Thoma -v- Cahoot

[Thoma]

Sent my LBA on 11th July 2006 and have just received the following reply via email:

Dear Thoma,
Thank you for your recent letter.
I can confirm that my previous e-mail is cahoots final response on this matter. Please send your claim form to me at the following address:
Private & Confidential
Lee Loftus
Service Relationship Manager
cahoot
Friars House
Coventry
CV1 2ZA
Yours sincerely
Lee Loftus
cahoot Service Relationship Manager

Do I still have to wait until 25th July before starting my claim in case they change their mind or should I process my claim now ?? I'd appreciate any advice thanks.

By the way cahoot are now reducing my flexible loan limit, which I rarely use, following their interest rate increase following my first letter, seems like they're trying to fight back ?!?

Cheers, Thoma

7th June: Data Protection Act sent to cahoot
21st June: Request for repayment
11th July: LBA
18th July: Final reply from cahoot ??

[counterbalanced]

If they have explicitly rejected your claim and said they are not giving your money back, you can go ahead.

[Chimera]

I hope they don't try and do that to me... have about 7k with cahoot, will be claiming back 2.7k. Will pay off overdrafts and some of credit card. Just flexible loan which is up to it's limit of 3k... grrr... well, if they do, I'll just have to pay it off monthly - at least I won't be tempted to spend more on it!!

[Thoma]

Here is a copy of my latest email from cahoot informing me about changes to my flexible loan account:

Dear Thoma
On 17 July, we sent you an email with the subject 'Important message about your cahoot
flexible loan' to advise you that we are going to reduce the credit limit on your
flexible loan.
Unfortunately, the new limit we advised you of may be incorrect. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this error. We will therefore send you a new secure message on 25 July with details of your correct flexible loan limit. This new limit will be applied to your account on 26 July. No changes will be made to your account before this date.
From the 25 July, to read your secure message please log in to your personal homepage at Banking online in the UK from cahoot and click on messenger inbox. For your security, details of your new limit will only be available on your message board. After 26 July, when your new limit is applied, you will be able to see your new available limit on your flexible loan account status page.
Your new flexible loan limit will not be less than your current outstanding balance.
You will not be expected to make any extra payments and should continue with your normal minimum monthly payments. We regularly review lending limits and these changes have been made as a result of your account behaviour with us or another financial organisation.
Regards
Harvey Griffith
Head of Customer Contact
cahoot

For you Chimera the green statement is good, however from my point of view what's all that about ?? the part that I've highlighted in red !!! I've never had any problems with my accounts with any financial organisation other than asking cahoot for their charges back !! I think I'm right in saying they are trying to fight back ... incidentally the 25th July is the end of the 14 day period prior to moneyclaim !!

Cheers, Thoma

[sproggi]

Thorma,

I had exactly the same email and I have not even asked for my info yet! (Too scared that they will close my accounts leaving me to find around £10k).

Previous to this email, I had one informing me that they were reducing my flex loan and that I had suffiecient funds available in my account to cover this, thereby not incurring any charges. I promptly contacted them to enquire where they got their figures from as they were totally incorrect. Still awaiting a reply.

It looks like they are sending these emails to everyone.

Sproggi

[Chimera]

well.. thanks for the reassurance, although it doesn't really help you does it. At the end of the day, they will be the ones missing out. Are you planning on staying with them? or moving to another bank?
I am planning on geting my credit file back in shape, paying off some debts, and then consolidating all my debts with egg. Spoke to them a few months ago, trying to extend my loan, and they were great - they actually had a debt helpline, and gave some really good advice - anyhows, enough of that.. cahoot are probably being funny with you, but if it doesn't bother you - let them be.. Annoying as it is - they are being quite laughably petty

[Chimera]

I didn't get the e-mail.. but I have noticed cahoot are strange like that... they don't e-mail everyone, and certainly not at the same time. Has anyone got the one about credit card penalties being reduced - mine arrived at about 3.30 this am

[Thoma]

I have a parachute account all set-up with First Direct but my main banking is done in a Barclays joint account.

I opened my cahoot account at a time when my finances were a lot less healthy; two mortgages, ongoing divorce etc. Hence I incurred the charges I am now reclaiming ... banks like to kick you when you're down by increasing your initial debt at every opportunity.

In the past I have consolidated with egg and I must admit they've been pretty good, offering payment breaks (obviously adding interest at the same time) but good all the same. I also had an egg credit card which quickly became a 'bad egg' following the end of their initial low interest period, again though it was easily transferred across to the loan.

Best of luck anyway,
Thoma

Yo

[sproggi]

Not had that one yet Chimmera, as far as I know mine is still set at £30. Just a thought, maybe they are not going to reduce mine as I have not asked for data.

Sproggi

[Thoma]

Filed my claim using Moneyclaim on Thursday 27th July 2006, just sitting back and waiting to hear from them now ... with fingers crossed !!
Subsequently closed my "flexible" loan account and in process of transferring my banking to First Direct.

Best of luck to fellow pursuers!

Cheers
Thoma

7th June: Data Protection Act sent to cahoot
21st June: Request for repayment
11th July: LBA
18th July: Final reply from cahoot ??
27th July: Filed claim online

[Chimera]

Thoma,

watch out for first direct. They are great if you stay in your balance, but are terrible for charges (unless that has changed since I left).

Good luck with MCOL. I have got hudgement by default - but still heard nothing...

[Thoma]

Thanks for the advice Chimera, I "intend" to stay in credit with First Direct and will see how it goes. Plus I get £50 for opening the account, not that it will go far if I start going in the red !
Best of luck with your judgement, keep us posted with your outcome .....

7th June: Data Protection Act sent to cahoot
21st June: Request for repayment
11th July: LBA
18th July: Final reply from cahoot ??
27th July: Filed claim online

[Chimera]

will do mate.. I'm hoping to keep in the black too.. luckily I have a longstanding account with HSBC. I thought about closing it last year.. Glad I didn't... luckily for me, they have always been quite pro-active at my branches, so have no problems with them really. I found the customer service excellent at FD until I started experiencing financial difficulties...

[Thoma]

Quick update ..... had a couple of letters from Cahoot's solicitors (DLA Piper etc.) stating they did not have details of how I calculated the charges.

Replied same day via email and got confirmation of receipt.

29th August received 50% "Without Prejudice" offer from solicitors stating how they wish to reach settlement to reduce further costs and prevent us having to file the Allocation Questionnaire.

Decided to refuse their offer but on 31st August received the Allocation Questionnaire anyway.

Now in process of refusing their offer via email and will wait a couple of days before returning the allocation questionnaire to see whether they've had a change of heart.

I'll keep you all posted on progress.

Cheers, Thoma

7th June: Data Protection Act sent to cahoot
21st June: Request for repayment
11th July: LBA
18th July: Final reply from cahoot ??
27th July: Filed claim online
29th August: Received 'WITHOUT PREJUDICE' offer of 50% refund
31st August: Received Allocation Questionnaire from Northampton County Court

[Thoma]

Received offer of 75% of claim today from Cahoot via email, must say I'm tempted when I see all the stuff that may follow my allocation questionnaire.
Wouldn't know where to begin compiling all the paperwork, case notes, etc.

Any advice would be welcome ..........

Cheers, Thoma

7th June: Data Protection Act sent to cahoot
21st June: Request for repayment
11th July: LBA
18th July: Final reply from cahoot ??
27th July: Filed claim online
29th August: Received 'WITHOUT PREJUDICE' offer of 50% refund
31st August: Received Allocation Questionnaire from Northampton County Court
13th September: Received another 'Final' without prejudice offer of 75% of claim

[bathgatebuyer]

Congrats to anyone that has actually managed to successfully get into the Cahoot secure messaging online banking thing! I've had a loan account which ends in February 08 (but who's counting!) and have never once been able to access it. They send things to me, "Please check your secure messages" I would but I've never been able to access them. Phone them up, "Can you confirm your security details?" No, you've never bothered setting them up. So, no idea what is owed on my account, and they are also the only bank taht cannot changea direct edbit date (probably to make sure that for the next 4 months they can charge me penalty fees for missed direct debits until my 4 weekly pay cycle catches up with that date).

Roll on the day this loan has been paid off - I don't begrudge paying back the money, but I do begrudge the ridiculous secure messaging system they have!

I hope everyone gets what the need from this bunch.