The Code of Conduct aims to ensure all members of the LGA adhere to the Code’s guidelines and professional standards, whilst also promoting best practice amongst members, both full and associate.

Further details will follow here at talk-finance.co.uk once we get an update from the LGA.

The Lead Generation Association (LGA) was formed in June 2010 to promote professional standards in the lead generation industry and encourage best practice amongst its members.

Membership of LGA is reliant upon lead generation firms being able to demonstrate that they comply with the standards set out in the LGA Code of Conduct. This code will be continually assessed to ensure that it remains relevant and input will be sought from all member firms on a regular basis, which may lead to new guidelines and amendments.

The aim of the Code, and that of LGA, is to encourage lead generation firms to provide services of the highest standards in which lead buyers and internet marketers can have confidence.

Is there a need for a trade body?

In a word, yes. Lead generation (particularly online lead generation) is unregulated, unmonitored and frankly, a law unto itself. Anyone can set themselves up as an online lead generation company within minutes and the consumer (in this case the lead buyer or buyers) will have no reference, guidelines, code of conduct or other reference points to check because they don’t exist.

Or they didn’t until now.

As well as our Code of Conduct, each member firm will have to pass an assessment which will include details of their training plans, refund policy, complaints handling policy, marketing policy, professional references, licenses (where applicable to that industry) and details of their redress policy.

Each member firm will be re-assessed every 12 months (or whenever LGA deem neccessary) and failure to adhere to the standards and code could lead to disciplinary action which may include termination of LGA membership.

Watch list

We will also be producing a list of lead generation firms that lead buyers should be wary of. Firms placed on the ‘watch’ list will have come to our attention because:

• Proven criminal activity has taken place meaning the Police are involved.
• Lead generation firms who have taken a lead buyers money and are no longer contactable by telephone, email or mobile phone.

IMPORTANT: This will not be firms where the lead buyer or lead generation firm are in dispute over leads supplied, quality or customer service. That is a private matter between the lead buyer and the lead generation firm and LGA will only get involved if we have been specifically asked to, however all arbitration will remain private.

The watch list is simply to make lead buyers beware of those firms that are engaging in criminal activity or where contact is no longer possible with a firm that has sold leads to a buyer and not provided those leads, as per their contract.

The application allows brokers to search the live TrigoldCrystal mortgage database using a range of panels, mortgage and repayment types as well as other options.

Results are sorted according to search criteria and can be emailed to the broker’s email address in order to show customers.

It is for brokers only and not available for use by the general public. It can be personalised for each individual or firm and can be modified to carry all of the company’s branding.

TrigoldCrystal business development and marketing director David Aylmer says: “With iphones now counting for around 20 per cent of the handsets in the UK, it make sense for us to develop new software along with the changing times. With the mobile arena becoming ever more important in business, I am sure brokers will flock to use this new must have application.”