deVere Group's reply to: Disgusting thieves.

As the poster has published the deVere response it can be clearly seen that an offer to assist has been made but was not accepted by the poster.
author's review
David T Pis
map-marker Doha, Doha
#1356271 
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Disgusting thieves.

Updated by user Oct 20, 2018

Despite the fact that this company eventually contacted me, they accept absolutely no responsibility for their employees not honouring the promises they made when I invested the money. They have offered me no advice despite the fact that they advertise themselves as investment advisors.

I still do not not know where my investments are, the status of the investment or whether they only exist on paper. The local representative says he cannot advise me. No resolution at all. Their reply to me as follows: "All complaints are assessed on the merits and this is done by an examination of the documentary evidence available.

deVere does not enter into contractual agreements with its clients that require deVere to provide an ongoing service to its clients unless required to by the relevant financial regulator in specific jurisdictions or whereby a client has (for an additional fee) requested our enhanced customer service package in countries where this is option is available. As a matter of good practice, deVere does strive to provide an ongoing service when requested to do so by its clients. Their reply as follows: I have liaised with deVere South Africa. When you first returned to South Africa it was unfortunately not possible for a local adviser to provide you with recommendations on an international product.

deVere cannot be held responsible or liable for government regulations and legislation. However, since that time I understand that Andrew Michael has now contacted you on several occasions and has explained to you that you can set up an ownership structure which would enable him to provide recommendations and make alterations to your policy. This is a South African legal requirement. If you wish to avoid paying extra fees, as your contract is with OMI, you have the option to deal with them directly avoiding any additional costs that an ownership structure would incur.

When recommendations are made to clients, several factors are taken in to consideration, for example, the past performance of the fund, the reputation of the fund manager and the underlying assets within the fund and the strategy of the fund. None of this, however, is a guarantee of future performance. There is always a risk element. Please bear in mind that deVere do not ‘Actively Manage’ and cannot make fund selections without first communicating with you and then following through the action with your full knowledge and consent.

The code of conduct read that your adviser “explained to me/us that unit fund values can go down as well as up and past performance are not necessarily a guide to future performance.” I would like to confirm that Brent Mayhew has no connections to deVere and there is no introducer, referral agreement or arrangement between Mr. Mayhew and deVere. If you have any further questions on your policy Mr. Michael will endeavour to assist you, but, with respect, we cannot uphold your complaint.

Please be advised that, if you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to seek independent legal advice. Yours sincerely Juliette Vincent Client Relations Manager deVere Group"

Original review Sep 15, 2018

I have had an uphill battle with this company without any light at the end of the tunnel. My investment advisor has provided absolutely no advice, my investments have depreciated by over 50% over a period of 10 years and the only solution is to withdraw the funds and take the loss.

Unfortunately the small print says that the funds will only be released once the investments have been sold. So for the next 10 years or so, the management fees and commissions will be paid until I suppose the investment ceases to exist. They should be strung up and shot for manoeuvring behind the smoke and mirrors of their marketing lies. I have subsequently been told that my financial advisor was thrown out of Qatar and the UAE, imprisoned in Oman and has left the company.

Through other avenues, I discovered that he still works for the same company but behind a connect "separate" entity. Perhaps all the people that have been fleeced by this company should pay a personal visit to their offices.

Loss:
$100000
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

5

deVere Group's reply to: Totally untrustworthorthy etc

deVere takes all complaints very seriously and prides itself on providing a high-quality service, which is why we have a dedicated client relations team. The client’s complaint has been fully investigated and found to be without merit. The client is fully aware of this and has been advised of the local regulator he can go to if he is still dissatisfied with the conclusion.
author's review
David C Kwt

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website.

 Verified Reviewer
#1341455 
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Totally untrustworthorthy etc

deVere Group - Totally untrustworthorthy etc

In response to your email enquiring if DeVere have contacted me

De Vere have never contacted ......me other that to sell more investments and the caller seemed to think I had taken 37,000 out of the account rather that the real 21,000 of which 15800 was A pcls

There has never been any contact prior to my complaint

I cannot withdraw any more ( over 5 quarters since last payment because the agent set the payment too high and the account will implode if I withdraw any more ) from the pension. one agent called to sell a qrops to my wife and in response to my problems said this is too complicated. ( email ) I have emails showing that the agent was aware that I wanted a PCLS but somehow the trustee did not get the instruction

The docs sent to my wife show a fact find doc making 2,version one official and not seen before August 2018) and signed by me and one hand written and not seen by me prior to 22 august 2017 De Vere have chosen to use the hand written one to reject my complaint and have ignored all the other entries on the hand written version

Reason of review:
Poor customer service
4

deVere Group's reply to: Compliance doe,snt exist / qsb 481816

deVere prides itself on providing a high quality service and takes all complaints very seriously, which is why we have a dedicated client relations team. As Mr. Chapman is already aware, we have addressed all of his complaints and produced documentation to support our findings following a thorough investigation. With regards to his wife’s policy, we are unable comment on other clients’ matters. Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at clientrelations@devere-group.com.
author's review
David C Kwt

This review is from a real person who provided valid contact information and hasn't been caught misusing, spamming or abusing our website.

 Verified Reviewer
#1316367 
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Compliance doe,snt exist / qsb 481816

De Vere say there has been considerable contact from themselves, if so my letter box and telephone line must be as broken as DE Vere . The one call I have had was to sell more and he thought I had withdrawn 37k , Now I have found my wife (who also is a big loser to DV but offered £500 in respect of possible a 4k loss and which she refused) has been sent confidential documents ref my qrops .

my comments about compliance 30 day cooling off commenced 8th mar but I was supposedly sent it on the 29th mar and there is so much more, it has taken me a long time but I have dug out the emails from the advisor.

question ?

would any savvy investor take on a fund with 5% initial charge and 3.07% annual charges had they known about them I don't think so ! a letter from the advisor says he didn't know of the charges so how then could he have declared them?

Loss:
$11000
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Helpful

deVere Group's reply to: DeVere are very boastful in there claim, but there advisors

Mr.Rauber has been kept updated as and when the fund Administrator issue updates. An update has just been issued and all affected investors will receive copies via their product provider. However, please note a specific communication has now been sent to Mr.Rauber.
author's review
Ottilia Chd
map-marker Zurich, Zurich
#1314364 
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DeVere are very boastful in there claim, but there advisors

Updated by user Aug 27, 2018

As usual deVere are completely in denial on there responsibilities. DeVere have fully miss sold The Four Elements Fund.

I have not been contacted on this matter or been informed of the progress to have this fund released. A personal contact to resolve this would be a start

Original review Jul 27, 2018

I had as many as 6 advisors and each of them does not recognise the mistakes made by the prvios one.

The customers compliance office in itself dos tel lies, claiming that my pension investment was in profit when in fact it was in a large loss and suspended but deVere is still in denial.

Come on DeVere owe up to your responsibilities and not just give boastful answers

Helpful

deVere Group's reply to: Devere Group stole my family's money

deVere takes all complaints very seriously and has a team of fully qualified advisers who are dedicated to providing a high quality service. Having checked our records, we can see that no formal complaint has been made by either Mrs Preston or her husband, who is a joint policy holder. Furthermore, at no time has deVere received any of the clients’ monies, and as per their own admission, the monies were paid to Generali. All the forms and requirements to surrender the product are those of Generali. Mrs Preston has been made fully aware of the outstanding requirements from Generali which were provided directly to her husband by email on 17/07/18. As such, there is nothing deVere can do in this regard until either the client or her husband produces the necessary documentation in full. If you wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to email us on csvhelp@devere-group.com.

author's review
Nancy P Vmi
#1305989 
Report Review

Devere Group stole my family's money

My husband and I purchased a Generali "Vision Plan" #9403**** in Abu Dhabi through Devere Group, in July 2013. We are Americans who were both consulting in the UAE at the time.

For the past 9 weeks (starting on 5/21/18), we have been trying to cash out our policy, having been fully paid in all fees and having an account in good standing. Devere Group and Generali REFUSE to release the the full surrender value of our plan, despite us following every ridiculous instruction.

The Devere Acuma group in Abu Dhabi (evalyn.gomez@***e-acuma.com and jason.ambayec@***e-group.com

Tel: +971 * 509 ****, Mobile:+971 52 9** **39) required an ENORMOUS amount of forms and documentation, all originals with original signatures, to be couriered to Abu Dhabi. Evalyn and Jason received the documents, confirmed that the documents were all correct, and stated that they will forward the documents to Generali in Ireland. Then the Ireland HQs REFUSED to speak to us.

They received the documents and claimed that they were not the right documents. They (Thomas at international number 00253906****) further claimed that the plan we clearly have is illegal to purchase in the UAE. Therefore Devere broke the law selling it to us despite accepting our $3600US monthly payments for nearly 4 years. Thomas further stated that "he doesn't care what we were told." I think that is a side scam, b/c they are still asking for a completely different set of documents such as an original active lease, original utility bill, drivers' license, and a certified copy of my husband's passport...ALL TO PROVE OUR ADDRESS is what Thomas said.

I have DOZENS of emails to prove our experience with Generali and Devere. We are initiating a lawsuit against Generali and Devere for refusing to release the full surrender value of our policy.

Loss:
$105000
Cons:
  • Fraud the company is trying to commit against my family
Reason of review:
FRAUD

Preferred solution: Release of my full surrender value immediately.

11

deVere Group's reply to: Totally untrustworthy compliance as i understand does not exist

At deVere Group, we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction, which is why we have a dedicated client relations team. We have thoroughly investigated this complaint and found it to be without merit. Nevertheless, we have had extensive contact with the client to try and resolve any issues and make him aware of his options. If the client has any new evidence to produce then we wold be happy to review the matter again. Should there be any further queries at this stage, we encourage you to contact us at csvhelp@devere-group.com.
author's review
Akeya Obv
#1302411 
Report Review

Totally untrustworthy compliance as i understand does not exist

qrops de vere did not declare the biggest fees and the advisor by his own admission did not know of the spreads , initial fees that The trustee applied . the 30 day cooling off period in reality was 9 days had it been sent. In reality it was sent by email 60 days after the 30 day cooling off period expired. in addition the De Vere advisor falsified my signature no less than 3 times.

De Vere response to that statement was that a international handwriting expert was required

Total loss 11,000 in 30 months, compliance seemed not existent

Nor was the DE VERE advisor truly independent in that he had only high charging funds to choose from

Reason of review:
Poor customer service
1

deVere Group's reply to: A simple question for deVere

Dear Mr Sheppard,

deVere Group provides expert independent financial advice to clients all over the world and we take pride in offering a high-quality service, so we take all complaints very seriously. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and can confirm that you have been placed on a do not call list to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
author's review
Paul S Omj
#1301537 
Report Review

A simple question for deVere

Over the years, I have noticed that they come in waves - Continuous cold contact from people in different European offices in deVere group. Mail, LinkedIn and phone calls in double digit numbers per day.

Persistent contact that does not take notice that that one is simply not interested in their services, nor a long winded discussion as to why.

Such persistence implies that the company's interests are based on a deal and not my personal well being.

Having never once provided my contact details to deVere, having changed phone number to avoid cold calls, and not having ever consented to deVere calling me, I would like to know how one can arrange to have one's contact details definitively removed from the groups numerous databases.

A simple question to which one hopes to receive a simple, timely and concise response.

To head off the standard, one is tired of being told to "tell the person calling to place you on the DNC list". The person calling has zero interest and my interest is to not be on any list in deVere, yet alone an ignored "do not call" list.

Cons:
  • Persistent calls
Reason of review:
Cold Calling
3

deVere Group's reply to: QROPS pension ... lost £150,000

At deVere Group, we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction, which is why we have a dedicated client relations team. Having checked our records, we can see that no formal complaint has been made. However, we can confirm that a member of our team will be in contact with you immediately to investigate this matter further and to try and resolve any issues you may be having. Should you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us at csvhelp@devere-group.com.
author's review
Chris H Hwh
map-marker Genève, Genf
#1291480 
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QROPS pension ... lost £150,000

Colin Kneale, a senior partner with deVere Group (Geneva) called me in August 2010, telling me he understood I was a British citizen now resident in Switzerland.

He asked whether I had pension savings back in the UK and, if so, with how many different institutions. I confirmed that I did, and explained these funds were spread across four different funds.

He then told me that I could benefit from the QROPS programme, established by law in the UK in 2006, which allowed UK citizens no longer resident in the UK to move their pension savings into offshore accounts that met specific criteria. He explained that by doing this, I could consolidate those various savings into a single account, making things easier to manage and make my money “work harder”.

I agreed to meet him to discuss.

At that meeting, he asked me to provide details of my UK pension accounts and to sign a letter authorising him to act on my behalf. I did this.

A few months later, he told me that my UK pension funds had been consolidated and had a total value of £154,947.

He then asked what level of risk I was willing to take with those funds and I explained, several times, that as these were my pension savings, my appetite for risk was very low.

Colin recommended a plan with Providence Capital, the trustees of which were Sovereign Trust Limited. He assured me this investment was low risk, ideal for pensions as it would ensure the funds kept pace with inflation. The fund was established in February 2011. Of the £154,947, Providence Capital invested £153,197 in a bond with Royal Skandia International and deducted £1,750 for first year Trustee fees.

Royal Skandia subsequently invested those funds in Four Elements Strategic Growth Plus securities.

In March 2012 I received a valuation of the fund for year end 2011 which showed a slight decline to £145,684. At the end of 2012, the fund had reduced to £134,130 . At the end of 2013, the valuation was £109,087. At no time did anyone from deVere advise me to move my funds elsewhere. By the time I received the 2013 statement and sought to do so, I was told the account had been frozen. Today, it appears there is virtually no hope of recovering any of my savings.

Given that (a) this entire event was prompted by an unsolicited call from a deVere agent, (b) I gave specific instruction that the investment vehicle for my pension savings be low risk and (c) at no time did deVere advise me to move the fund's elsewhere (advice that was offered to other clients), I believe deVere has failed in its duty of care. I would therefore ask the company to restore my pension fund to its start value, as defined in the annual valuation certificate I receive from Sovereign Trust.

Many thanks

Loss:
$200000
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Full refund

17

deVere Group's reply to: Deveres response that my claim has no merit. I disagree Mr Offen miss sold the FOUR ELEMENTS GROWTH PLUS FUND, by not disclosing the full facts. Mr Kerswell tried to hide the fact that the fund was su

Further to Mr Rauber’s various reviews, we repeat that his claim has been fully investigated and found to be without merit.
author's review
Ottilia Chd
#1289776 
Report Review

Deveres response that my claim has no merit. I disagree Mr Offen miss sold the FOUR ELEMENTS GROWTH PLUS FUND, by not disclosing the full facts. Mr Kerswell tried to hide the fact that the fund was su

You claim " go to the regulator" who is your full regulator in Switzerland. Yes I have gone to Polyreg you claim is your regulator, but they claim only to be responsable for money laundering.

If Devere can not agree with this finding then please tell me and everybody in Switzerland who is the full regulator.

Deveres response that my claim has no merit. I disagree Mr Offen miss sold the FOUR ELEMENTS GROWTH PLUS FUND, by not disclosing the full facts. Mr Kerswell tried to hide the fact that the fund was suspended and even tried to pay my pension out of a totally different account, this is not only incompetent that is fraud. Deveres complaints department Juliette Vincent claimed to my Trustees that my QROPS pension setup was up by 17.5% this was an outright lie.

In fact it was 22% down and suspended. I believe my claim of the full refund has merit.

I demand a full refund of £ 212000

Loss:
$400000
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Full refund

5

deVere Group's reply to: deVere Group - Devere has lost me my QROPS pension with a investment of over £212000 The FOUR ELEMENTS GROWTH PLUS FUND is a fraud right at the top of Devere

Mr Rauber made a similar complaint of deVere Group on 14th February 2017, which was fully investigated and found to be without merit. There is little more we can add to our previous findings, although we will summarise again in hopes of clearing this issue up.

We cannot comment on the particulars of Mr Rauber’s case as a matter of confidentiality except to say that any trades undertaken by deVere on behalf of its clients are only done with the client’s understanding and approval. We can however confirm that Mr Green at one time held shares in the Fund’s investment advisory company, but at no time did he have any control or mandate over the Fund and there was no element of insider trading. deVere Group is still working with the Regulator and Joint Administration Managers in Guernsey to ensure that its affected clients are informed regularly about the Fund’s progress. We recommend any interested parties to read the affidavit of Paul Yabsley who is acting on behalf of the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, supporting their initial court application, which delivers great insight into who they consider responsible for the problems with the fund in question. Mr Rauber has been notified of his right to refer his complaint to the appropriate Regulator and/or seek legal advice if he considers deVere to be wrong in its conclusions.
author's review
Ottilia Chd
#1288130 
Report Review

Devere has lost me my QROPS pension with a investment of over £212000 The FOUR ELEMENTS GROWTH PLUS FUND is a fraud right at the top of Devere

I had several Devere advisors and and every one was seriously lacking giving fruitful advice.

My QROPS pension advice by William Offen claiming to be top advisor of Devere promoted the FOUR ELEMENTS GROWTH PLUS FUND and was from the onset an insider trading scam, exclusivly sold by Devere to Devere. Not only a scam, but Offen left Switzerland even before the whole pension was set up and passed it on to a Jack Kerswell who was nothing more than incompetent.

He even tried to have my annual pension paid from a different account. Devere claim they take complaints seriously, this is certainly not the case with my pension set up by Devere.

So if you say what you are get on with it and sort my pension out and pay me back the £212'000 you have taken from me

Loss:
$400000
Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised

Preferred solution: Full refund

7

deVere Group's reply to: Personal Data Breach & Strategic Fund suspension lack of updates

At deVere Group, we pride ourselves on customer satisfaction, which is why we have a dedicated clients relations team. Having checked our records, we can see that no formal complaint has been made. However, we can confirm that an adviser will be in contact with you immediately to resolve any issues you may be having and to give you an update on your investments. Should you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us at clientrelations@devere-group.com.
author's review
Miguel M Lcr
#1280636 
Report Review

Personal Data Breach & Strategic Fund suspension lack of updates

In the last year I had had already 3 advisors in Devere. Their advice has been poor and It made me invest -despite the fact I was not looking for much risk- in the Strategic Growth Fund that has been suspended since 2013. I have not received any updates on this since more than years now.

Last month my advisor (Mark Gibson) from Devere left the company along with his assistant. After that I received an email from them from a Hotmail email account to try to get in touch with me! probably they wanted me to do business with them outside the company. My Personal information was taken and now it is who knows where!!!! I find this disgusting!!! I am going to take legal action against devere for all this!!!

So far I had had only loses in my investments of almost 10 years! I can not recommend this company to anybody! I want now to suspend Devere as my advisor for good! Do not trust them!

Miguel Mena.

Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

3

deVere Group's reply to: Cold calling my employer - harassment!

We take pride in our reputation and would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention! We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused and can confirm that your name and contact details have been added to a ‘do not call’ list on our database. Please do not hesitate to contact us again should you have any other queries.
author's review
Anonymous
#1272219 
Report Review

Cold calling my employer - harassment!

Over the past twelve months I have had at least six calls at my employer's office by deVere group staff (from the Munich and Frankfurt office, apparently) who have found my details on LinkedIn. They claim that they want to make me an offer, and check the relevance of the offer.

So why don't they contact me on LinkedIn if they stalk me there anyway? I can read messages, and assess the relevance in that way, too. Why call my employer? I have repeatedly said that I do not wish any more calls, and that it is inappropriate to call my employer.

It bothers my colleagues, it is cutting into my working time. This is harassment.

Severe professional misconduct. Stop these calls!

Reason of review:
Poor customer service
3

deVere Group's reply to: deVere Group - Unethical contact

Dear Ms Francis,

Thanks for your message.

We would like to apologise on behalf of Michael for having contacted your employer in order to get hold of your details. This is definitely not our company policy and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.
author's review
Scotty Scy
#1262315 
Report Review

Unethical contact

I am disgusted that De Veré Spain have contacted my employer to try and get hold of me to sell me products!! From one line in my LinkedIn profile and after sending me a request which I ignored Michael contacted my employer to track me down and has advised me he has done nothing wrong.

This is totally unacceptable and un ethical, my company has a strict social media policy which is written into my contract so to take my employers name and details from my profile is totally out of order and I would like to know how you are not doing anything wrong by doing this? Send me invites or messages to me I understand as I then have the choice of what to do, but to find a phone number for my employer and track me down is wrong.

To add to this I am currently off after a work accident and had a scan yesterday so my employer thought it was someone trying to get hold of me urgently regarding this so you had my boss contacting me at 11.30pm to make sure I had the message!! I cannot tell you how angry I am over this and look forward to understanding under which privacy /data laws etc., you are allowed to to complete this?

Reason of review:
Poor customer service
6

deVere Group's reply to: It cant be to pay feas for 70% this is a fraude

Hi Reiner,

Please send over your details and complaint to our Client Relations team at clientrelations@devere-group.com so we can assist you further.

Once received, we can assure you that it will receive our urgent attention.

author's review
Reiner d
#1243786 
Report Review

It cant be to pay feas for 70% this is a fraude

I have canceled today my account by deVEre and the want what we pay 70% feas for the cancelation!!!!! What seems to me me like a fraude! 10years they never contaced us or help us with our account. 10 years with out emails foncalls or personal contact! but in the moment what cancelt the account what a biti!!!!

What is not a company to trust!

Hi Reiner,

I can direct you to the relevant team to fully surrender your policy but you should note the following. Your current value is xxxxxxx EUR and if you fully surrender you will receive XXXXX EUR (less when 30%) meaning you will lose approximately XXXXX EUR (70% FEES). If you are still happy to proceed with a full surrender let me know and I will ask the team to begin the process for you. However if you would like to discuss your options then I am available to call you today. Thank you.

Kind regards,

Rushan Silva

Rushan Silva| Client Services Associate

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

Direct line: +356 **** ****

Direct Email: rushan.silva@***e-group.com

deVere Group Global Client Services

Tel: +356 **** ****

Email: csvhelp@***e-group.com

Website: www.devere-group.com

Loss:
$19000
Pros:
  • 10 years with out service
  • And i lost my many
Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy

Preferred solution: Full refund

1

deVere Group's reply to: Iyad Hayel Stay away from us

We take pride in our reputation, so thank you for bringing this to our attention! We apologise for any inconvenience caused and can assure you that we will be contacting the individual to ensure this situation gets resolved.
Furthermore, in order to stop this practice continuing, we would urge you to provide all the evidence you have and send it to our legal department on legal@devere-worldwide.com, so we can work with local regulators and law enforcement to prevent this happening again.
author's review
Anonymous
#1131656 
Report Review

Iyad Hayel Stay away from us

He is continuing to call us saying he works for deVere. He has been asking for money.

He now goes by Ian. please do something about this guy. He has called us repeatedly asking for money. then he offered us some internet deals saying he has gold connections around the world.

He also claims to work with Lux and Swiss banks. He then said he can open accounts for us where we can invest every month. We said no because we realize he is a conman. Stay away from Iayd Hayel, he is a vile toxic person that lies and cheats.

Please check because he is still using DeVere business cards. you must take this vile person to court.

Reason of review:
Poor customer service
Helpful