Fake admission letter- help!

Hello everyone,My story goes like this and i need please an advice.I am a medical candidate for one of greater London Uni's and was at the same time a candidate for German Uni's. On April i have received an acceptance Email from the British University and because of that i have canceled an opportunity to start at a German Uni. after receiving a letter from them too. two weeks later i have discovered that the British email was sent to me by mistake and that i am till now on the waiting list. needless to say that i lost my German opportunity along with other financial loses based on this mistake of the British University.They have admitted the mistake and said that "they sincerely apologize" yet didn't change the decision nor honored their mistake.I am not a British citizen so i am not familiar with the British law so my question is: what are the legal steps that can be taken here ? are they obliged by law to honor their mistake especially when it had caused financial and personal loses ?Would it help if i contact the British education ministry ?Thank you very much in advance.Chris.

(edited 7 years ago)

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Reply 1

MonteCristo

How awful...!

First, I would write to the German university explaining your situation and asking whether they would consider reinstating your offer.

Second, I would contact someone senior at the UK medical school (the Director of Admissions, Dean, or both...) with an extremely polite email (get someone to check it...!!) that explains how delighted you were to receive an offer from their institution as it was your first choice... and that this mistake has caused you to decline a place at another medical school (attach evidence)... explain that you are on their waiting list and so presumably satisfy the criteria for admission... then ask whether they would be willing to prioritise your position on the waiting list under these particular circumstances. I would hope that they would find a way to ensure that you were awarded the next available place that comes up at their institution. You need to sound polite and disappointed but make it clear that this mistake might have derailed your medical career.

In terms of UK law, there is no contract unless there is both offer and acceptance. An offer (e.g. of a medical school place) can be withdrawn at any stage up until it is accepted. If they wrote "we offer you a place" and you replied "that's great - I accept your offer" (or something similar) then they are in a very difficult position indeed and might have to honour their mistake.

If this isn't the case, and they don't give you a place, you*could potentially sue them for negligence. If you did this, they wouldn't have to give you a medical school place but would have to compensate you for any losses as a result of their negligent email, e.g. payment for a lost year of earnings if you don't get in somewhere else this year and have to apply again. I would not make any threats at this stage... play nicely (but firmly) and you might find that things work out for the best. Make sure you are talking to someone senior and not a secretary/administrator.*

Reply 2

chris sa

Thank you very much for your reply.

I have indeed contacted the German uni. the following day but it was too late although i had explained the situation. The German option was eliminated!

I have contacted first the head admission committee but nothing had changed so i have later on contacted the faculty's dean but he also refused to change the decision.

Regarding the offer itself, i didn't have the option of accepting the offer in their email back then. The email was as follow: "Dear Chris..., Congratulation on receiving an offer from our medical school!. The student affairs team will be assisting you with your transition and anything regarding accommodation, transportation bla bla bla". as you see, they didn't request any acceptance from me!

Reply 3

Ethereal

Original post by chris sa

Didn't it occur to you it was rather odd to receive an email saying "congratulations on receiving an offer" but nothing anywhere saying "here is your offer..."?

Reply 4

chris sa

I am not familiar with the British accepting system. I thought back then that the email it self and what had stated was the acceptance decision and the offer. I didn't know that it was suppose to be with some contract as stated here by montecristo. as i told the dean back then: how was i suppose to guess? the sentence was very clear.

Reply 5

username1044510

Original post by chris sa

Did your status change on UCAS?

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Reply 6

chris sa

I don't know was does that mean :smile:

Reply 7

super_kawaii

Original post by chris sa

I don't know was does that mean :smile:

UCAS is the system used to process all applications to all British Universities :smile:

Reply 8

MonteCristo

Original post by chris sa

Regarding the offer itself, i didn't have the option of accepting the offer in their email back then. The email was as follow: "Dear Chris..., Congratulation on receiving an offer from our medical school!. The student affairs team will be assisting you with your transition and anything regarding accommodation, transportation bla bla bla". as you see, they didn't request any acceptance from me!

It sounds as if you might be left having to pursue a legal claim against the medical school afterwards if you find yourself without a place at the end of this process. I'd wait to find out what happens (e.g. whether you get another medical school offer) and then contact a solicitor in the UK for advice. I would have thought that this would be a fairly clear cut case and could be expensive for the medical school involved. It might even be worth contacting a UK solicitor now in case they can offer advice at this stage.*I would use Google to find someone who is used to dealing with university admission appeals or something similar.*

Reply 9

chris sa

Original post by super_kawaii

UCAS is the system used to process all applications to all British Universities :smile:

I have applied directly through an online application on the uni's site itself. I didn't use this system when I registered.

Reply 10

Lionheartat20

Original post by chris sa

I have applied directly through an online application on the uni's site itself. I didn't use this system when I registered.

Could you provide a link to the course website so people know exactly where you are talking about. This would be highly unusual for a medical student. You said applying as a medical candidate, is this for medicine or a related medical degree?

Have you had further contact with the medical school? Keep things recorded i.e. use emails (As international post will take too long). (Medical) students start towards the end of September so you are slowly running out of time.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 11

chris sa

Original post by Lionheartat20

I have not deliberately mention the uni's name because personally i don't think it is appropriate at the moment to do so as long as i am on the waiting list. If i do get rejected i will do so.
And yes, its for medicine but maybe it's different for an international candidate and the so called applying process, not to mention it's the four years program and not the six so it might also be different.
I am keeping record of every email i am sending and receiving and it has been printed down in case i will have to deliver evidence.
I have contacted the dead again two days ago and still waiting for an answer.
I am not sure about the "running out of time' thing because i don't know what i should do next regarding the uni. itself. As mentioned above by one of the replies, the uni. can withdraw the offer as long as the candidate have not accepted it although i didn't receive any "accepting option" and can sue only for negligence but what ever!.
furthermore, i am not sure if it is wise right now to mention my "legal thoughts" with them and just "keep nice" as long as i am on the waiting list.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 12

username1044510

Sounds like it is for a private medical school. (Guesstimate)

I'm not aware of applicants from any country not using UCAS to apply for medicine in the UK.

Anybody else know?

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Reply 13

super_kawaii

Original post by chris sa

Internationals normally apply through UCAS as well. It's how all applications for UK universities are processed :/

Reply 14

mwu13

Original post by super_kawaii

Internationals normally apply through UCAS as well. It's how all applications for UK universities are processed :/

I think Some universities have their own application system for postgraduates, so people can just apply directly to them.... :s-smilie:

Reply 15

999tigger

You shoild make an official complaint to the Uni using its official complaints procedure. If that fails you cna check if the OA have jurisidiction to handle such an incident.
It seems odd that you wouldnt have verified the place with them, which would have then revealed the mistake.
Do as Monte Cristo said and contact someone senior at the medical school.
Im not sure they would or should offer you a place in medical school based on you being the wrong person to receive an offer.

Reply 16

ForestCat

From your post it sounds as if you received an email from the university, rather than the actual medical school. It's not uncommon for applicants to end up on a mailing list for the university itself, for things such as news and accommodation. Whilst it may have said congratulations on your offer, if it wasn't from the medical school itself and it didn't detail the offer, I'm afraid you will have little to appeal on legally. It is simply a computer error where you've been put on the wrong email mailing list.

I'll keep my fingers crossed you get a place from the waiting list. You probably won't hear any further until a level results are realised and places are finalised.

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Reply 17

999tigger

Original post by ForestCat

Good point. My impression was he got an offer intended for someone else, whereas your version would mean it wasnt an offer at all. That would massively weaken any claim.

Reply 18

chris sa

Original post by ForestCat

The email was: "Dear Christopher, congratulation on receiving an offer from our medical school".
As i have told the dean back then, how was i suppose to guess its fake ? how was i suppose to know that there had to be an accepting option ?
Do you really think i would have had canceled the German option if i had the slightest doubt that this email is fake or was wrongly sent ?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 19

999tigger

Original post by chris sa

The email was: "Dear Christopher, congratulation on receiving an offer from our medical school".
As i have told the dean back then, how was i suppose to guess its fake ? how was i suppose to know that their had to be an accepting option ?
Do you really think i would have had canceled the German option if i had the slightest doubt that this email is fake or was wrongly sent ?

Would have to see the actual e-mail (not asking), but that tends to lend weight to what Forest cat said and isnt an offer of itself, it juts refers to one. Its not unreasonable to think one was coming or had been made elsewhere.

Your only options as far as I can see are :
1. Informal complaint, which you are doing. You will have to wait and its completely at their discretion whether they feel obligated or not. If they investigate and find out its an admin error by admissions rather than the department itself I imagine they will feel less obligated.
2. They will have a formal complaints procedure, which will be to the Uni and not via the department. I would hnestly expect the Uni to back the department, but it depends what they found and I wouldnt be hopeful.
3. The office of the independent adjudicator, which handles student complaints, will not deal with ones about admissions
4. You can consult a lawyer to bring a claim, but that would be expensive (many thousands) and the Uni would fight. From what youve said I dont think your case is strong enough to force them to give you a place or get much more than an apology, becayse it wasnt an offer.

Ofc thats just my opinion and I think what you are doing is about as much as can be done.. Fingers crossed they might be able to make room for you and GL.