08458622214

What Legal information can be shown to prove this is a scam?

To all Readers, please read the story below:

Kingsgate Legal and a question of trusts

By Andrew Penman on July 25, 2012 11:05 PM in Investments

First a warning, to Australia. Notorious jailbird and will-writing conman Gerald Barton is said to have moved Down Under.

Barton has routinely featured here for his habit of fleecing people who want wills drawn up, charging extra for "secure storage" and then dumping the vital paperwork in a barn or on the pavement.

Now he's gone to Oz, according to former ­associate Phil Hancock, himself a disqualified company director.

[Picture oh Philip Hancock]

Hancock (above) is now selling "asset protection trusts", which have become very fashionable as people worry about losing their home or life savings if they have to pay for long-term care in their old age.

Loads of new firms are flogging these trusts, prompting the North East Trading Standards ­Association and Law Society to publish a warning to consumers "following numerous complaints from members of the public in relation to an influx of firms promoting these products and using scare tactics and high pressure tactics to sell them."

Hancock, 66, is based at Kingsgate Legal Assistance in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, where, he claims: "We do it ­properly".

The sole director is his wife Esther Miller, who is by all accounts a rather good jazz singer but not someone you'd immediately associate with expert ­financial planning.

We weren't sure about Hancock's ­expertise either, since his main job has been running a golf course - until he got a seven-year ­directorship ban after the taxman complained about undeclared income of £455,000.

"What do I know about trusts?" he responded when we put this to him.

"I know a lot about them, so does my wife, what are you getting at?"

As for his work with Barton, he said this was short-lived, so short-lived he couldn't remember the name of the company where they worked. Was it National Legal Assistance? Minster Legal?

"No, it was the one after that, they changed from Minster to something else," he said.

"Gerry said can you come to Gainsborough to help out, so I went down and it all appeared to be very much above board."

In fact, it was just another fly-by-night Barton operation and Hancock is understandably keen to distance himself from it.

"Gerry's big problem was that he and other people like him cheated on people when they had seven days to cancel.

"We don't do that. Legally they have seven days to cancel and that's exactly what we allow.

"We've had a clean bill of health from the Office of Fair Trading, we're on a small scale and local."

So no cold calling then?

"Just occasionally, like three days a week."

One expert in this field is ­solicitor Gary Rycroft, who sits on the Law Society's Wills and Equity Committee, and we asked him to look at the Kingsgate website.

"It spells out the pros and not the cons of these trusts," he said.

"The first main con is that a local authority might be able to overturn the trust if you go into local council care and it can prove that you've deliberately given away your assets.

"The second is that you are setting up an arrangement which is difficult to go back on, unlike a will.

"They might say this during a ­discussion with clients, but it would be nice if they'd spelt it out beforehand."

Then there's the question of price - Hancock says that his £1,495 is "a lot cheaper than anybody else".

Gary's firm charges £500.
http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2012 ... vestigations%29

Thankyou for Reading.

KW

*****WARNING BE CAREFUL******
My mother in law was cold called by “Independent Probate Solutions”.  They called to say following a questionnaire she had filled in (of which she has no recollection) they would like to discuss a ring fence or trust fence solution to protect her assets should she or her husband should have to go into care.  

They agreed for a home visit (31 May 2012) whereby a rep would come out and discuss the product. They visited their home in a small village near Skegness, Lincolnshire. Initially Adam Nichols was due to visit but Paul Gorman came out in his place.

As per previous posts he turned up with friendly banter and a sales pitch putting the fear of high care costs into the in-laws.  He had print outs and newspaper cuttings to back up his stories.
He drew a diagram of people in line for inheritance, assets and potential costs etc and left them with this, a tick box proforma and a basic letter with gaps to fill in their basic details.  They gave him a one off payment in a cheque for £2,000. And off he went promising an information pack would be sent in the post and they believed their assets would now be protected.

The next night my mother in law told my wife what had happened and that they had handed over a cheque for £2,000.   Straight away this didn’t feel right.  We got onto the internet looking for any info on IPS and were shocked to find all the threads on the various company names.  The information left with the in-laws had the 4th Floor 100 Bond Street address on.  

Our conclusion was this wasn’t right, we weren’t happy and we told the mother in law to cancel the cheque asap.  Luckily she managed to get it cancelled.  I then called Paul to state I wasn’t clear with what was being sold and we would like to cancel. He seemed fairly surprised but when I said I’ve been on the internet and seen some questionable things regarding IPS and their history he quickly accepted he wasn’t going to change my mind and asked us to fill in the slip at the bottom of their paperwork to confirm the cancellation of the product.

The information he said had been sent out never arrived.  With not receiving the pack or contract I can’t be clear on what they were providing but my gut feel plus the blogs I have seen suggest it is not what my in-laws think they were buying.  Thankfully there hasn’t been anymore contact from them and the in-laws will now ask my wife to check out any services in the future.  

I understand the company – whatever they are called at the moment - are under investigation from Nottinghamshire Trading Standards. A couple of phone numbers they use: 08458622214 & 08000699573 that might help when people are doing some research into the company.

Hope this information helps and as per advice I got you have a 7 day cooling off period in which to cancel the product.  Please warn your elderly family of these potential scams.  My in-laws would have said they would never get caught out but this just goes to show clever sales patter from “professional” people can easily take people in.

Regards,
AS

Does anyone know who Goldstar Law are.  My parents have just received a telephone call from them saying that they were in their area advising people on the Community Care Act and offering a free consultation.

On-the-run fraudster Graham Haste jailed

9:17am Monday 10th September 2012 in News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

A NORTH Yorkshire fraudster who spent 17 years on the run is today finally behind bars awaiting sentence.

Graham Nigel Haste, now 50, used a series of aliases and travelled between three countries as he tried to stop North Yorkshire Police finding out where he was.

But a former policeman tracked Haste through Spain and the Canary Islands back to Britain, where he was arrested again after first fleeing in September 1995.

Recorder Martin Bethel QC, who remanded Haste in custody while a pre-sentence report was prepared, said: “It is high time these matters are resolved.”


Retired Detective Constable Paul Somerville said the case showed that criminals on the run could never rest, no matter how long ago they committed their crimes.He now works as international liaison officer for North Yorkshire Police’s specialist operations unit and has other long-term absconders on his radar.

“With the contacts we have got now with the international police forces all over Europe, we are certainly able to track him,” he said. “Because he has family here, we always expected he would gain access to the UK under false pretences.”

Even though Haste, formerly of Leeds Road in Harrogate, set up a new UK base in Sleaford under a new name of Joseph Croft, that was not enough to hide him from the law. North Yorkshire Police had told every police force in the UK years ago that they were on the look-out for him.

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Mr Somerville’s involvement in the case began in 1995 when, still a police officer, he investigated how Haste got two false passports under two false names to help him get out of the country instead of attending his trial at York Crown Court.

He faced charges of obtaining £11,700 finance by deception, evading repayment by deception, two charges each of driving a Jaguar while disqualified and without insurance and one of using a false number plate on the Jaguar.

He initially ran to Pureto Cabopino, a holiday resort near Malaga, Spain then later left there amid allegations that he owed 2,000 Euros in rent, and made his home in Tenerife, the Canary Islands.

But Mr Somerville was on his trail and Haste decided it would be better to move to Sleaford in Lincolnshire where he set up home with a family under the name Joseph Croft. Other aliases used during his time on the run included Graham Varszegi and Nigel Maximilian Devere.

His actions caught the eye of Lincolnshire trading standards, who called in Lincolnshire Police, and they in turn got in touch with North Yorkshire Police.

Haste pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining a passport by deception, the finance and repayment deceptions, all four driving charges and the false number plate charge.

Charges of forging a driving licence, handing stolen goods and theft of a television which Haste denies were left on his file.

To all Readers, the below comment is from: https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02076924929/2

anone replies to K W - 15 Sep 2012

Yes well he's where he deserves to be in that case.

Have researched Goldstar Law.  Director Alan Appleyard, Matthew Appleyard's father.  Matthew of course ran the Newark Office of Inheritance and Probate Solutions Limited.  He also worked for National Legal Assistance, Minster Legal Services, and Legal Assistance 4U all of which were closed down by the Insolvency Service last year.  

The call centre for Goldstar Law is at 7 Stephenson Court Stephenson Road or Way Newark.  

No doubt this company is functioning the same way as IPS and all the other company's he has worked for.

Having done my research I would advise anyone to keep well clear.
-----

Thankyou for reading.

KW

Goldstar Law Ltd Looking after the interests of our elderly in the UK.

Goldstar Law Ltd was established in May 2012, the aim of the company is to provide professional advice to families on Probate, Will Writing, Trusts and Estate Planning.

Our company has a strong family ethos, which means that the standards we follow ensure that our clients are provided with the best levels of service possible. We are an ethical company in a market sector that has unfortunately included companies who follow disreputable means and tactics, we only ask to be judged by the service we provide. Indeed our long term marketing plan is based on generating referral business through word of mouth, which can only bear fruit if we provide the professional service and a first class product that all our clients expect.

The customer data base we use in our call centre in Newark, is provided by a UK data provision company that specialises in providing specific client data. This company is regulated by Ofcom and all the details that it provides have been checked against numbers registered on the Telephone Preference Service.

We do not and will not ring anybody without prior consent.

Goldstar Law Ltd works with a team of specialist Barristers and Lawyers, who have many years of experience in the administration of Trusts, Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Estate Planning. We only work with the best and the best are regulated by the Law Society. Details of our legal team can be provided upon request.

We would be delighted to answer any queries or concerns that maybe worrying, please direct your questions to: query@goldstarlaw.co.uk

Hoping the above has been helpful and we can then look forward to being of service to your further needs.

http://whois.domaintools.com/goldstarlaw.co.uk

Domain name:
       goldstarlaw.co.uk

   Registrant:
       Goldstar Law Ltd

   Registrant type:
       UK Limited Company, (Company number: 8061478)

   Registrant's address:
       Unit 7 Stephenson Court
       Brunel Drive
       Newark
       Newark
       NG24 2EG
       United Kingdom

   Registrar:
       Fasthosts Internet Ltd [Tag = LIVEDOMAINS]
       URL: http://www.fasthosts.co.uk

   Relevant dates:
       Registered on: 09-Jul-2012
       Expiry date:  09-Jul-2014
       Last updated:  10-Dec-2012

http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/08061478

https://www.duedil.com/company/08061478/goldstar-law-limited

Goldstar Law Limited
Company Number: 08061478
Company Type: Private limited with Share Capital
SIC Code: —
Inc. Date: 09 May 2012
Annual Returns: Unknown   *** BEWARE***
Annual Accounts: Unknown  ****BEWARE***

Registered Address
122-126 Tooley Street
London
SE1 2TU
United Kingdom
Registered Tel: Add Telephone number
Trading Address Edit details
122-126 Tooley Street
London
SE1 2TU

Trading Tel: Add Telephone number
DOCUMENT FILINGS SHOWING ALL
DATE    FILING DETAILS    FLAG
25 Oct 2012    Change of Officers    
15 Oct 2012    Change of Officers    
16 May 2012    Change of Officers    

https://www.duedil.com/company/08061478/goldstar-law-limited/people

Mr Alan Appleyard (born 69 years ago)
Director, Property Dealer
09 May 2012 — Present (7 months, 15 days)
Open    
Open1
Retired2
Closed0

Axholme Secretaries Limited
Company Secretary
19 Oct 2012 — Present (2 months, 5 days)
Open    
Open1
Retired0
Closed0

Ms Eileen Webster (born 66 years ago)
Director, Accountant
09 May 2012 — 09 May 2012 (1 day)
Retired    
Open6
Retired138
Closed1

Mr Alan Appleyard (born 69 years ago)
Director, Property Dealer
09 May 2012 — 09 May 2012 (1 day)
Retired    
Open10
Retired3
Closed1

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/55254/pages/9997/page.pdf

APPLEYARD, Allan, occupation unknown, of Bank House,
Appleby Lane, Rawdon, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD10 OPE,
also known as Alan Appleyard Court—BRADFORD Date of
Filing Petition—15th December 1997 No of Matter—234 of
1997 Date of Bankruptcy Order—2nd September 1998 Whether
Debtor's or Creditor's Petition—Creditor's Official Receiver—
1st Floor, 25 Queen Street, Leeds LSI 2TW

http://insolvency.presscentre.com/search/defa ... earchText=wills

http://insolvency.presscentre.com/Press-Relea ... vice-66f81.aspx

26 October 2011 17:00 Insolvency Service

Three companies involved in the provision of will and trusts were wound up in the High Court last week, following an investigation by Company Investigations, part of The Insolvency Service.

Minster Legal Services (UK) Limited and Legal Assistance Limited – both based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire – and Legal Assistance 4 U Limited trading from Newark, Nottinghamshire, operated nationwide using telesales staff to cold-call consumers to persuade them to accept a home visit from a self employed ‘legal consultant’ who would then promote the companies’ products.

The investigation found that Minster Legal Services (UK) Limited operated using a deliberate lack of transparency in order to disguise the controllers of the business, that a disqualified director acted in the management of the company as though he were a director; that company funds were diverted into a bank account over which the company had no control, that the company failed to maintain adequate financial and accounting records and that it traded in a manner which was misleading and contrary to the public interest.

The investigation also found that clients of the company were charged significantly different prices for substantially the same product without any adequate reason for doing so, that there were significant delays in the administration of clients’ affairs, that some clients were sold products which were inappropriate for their circumstances and the Official Order used by the company failed to provide the necessary detail regarding a client’s right to cancel their agreement. The company was also found to be insolvent.

In relation to Legal Assistance Limited, the investigation found that the company had been used to continue the business of Minster Legal Services (UK) Limited and continue the mischief described above. The company also failed to make refunds to clients in a timely manner and provided unfounded explanations to clients for not having done so. The investigators also found evidence of the disqualified director removing company documents from the company’s trading premises.

The investigation found that Legal Assistance 4U Limited was principally a telesales operation being run on behalf of Legal Assistance Limited, and thus linked to the objectionable trading activities of that company.
Together the three companies acquired sales income of over £1.1 million.
Ends
______________________________________________________________
Notes to Editors

1. Minster Legal Services (UK) Limited was incorporated on 13 April 2010. Its registered office is at Axholme House, North Street, Crowle, Scunthorpe, DN17 4NB. At the date of the winding up order the company was without any appointed directors and company secretary. However, the investigators found that the company was controlled by Gerald Malcolm Barton, of Lincoln and also latterly by Joseph Graham Croft, of Ancaster in Lincolnshire.

2. Legal Assistance Limited was incorporated on 14 February 2011. Its registered office is at Mercury House, Willoughton Drive, Foxby Lane Business Park, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1DY. The director of the company is Mr Trevor William Orbell who was appointed on 10 August 2011. Previously Mr Joseph Graham Croft held the position of director between 22 February 2011 and 23 May 2011. The investigation also found that Gerald Malcolm Barton and Anthony Taylor of Burton-Upon-Stather were involved in the management of the company.

3. Legal Assistance 4 U Limited was incorporated on 14 April 2011. Its registered office is at The Fox, A1 South, Colsterworth, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG33 5LN. Latterly, the director of the company was Mr Allan Appleyard who was appointed on 15 August 2011. Previously Mr Joseph Graham Croft held the position of director between 14 April 2011 and 15 August 2011.

4. The petitions were presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 22 August 2011, following an investigation carried out by Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985.

5. The Official Receiver was appointed as provisional liquidator of the companies on 23 August 2011. The Winding Up Orders were made on 20 October 2011.

6. Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, carries out confidential enquiries on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills (“BIS”).

7. The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. The Service also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession; deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures; assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees; provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds; and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice. Further information about the work of The Insolvency Service is available from http://www.insolvency.gov.uk

8. All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit , 2nd Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester, M1 3BN Telephone: 0161 234 8531 Email: piu.north@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

9. Media Enquiries should be directed to:
Ade Daramy, Press Officer on 020 7596 6187

Ref:Ins/Coms/193
Contact Information

Name Ade Daramy
Job Title Mr
Division Insolvency Service
Phone 020 7596 6187
Email ade.daramy@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To report and lodge a complaint about similar companies and their directors, go to:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency/Companies/investigations-hotline

Our Investigations Hotline number is – 0845 601 3546. This is a 24 hour answer phone facility which allows you to leave your contact details so we can acknowledge your contact and send you the appropriate questionnaire. You should note that we do not routinely return calls.

Use our Complaint Form to report any conduct in companies currently trading which you feel is either fraudulent or against the public interest. When you have completed the form, click on the submit button. The following will happen automatically: -

We will instantly receive a copy of your complaint.

You will receive immediate confirmation that the complaint has been received.

You will receive an acknowledgement by e-mail together with a copy of the completed complaint form and a unique reference number.

Complaint Form:
http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/complaintformcib.htm

"...are regulated by the Law Society..."

Wrong, legal firms are not regulated by the Law Society. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Barristers by the BSC, the Bar Standards Board.

Not that the SRA inspires confidence:

http://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/ins ... ts-own-medicine

22 May 2012

Insolvency Service gives SRA a taste of its own medicine

Money under pressure: solicitor insolvency practitioners to sign up to code of ethics
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has had the tables turned after receiving a monitoring visit of its own from the Insolvency Service (IS) which then criticised the way it regulates solicitor insolvency practitioners.

The IS oversees seven professional bodies who can authorise their members to act as insolvency practitioners. In its annual review of regulation, the IS said the visit to the SRA’s offices in Redditch found that the SRA was not handling complaints in accordance with the principles underpinning regulation that had been agreed with the government.

Further, the SRA’s move to outcomes-focused regulation “is not compatible” with the IS’s drive for greater consistency in complaint-handling and sanctions across all of the seven professional bodies able to authorise their members to act as insolvency practitioners. This is because the SRA will not investigate all complaints received, but will use the information received to form a risk profile for firms, it said.

“Other areas of concern noted during the visit were that the new principles-based handbook (which replaced the Solicitors Code of Conduct) no longer required solicitor insolvency practitioners to comply with the Insolvency Code of Ethics; that the SRA website failed to inform members of the public on how to complain about a solicitor insolvency practitioner; that potential new applicants for authorisation as an insolvency practitioner could not apply online and that there remained an issue with enabling bonds [security for the proper performance of an insolvency practitioner’s functions] being received late.”

As a result of the visit, talks with the SRA and the Law Society have led to a recent amendment to the SRA Handbook that includes reference to the Insolvency Code of Ethics and the SRA has given an assurance that online applications will be possible in the summer. The IS said: “The important matter of complaint handling has not yet been fully resolved although an acceptable solution has been identified.”

Monitoring visits of insolvency practitioners authorised by the SRA are carried out under contract by the Insolvency Practitioners Association, and the IS said it intends to observe a monitoring visit to an SRA insolvency practitioner this year.

Has anybody been able to verify the claims made on http://www.goldstarlaw.co.uk/our_team.html ?

I am very suspicious after they rang my parents this week and did some research

Have you tried e-mailing KW at wewillgivefreeadvice@hotmail.co.uk. KW has information about all the will writing scams.

To all Readers for information only:
admin, Author at Synergy Legal ScunthorpeSynergy Legal Scunthorpe
synergylegalscunthorpe.org.uk/author/admin/
2 days ago – Executors generally opt for solicitors like Synergy Legal Scunthorpe professionals to help them in the gathering of information. The inheritance ...

Please note:
We have notified the IPW that Synergy Legal are in fact run by Express law Ltd we await their response and will update you as soon as possible.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

"...legal firms are not regulated by the Law Society. Solicitors are regulated by the SRA, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Barristers by the BSC, the Bar Standards Board...."

Thank you for your correction.

Goldstar Law Ltd.
For more information about the products and services that we offer please visit our website on http://www.goldstarlaw.co.uk

Hello Ben

Thanks for visiting our web site.

Goldstar Law Ltd works with a team of specialist Barristers and Lawyers, who have many years of experience in the administration of Trusts, Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Estate Planning as shown on our website.

Goldstar Law Ltd has nothing to do with any of the other firms listed on this web site. Comments on this page are by individuals who have had direct or indirect experience of dealing with these ‘other’ companies and not us.

We are a small company with the sole aim of providing our clients with the best products and services possible.

For more information on Goldstar Law Ltd and our products and services please visit our web site at http://www.goldstarlaw.co.uk

To GSL why are you visiting the forum of IPS  if you have nothing to do with them, do you deny that Alan Appleyard is the Director of GSL? and do you also deny that his son Matthew Appleyard  ran the office for both companies? and your Consultants were IPS Consultants?

Thankyou for reading.

KW

Indeed this forum is not about Goldstar Law Ltd. Users of this website (including yourself) have mentioned  Goldstar Law Ltd here and our only means of clarification/ redress of incorrect statements is to respond to them here or wherever else they may be.

If a client of Goldstar Law Ltd has a problem or needs some clarification we would urge them to email query@goldstarlaw.co.uk before listing any posts this site.

Goldstar Law Ltd has nothing to do with any other company mentioned in this post.

For more information about the products and services that we offer please visit our website on http://www.goldstarlaw.co.uk

GSL Thankyou for your comment (although you have not answered any of our questions), so, as you say, can you clarify the (correct statements) below.

Do you agree/deny that Alan Appleyard is the Director of GSL?
Do you agree/deny that his son, Matthew Appleyard, ran the office for both IPS and GSL?
Do you agree/deny that your current Consultants were IPS Consultants?

Answer and people can make their own judgements.

Thankyou for reading.

KW