Written by John Kruse, one of the leading experts on Bailiff Law, this consumer friendly guide is essential reading for anyone who comes into contact with a bailiff.
The book is easy to understand and clearly explains the rights
a bailiff has, and also what they cannot do when collecting debts and repossessing goods etc.
Was just thinking about my response to their rejection letter, when it comes.
The OFT report says:
3.18 These benefits may also include those arising out of operating a riskbased pricing policy, that is, offering a higher APR (or a separate product with a higher interest rate) to a particular class of consumers based on an evaluation of their poorer credit risk. Moreover, consumers who default are generally required to pay the full amount of interest due on the outstanding balance. A credit card company should ensure that there is no duplication between such benefits and the money recovered by way of a default charge.
Now I've had an APR much higher than their standard rate for some time now. I got the card as a student, so perhaps that has something to do with it.
Anyway, by charging me a higher APR than their standard rate, they have effectively already decided that I am high-risk. Perhaps since I was a student, they assumed that I would miss payment, go over the limit etc.
Effectively, they have already pre-estimated their costs.
And therefore, when they levy a £25 fine or whatever, they're charging me a second time. A duplicate charge.
Amusingly, it's transpired that the same day BOS card services cashed their cheque, my BoS student account was due to have £48 of charges applied. So guess what that means?! Yep, I'm over my overdraft, and next month I'll have at least another £48 of charges!
Well day 40 came and went, so I fired off an email to the guy who helped me out with my bank account SAR.
He wrote back and said
"in most instances I would expect such a request to be forwarded to my Dept, but cannot trace this one. Could you let me have the card number and I will arrange for this to be issued urgently"
nice one!
So, in the future, if you're SAR deadline passes for some reason, fire an email off to KenPatton@hbosplc.com as he's super-efficient and his department deals with BoS/Halifax/HBOS SARs for at least bank accounts and credit cards. Possibly other products too.
Letter today from Ken saying statements have been sent out under a seperate cover, and that HBOS are not obliged to keep any information on manual interventions.
Nov 14 06 - Sent them a request for payment, giving until Dec 7th before court action.
I never got a response to this whatsoever, so I've sent them a second letter (with a bunch of other complaints in there) giving until 28th April to refund or I really will sue them for it... fingers crossed!