Absolutely shocking experience trying…
Absolutely shocking experience trying to make a timely withdrawal of my SiPP funds. The advisor, who is now threatening me with personal litigation via his Harrison Brook email for mentioning his name in the initial version of this review, lacks appropriate French tax knowledge and I question his commitment to customer service. The small print says they can't give tax advice yet that was what said advisor did on video calls in order to try to dissuade me from withdrawing the full amount. Thankfully I had external counsel and didn't take his advice.
He then failed to delink my funds which led to me losing several thousand pounds. I have exhausted their own internal complaints procedure and am now taking this to the Ombudsman in Cyprus.
I have edited this review as it seems that you can name advisors for good experiences but not for bad ones.
Réponse de Harrison Brook Online - Expat Financial Advice
We are sorry to hear that you remain dissatisfied with your experience, despite having gone through our formal complaints procedure.
As a regulated financial advisory firm, we take all client concerns seriously and have a duty to ensure any complaint is investigated fairly, objectively, and in line with our regulatory obligations. In this case, your complaint was fully reviewed by our compliance team, who concluded that the advice and service provided were appropriate, transparent, and in line with your stated objectives and circumstances. You were subsequently informed that the complaint had not been upheld.
We would like to offer the following clarifications regarding your public comments:
1. At every stage, detailed written communication and multiple meetings took place to ensure you were fully informed about the process, including the tax implications of withdrawing your UK pension as a French resident.
2. You confirmed in writing that you had obtained independent tax advice and that you wished to proceed with a full withdrawal of your pension, accepting the UK tax implications with a view to reclaiming the tax via your French tax returns.
3. You were informed that Harrison Brook does not provide formal tax advice and that certain actions carried associated tax risks, particularly if not handled correctly in France by a local tax adviser.
4. While we always aim to support clients through withdrawal processes, certain elements, including market movements, HMRC processing times, and cross-border tax treatment, are beyond the control of any adviser.
5. Allegations that our adviser “lacked appropriate French tax knowledge” are not only misleading, but contradict the documented warnings and guidance provided to you.
6. Furthermore, the claim that the adviser’s actions “led to you losing several thousand pounds” is not supported by the facts. Your investment was subject to market fluctuations, and the withdrawal strategy was implemented as per your own written instructions.
We must also respectfully state that personal accusations directed publicly at our adviser, including naming him in a defamatory context, raise serious legal and ethical concerns. We stand by the professionalism, integrity, and long-standing record of our adviser, Stuart Dunn, who has over 25 years of experience in cross-border financial advice and an unblemished track record.
We always prefer to resolve concerns amicably and constructively. However, when inaccurate and damaging allegations are made public, particularly those that name individuals, we are compelled to respond and, if necessary, take appropriate steps to protect our staff from reputational harm.
We wish you the best in your ongoing discussions with the Ombudsman and hope the matter is resolved fairly and in line with the facts.
Should you wish to reopen a constructive dialogue with us directly, we would remain open to doing so.
Kind regards,
Harrison Brook Client Services Team