Good to know: You do not need to use a claims management company to make your complaint to your pension provider or intermediary. If your complaint is not successful you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Pension Ombudsman yourself for free if the firm is still trading. For eligible failed firms, you can refer a claim to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for free.
People love investing in ‘feel-good’ opportunities. Since everyone loves to take a holiday, Freedom Bay St Lucia seemed like the perfect investment. Hundreds of people across the UK mis-sold SIPP transfers, convinced to invest in Freedom Bay St Lucia.
Freedom Bay seemed like a wonderful investment opportunity. In return for investment into the property, clients would be entitled to at least one or two weeks in an apartment or luxury villa at St Lucia’s Freedom Bay resort. Investors dreamed of sun, sand, and crystal blue Caribbean waters.
They were sold on the idea of the elite spa, state-of-the-art gym, tennis courts, and extensive beach facilities. The resort was even planning an Andrew Strauss cricket academy on-site! Freedom Bay St Lucia offered an investment scheme similar to a time-share plan. The one-bedroom villas were priced at £660,000, two-bedroom villas at £975,000, and four-bedroom villas just over £1 million.
However, investors did not have to purchase the property outright. Freedom Bay St Lucia allowed investors to purchase shares of the villas – at £17,500, clients could buy one 52nd of the villa. This allowed them to stay for a week each year for a dreamy holiday, or they could trade their week in St Lucia for another in a different destination. Or, they could instead earn money from the villa by allowing the hotel to rent the villa.
So far, a typical time-share arrangement – with one added bonus. Investors were promised 6% returns, even while the resort was under construction. Sounds great, right?
One problem – the Freedom Bay St Lucia resort was never built. Investors asked for refunds when it became clear that they had been mis-sold SIPP pension transfers.
Did you lose your savings to Freedom Bay St Lucia? You could get some of your money back.
Did your financial advisor suggest that you transfer your pension from a stable, established fund to a SIPP without making you aware of the risks? Did they recommend that you invest in Freedom Bay St Lucia without telling you that it was unregulated by the FCA and high-risk?
You might be entitled to mis-sold SIPP compensation; you simply need to apply. Our claims experts are here to look over your case – they can help you determine if you were mis-sold SIPP pension products.
Apply online today for an information pack to learn more.
If a financial advisor advised you to invest in an unregulated investment such as Freedom Bay St Lucia, it is still possible to claim compensation. Where the advisor is still operating, a claim can be pursued against the financial advisor via the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
If an advisor is no longer operating, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) pays compensation for valid mis-selling claims against any financial advisor who has been declared in default by them.
If your pension included investment in Freedom Bay St Lucia, you could be entitled to compensation.
Apply NowIn this article, Allegiant’s Pensions & Investments Manager, Andy Ramsay, explores the fundamental differences between the Court and Ombudsman routes for resolving pension & investment claims. The article highlights key differences in:-
Andy further explores outdated preconceptions about Claims Management Companies. This short summary is essential reading for anyone planning on making a pension or investment claim with the assistance of a CMC or law firm.
Click to ReadYou may have heard of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), but do you fully understand its vital role within the UK’s financial services sector? In this short piece, we look at:-
This article will be of particular interest to anyone with a potential compensation claim against a financial service provider that has collapsed.
Click to ReadThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has identified ‘serious and ongoing failings’ by both Individual Financial Advisers (IFAs) and Self-Invested Personal Pension Providers. Typically, mis-selling is related to the “wrong” type of investor being given poor or misleading advice as to what investments were relatively safe and right for them. In this summary, we look at What a SIPP is, and how they have been mis-sold, together with the FCA’s review into sector malpractice.
Click to ReadPre complaint investigation and analysis. No paperwork? Don't Worry! We could still help.
Once we've assessed claim prospects, we make a pension complaint to the Ombudsman or FSCS, where appropriate
Pension complaint response received. We'll carefully analyse the response and advise you on how to proceed.
If appropriate resolution cannot be reached with a live firm, and we disagree with their stance, we will refer the claim to Ombudsman on your instruction.
As of the 1st March 2022 we have implemented a new fee structure which we have explained below. If you signed your contract with us prior to the 1st March 2022, please refer to your signed claims pack for our previous fee terms.
Our fees are owed upon a successful claim and will depend on the Gross Compensation you receive. “Gross Compensation” means the amount awarded to you whether this is paid directly to you or paid into an investment or pension, and prior to any deduction of any income tax due to HMRC on your award. Please refer to the definition of “Gross Compensation” and Section 5 of our Terms of Engagement for further information including a table showing how our fees work in different scenarios.
If successful, your fee will be calculated based on which band your redress falls into and will be charged by whichever is the lowest of:
The below table outlines the redress bands, the maximum percentage rate of charge and the maximum total charge is for each band.
Band | Redress | % Charge (with VAT) | Maximum charge (with VAT) (£) | Maximum charge (without VAT) |(£) |
1 | 1 – 1499 | 36% | 504 | 420 |
2 | 1,500 – 9,999 | 33.6% | 3000 | 2500 |
3 | 10,000 – 24,999 | 30% | 6000 | 5000 |
4 | 25,000 – 49,999 | 24% | 9000 | 7500 |
5 | 50,000+ | 18% | 12,000 | 10,000 |
Examples of how this would work in practice:
Band | Lower example | Higher example |
1 | You receive £100 in redress; our fee would be £36. | You receive £1499 in redress; our fee would be £504. |
2 | You receive £1,600 in redress; our fee would be £537.60. | You receive £9,999 in redress; our fee would be £3,000. |
3 | You receive £12,000 in redress; our fee would be £3,600. | You receive £24,999 in redress; our fee would be £6,000. |
4 | You receive £30,350 in redress; our fee would be £7,284. | You receive £49,999 in redress; our fee would be £9,000. |
5 | You receive £55,000 in redress; our fee would be £9,900. | You receive £100,000 in redress; our fee would be £12,000. |
Please note, the above fee examples are for illustration purposes only. They are not an estimate of the likely outcome or fee you will need to pay. Each claim depends on its own merits.
It is possible that our fee may become payable before you have access to your pension or investment which may result in you having to pay our fee from your own funds
You can cancel for free at any time within 14-days without giving any reason and without incurring any liability. You can communicate your cancellation by telephone, post, email or online.
You can cancel this agreement at any time after the 14-day cancellation period. However, if a complaint submitted by us is successful, the Success Fee will apply in the usual way.
You can cancel by post: Allegiant Finance Services Limited, Freepost RTYU–XUTZ–YKJC, 400 Chadwick House, Warrington Road, Birchwood Park, Warrington, WA3 6AE; (b) by email: [email protected]; (c) by telephone: 0345 544 1563; or (d) online at https://allegiant.co.uk/compliance/cancellation.
Our small, dedicated pensions team provide a personal touch
We’ll treat your claim as strictly confidential. Your personal information is safe with us.
We’ve serviced over 100,000 clients across all service lines since our inception in 2010.
We could still help if you don’t have all your paperwork or details. Our team are experienced in helping locate paperwork where possible.
Our online application system and claim audit surveys enable us to offer an efficient and convenient claims journey.
Good to know: You do not need to use a claims management company to make your complaint to your pension provider or intermediary. If your complaint is not successful you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Pension Ombudsman yourself for free if the firm is still trading. For eligible failed firms, you can refer a claim to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for free.