Thirdfort - ID and AML check - solicitor says its now my problem

[IWillAlwaysBeinaClubWithYouin1973]

Has anyone had this experience recently? I chose a solicitors for conveyancing, and they sent a log in link to a company called Thirdfort. I've done ID checks like this before so wasn't unduly concerned - they scan your passport and check your bank account - meaning they have direct access to the latter. I had to give my bank account details, then I got a one time passcode on my mobile banking app, type that in etc and it allows Thirdfort to review your accounts. That particular bank is where my deposit house is held. Then got a message from Thirdfort saying all confirmed thank you.

The solicitors have now come back and said I 'refused' to give my bank details and they want me to download a statement and send it to them, in fact they asked for several items again not just that, and each one I've sent to them they are saying no that's not good enough. They are now refusing to take my conveyancing any further unless I contact Thirdfort and sort it out. But I don't have a contract with Thirdfort - my contract is surely with the solicitors? You can't ring Thirdfort and even if you could, why should I? They told me to use this company, the company said my information was all cleared, all ok, and now the solicitors are just saying "oh no it isn't" over and over. Once you've done your check with Thirdfort you can't access it again so I can't even see what the issue is.

The way it's been left today is that if I refuse to sort this out, it'll cost me £75 to withdraw from the contract. Thirdfort's "help bot" came up with the message "please contact the organisation that referred you".

Just so as not to drip feed, my bank are refusing to supply a statement on my savings account online, it has to be done by post so it'll take a few days, and I reckon the solicitors will then still say its not right!

Can anyone see the logic in the solicitor saying it's nothing to do with them and not their problem? Help me to understand why I am in the wrong here.

In situations like this I don't think it's worth headspace on whose fault it is, you need to work on moving forward.

Have you actually spoken to your solicitor, if not I'd do that and ask for it to be escalated if the first person won't help. Make yourself a bit of a polite nuisance

Yes spoken to the compliance officer, the case officer and then escalated it to the solicitor, they all said contact Thirdfort. I'd normally agree with you about its not whose fault it is, but they are keen to insist its mine.

I'm a bit confused, sorry.

What do your solicitors actually need to proceed? What are they saying isn't acceptable, and what do you need to provide instead?

We had some technical gremlins with Thirdfort originally - our solicitor offered us the option of inhouse checks instead which involved providing them with various pieces of documentation. As it happened, we managed to sort out the problems so we used Thirdfort. But the solicitor had a back-up plan if Thirdfort didn't work. Is that not the case for you?

I had to use a different company for checks when I gifted my DS some money towards his house purchase. When I had problems with it, my son's legal/conveyancing firm said they couldn't help and I needed to contact the 3rd party financial checks company direct. It was a pain in the backside - especially as you couldn't actually speak to a person by phone (they told me in an email that they didn't have a phone number!).
I was, quite frankly, p*ssed off with the whole system, but unless I went through with it my DS would not have been able to complete on his house.
So basically you can object, stamp your feet and scream all you like, but unless you do what they ask, they won't be proceeding with the conveyancing.

Using Thirdfort for ID checks is a good system. But using any AI for proof of source of funds is dire and more often than not you’ll find your conveyancer will ask for additional information and evidence to back that up. Can you provide a further statement thirdfort for address ID? Or ask your solicitor to send a fresh link and just advise your law firm that you’ll send them source of funds and source of wealth separately?

The alternative is just advise your solicitor you’ll get your driving licence or passport certified independently and then send them over source of funds via email. If you do this they’ll also likely video call you to confirm that the picture in the ID docs is you.

Hope that helps. AI is just not the golden chalice it holds itself out to be.

Thirdfort might be one way to verify identity but it’s not the only one and your solicitors should offer alternatives (e.g. certified copy of passport, utility bill etc). If Thirdfort isn’t working then that shouldn’t be your issue. Ask for another method of verification and escalate via the complaints procedure if they don’t help you.

I think @ohtowinthelottery is right, although not sure where they saw me stamping and screaming (!) - I've had an email from the solicitor this morning saying that they "cannot be held responsible" for anything Thirdfort does or doesn't do. They then sent a message Thirdfort had sent them saying I didn't complete the check. I've now had a message from Thirdfort saying I did.

So we're at the arguing with pigeons stage. When I sold my house recently it was such an easy process with my solicitor (who can't do this conveyancing as its shared ownership purchase) that I wasn't prepared for how much contempt I'd be treated with this time around.

@IWillAlwaysBeinaClubWithYouin1973 I meant a metaphorical stamping and screaming. DS was also told all financial checks were complete only to find that they weren't and I was also chased to complete my financials with the 3rd party company after I had received confirmation that I'd already done it and that the report had been sent to the conveyancers. The level of inefficiency and incompetence is unreal.

@ohtowinthelottery I can see you feel my pain. This sounds similar to my circumstances - yet apparently the solicitors have no responsibility whatsoever. If I change them now I'll lose £125 but they dont see to be working for me or with me. I could understand if they said look its a mix up lets sort this out but that would be too easy!

I think I would suck up the £125 tbh (though I would also use any complaints procedure available to try and get it back again). This is terrible service and doesn't bode well for the conveyancing itself. A good solicitor is worth their weight in gold if you run into problems. This lot sound as though they would just tell you to sort things out yourself.

@IWillAlwaysBeinaClubWithYouin1973 I was just extremely grateful that it wasn't DS's 96 year old Grandparent who had gifted him some money. There's no way they'd have managed those financial checks!
As someone who worked with mortgages and conveyancing in a former life, back in the days before money laundering checks and everything being done electronically, I have to say I don't think computers have improved things!
I wish you luck.

Is it a recommended local firm of solicitors or one of the call centre type ones? If the latter, I would pay the costs and switch now.

@Chewbecca well it seems to be a large firm, but how would I know if it was like a "call centre" type place? Its for shared ownership, not too far from the house I am buying, and was recommended to me on a shared ownership forum and by another small firm of solicitors that I trust who couldn't take on my case. So I sort of thought it would be ok ... There seems to be a case handler and a fee earner, not a structure I've come across before, the solicitors that dealt with the sale of my last house were a pleasure to deal with.