wine-searcher

Wine Name:
Vintage:

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Hamilton Partners UK: 'a boutique over the counter investment brokerage'


 Hamilton Partners: We source and supply high quality certified diamonds
Details of Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd as 

  
Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd, which was set up on 17th November 2011, is a versatile commodities broker now based at 111 Cannon Street, London EC4N 5AR but was previously based at Cantium House, Station Approach, Wallington. They changed their registered office on 14th January 2013. The sole director is Gavin Daniels. Daniels is also a director of Hamilton Partners Nominees and Hamilton Partners Ltd – both set up on 5th April 2013.  The company's share capital is £1. Daniels has also been a consultant to Sales2Sales Ltd.

Hamilton Partners originally offered investments in carbon credits* but are now offering investments in diamonds as the company explains:      
  
'Hamilton Partners UK are a boutique over the counter investment brokerage who are renowned for delivering the most sustainable, sought after commodities which yield the richest returns for their clients and the company. If we reach a quota in terms of allocations allowed (Carbon Credits) then we can't trade any further credits. Our remit is to move with the ever changing markets to deliver diverse, profitable commodities. You clearly know little of investments otherwise you would understand that diversification means to choose a proportion of assets that reduce fluctuations in value (risk).

We are in regular contact with the FCA despite the fact that we work within an unregulated market and offer an open door policy. We protect the interests of both the client and the company. We also follow arigorous compliance process that adheres toAML legislation and Data protection laws in order to ensure this.'

'With access to the most prestigious diamond mines, suppliers and valuation experts, we are able to source the finest clear cut certified diamonds for re-sale or long-term investment.'


'Solid sales experience, however for the more junior roles, a good attitude and a desire to move into sales would be considered'

Compare and contrast:

Organisations listed on Hamilton Partners site:

Hamilton list five organisations on their site: EGL USA, AGS Laboratories, HRD Antwerp, International Gemological Institute (IGI) and the GIA. In every instance Hamilton Partners claim to have written the text shown on their site. However, in all five cases this is incorrect as Hamilton Partners have falsely claimed authorship of text from the organisations' sites as their own.

        

 One example: HRD Antwerp: '5th March 2013 
Written by Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd'
Actually just copied from the HRD Antwerp site (see below).
Why did Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd not correctly attribute these quotes in the first place? *

False claim 'Written by Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd  


Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd: 'ever changing markets to deliver diverse, profitable commodities'

2012: carbon credits
2013: diamonds (from late February/early March?)
2014: ?
2015: ? 

Update: 21.00 31st July 2013
* Having been found falsely claiming authorship of the profiles of the five organisations shown on their site, Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd have today amended their site to acknowledge the true authorship of these profiles.

Amended attribution: Written by HRD Antwerp Institute of Gemmology  

Instead of thanking me for alerting them to their error over claiming to have written these profiles Gavin Daniels and Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd have this evening accused me of defamation – a general accusation, I note, rather than pointing out specific instances – and claim to have instituted legal proceedings. 

Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd's explanation (31st July 2013):
'We haven't passed off any context as our own, these are official grading laboratories which verify our stones, therefore we offer full transparency of their context so our clients can verify. Therefore to insinuate any different is defamation!'

Rather misses the point: it was Hamilton Partners who claimed falsely to have written these profiles. Two further examples below: 




Explanation provided (11th October 2013) by Riverview Solicitors, law firm engaged by Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd:

'Our client has explained to you that the quotes you refer to which appeared on our client's wbsite were placed purely for information about the diamond grading laboratories Our Client uses to certify diamonds, and were an attempt to ensure clarity about these labs. By default Our Client's whole website displays the text "written by Hamilton Partners", and any confusion caused by the presence of this statement on the information pages referred to was purely accidental. Our client had no intention to mislead visitors to its site, and immediately upon you drawing attention to this oversight Our Client corrected its website accordingly.'   

It does appear a little odd that this 'oversight' ran from 5th March 2013 to 30th July 2013 without anyone from Hamilton Partners Ltd noticing the false claims of authorship. As Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd 'are in regular contact with the FCA' one might think that the FCA would have stressed the importance of ensuring that there were no misleading statements on their website.    

Although one might give some credit to sole director, Gavin Daniels, and Hamilton Partners for having amended the false attribution, I certainly have no wish to deal with a company that either claims the words of other organisations as its own or for over four months fails to verify that their website, offering investment opportunities, does not carry misleading statements irrespective of whether they happen to be punting carbon credits, diamonds, eco-investments or bio-fuels etc. 

** 

* FCA advice on carbon credits 

As the FCA's advice indicates investments in carbon credits now have an uneviable reputation. Also report on FCA Conference on 1st July 2013.  

Some press comment on carbon credits – here, here and here

7 comments:

  1. What is this please? Hard to tell if it's a warning or an endorsement of Hamilton

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anon. Thanks – the post has now been expanded. I would hardly be endorsing a company that clearly takes text from reputable organisations and passing it off as their own.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wonder who Gavin Daniels is, its good to get these companies up for those that search for them to get more info, I hope people aren't parting with their money

    ReplyDelete
  4. "This kind of‘churnalism’ is thoughtless and
    unverified regurgitation rather than journalism.

    As a writer isn't it your responsibility to check facts, especially when damaging assertions are made."

    DO YOU SEE THE HYPOCRISY HERE JIM? YOUR OWN WORDS!!!!

    You seem to be nit picking anything you can on that site, it's almost as if you have some sort of personal vendetta.

    The AGS & EGL logos you're trying to highlight are nothing more than information tabs with the same or similar content as the companies they relate too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amended reply:
      Anon. Thank you. Indeed the text is the same. The crux is that previously Hamilton Partners (UK) Ltd claimed authorship of text written by another organisation. The facts are clearly set out above and have been checked.

      Delete
    2. Amended reply:
      Anon. Rather than unthinkingly accusing me of 'churnalism' you might consider why Hamilton might claim other organisations' words as their own and whether it is curious that this oversight was not noticed by the company for over four months.

      Delete
  5. Result of recent diamond investment fraud trial at The Old Bailey:
    http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local/gems-dealers-facing-prison-after-scam-1-5416951

    ReplyDelete