided to look around for a suitable place to invest his redundancy pay – somewhere that would provide a steady growth and an income in their retirement. That’s when Instant Access Properties (IAP) caught their eye. Having decided to attend a seminar in Gatwick, Mr & Mrs W listened to IAP describe the opportunities for investing Mr & Mrs W in off-plan property overseas – buy it cheap and at a discount, wait until it’s built and enjoy the increased value and ongoing rental income. It was just what they were looking for and along with thousands of others they chose to invest.

However, it soon became apparent that their Spanish property was subject to serious delays and after a number of increasingly worrying conversations, IAP began to make promises that they would refund Mr & Mrs W their money. Needless to say, that refund also began to be subject to some serious delays. IAP then offered Mr & Mrs W the opportunity to forget their Spanish home and reinvest their deposit with them somewhere else – an offer the couple declined. Eventually the company confessed that they would need more money to complete their Spanish build, money that Mr & Mrs W did not have and so they were faced with little choice other than to walk away and call it all a loss. Mrs W says, “We were devastated. The whole experience was soul destroying and we wished we’d never been involved.”

Over the years Mr & Mrs W received numerous offers of help, many of which asked for money upfront to take on their case. But Mr & Mrs W no longer had the funds to gamble anything in an attempt to claim their money back, and besides, they were naturally reluctant to throw more good money after bad. Eventually, 11 years after they first attended the seminar with IAP, Mr & Mrs W were contacted by the Claims Bureau. “We were very sceptical,” said Mrs W, “We had accepted the fact that we’d made a huge mistake and we’d never see the money again. We hadn’t even mentioned the loss to our two grown-up daughters as we didn’t want to cause worry or rake over the whole experience and most of all we really didn’t want to build up our hopes for them all to be dashed again. But the Claims Bureau were very calm and told us that they would never make any promises they couldn’t keep and besides, we wouldn’t have to pay a penny until such a time as our claim was successful.”

“As it turned out because we had invested cash and not re-mortgaged our home, our claim was a little more complex than usual and it didn’t look like the Claims Bureau would be able to help. But they told us that they wouldn’t give up and they’d keep in touch. Then a few months later they called us about a new development in Spanish Law. The bank that took our deposit should have kept that money to one side, but they didn’t and instead paid it over to the developer, who went bust. Now we could use this new ruling to make a claim against the bank in Spain. - When it was explained it all seemed very confusing but the Claims Bureau made the process so smooth. They told us exactly what we’d need to provide and when we’d need to provide it. They even arranged a notary for us, who witnessed our signatures (a requirement under Spanish Law). At last, we had a glimmer of hope and people who really did want to help us.”

“The solicitor in Spain was amazing. He was so confident and both he and the Claims Bureau were always approachable and reassuring. - Then we received the phone call and I’m still in shock mode! The Spanish Court had awarded us all our money back plus an amount of interest to be paid on top! It was at long last an end to all those years of stress and a huge weight from our shoulders.”

“The whole process was much quicker than we’d ever imagined and we still can’t believe we have money back that we never thought we’d see again. More than that, we’re no longer living with any bitter feelings of being ripped off. My husband has early stage Alzheimer’s and so we’re going to take a nice holiday, something we can appreciate and enjoy together and hopefully create some strong memories that can be clung to in the future. - I have to say that we think you are the people. If anybody still has a little doubt, believe me, you can’t be anymore doubtful than we were but the Claims Bureau made it all so easy and now we have our self-esteem and our money back. Thank you the Claims Bureau.”

Mr & Mrs B

We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to The Claims Bureau, and more especially to Martin de la Herran and his team, based there in Spain. We had to pass the part complete Villa on an everyday basis for about 10 years, knowing to a degree we had taken a chance starting the build and had already 'written off' the €70k + paid to date. When a friend passed on your company details we lived in hope that we might have a chance of some money back. So we did, and almost all that we had paid out. Thanks again

Mr G

The Claims Bureau have been really good at sorting my claim out. I didn't think I would get anything and they sorted everything out for me. I would really like to thank all of them for doing a first class job.

Mr M

The Claims Bureau has been excellent for us. It took us a while to sign the authorisation forms to allow them to pursue our case, as we procrastinated a bit and were a little unsure. However they were patient and comprehensive with us. We were pleased to utilise their services.

Mr & Mrs W

The Claims Bureau were extremely helpful in guiding us through the claim from beginning to end. They were very patient and gave us guidance in obtaining supporting documents. Their excellent work resulted in a successful compensation payout for us.

Miss A

Friendly staff, efficient service. Fast response to queries. Very pleased with successful outcome.

Mr & Mrs B - October 2019

We are extremely grateful to Jim and the team for keeping us updated throughout the progress of our failed property investment claim and we built a really good relationship with them. Within a relativley short time we were delighted to recieve a compensation payment for the FSCS.

Mr & Mrs C

Our relationship with The Claims Bureau was above excellent:

• Reliable
• Efficient
• Fast
• Kept informed at all times

Personal contact with Diane Ingram who always took face to face time to explain exactly what was happening. We enjoyed a totally professional service which was way above our expectations. Thank you very much.

Mrs S

Dear Rob & all your team, Hallelujah! I can't tell you how relieved and pleased I am! It's all been a bit of a nightmare. But now it's over, and I can't thank you all enough. You've done a wonderful job. I couldn't have done it on my own! I can now pay off some bills and loans, and should have some left over for Christmas. The last few have been a bit meagre! I hope you can be as successful with everyone else that you are dealing with. Happy Christmas and thank you all again.

Mrs S

Excellent service, all done very politely and efficiently, and a very pleasing result. Thank you.

Mr & Mrs B

Dear Rob,

First of all may we say how relieved we are that you have obtained such a good result on our behalf.

Throughout the time this has taken we have been impressed with your professionalism and empathy and patience and we are so grateful for all your efforts.

Thank you seems inadequate but it’s heartfelt.

Mr S & Mrs H

Throughout this process we were kept well informed with helpful, professional advice. We would highly recommend the service of The Claims Bureau. Our claim was speedy and successful and we are delighted we the outcome.

Mr & Mrs C

In mid 2019 we realised that our El Cupey investment has disappeared following the collapse of London Capital & Finance some months earlier. Researching this on the internet lead us to look at The Claims Bureau website and subsequently talk to one of their Financial Claims Experts. From inital conversations it was obvious that they had considerable experience in dealing with El Cupey investors and has already successfully dealt with a number of claims against the company with the FSCS. Over the next few weeks we provided all the information required so that The Claims Bureau could produce and submit our claim to the FSCS. Luckily about 2 and a half months later, after it was submitted we heard that the claim had been upheld and that a full reimbursement would be made. Our thanks to The Claims Bureau for the work that they did for us which was very professionally executed.

Brother of Mr & Mrs M

It is to your personal credit that you have pursued this claim with such professionalism, effectiveness and always with genuine concern and empathy for the well-being of the clients. I cannot thank you enough nor commend your efforts high enough in delivering such a very positive outcome. I wish you much continued success & will have no hesitation in recommending your services to anyone I encounter who are facing similar challenges.

Mr F - March 2020

The Claims Bureau have been excellent with my claim. I thank them dearly and will recommend them to all my friends and relations.

Mr & Mrs S - March 2020

Since my first telephone call the service received has been first class. Replies to emails has always been immediate and all requirements have been clearly and fully set out and explained. We can only express our complete and sincere satisfaction with an excellent service and result achieved.