Hi,

The company I work for routinely tells lies to potential new customers. Customers then enter long term finance agreements based on these lies. If I were to inform new customers of these lies, by email, would I be breaking the law?

Thanks

Hi,

 

The company I work for routinely tells lies to potential new customers. Customers then enter long term finance agreements based on these lies. If I were to inform new customers of these lies, by email, would I be breaking the law?

 

Thanks

Hi, welcome to CAG,

If you are personally being asked to lie to potential customers the matter should be discussed with your line manager or HR department if you are uncomfortable with the company's stance.

All you are likely to achieve I think is the loss of your job.

If you are asked to do such things ask for the instruction to be put in writing.

As for telling customer then you could lose your job for breach of confidentiality and there is no whistle-blower protection for staff other than NHS or the like and they get bu**er all in the way of real protection anyway.

Been in the job less than 2 years? then no employee protection.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 applies to all employers, not just the NHS - not sure where that came from.

Disclosures are protected on specified grounds, but what you are proposing to do would not be a protected disclosure. As earlier, you are just likely to lose your job.

Hi lojo

You need to 'Whistle-blow' to the correct authorities, if consumer credit agreements etc are involved, then they are regulated by the FCA.

http://www.fca.org.uk/

http://www.fca.org.uk/site-info/contact/whistleblowing

Don't send any emails to customers, there is a better approach.

Hi

could I ask a couple of questions.

When you say the company tells lies to new customers.

1. Is this company policy?

2. Are you following directions given by a specific manager? (could be this manager and not the company giving incorrect info)

3. Have you discussed your concerns with any management?

4. Do you have evidence to substantiate your claim?

5. Have you checked the companies own whistle blowing policy?

Have a read of the legislation which applies to this situation here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/23/section/1. You would only be legally protected by whistleblowing legislation if you fall within one of the categories described on that link.

The easiest category is section 43F which protects honest disclosures to a 'prescribed person'. This basically means regulators such as the FCA. This would not cover emailing customers.

If you email customers you could possibly be protected under section 43G. However, as you will see if you read s43G, there are a lot of conditions. Most importantly, you would need to tell the employer first and the disclosure would have to be 'reasonable'. If you get dismissed for telling the customers it is probably possible to try and rely on s43G to claim unfair dismissal, but you would be on very shaky ground.

Personally I would just report this to the regulators (with evidence).

"Whistle blowing" to a customer in the way you describe is likely to get you fired.

The correct channel for your frustration would be the designated whistleblowing officer, which should be contained in your employers whistleblowing policy. An ET will almost always expect you to raise such issues through the appropriate internal channels first. If that fails, then you can whistle blow to the correct external authority - not to customers!

Hi becky2585

If the company in question is saying it's o.k. to deceive customers, then complaints need to be lodged externally, any complaint lodged internally will lead to zero action and everything hushed up.

The first port of call is the FCA, were talking about consumer agreements.

"Whistle blowing" to a customer in the way you describe is likely to get you fired.

 

The correct channel for your frustration would be the designated whistleblowing officer, which should be contained in your employers whistleblowing policy. An ET will almost always expect you to raise such issues through the appropriate internal channels first. If that fails, then you can whistle blow to the correct external authority - not to customers!

Hi becky2585

 

If the company in question is saying it's o.k. to deceive customers, then complaints need to be lodged externally, any complaint lodged internally will lead to zero action and everything hushed up.

 

The first port of call is the FCA, were talking about consumer agreements.

Whilst this is most likely, the ET will still usually expect this step to be taken before going externally. It's one less hurdle to climb over if due process is followed.

Of course, any subsequent cover up can then form part of the external disclosure.

I'm sure ET's understand that Claimants sometimes have to take a different course of action to the norm, i.e. go straight to the authorities,

Remember the company is instigating the dubious action against their customers.

The company will close ranks once a internal complaint is lodged.

Whilst this is most likely, the ET will still usually expect this step to be taken before going externally. It's one less hurdle to climb over if due process is followed.

 

Of course, any subsequent cover up can then form part of the external disclosure.

Personally I think speaking to and or e-mailing the company's customers will result in dismissal for " gross misconduct".