HSBC now owns HFC Bank in Brighton.

I wrote to HSBC Coventry PPI claims office giving my name, DOB and precise former address, last week,

but they replied to say: no records of my account can be found after 32 years,

and that they are not legally obliged to retain documents beyond the statutory period if an account was closed.

I also opened a Loan Account in Bournemouth and fully repaid around 1983.

-- same answer from HSBC: no records.

I myself have retained no records whatsoever, but I am absolutely certain I had those accounts, and 70% sure there was PPI as was standard custom in those days.

Is this a dead end?

Should I invest in £10 requesting a SAR,

if so SAR sent to HSBC Coventry or to HFC Bank in Brighton?

Later to complain to FOS if we suspect HSBC does have records?

Thanks to all for sharing experience.

Youll be extremely lucky to get any paperwork from that far back. Most banks struggle from the early 2000's, let alone from 30+ years ago.

SAR's are also free now, but youll likely just get a response saying "no records found".

we know hfc DO hold records back that far even though they had the mass shredding exercise in the 90's when PPI broke.

HFC still exist send them an sar to the headoffice ...its free now click sar.

see the IMS21 threads for more info

Many thanks.

I will send SAR to HFC Bank head office.

I presume this would be HSBC, p o box 5207 in Coventry?

That is precisely the office which sent me a reply saying they have nowt records on me going back to 1980's.

If they do have my records but say they don't, then in response to my SAR they will have to repeat their first-time lie, but second time with legal penalties for giving a misleading SAR response.

Is there any precedent reported in CAG where HFC was brought to book like in my case? Many thanks for your time.

ask for a certificate of destruction from the relevant data controller.

use the search CAG box of the top red toolbar

there are relevant posts here whereby someone went through all this of recent and when they asked for the certs of destruction, lo and behold everything came to them.

don't believe a word they tell you.

What a good idea, thanks.

On my SAR I shall additionally request a certificate affirming the date of my data destruction, exactly what data was destroyed, and authorised by whom.

I shall make clear if HSBC/HFC fails to unearth past data for my lawful PPI reclaim, that I then intend to make a formal request to the FOS suggesting an explicit audit of nonspecific alleged data destruction resulting in foiling of my PPI reclaim.

I shall make clear that when my research plus online experience gleaned from fellow consumers nationwide such as from CAG, exposes past precedents of "data not found" hurriedly replaced by "data found" when Certificate of Destruction was requested, that such HFC/HSBC conduct constitutes a pattern of cover-up designed to thwart the law of England.

Based on evidence and witnesses I would request a fullscale audit of HFC/HSBC refunds by FOS..

ask for a certificate of destruction from the relevant data controller.

 

use the search CAG box of the top red toolbar

 

there are relevant posts here whereby someone went through all this of recent and when they asked for the certs of destruction, lo and behold everything came to them.

don't believe a word they tell you.

Can I ask what phrases to type in the CAG search box to find the relevant posts ?Thanks very much

Can I ask what phrases to type in the CAG search box to find the relevant posts ?Thanks very much

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?486689-PPI-on-old-debts-credit-cards&highlight=hfc

Hi Rosequeen, have a read, but so far this thread has not shown comprehensive happy ending. I searched for keyword HFC. I have yet to receive SAR response from HSBC re HFC old old account.

or

hfc ppi destruction

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?486689-PPI-on-old-debts-credit-cards&highlight=hfc

 

Hi Rosequeen, have a read, but so far this thread has not shown comprehensive happy ending. I searched for keyword HFC. I have yet to receive SAR response from HSBC re HFC old old account.

Hi Mistermind, thanks for your response. I'll try it later.

Going back to your thread about getting old data from HFC/HSBC. Based on personal experience I think you'll struggle because this bank and several others do not admit to holding transaction history further back than 2001. I don't believe any of them, because a few years ago a certain bank was fined when the FCA discovered they were misleading FOS and held customer records from before 2000.

When this review was published I requested my credit card statements for a closed account from 1996 and they sent all copies, having previously said they weren't available.

I wonder if the FCA conducted reviews of all the other major banks might they find similar practices?

I've still got three outstanding PPI complaints that cannot proceed because the lenders say they cannot find the details. So unless something changes before August this year, mine and many other customers will not have their complaints investigated. I really hope you get a positive response to your SAR. Please let us know on here

claims already in the pipeline are not subject to the aug 2019 cut off.

its for new claims.

Hi Big Fish,

Latest posting by you was 6 years ago. In intervening time has there occurred any happy ending, or just happier Such a ? HFC evidently hide behind the non-availability of evidence, then when pressed persistently they dribble out data like giving blood. A group submission could be organised resulting in a letter signed by multiple aggrieved CAG users, to demonstrate a pattern of behaviour on the part of HFC to evade legitimate PPI refunds.

Such a joint complaint detailing the experience of multiple injured parties will carry more credibility with IOC, FOS, FCA. HSBC/HFC CEO can be told in no uncertain terms this communal experience of HFC victims can be made available to the national press, i.e. to HSBC customers worldwide.

As for DD's I suspect your bank is likely to have retained info on beneficiary of DD. Once banks have captured such data and stored them on disk, they usually retain same for a very very long time, because retention is much simler than destruction.

My new posting on long-running HFC tussle thread:

:

Hi Big Fish,

Latest posting by you was 6 yearsicon ago. In intervening time has there occurred any happy ending, or just happier Such a ? HFC evidently hide behind the non-availability of evidence, then when pressed persistently they dribble out data like giving blood. A group submission could be organised resulting in a letter signed by multiple aggrieved CAG users, to demonstrate a pattern of behaviour on the part of HFC to evade legitimate PPI refunds.

Such a joint complaint detailing the experience of multiple injured parties will carry more credibility with IOC, fosicon, FCA. HSBC/HFC CEO can be told in no uncertain terms this communal experience of HFC victims can be made available to the national press, i.e. to HSBC customers worldwide.

As for DD's I suspect your bank is likely to have retained info on beneficiary of DD. Once banks have captured such data and stored them on disk, they usually retain same for a very very long time, because retention is much simler than destruction.

Barclays Bank refunded my £900 PPI premiums plus interest etc 2 weeks after only one typed letter from me supplying all details. Albeit that was from 2003-2007, No attempt to wriggle, obfuscate, evade. Well done Barclaycard. Shame on HFC.

If a number of other CAG users feel they have reached runaround deadend stalemate on HFC refusing to refund, I would consider organising a group-signed letter submission for enhanced credibility and high profile. Be assured when I compose a letter marshalling all the facts it will read like a mailed fist inside a velvet glove, the reader will be left in no doubt that settling is cheaper than fighting.

My own PPI mis-selling has always been unarguable, as throughout I was self-employed with no salary, and I never tried to claim against PPI..

Thanks dx, but what good will it do if the claims already in the pipeline, still don't get investigated because the lender says it can't find the details?

My SAR to HFC is pending response from HFC. When HFC come back to me as in other cases with zero I shall find myself with nothing to lose, my PPI refund being hopelessly dead and buried. .

At the point in time I shall be content to collate together depositions from others in the same boat. Their similar stories

detailing obstruction and evasion will expose a pattern of HFC/HSBC behaviour deplored by FCA/IOC/FOS..

Harvey Weinstein was a rich and powerful mogul,. But when a large number of his "me too" victims broke cover and exposed similar stories this exposed an infamous modus operandi which in the glare of full disclosure brought down said rich and powerful mogul. In a free country public opinion should not be underestimated. There so many of us.

We little people. We can stand together. We shall be heard.

The problem with trying to start a pressure group is that our stories are anecdotal, we've got no proof, other than a sneaking suspicion, that banks do have and are concealing data from customers. If you took it to court a judge would probably say it's hearsay. I'm hoping the FCA will instruct the banks to settle all their outstanding PPI complaints before the deadline.

I had a HFC complaint about five years ago, for a loan I took out in 1996. It was one of the few lenders I had records for, so I sent in a copy of my loan agreement but they wrote back saying they needed to see evidence of my loan payments which I managed to obtain in a SAR to my bank and received proof in the form of microfiche transaction lists.

HFC accepted this and refunded all the ppi premiums I had paid.

When I asked if they had any details of the loan which I paid off in 2004, they said no. But like I said in my previous post, since that other bank got fined for lying to FOS and customers in 2015, I don't believe what any bank says now.

can I suggest that instead of patting each other backs upon how unfair this all is

posting on threads that are 6yrs old. Randomly hoping you might get a lead.

suggesting that some 'mass consumer complaint' might get you somewhere …

to concentrate on researching the issues you are trying to deal with...

HFC PPI was underwritten by Hamilton life.

they were bought up by Aviva.

it might pay you to poke them an sar as they were and still are in existence and regulated

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?473350-Aviva-as-Underwriter-PPI-Endeavour-Personal-Finance-HSBC&p=4984041#post4984041

post 11

is this post directed at Mistermind because I certainly wasn't suggesting a "mass consumer complaint"?

If anything I was trying to point out how futile it could be.

I also did not resurrect this thread.

I received an email and simply responded not knowing it started six years ago, is this against CAG forum rules?

It is understandable that the small fry do not have storage space and computer records and fiche which are routine in financial installations.

If documented cases where HFC first siad no they have no records, then later were forced into a U-turn, yes they did have records, this pattern of behaviour constitutes blatant evasion of PPI refund.

They would not be lying just to aggrieved customers seeking redress, they would be defying FCA, Information Directorate and BOS.

welcome along to big wide world of being an ex hfc customer.

All SARs achieved nothing, and HSBC confirmed in writing a second time that after a careful search they found nothing, and could I provide them with my account number?

No I cannot from 30 years back. 

July comes in 2 days, and August 19, 2019 deadline arrives in 50 days time. 

PPI Claims Management shops say they have no idea how to break this deadlock. 

PPI repayment becauses of the elapse of 30 years is likely to exceed £1000, maybe £2000. 

This looks like a lost cause. 

If anyone can help me get a result 

Join the club, as I got no further with my PPI complaints from the late 1980's/early 1990's either.  

From the sounds of it you've done everything possible to trace your old HFC account.  Although, you could try failed SAR and take them to small claims for non compliance, lots of posters have gone down this route with some success when lenders have suddenly found the missing data just before the court date but these posters probably had the account number. 

Banks say they cannot search their archives without the correct reference number.  I'm no expert on microfiche so perhaps someone on here can explain how data is located in microfiche.  Is it by date or account number?

there is no set standard.

could be by anything.

got my a/c no. from old bank statements that the dd was from

Microfiche is a regular security copy recording vast files onto compact film and stored away, likely to be organised by date.  Having given them my correctly-spelled name, my precise address at the time account was open, and date of birth, I would be surprised if they cannot trace my account number at least, and from that the financial records.  SAR response allows for 7 weeks(?), past August 19 deadline.  Very unlikely SAR complaint will get far.

If they say they cannot even find record of my name, hard to fault them for not complying with SAR.  If another consumer went through the same wild goose chase, then was able to prove that HSBC was lying and that records were there and find-able, I could quote chapter and verse, and probably persuade FOS to be on side, and thus I could put the fear of God into HSBC. 

For such assistance -- just to shine a light and successfully goad HSBC into admission, for that I would be more than happy to pay 20% finders fee.  50-day deadline will soon run out, and HSBC will get away with it.

Thanks for the idea, but in 1987/8 I always paid in by cash as HFC office was in town centre where I lived, in Brighton. 

Queens Road office to be precise, just outside BR station, but I gather HFC no longer has an office in Brighton. 

Internet screens say there is, but Googled info is often years out of date. 

Although my account had no further activities after I paid up leaving balance zero, I never closed this revolving-credit account. 

It is possible my account stayed dormant with HFC for years before they eventually closed it was they would be entitled to do. 

If only Experian consumer credit records go back to 1988, but they do not.