Response to my Prelim. approach

[Janeyh]

Hi guys,

I sent off my preliminary approach letter to Abby on 16th May giving them 14 days to respond. Yesterday I received their reply and, from reading posts on here, it's the standard "sorry you have a complaint ...." letter.

Here is a copy of their letter:

"Dear Mrs. ***

Thank you for contacting us and I am sorry that you have been so unhappy that you have felt you must complain.

One of my team will be responsible for investigating your complaint and I have enclosed our Complaints leaflet whch explains our procedure for doing this. High quality customer service is of great importance to us at Abbey and we will do everything we can to resolve your complaint in a timely and satisfactory manner.

I know it is important to you that we resolve your complaint quickly, but we want to do a thorough investigation and sometimes which can take time. If we have not contacted you before then, we will write to you in four weeks to let you knwo what is happening.

Although I do not know what the outcome will be, I do hope that we will be able to find a solution that you are happy with.

Yours sincerely
Marc Winder
Head of Complaints"

The "Complaints leaflet" is one badly photocopied sheet giving addresses of where to complain to and "in the unlikely event that you are still unhappy" details of how to contact the Financial Ombudsman.

What should I do now? Do I wait to hear from them (in four weeks if not before) or do I just now send them the Letter Before Action ?

Just one more question, the letter I received came from a different address to the one where I sent my prelim. request. Do I send the LBA to the original address (head office in Trident Square, London) or to the address their response came from (Complaints at Milton Keynes)?

Thanks in advance
Janey

	Small Claims kit by Lawpack Sue your bank as many times as you like with just one Small Claims kit by Lawpack. Follow this link to read the review. The kit contains everything you need: instruction manual, templates, examples, forms and a comprehensive CDRom. Applies to England and Wales

	The Financial Ombudsman Service For the most part, don't bother. The Ombudsman is an industry arranged service which is under-resourced, takes too long, lacks clear transparency. You have no idea what evidence the FOS has received from the bank or how your complain has really been handled. The FOS is the preferred complaints route for the banking industry. The county court is to be preferred by consumers for its speed, openness, the quality of its awards and also because it will award 8% interest on top of any damages won by you. The Ombudsman should normally be used to solving little technical difficulties or customer service problems which you have expereinced with your bank.

[Seminole]

Assuming you know what you are seeking to recover then you should proceed to the next stage in the step by step guide. You set the timetable for this action, not Abbey. If they think that you will accept their timescales, you will be setting yourself up for endless delays and prevarication.

[jayne67]

Hi Janeyh

It looks like I am at the same stage as you, I received my prelim reply yesterday, with the same photocopy. I don't know about you but I am going to give Abbey the full 14 days to comply. If not then my LBA will follow. We will have to see if we match on all actions!!!

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[andrew1]

I'll join you, Marc Winder's been a busy boy at the photocopier - mine sounds as dreadfull as yours, maybe they are making more copies out of the ink cartidges. 14 days not 4 weeks. Keep you posted

[NeilP]

Good Luck one and all on this thread!!

With regards where you post the LBA to, i would send it to the address on the letterhead that you have received. BUT, if it progesses to legal action, send the Court forms to their Head Office at Triton Square.

Neil.

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[musicmaestro]

They've definitely run out of leaflets then...

It's interesting that they are following exactly the same tack with all of us who have recently started claims.

Good luck everyone!

[40bear]

Sent my prelim letter 21.5.06 to Prescot St for £875 incl interest. Recd standard reply fromAntony Turbitt in Bradford!! Mine came with a nice red complaints leaflet - not a copy!!! LBA going next weekend if no response.

	Small Claims kit by Lawpack Sue your bank as many times as you like with just one Small Claims kit by Lawpack. Follow this link to read the review. The kit contains everything you need: instruction manual, templates, examples, forms and a comprehensive CDRom. Applies to England and Wales

	Are you letting your bank keep your money Are you giving away thousands of pounds?? Many people aren't claiming all of the money they are entitled to when they make their bank charges claims. You have been forced to pay unfair bank charges. Have you forgotten that your bank has charged you inteest on those charges? If you are overdrawn and the bank owes you charges - then your overdraft is made up of charges - money which you bank owes you. Yet you are paying interest to the bank - on your own money!!! Follow this link to see the discussions on this. You might even double th size of your claim.

[andrew1]

It's the letters not the brochures that are photocopied. Don't kid yourself you are anything special to shabby ( sorry - can feel your heart sink ) they are just churning out photocopied letters, mine had a dark strip all down one side, its disgraceful, but it's better than one we got recently with more spelling mistakes than a five year old would achieve.
joking aside, Alanfrom Derby stated in his post that he had tried to get them to respond without standard letters and brochures, so did I and I wrote them a letter which deserved a personal response. No chance - onto the photocopier and off for tea. I've been with Abbey for 20 odd years and it's no way to respond to customers. They have gone to bits since the Spanish lot took over.

[40bear]

Heart has already sunk!!!! Just completed a prov calculation in prep for the LBA. Took me several attempts and had to wade thru bank statements.....course I deserve a refund after all this hard work.

	Small Claims kit by Lawpack Sue your bank as many times as you like with just one Small Claims kit by Lawpack. Follow this link to read the review. The kit contains everything you need: instruction manual, templates, examples, forms and a comprehensive CDRom. Applies to England and Wales

[Janeyh]

Hi guys,

Well, the original 14 days expires today and since the "sorry you are unhappy" letter arrived last week, no further correspondence.

So, off I trot to the Post Office with my Letter Before Action in my hot little hand.

It's nice to know that there are a few of us at the same stage - we'll be able to compare notes and I'll bet you we all get exactly the same from Abbey.

Janeyh

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[flames7205]

hello to all

my letter came today also with bad photocopy

going to follow rules and wait 14 days

tried to find out when letter had been received but post office signed delivery system failed no signature was taken and so having to guess tried moaning to po but no joy should I send next one out by another type of special delivery ? any suggestions ?

[jayne67]

I sent my prelim letter by next day special delivery. Its guaranteed to reach them before 1PM. It does cost 4.10 though, and I suppose if the system is down at the PO, you still have no confirmation that it has been delivered (although I should assume you can, with it being guaranteed).

Ps JaneyH, good luck with the next stage, my fourteen days are up tomorrow!!

[Janeyh]

Originally Posted by jayne67

I sent my prelim letter by next day special delivery. Its guaranteed to reach them before 1PM. It does cost 4.10 though, and I suppose if the system is down at the PO, you still have no confirmation that it has been delivered (although I should assume you can, with it being guaranteed).

Ps JaneyH, good luck with the next stage, my fourteen days are up tomorrow!!

Thanks Jayne, I'll keep you posted. Also good luck to you.

[MARTIN3030]

Yes 4.10 is quite expensive but a postman in a thread somewhere here says its more or less wrapped in cotton wool all the way.
Its guaranteed before 1pm they do a higher rate one thats guaranteed for 9.00am !!

Whenever I have used this I have had no problems checking online it gives you the details straight away..............unlike recorded who tell you its been delivered to the area office it was sent to,then keep you waiting for final delivery notice.