maleo v HBSC ***WON***

[maleo]

Hi there,

 

First post, so just information really......

 

Claiming two sums from two separate accounts - one for £301, inclusive of a part payment that HSBC have offered of £75, and the other for £3,000. Just sent the request for repayment letter, and waiting the 14 days. LBA drafted for both accounts already!

 

It's good to read about so many successes on here, as I was beginning to become a little disillusioned with the process after a couple of letters from HSBC saying they didn't agree with my claim, and they'd await the particulars. The spreadsheet on here helped loads, though!

 

Thanks, and will keep this thread up to date.

 

Dave

[maleo]

Update: HSBC have finally gotten around to sending me a letter - from Colin Langdale at Service Support. Unfortunately, they were so delayed that they crossed in the post with my two letters before action. Oops... So I've sent a letter outlining to him what's been sent, and what deadlines I expect.

 

Here's hoping that they've got their heads screwed on! Anyone else currently waiting for Colin to "complete [his] investigations"?

 

Dave

[maleo]

Sorry for the manic posting - I'm using the spreadsheet available on the site, and I need to know how to convert the sum for calculating interest from 8% to 15.9% - converting the percentage to a decimal doesn't work, and I'm stumped. The 8% decimal is, apparently, 0.00022, and this too is messing with my mind! Any ideas?

[maleo]

Received a letter today, offering £2220.00 from charges of £2681.50... Don't know whether to accept this, as I'm also claiming contractual interest at 15.9%... I'm thinking that I'm going to decline the settlement, and try for the whole amount.

[sugaredhoney]

Why not your going to get it all back anyway! Good luck (not that you'll need it!)

[maleo]

Thanks for the support - I've declined the offer It was the usual generic letter HSBC send out, saying they aren't going to pay back interest owed etc...

[sugaredhoney]

No probs I'll need the same support if/when i get my offer! Posting LBA off tomorrow, hope it comes through quickly wouldnt mind a bit of extra £ for my 21st next month! Would be lovely to get a personal response sometime wouldnt it, I got a standard fob off letter from the lovely Colin L the other day (twice!) Well done for rejecting though you sound like you havn't got long to go!

[maleo]

Fingers crossed!!! Mind you, haven't received anything about my other claim... I had two current accounts with them - one for bills for my flat - only £350 in charges and contractual interest on that one (no overdraft on it, so any stupid excessive bill incurred a charge...), so I think they've forgotten about it. No problems there, means they might forget completely, so I'd get the lot by default.....

 

Oh, the lovely Colin... I don't think he's a real person. Maybe he's just an alias for the computers they use to process these letters, lol - talk about lack of manual intervention!

[maleo]

ps, REALLY good luck!!! How much are you claiming?

[maleo]

Wow, an email from my MP - Clare Short - asking what she can do to help, and if I'd like her to take up my claim with the bank!! Will let you know what she does...

[maleo]

Hi all,

 

Received a letter today... from the House of Commons!

 

"Dear Dave,

 

Thank you for your further email.

 

I have written to HSBC on your behalf. I will write to you again when I get a reply.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Clare Short"

 

 

[maleo]

Email sent to the Financial Ombudsman this morning:

 

"Dear Sir/Madam,

 

I'm writing to inform you that I am bringing a bank charges claim against HSBC Bank. I am not going through the Office of the Financial Ombudsman, as would normally be the final port of call, as I have no confidence in you. I have also reported this concern to my MP, Rt. Hon. Clare Short, who is also taking up parts of my claim with the bank, and may enter a further discussion with your office on my behalf.

 

I can understand your concern about the level of complaints you are receiving with regard to bank charges, but your total lack of action is prompting people to lose confidence in the Office, and to bypass it completely - especially when it seems there is more chance of winning the claim by handling it through the courts.

 

As an aside, I wonder if you're aware that the Consumer Action Group is receiving 4,000 complaints per week. In which of the two organisations do you believe the greater public confidence reposes?

 

I hope the level of letters you receive from customers who have no faith in your office prompt you to take further action.

 

Yours,

 

Dave"

 

 

+ a further letter to HSBC just reminding them they only have 7 days until I file, with an updated balance and schedule - copied to David whatsit, customer services person.

 

 

Dave

[nettyg]

maleo... how on earth did you get Clare Short involved?? wow

netty (fellow brummy)!!!

[maleo]

I live in the City, and I'm part of Ladywood ward - she's MP for Ladywood!! Whereabouts in Bham do you live?

[maleo]

Misread the question a little, I think - I sent her an email from TheyWorkForYou.com, just saying what I was doing and why, and she offered to get involved!

[maleo]

7 days to go, 7 days to go.....

[maleo]

Now I really need advice.

 

I received a letter today from HSBC offering all of my charges from both accounts minus £75 (which, to be fair, I wasn't claiming anyway, as I'd already had this refunded in July when I first started to argue the toss with them). However, there is no mention of the 15.9% contractual interest I have requested - which, over 6 years, has totalled around £1100.

 

Do I accept, take the money and run, as they've offered my charges back, and chalk the contractual interest up to experience, or do I press on, and spend the next 4 weeks arguing with their solicitors and messing about with the court system?

 

Help!! lol

[maleo]

bump

[maleo]

I've made a decision...

 

I've decided to settle the claim. I don't need the interest, and there's no point in pursuing this just for the sake of it. They've offered the lot, minus the £75 they gave me in July, so I'm going to take it.

 

Thanks to EVERYONE who's helped me with this so far - I really really appreciate it. Good luck to everyone else who is claiming, and I hope you get everything you ask for.

 

Oh, and I attached the below to the signed acceptance... I fancy having the moral high ground for once!

 

Dear Colin,

 

Thank you for your offer dated 23 January 2007.

 

I’d like to accept this offer, and enclose the required signature.

 

I shall, on this occasion and as a gesture of goodwill, waive the 15.9% contractual interest that I would, if I continued this case through court, undoubtedly win. Please note, however, that I shall be expecting payment via cheque and within 7 - 10 days of the date of this letter. If I do not receive payment via cheque within this time scale, I shall be reinstating claims against your bank through the courts, and my goodwill gesture will be rescinded. You are likely to, in this case, not only incur the reinstated interest charge, but also to incur my legal fees, plus your own solicitor’s costs.

 

I thank you for settling with me fully, however I hope that you seriously reconsider your regime of ‘fees’ that are wholly unlawful, and cause to ensure that thousands of your customers endure both financial hardship and undue mental stress.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Dave

[lateralus]

excellent letter!

[maleo]

Thanks Thought you'd like it!

[gordylar]

Congrats maleo,

shame you settled, would have enjoyed reading more of your posts,

well done

[maleo]

Hi Gordy,

 

Thanks for reading! I'd have loved to have gone on with the claim, but they've offered enough for me to sit back and smile the smile of the righteous

 

I'll keep posting, though - want to try and help all my mates claim their charges back too - I know I'm not the only one the banks have stuffed!

[gordylar]

Lol,

I'm like the cag preacher on the building sites at the moment,

be organising tea partys soon.

[maleo]

LOL

 

If you fancy holding any in B'ham, I'll get in the scones