Ross launches claim room for 24-hour 'blind bidders'

One of the founders of settlement Web site wecansettle.com - Wirral solicitor and leading IT expert Graham Ross - has left to launch another negotiation and claims...One of the founders of settlement Web site wecansettle.com - Wirral solicitor and leading IT expert Graham Ross - has left to launch another negotiation and claims resolution service, www.

theclaimroom.comThe claim room, offers a 24-hour 'blind bidding' service, where parties can submit offers that will not be disclosed to the other side.

If a bid is entered that comes within a certain parameter - adjustable for every case - to the last bid from the opposing side, the 'cyberspace referee' will declare a binding settlement at the mid-point.

However, Mr Ross is keen to stress that his site differs from both wecansettle.com, and the recently launched esettle.co.uk (see Gazette [2001] 11 January 10).

'We offer a system where both parties are not only able to lodge monetary bids, but also have access to an on-line 'deal room' where they are able to post messages - such as side agreements and conditions - for each other and their clients.' The system offers parties full progress visibility, apart from the final 'blind bidding' process, with clients able to access the system using a password to view the progress of their case.The claim room is initially being targeted at three separate areas - consumer complaints about products or services; clinical negligence and personal injury claims; and 'vertical markets' where there are disputes between partners in the supply chain process.Victoria MacCallum