Send a wake up call to the Board of the British Association of Removers

Over recent years members of the British Association of Removers have seen their membership costs increase, with a real time decrease in benefits. Members now receive very few real tangible benefits from the Association, like advertising, leaving members to promote the Association at their own cost. Repeatedly the Board, without members’ direct permission, have tried to enroll members in schemes which are expensive and administratively burdensome. Up until recently one of the advantages of the BAR was their arbitration and conciliation service, the costs of which were originally included in the membership fee.

Last year the Board decided, without consultation, that members should meet the cost of this themselves and reached an agreement with the Property Ombudsman to undertake this service with a charge of £250 or £350 to be met by member per complaint. No reduction in membership fee was offered to members. By doing so the Board have committed the very people they should be representing in to large additional costs over and above the large membership fee.

The Property Ombudsman 'The Facts'

1. If a customer has any concerns about any element of a service they have received from a member, they are directed to TPO.

2. Absolutely any concern is a valid complaint, including minor issues such as arriving a few minutes late.

3. TPO will consider any complaint with or without a final view point letter.

4. TPO will consider a complaint even if legal proceedings are ongoing.

5. TPO will consider a complaint even if a substanial sum is owed by the customer to the member.

6. TPO will take on a complaint even if it is more than 10 years old.

7. An initial complaint addressed to a member with the BAR or TPO copied is a valid complaint.

8. Every complaint comes with a minimum £250 charge to the member.

9. A client may choose to up rate the complaint, even if the member objects, which comes with a £350 charge to the member.

10. The member pays the full fee and there is no charge to the customer, even if the complaint is determined to have been vexatious or spurious.

11. The Estate Agent industry negotiated a much lower rate of £195 plus vat with TPO per branch, regardless of the number of complaints

12. Estate Agents rates are proudly advertised online https://www.tpos.co.uk/join-the-scheme/online-application/membership.

Sign this petition today and call for the Board of the BAR to re-examine TPO charges and stop increasing membership fees by the back door!