Central Paralegals – still a cause for concern

A year ago

In April 2025, KwikChex issued a warning about Central Paralegals. The company had been contacting timeshare owners and persuading them to pay thousands of pounds for purported timeshare termination services.

We were initially concerned about the aggressive cold calling methods used by two linked companies, Garrod Associates and Solved IT Services. These practices not only breached consumer privacy regulations but also exploited the fears of timeshare owners, urging them to make rushed decisions without proper legal counsel. As our investigations unfolded, it became increasingly clear that this network formed part of a broader pattern of fraudulent activity designed to extract hard-earned money from unsuspecting consumers.

Rip Off Britain

On Friday, 18 April 2025, Chris Emmins, CEO of KwikChex, featured in a hard-hitting episode of the BBC’s flagship consumer affairs programme Rip Off Britain.

Aired on BBC One, the episode shone a spotlight on alarming consumer complaints surrounding Central Paralegals. The programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Further reports

Following the broadcast, KwikChex was contacted by several individuals who provided further information about the deceptive practices of Central Paralegals.

The individual who appeared in the programme, calling himself Jeremy Barlow and falsely claiming to be a litigating lawyer, was identified by sources as Jon Exley, a timeshare sector salesman. He has previously worked selling timeshares, as well as for two businesses prosecuted by UK authorities – EZE Group and the Monster Travel network.

Under new management

As highlighted in previous articles, the directors of Central Paralegals Ltd have had links to other businesses operating within the timeshare claims sector.

Darren Peter Deeming was a director of Gilmour Yorke Ltd and Barrington Thomas Ltd, both now dissolved at Companies House. He resigned from Central Paralegals Ltd on 28 February 2024.

Marcus Anthony Harrison was a director of the dissolved Barrington Thomas Ltd and resigned from his role at Central Paralegals Ltd on 10 April 2026. He still controls Central Paralegals Servicing Limited.

Dragos Tanase was appointed as the new director of Central Paralegals Ltd on 10 April 2026. It is unclear why anyone would wish to be associated with a company carrying such reputational concerns.

Dragos Tanase is a name KwikChex has heard before associated with alleged timeshare fraud. Somebody with that name was involved in the J Foster Associates SL, Foster Mediators SL, and Newgate Legal SL scams. In fact, he’s listed as a director of all three companies. He is also a director of Claims Solution Group Iberia SL, which was previously run by Claims Solution Group Limited.

Warning

Given the extent of the bad publicity surrounding Central Paralegals, any attempt to re-establish the business is likely to be challenging. Although there is currently no indication that their website has been reactivated, we believe it is important to remind consumers to remain vigilant.

Do you have information about Jon Exley’s whereabouts? We would love to hear from you.

Contact KwikChex  

Please contact us by web form or email for the quickest response.

Contact – Timeshare Assistance

Email: info@kwikchex.com

UK Phoneline: 0044 (0)1823 510621

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