Zippoo,
I graduated already, my grades are below the equivolent of a 2:1 so I'm not making a fuss about this, but for everyone out there who was rejected having met the minimums, I'd be furious if that decision was made without my LOR's having been sent in. That's a slap in the face.
I'm just taken aback to see that this is actually a habit and not an isolated case. If you just want to verify information on the CV, why is it that people get rejected or admitted without the reference letters being there in the first place to do just that! Not only are these not used in their proper context, they are not used at all.
This was one of the schools I was most excited to apply to, I spent hours and hours of my time studying every single aspect of their programs. I took two days off from work to drive 6 hours one way to my alma mater when my referees we're taking their time with these letters to speak to them in person and show them how much this means to me so that they can be sent right away. I know Sue is registered here on TSR (can't recall which thread I saw her in) as well as an "Official Cass Representative" and I know they frequent these forums. There is atleast 4 people in this thread alone that have been either rejected or admitted without LOR's having arrived...