A lot will depend on their contract with the Probate Service. If they pay a 'fine' for each late delivery irrespective of the length of the delay, then they might well behave as you are suggesting.
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Probate Registry Wills
- Thread starter Pauline
- Start date
CliveSeagull
LostCousins Member
Just got quick replies to my queries about three orders from late July and early August. A standard "We are experiencing very high demand for copies of wills". The odd thing is, two of the orders were part completed several weeks ago. And of course it's the more "interesting" wills I'm waiting for.
Some wills will have been filmed/scanned, possibly to fulfil a previous order. I'd expect them to fulfil the easiest orders first as it makes their performance look better (and presumably might reduce the penalties exacted by the Probate Service).
BarryR
LostCousins Member
It appears to be Iron Mountain, who are a document management company.
CliveSeagull
LostCousins Member
Yes, that would make sense. I also ordered two wills from 2016 and 2017 at the same time (end of July), and they were turned around in two days! They obviously were in digital form originally. Those partly completed orders for much older wills that have already been scanned for someone else... I wonder who those other people were! We need extra features that tell us "This will was also bought by Joe Bloggs" and "People who ordered this will also ordered xxxx".
Ah, LostCousins for wills. Unfortunately data protection would almost certainly prevent them from implementing this feature.
Helen7
LostCousins Superstar
Just this afternoon, I also received one of my wills ordered on 25th July (due 9th August). The other 2 are still awaited.
CliveSeagull
LostCousins Member
Just got my first (of eight) from 25 July. "Intestate"!
The entry in the probate calendar should have indicated whether or not there was a will.
CliveSeagull
LostCousins Member
Oh, yes, I was aware - just a bit disappointed that this was the one that turned up first! For a direct ancestor, there's still easily enough information to justify the £1.50 - confirmation of addresses, pre-deceased spouse, son, date, etc. Anything more is a bonus. Happy that the others will be on their way soon...
Heather
LostCousins Member
Oh how disappointing , hopefully the next ones will have heaps of information on them.
Jonathan C
Member
Has anyone raised the issue of what used to be known as the "Distance Selling Regulations" either on this forum or with the company that is supposed to be supplying the Wills? It used to be the case that if selling at arms length the vendor was not allowed to take payment until the goods had been despatched. I've been out of that industry for a while now so knowledge is rusty but I believe there is still some requirement to deliver promptly. The Govt website https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesses/online-selling says
"After an order is placed
You must: (inter alia)
...... deliver the goods within 30 days, unless you’ve agreed otherwise with the customer"
Well, I ordered 6 wills on 30th July, received an acknowledgement saying delivery date will be 14th August (which still shows on my account) and the money left my card on 30th July. They are well past the 30 day delivery date - and I have not agreed to extend that, nor been asked if I'd be prepared to - and they've had my money all that time, well past 30 days now.
Has anyone else considered this issue or better still raised it with whoever is running the service?
I have, by the way, emailed them twice asking for confirmation that the order is being dealt with, but received the same facile and standard email both times. I was asking them to confirm that they do actually have my order and are dealing with it, but their identical answers were not reassuring. All I know for sure is - they do have my money!
"After an order is placed
You must: (inter alia)
...... deliver the goods within 30 days, unless you’ve agreed otherwise with the customer"
Well, I ordered 6 wills on 30th July, received an acknowledgement saying delivery date will be 14th August (which still shows on my account) and the money left my card on 30th July. They are well past the 30 day delivery date - and I have not agreed to extend that, nor been asked if I'd be prepared to - and they've had my money all that time, well past 30 days now.
Has anyone else considered this issue or better still raised it with whoever is running the service?
I have, by the way, emailed them twice asking for confirmation that the order is being dealt with, but received the same facile and standard email both times. I was asking them to confirm that they do actually have my order and are dealing with it, but their identical answers were not reassuring. All I know for sure is - they do have my money!
Helen7
LostCousins Superstar
Good point. However, it seems the wills are being supplied eventually. Yesterday I received another one that I ordered on 25th July (this one worth the wait as it contained lots of good detail, with many bequests to named relatives). Just one outstanding now from that order. I'm hopeful it will arrive very soon, as it seems they are now clearing the backlog.
I very much doubt they apply to documents provided under Statute.
emjay
LostCousins Member
But there is a commercial company involved here
