AgeUK today removed its logos from the Peverel Retirement website, after their presence was drawn to its attention by Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation.
No explanation has been given why the logos – for AgeUK, Age Cymru and Age Scotland – were placed on the Peverel Retirement website.
The AgeUK logos sat on a page titled “Affiliates and Accreditations” beside the logos for the Association of Retirement Housing Managers, the Elderly Accommodation Counsel, the retirement developer Pegasus and the Scotland Property Managers’ Association.
Yesterday Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation wrote to AgeUK CEO Tom Wright pointing out the presence of the logos.
Michael Epstein, a regular comment-poster on Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation, had earlier asked about Peverel’s use of the logos on the AgeUK Facebook page.
This afternoon Wright wrote to Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation chairman Sebastian O’Kelly saying that the logos had been removed, and that he thanked Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation for “pointing this issue out to us”.
The connection between the two organisations, both in the past and present, was not raised in the correspondence.
Before the former retirement housing advisor Mark Spall left AgeUK’s employment in July, he informed Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation that his work had received funding from Peverel in the past.
In October 2010 AgeUK published a six-paragraph correction to its report ‘Putting Retirement Housing in Order’ addressing Peverel, Fairhold and the Consensus Business group, which were then all part of the Tchenguiz Family Trust.
The AgeUK correction included: “The report could also have been taken to mean that Peverel does not operate a competitive tendering process …”
As the Office of Fair Trading investigation into the Peverel / Cirrus price-fixing scandal makes clear, Peverel had admitted bogus tendering processes ten months before in December 2009.
It is because of this admission, and subsequent co-operation with the OFT, that Peverel qualifies for “leniency” from court action.
The OFT’s investigation, which concerns bogus tendering between 2005 to 2009, was only made public in July this year.
But in the light of Peverel’s admission that its group was, in fact, engaged in price-fixing, there is little reason for AgeUK to continue to publish a “correction” saying it wasn’t.
Related posts:
AgeUK to wind down retirement leasehold service
Hand over £100,000 house manager’s flat at retirement leasehold site and we will give you £10,000, say Peverel / Tchenguiz
Little warmth in this masonic handshake as Peverel website removes news of winning a new block
AgeUK would not get involved, Shelter has quit, Peverel has been expelled and Esther Rantzen is asking questions … the fiasco of the Campaign for Housing in Later Life
AgeUK echoes Campaign against Residential Leasehold Exploitation in demanding retirement housing reform
AgeUK Logo Removed From Peverel Retirement Website.
Has Peverel Retirement been using the AgeUK Logo without permission?
Have Peverel Retirement which is a Brand Name and is a Non Trading Company, that is part of the Peverel Group, which includes 21 companies including:
Peverel Management Services Ltd (PMSL)
Peverel Services Ltd (PSL)
Kingsborough Insurance Services Ltd (KISL)
Cirrus Communication Ltd
Careline UK Ltd
All the above companies are involved in our development ABC and we have been informed that Peverel Retirement have been receiving the commissions from Kingsborough who received the commissions from Oval, some £8,000,00 since 2000/01.
Peverel handed themselves in to the OFT in December 2009, after being informed that they were about to be exposed on the 05/12/2009. Therefore the date that Peverel handed themselves in could have been as early as Tuesday the 02/12/09.
We are speculating of course but as the OFT have refused to be precise about the date, which in its self is strange?
Alleged Cartel Activities
We have Peverel and Cirrus, contracted to our development and both are being investigated for Cartel Activity which is a breach of the Competitions Act 1988 and will automatically be granted immunity as Peverel handed themselves in?
It has taken me the best part of this year, (having asked Peverel many, many times) to be informed by Chris Owens, Head of Peverel Customer Relations that Peverel Retirement actually received the Commissions. I am very shocked to find this out as Managing Agent are not supposed to benefit from Service Charges? This I believe is against the Law and should not happen?
Now that AgeUK have admitted to taking remuneration from Peverel… it does beg the question…
Have they/are they taking ‘remuneration’ from any other ‘organisations’ that would compromise their very funding and existance?
AgeUK is a government backed organisation that is taking what is basically a commission from the very companies it is supposed to be protecting the elderly and vulnerable from….
Is this one for Margaret Hodge and the public accounts committee?
Karen
I have watched Margaret Hodge at work on the TV and I would love to see them take on Peverel Supporters.
When did AgeUK admit to taking remuneration from Peverel, which Peverel Company? I did read that it had happened but have they proof that this occurred.
Whatever the circumstances surrounding the use of AGE UK logos on the Peverel Retirement website, i am willing to bet that AGE UK were relieved to have ended their accreditation before the PR fiasco was reported on the BBC news about elderly residents being trapped for 5 weeks because of a faulty lift.
As explained in another thread I have sympathy with Peveral on this one as they are lumped with some pretty awful lift companies by the developer who gets a cheap lift from a supplier installer who makes their profit in long term servicing and parts to their own cartel.