Laiki Bank (Cypriot Bank) refusing full compliance to Data Subject Access Request

[mikek]

Hi everyone,

I have dealt with this money sucking bank who charged me for whatever you can think of even £0.68 for every transaction (even credits) when my account was overdrawn without authorisation.

I used template letters. They responded with statements going back 6 years only saying (yes it is true that they said it) "we are obliged by law to keep records of statements for up to six years" . I did not ask for statements, I asked for DATA. Also they did not provide evidence of manual intervention. The irony is that they included a photocopy of my application to have the account dated 2000!!! So they do hold old data and try to play around with words.

I responded with LBA asking for full compliance by the end of the 40 days also saying that no such law obliging banks to destroy data after 6 years exists and if they did destroy it to provide evidence of when and how. I am also asking for a copy of the data retention policy.

Anyone had similar experiences with Laiki bank?

[old_andrew2007]

bump

[steven4064]

Hi mikek

Can I ask a couple of obvious questions? Where do you live and where is the account?

[mikek]

I live in London and the account was opened in one of their branches in London. Cypriot banks charge for whatever you can think of. Their clients tend to be retired Cypriots who came to the UK years ago and do not feel confident dealing with English banks because of the language barriers. And they really milk that.

[steven4064]

I was just checking that your agreement with them was under English law.

In that case, just treat them like any other bank and follow the process on this site.

[papadak]

Originally Posted by mikek

Hi everyone,

I have dealt with this money sucking bank who charged me for whatever you can think of even £0.68 for every transaction (even credits) when my account was overdrawn without authorisation.

I used template letters. They responded with statements going back 6 years only saying (yes it is true that they said it) "we are obliged by law to keep records of statements for up to six years" . I did not ask for statements, I asked for DATA. Also they did not provide evidence of manual intervention. The irony is that they included a photocopy of my application to have the account dated 2000!!! So they do hold old data and try to play around with words.

I responded with LBA asking for full compliance by the end of the 40 days also saying that no such law obliging banks to destroy data after 6 years exists and if they did destroy it to provide evidence of when and how. I am also asking for a copy of the data retention policy.

Anyone had similar experiences with Laiki bank?

Hi,

I am about to start with my DSAR on behalf of my father in law - just out of interest how did you get on and to which address did you send the DSAR?

[mikek]

I am litigating.

They missinterpret the law to their favour. They are crafty. They make serious mistakes in their responses and then deny them blatantly and change their statements. They send their legal executive to the court cases, who is an utter nervous idiot, who knows half the legislation he should know and got his job by using political contacts in Cyprus. Other than that he knows nothing really. When all the banks repay default charges, they refuse and you should expect to go to court with them. The are stubborn without having good cases.

If you sue them, avoid edmonton county court. This is where they file all their cases and rumour has it that they have "strange" contacts with that court. If you sue them at edmonton county court and face them in trial there, you will see why that rumour exists.

Use their north finchley address for a credit card dsar or the branch address for a current account dsar.

My advice would be to immediately move your business from them. It is a money sucking organisation with rude and aggressive staff.

Bank of Cyprus is slightly (only slightly) better if you must use a greek speaking bank. Otherwise go to an english bank. They are not that disgusting as the cypriot ones.

All the best

[mikek]

Laiki Bank settled a friend's court claim in full: credit card charges, contractual interest and 8% interest just before the final court hearing.

We also found out from other claimants that this is their usual tactic. To leave the case to go to last days before the court hearing in the hope that the claimant will get scared and back off. then they settle because they cannot defend claims for charges.

Also, we are told by other claimants that their legal department is pathetic and depend on the fear they inspire to their clients. They only win cases by default and not by argument.

By the Way, i have shown their credit card agreement to a solicitor. Completely unenforceable too! Prescribed terms are missing from the agreement documents.

About DSAR: they keep everything for 12 years at least. Don't believe what they say that they keep data for 6 years only.

[steven4064]

So in other words, they behave exactly like all the other UK banks

[Bookworm]

@ Steven.

Well done to you Mikek, and thank you for letting us know this.