The following is a description of how our notaries approach their work to make sure you receive the most efficient service possible. We have also included some other information which might be useful when you visit one of our notaries in London or request our notarial services.
Customer Charter
Our aim is to offer you the best notarial service in the most convenient and cost-effective way. To that end, our notaries will put all their efforts into fulfilling these promises to our customers:
- We will always strive to process your requests as quickly and efficiently as possible.
- We will offer a friendly and approachable, yet professional, service.
- We will always keep you informed as to the status of any documents we are processing for you.
- We will guide you through any legalese and help you understand any legal processes which you are not familiar with.
- We will always provide you with an advance quote with no hidden charges so that you know what you will be paying for our services.
- We will look for the most cost-effective deals for you whenever we have to use third-party services such as couriers.
- We will keep you fully informed of any issues which may arise when processing your documents and we will explain the options available to you.
Useful Information
Identification requirements
Current legislation (including the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002) requires us to check the identity and address of our customers and to keep some of that information in our records.
For that reason, the first time you use the services of one of our notaries we will need you to show us a photo ID and a proof of address. We may need to take copies but any details we keep will remain fully confidential and will not be used for any other purposes.
These are some of the forms of ID we can accept. Note that we need to see the original document (not a copy) and we need documents which have not expired:
- Passport
- National Identity Card
- Driving Licence (with photograph)
- Some official licences and cards, such as armed forces ID cards.
These are some of the documents you can bring as proof of your current address. Again, you need to bring the original document and not a copy:
- Utility bill (excluding mobile phone bills, but prints of online statements that show your address are fine)
- Bank statement
- Other official documents confirming your address (e.g. a letter from the electoral register).
If you are signing a document on behalf of a company – especially if it is a foreign company – we may need to ask you to show us evidence that the company exists and that you are authorised to represent it. Our notaries will be able to tell you which documents you can use in those cases.
How we are regulated
1. Our notarial practice is regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
The Faculty Office
1, The Sanctuary
Westminster
London
SW1P 3JT
Telephone 020 7222 5381
E-mail: Faculty.office@1thesanctuary.com
Website: www.facultyoffice.org.uk
2. If you are dissatisfied about the service you have received, please do not hesitate to contact our firm:
Vanner Perez Notaries LLP
6 Hay’s Lane
London Bridge
London
SE1 2HB
Telephone: 020 3668 6626
E-mail: info@vpnotaries.co.uk
Website: www.vpnotaries.co.uk
3. If we are unable to resolve the matter you may then complain to The Notaries Society, of which all our notaries are members, who have a Complaints Procedure which is approved by the Faculty Office. This procedure is free to use and is designed to provide a quick resolution to any dispute.
4. In that case please write (but do not enclose any original documents) with full details of your complaint to:
The Secretary of The Notaries Society
Old Church Chambers
23 Sandhill Road
St James
Northampton NN5 5LH
E-mail: secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk
Tel: 01604 758908
If you have any difficulty making a complaint in writing, please do not hesitate to call The Notaries Society/the Faculty Office for assistance.
5. Finally, even if you have your complaint considered under the Notaries Society Approved Complaints Procedure, you may at the end of that procedure, or after a period of 6 months from the date you first notified us that you were dissatisfied, make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman*, if you are not happy with the result:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806,
Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
Tel: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
6. If you decide to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you must refer your matter to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and
- Six years from the date of act/omission; or
- Three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint (only if the act or omission took place more than six years ago)
The act or omission, or when you should have reasonably known there was cause for complaint, must have been after 5th October 2010.
*certain kinds of commercial entities are not eligible to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman – please refer to the Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules or consult the Faculty Office.