ribena13 vs HSBC

[ribena13]

Hi, I have been dealing with a claim for bank charges since January 2007, I have taken actiona gainst HSBC through MCOL and yesterday (a day before the deadline) I received notification that HSBC have filed defence and received my allocation questionnaire.

 

I am not sure of the best course of action to take next as I have read that some people wait to fill out and submit their AQ until the last minute as HSBC sometimes make settlement prior to this going ahead? I wondered if someone could advise.

 

This has been going on so long has already cost me £120 and now will cost a further £100 and my husband is worried ( as he does not understand this is normal) it may be dragged out for months!

 

What generally happens now? Do we have to attend court? How long does this process now take? and how can I help speed matters up and make a successful job of the AQ?

 

Any help for a very frustrated and confused Ribena would be great!

 

Thank you:-|

 

PS: Have also already sent 2 copies of breakdown of charges to both DG Solicitors and the court and checked these have been receieved. As previously been advised .

[nettyg]

hi ribena, just take a look at the links i'm sending which will help you with filling in the aq. they normally do defend at the last minute so try and put hubby's mind at ease.

 

Allocation Questionnaires - A guide to completion

New strategy for Allocation Questionaires

[Castlebest]

Ribena, your almost there!!... DG will have received an AQ too and you both have 14 days to complete them, following that the court will set a hearing date.

Netty will correct me if I’m wrong because she’s just finished doing this and won her claim, as I understand things you are on the home straight now DG will miss the time period for submitting their AQ. You need to phone the court at this point to find out what’s happening, the Court will allow DG extra time to submit their AQ (very unfair but nothing anyone can do) then you need to phone DG to see what they are doing, it seems to be at this point most offers are made.

So as time scales go I would say 3 to 4 weeks if everything goes to plan.

pete

[nettyg]

not sure about timescales that the courts are going by. you have to realise that although there's only one solicitor, there are many courts so how they respond can vary from case to case. they're so swamped with claims at the moment, i wouldn't like to say when you'll get your refund but i can say with hand on heart - you will get it back (and that's whether things go to plan or not!! lol)

[Castlebest]

Well said netty and thank you.

 

pete

[ribena13]

thanks Netty and Pete, it has set my hubbys mind at ease....its just one of those things where it seems to have taken long time and judging by others posts they seem to be getting quicker response.....been very patient just getting a little nervous as dont want to mess up the AQ!! and get wrong at last minute!!

 

Although it appears they are slowing down on dealing with refunds now!

 

I read through AQ guidance which seems simple enough but did notice some are going further by court direction? is this necessary? I would much rather take the simple route of completing the form and keeping fingers crossed.

 

Also no one seems to be clear on when I should submit the AQ? Now or last minute and if last minute I live literally a couple of miles from court so can I take it the day its due?

 

Does anyone have DG email address as having no joy on phone and my fax machine has just gone to fax heaven!

 

Sorry about all the questions but you have all been extremely helpful and without you i think i would have taken the pathetic offer made by HSBC in the first place!

 

Deadline for AQ 4th April 2007.....................I will keep updated on progress!!!!

[ribena13]

Just to give you all a run down so far, for those of you embarking on this task, this is the story so far:

 

4th January 2007 - Wrote requesting statements

17th January 2007 - bank responded returnng £10 cheque and agreeing to send statements.

In meantime found full run down of 6 years statements on internet banking.

23rd January 2007 - Wrote to HSBC with breakdown of charges attached totalling - £1,305.00, requesting response in 14 days.

1st February 2007 - received acknowledgement letter HSBC are lookng into.

5th February 2007 - deadline for HSBC up - letter explainng court action would be taken if no response in 7 days.

5th February 2007 - HSBC offer letter without prejudice of - £680.00!!

15th February 2007 - MCOL Claim submitted for total amount inc interest and court charges - £1621.87.

20th February 2007 - Acknowledgement of service received - HSBC are defending now have 28 days from date of service to file defence giving deadline of 20th March 2007.

26th February 2007 - 2 x copies of breakdown of cahrges sent to both DG Solicitors and court by registered post.

19th March 2007 - MCOL letter - HSBC have filed defence, notice of transfer of proceedings received - AQ also included

4th April 2007 - Deadling for submitting AQ to court.

 

Watch this space!!!!! and keep fingers and toes crossed for me!

[nettyg]

emails are

racheltomlinson@hsbc.com

debbiedaubney@hsbc.com

juliekyle@hsbc.com

alanburden@hsbc.com

[ribena13]

Thanks Netty will send polite email just letting them know I have received AQ and also if they received my breakdown of chargs sent few weeks back, although they were signed for as sent registered delivery.

 

Hopefully might just remind them i am here as not been in contact with them other than sending a o copy of charges for their info.

[nettyg]

yes, it will just put your claim on to the top of somebody's pile at dg - don't know whether they've actually started replying to emails again yet!! you can live in hope!! lol

[ribena13]

This is the email I have sent to them:-

 

Dear Rachel

Ref: Claim No 7QZ18835 HSBC

I wondered if you would be so kind as to let me know if you have received my breakdown of charges which were sent to you by recorded delivery on 26th February 2007. The post office has confirmed they have been received by you but just wanted to check - I sent two copies for your information.

I have received my Allocation Questionnaire on Monday 19th March 2007 and will shortly be processing this. I wil therefore be adding this £100 charge to my claim.

Your help would be much appreciated. I can be contacted via email or by telephone on or .

I have copied this email to your colleagues as not too sure who to contact. So apologies if this has been done in error.

Thank you again for your attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely

[nettyg]

fingers crossed for a response!

[ribena13]

Netty just to let you know that julie kyle email address is no longer in use.

 

Still have had no response or confirmation of receipt of emails. Am giving them until Thursday and will have to submit AQ as i am away for the weekend until wednesday and due on Tuesday. Will see what happens.

 

God just read that HSBC are offering their customers a first and second class service. If you have a great account, lots of money etc then you get through to a call centre in the UK, if on the other hand you have a poorer account, poor credit rating etc then you get put through to a foreign call centre - god no wonder i am always being putting through!!! I am outraged i never knew that this worked this way and thought providing my account details over the phone sped up the response and made it more personal - what a joke and all along they have been using this information and assessing that I am now worthy of speaking to a UK Call centre - blood boiling bad service it just makes you so mad.

 

Angry Ribena:mad:

[Castlebest]

For the last 8 months I have refused to speak to foreign people on the telephone about my banking, ever since the leaked information scandals that hit the headlines.

 

If I answer the telephone and they ask me to confirm my security details I say no I'm sorry I don’t trust overseas banking facilities and cannot discuss my finances over the telephone please write me a letter.

 

There is nothing they can do if you refuse to confirm who you are they are not allowed discuss anything and if they don’t write me a letter it can’t be that important, I haven’t had a letter yet.

 

My son on the other hand (15 year old yob just says “Abercrombie chicken farm you pick em we pluck em” the phone then generally goes dead.

 

There is merit in both methods

 

pete

[ribena13]

Pete I like both responses and will give it a go.

 

Its maddening, one day I spent approx an hour re-dialling in an attempt to get through to a UK call centre. I am not racist in anyway and know these people are only doing a job but it gets pretty silly when you have to spell very simple words, confirm you password over and over again because they cannot understand me and I am the english one!

 

It just goes to show how dodgy these places are - the other day we had a call from HSBC to tell my husband that his business card had been stopped as someone had tried to use it in India (what a coinsidence!!!) we then had to have card cancelled and wait for new one which is pain in bum when running a business. No explanation was given other than someone attempted to get cash but it had been refused as the transaction was out of the ordinary but what I wanted to know is how the hell they could even get cash out? How did they know the pin number - they could not answer us!

 

I agree over the phone calls, we get them at random times of the evening and I always wonder how we can confirm that they are from the bank, after all they could be calling from anywhere and the first thing they always ask you is to confirm your details - the cheek, I will take you stance from now on and not bother - although attempting to deal with a HSBC worker in person is like trying to reach god, the same old response is given when we go to our branch, even though we originally also had a personal business bank manager, which without us knowing was later abolished!, they just stare at you with a blank expression, tap a few keys on the PC and respond with 'you have to ring this number and speak to an advisor', what happened to the personal service of good old Midlands bank???

 

Rant over now ........... god that feels better :)

[Castlebest]

I’m sure the HSBC use the Little Briton training course....

"The computer says no...."

Yes I had a personal business bank manager too, he moved to a different branch on the other side of the city, I was told my account had moved with him although I knew it hadn’t because the sort code didn’t change. Needless to say I never saw him again.

pete

[nettyg]

i know a few people have had problems with the 'banglahore' call centre.. so i suggest you phone good old hsbc 08457 404404 and tell them you're fed up with the rubbish phone calls you are receiving, and get your name taken of the telephone banking list.

[kelley]

Oh my god, your so right. I have never once given it a second thought

when "the bank" calls me to discuss my over drawn account.

And I have to agree that it really ticks me off when I speak with some one that has the same level of English as a 3 year old, and cant pronounce the simplist of words like Garfield and Gwent!!

They wont be getting a conversation out of me over the phone, and can genuinley say I cant wait to get my next call from them( usually at least oneper month lol) so I can say" stick the phone where the sun dont shine!"

hehe

 

Kelley

 

---------------------------------

Youve started something there lol

[nettyg]

oh... and another way to get the banglahore call centre to 'waste' their money on calls is..... when they ask you for 2 elements of your date of birth______ ask them for theirs lol... this doesn't appear on any prompt cards they have in front of them and completely blows them out of the water hehehe

 

oh yeah, tell them you name is mickey mouse too - line goes kinda silent lol

[kelley]

LMAOOOOOOOOOO

Im off to withdraw another tenner just so I deffinatley get a call this month

 

Kelley:D

[nettyg]

nah... banglahore have no idea of what's going on in your account - trust me lol:D

[Castlebest]

Oh dear what have I started good for you Kelley

 

pete

[ribena13]

I dont get so many calls from them, my problem is trying to call HSBC....every time I ring I get put through to a foreign call centre. Every time I go into my branch where I hold my business account, personal account everything in fact I get told to call the good old 0845 number......as they do not have the facilities, brains, experience or bluntly just dont give a S*** about your account or your query!

 

We are a new business (2 years old) we were struggling financially and went to HSBC before things got out of hand, we went to our branch, sat and explained everything, their response......nothing we can do call this number.....call number, get through to foreign call centre.....their response, nothing we can do we dont have authority.....go back to branch and start same process all over again! This ended up with them clearing all of our wages to cover their loans leaving us in debt, with no money for food, rent or anything.....their response.....nothing we can do sorry!

 

3 months down the line, debt collectors calling, HSBC threatening court action and sending bailiffs around and after a very helpful few weeks with CAB this magic dept appeared from nowhere and suddenly HSBC could help (through another telephone call!) with a consolidation loan......went to branch to sign loan agreement.......their response, this dept does not exist, nothing we can do!!!!

 

2 months later finally got consolidation loan.......now (according to yesterdays tabloids) because we are no longer worthy we cannot get put through to UK call centre as we are not deemed commercial enough....funny because we are seasonal business (Landscapers) and when we have £1000's per month going in in the summer, they are tripping over themselves to sell us their services!!!!

 

Get past that one!! I cant suss them out

 

Its good to have a rant though it clears the air until the next time I have to deal with them!

[givememymoney]

Rant away it definately helps. You are so right about their attitude to their customers varies depending on how much money you have in your account. I am gonna have fun with this in a few weeks when I get a big bonus I will ask them to give me quotes for everything (life insurance, mortgage etc!!!) and then I will tell them I am not interested unless they are willing to settle my second claim in full no questions asked. It will be fun!

[ribena13]

Sounds like a good plan maybe i should do the same! Their attitude stinks towards us, we have banked with them for 13 years and its like they could not care less....we got better business deal with Natwest but they need good personal and business accounts for atleast 18 months before can do....we applied last year when going through difficulties so not long to wait and we are going to move everything lock stock to Natwest....except for bloody managed loan which is tied round our nexks like a loose no thanks to HSBC's incompetence in helping us to address our finances when we asked for help (before troubles even started).

 

They have made me cry many a times, but now business is great and finances are healthier and sat here looking forward to filing AQ and getting some money out of them for a change....it will go some way to making up for the sheer hellish time we had when we needed their help!