HALIFAX LOAN ARREARS help!!

[Ally]

Hi new to all this and not a happy bunny!

Am having big problems with Halifax ref loan arrears being dealt with via a debt recovery agent, Had a very reasonable repayment deal going on untill for some reason the agent decide to take the money from my account but not pay it off the loan (London Scottish Finance or Robinson way) proved to me today in my branch by a very helpful Halifax employee( Shock Horror)!!
The agents have no idea where the monies taken are and have promised to write within 48 hrs.

But the biggest issue is that HALIFAX head office decided because payments where missed (by their agent not me) to take a total of £488.01 out of my current acount in ONE MONTH in a variety of ways over several random days, including one transfer clearing my account the day before 3 direct debits where to go out!!! (shown on a print out as CASH, and TRANSFER) ,plus the original arrangement with out any contact to me, and causing £117.00 in charges so far due to failed D/debits & o/draft but that is going to go up big time!

Who can i go to about this? is it fraud with the missing monies, the Halifax Branch Empolyee recommended Citizens Advice instead of their complaints as they are making good money out of me and won't help.

Any help would be brilliant am skint have no where to pay wages to, no money left for rent,1st baby due in 3 weeks and have done nothing wrong to them!!!

Ally

[barracad]

You will be able to claim back the charges.

Please read the FAQs thoroughly. You will find step-by-step guide as well as other important information. Also have a browse through the Halifax forums to see how others are getting on with their claims.

Good luck!

[jonni2bad]

Hi Ally - welcome aboard.

As well as the above advice from barracad, you have an immediate problem that is not going to be resolved by our reclaiming strategy.

I think the CAB is a good starting point and you should also clarify the position of Halifax regarding the monies they have taken.

What have they said so far?

[natalie]

I would write to Halifax and say that unless you have satisfactory answers to where this money has "disappeared" to within 7 days then you want the police and their fraud department involved.

As barracad said, dont worry too much about the charges,you can claim them back.

Natalie

[Ally]

thanks for your replies its nice to know your not alone,

The Halifax & Blair, oliver, scott had no idea that the money had left my account but not reached them, untill i went through 6 months of records to see a standing order leave my account to tally up with their missed payment dates & thus arrears, The branch girl then spent 45 mins chasing the recovery agent (Robinson Way but S/order was to London Scottish finance) who had been taking the money but not paying it to Blair,Oliver,Scott, who couldn't locate where the missing funds had gone possibly a black hole in their system(or perhaps the universe) and would contact me in 48hrs which will be friday!!

Will be trying to contact the CAB tomorrow & Halifax complaints if time permits to find out their position on funds drawn from account in may, as branch had no idea appart from the terms and conditions of loans stating they could take money from current accounts in cases of arrears!


Ally

[jonni2bad]

I had a very similar problem with Blair Oliver Scott (BOS) = Bank of Scotland, not a coincidence...

Anyway, I argued for months over 2 payments of £1.13 that I proved had left my account. They agreed, for a while, then sent me letters about 8 months later saying I was in arrears - £2.26 !!! You can see where this is going.

Have you considered moving accounts and leaving the Halifax open only for paying in these arrears? That's what I did - the best thing I did in fact.

[Ally]

I have no money left in account, for them to take till friday where i will withdraw all funds going in if they are not already stopped by my employer & am in the process of cancelling & notifying all my direct debits etc till i can source a new account among the rat infested heap that is the high street banks possibly will use a local building society! I have set up a new agreement with BOS for repayment of loan but am not very confident of their ability to run it.

When i have openend a new account, are there any loop holes where they can strip bank accounts from outside their chain of banks?



Cheers once again for all help Ally

[jonni2bad]

No, you'll be fine elsewhere.

[colour-me-happy]

Hi Ally, I have had the same problem with the Halifax stripping my accounts for arrears on my loan account, they took almost £2000 in one go , this was while I was paying the agreed payments.

I would try a NatWest Step account, you can apply online and just return the paperwork by post, so it shouldn't take up too much time. It's not a bad basic account, you get a solo card and it also has online banking.

It is an amazing feeling not worrying what the Halifax are going to do next, I really don't know what took me so long to sort out.

[Ally]

Update of the campaign,

Spent an age trying to contact someone at Halifax who could explain the transactions in the last month, eventually ended up at Blair.Oliver.Scott (Bank of Scotland) who had a manager (Pamela Bower) call me to explain that they had acted perfectly within their rights to empty my account, even though i could prove that my payments (not proper copies yet) had been made but not received by them but lost by ROBINSON WAY, She was not understanding of the fact that i had done nothing wrong all problems have been caused by their agent!!!and had no proposals for chasing up the missing monies , apart from that i search and pester ROBINSON WAY for details and provide them with proof

Has anybody had any dealings with Robinson Way not sure how to approach them, have they acted illegally?!
B.O.S said that they had just mislaid the funds when i claimed it was fraudulent!

now awaiting for the back statements to come (helpful for future charges claim)
and to see Citizens Advice next week,

p.s is it also worth contacting the FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE when i have more details

Also thanks for details on nat west account hopefully sort friday

Ally

[jonni2bad]

The Ombudsman will take for ever to investigate this. Once you have sorted the new account, move your income to it asap - then set up a standing order to the Halifax account to cover normal monthly repayments.

Once you have started your claim for a refund, we can find out how much they owe you 'v' how much you owe them and take it from there.

[Ally]

quick question guys

i am starting to prepare my letter for Data Protection Act, but is it worth waiting for the large ammount of charges in the pipeline to come through first so i can include them? as the account will be having no more funds paid into it?

no contact from anyone ref my missing robinson way/ london scottish finance payments and can't see C.A.B till next week which is frustrating as i want to start banging heads!!


laters Ally


Ps I have a direct branch number for my local branch in bath is it worth posting it as you can't normally get them!

THE CHIEF EXPORT OF CHUCK NORRIS IS




PAIN!

[jonni2bad]

Originally Posted by Ally

quick question guys

i am starting to prepare my letter for Data Protection Act, but is it worth waiting for the large ammount of charges in the pipeline to come through first so i can include them? as the account will be having no more funds paid into it?

Yes, don't wait. You can amend your claim value along the way.

Originally Posted by Ally

I have a direct branch number for my local branch in bath is it worth posting it as you can't normally get them!

Presume you mean a direct phone number? If so, don't see why not, although we encourage people not to phone their banks to discuss any issues, unless it can be recorded.

[Ally]

Mornin all quick update,

Have had some long dealings with Blair Oliver Scott in relation to the action taken to the stripping of funds from account dealt with a manager called PAMELA BOWER and she did eventually see that their action was possibly unjust, & asked me to prove my tennacy agreement(at local branch) and they would refund me so i could pay rent, did this on 14/6 and was promised refund of £350 pounds within 48 hrs!! which didn't happen I managed to chase them up
on 20/6 and they apologised and promised money back in account by 21/6 am!!

Which happend!! and it was £488-01 refunded the hole ammont they had stripped through may! but not the charges incurred (£156+ unauthorised o/d charges) all they did was correct every transaction that they had removed the funds so my statement now shows charges for missed d/debits whilst being in credit!!

I am going for all my charges back anyway but am going to see what they do with the last bunch via customer complaints!! and still no word of the missing £60 that Robinson way & co took from me but need to prove that with statements (Data Protection Act) in post!! I asked B.O.S to confirm all the action taken in writing but they seem very reluctant to do so! i await expectantly and will post what they say!

Victory in the first battle but the war continues

Ally

Ps opened Nat west step account ok (cheers colour) and C.A.B said that anyone with debts should move their current accounts away from the bank they owe to!!

[Ally]

Blimey twitty fax just refunded £184 in last months charges over the phone, can't wait to get proof of the last six years & set the ball rolling