I have no idea where to post this but figure most people look at AIBU! Anyone heard of these scamming bastards?

[Inshock73]

Has anyone ever heard of or dealt with a company called 4AllSeasons? They offer an apparent will writing service?

A family friend took a cold call from someone offering an apparent will writing service, unfortunately this family friend has terminal cancer with just weeks to live, she's also a widow so very vulnerable. I don't know what she said to this scum but they were at her door the following morning at 9am! She let them in, they spent half an hour going through her will, what items of value she had in her home and discussed signing over power of attorney to them!!!!! They then told her they would write her will for a reduced fee of £650 instead of the normal £1000 and gave her their bank details and wanted the money transferred the SAME DAY! Fortunately I happened to visit her that day before she'd had a chance to get someone to go to the bank for her.

Clearly they were out to fleece this vulnerable woman and I believe the questions over power of attorney were to gauge whether she had any family.

Anyone heard of this company?

Many thanks for reading this.

Dear God, how awful. Thank goodness you visited when you did. Have not come across the name , no, but sounds like one for BBC watchdog/you&yours or similar?

Btw a charity will write your will for FREE or a donation, a solicitor charges £100-200 and a lot of banks also provide a free service as part of your bank account. I know all this to be fact because I had to research for my parents to write theirs.

That's pretty sickening I agree, send it in to watchdog to investigate.

I haven't heard of these people - but thank heavens you visited in time to prevent her giving them any money!

On a more general note - my FIL is in the process of writing his will, and went to a local (to him) solicitor. Luckily he decided to get a draft and send it to us and to BIL - dh deals with a lot of lawyers and contracts, and dbil is a law graduate, so he wanted their opinion.

In the will was a clause saying that, in the event of FIL's death, dh and dbil were to appoint these solicitors to prove the will and administer the estate. They would have had NO choice in the matter.

Firstly - FIL had NO idea that clause was in there. There was no discussion about it and it was put in by the solicitor, off her own bat.

Secondly - whilst dh and dbil were named as executors, by mandating that the solicitors were used to prove and administer the will, dh and dbil were made completely powerless.

Thirdly - there was no mention made of the costs of using the solicitors to prove and administer the will - so they would have been able to charge whatever they wanted - hundreds or even thousands of pounds!!

Sadly, following my MIL's death just a year ago, dh and dbil have had to deal with her will - they did everything themselves - probate, inheritance tax, the lot - and did not need a solicitor at all.

I know not everyone has the skills that they have - but it is entirely wrong for any solicitor to put such a clause in a will - one that is basically permission for them to write as big a bill as they like. And if the company were bought out by another one - that would be transferred to the new owners.

FIL had not noticed this clause - or if he had, he had not realised its implications - but at least he had the sense to make sure someone else had checked over the draft before signing it. I cannot help wondering how many vulnerable elderly people have signed wills with similar clauses in - that are going to be a licence to print money, from their estates - money they want to go to their nearest and dearest - once they die?

Oh my gosh SDT Thank god you're in the fortunate position to have knowledgable people within the family. I'm so glad you replied to my post as my parents are currently in the process of drawing up their will and I'm going to check all the points you've mentioned above. Thank you!

I can't believe how corrupt and dishonest people are all for the sake of money! I seem to be in the minority I couldn't give two hoots about getting rich. How do people sleep at night and how does their conscience not keep them awake?

It beggars belief, doesn't it, Inshock.

Secondly - whilst dh and dbil were named as executors, by mandating that the solicitors were used to prove and administer the will, dh and dbil were made completely powerless.

No, they wouldn't have been. The solicitors wouldn't have been able to do anything without the authorisation of the executors.

They would not have been able to administer/probate the will themselves, or to choose a different solicitor to do so.

Slightly o/t but in my experience (of my Dad's death), having solicitors included as executors is a bad idea - true they can't just do stuff, but you have to wait for them and they charge (of course), so unless there's a good reason (there wasn't in my Dad's case) don't do it.

Just wanted to update this thread - the police are now involved and believe this 'company' to be operating a scam so be aware folks they call themselves 4 All Seasons Ltd and offer a so called will writing service.

What a bunch of nasty bstards glad you got to stop it. How do these people sleep at night is beyond me.

In the will was a clause saying that, in the event of FIL's death, dh and dbil were to appoint these solicitors to prove the will and administer the estate. They would have had NO choice in the matter.

That is not correct. The executors can choose whom they appoint to deal with obtaining Probate/Confirmation.

Slightly o/t but in my experience (of my Dad's death), having solicitors included as executors is a bad idea - true they can't just do stuff, but you have to wait for them and they charge (of course), so unless there's a good reason (there wasn't in my Dad's case) don't do it.

I think you may be muddling the appointment of executors with solicitors dealing with the executors. You can be an executor and try and do all the administration yourself. If the estate is liable for Inheritance Tax the lay person may find that difficult.

My mother is a nightmare for doing this kind of thing. She had two wills written by a company and they were worthless and not worth the paper they were written on. I have told her time and time again not to engage with cold callers and to check legal things with a proper solicitor. She changes her energy provider constantly when the salespeople call at the door. I've told her we can find the best deal online but she says 'oh he told me I'd be much cheaper changing to them' OF COURSE HE DID he wants to sell you something!