I am aware of the VISA chargeback scheme, but wondered if anybody knew if this situation would be covered, although it is a little embarrassing to say the least. Today I signed up to a dating site that is known to be a [problem] (little did I know this at the time), by the name of hornymatches.com (that's the embarrassing part over. It has had awful reviews across the web (just google it, you'll see what I mean), and it's [problem] works like this. You sign up as a 'Standard Member' and you cannot send messages to other users. You receive messages from scantily clad women asking how you are and being rather forward with you, and then a few more asking why you aren't replying. You have to upgrade to send a message to these users. I upgraded and paid almost £30 for 1 months subscription. Needless to say this was a mistake. After this, messages and 'winks' dried up, and these women who are so desperate to speak to you do not reply to your hastily produced replies. This should have been expected, however, as all across the web are article on how this happens and there are actually very few 'real' people on this site. In fact, the company employs people to send you messages to entice you to sign up, and leaves you alone when they have your hard-earned cash. So, with that said, and the fact that it is a well-known [problem] and I haven't actually got what I paid for, would I be entitled to claim this money back through the VISA debit card chargeback scheme? Anything further you need to know, just ask, but I really need some help on this. I've been ripped off and it is a well known [problem], and Alliance and Leicester have refused (I haven't told them the full story, just that the company is a well known [problem] and that they have taken money for 'goods not delivered'). Your help would be much appreciated! Wolvesman89

Hi everyone, I haven't been able to use this site lately, due to a family member illness and death, so I also haven't been able to chase this complaint. Just to put you back in the picture, I finally managed to contact the Customer Service Recovery department in Birmingham in early November and they have told me they sent me a letter back in March this year! I never received the letter nor did I receive a follow up checking I had received it and was happy with the conclusion. I asked the woman I was speaking with to read the letter to me during our conversation and it had, in no way whatsoever, answered my concerns. I reopened the complaint and they said they would need a further 14 days to respond. I agreed to allow them this time to respond to my concerns in full, and I have still not heard from them, nor have I received a copy of the first letter that I requested. Therefore, this is the last straw, and I have drafted a final warning letter and wondered if anyone could give me some advice. The letter is long, so I apologise in advance but hope that you could read over it and let me know if this is OK. I am sick of waiting for them to explain their incompetency, after 30 weeks of chasing and getting nowhere, and feel I should be compensated in some way, considering I am quite within my right to take this to FOS, whose fees are in the region of £300-400, all paid for by the bank. FOS have also already informed me that they would fine Lloyds TSB around the same amount for breach of complaint regulations. Just wondered if I am taking it too far with the amount I am asking for. Your views would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Wolvesman

Unfortunately Mark, if you aren't paying the full amount each month for the debt, and it is over £750, it will be legal. Even though you have set up an agreement with them, they have the power in these situations. It has become increasingly common, and even councils are bankrupting people after going behind on council tax payments, letting this build up to the £750 minimum and then starting bankruptcy proceedings. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Hi and thank you Martin for your reply. I know from personally dealing with complaints that this is a major thing for banks and building societies. Any breach of complaint procedures and they brick it. Not only does it lead to financial penalties imposed on them, but they do not like going down the FOS route as it brings their incompetencies to light to the governing body, the FSA. I really am not sure whether I should offer them a last chance of offering me a financial settlement as resolution to my complaint. It could backfire, but I would still be able to take them to FOS regardless and they would face a fine for not adhering to the rules and regs. I'll just have to see how it goes I suppose. I'll keep you updated, I'll be drafting a letter and publishing it on here before sending it off, if you could possibly check it over? Cheers in advance.

Anyone?

Hi all, I am new to this forum, so go easy on me! Great site by the way! I made a complaint to Lloyds TSB back on 27th February this year, as they had messed up with my overdraft facility, by removing it within a week of setting it up, and when I called to make them aware of this error and to ask for them to put it back (I was used to them messing up on my account by this time), they expected me to go through a whole new application (which can take up to 25 mins at times) for them to amend their error. I wasn't happy with this, as it would mean me wasting my time and money cleaning up their mess, so I made a complaint. Quite simple really.....you'd think. I got a reply within the normal first 5 working days acknowledging my complaint, and that they needed the next 20 days to investigate my complaint thoroughly. Not sure why, as it should have been a simple case of listening to the one call that I made to set up this overdraft and confirming it was their problem, and to apologise to me. Well, working in the financial services industry myself, and working in a job role that deals with complaints on a day-to-day basis, I know the timescales that are in line with FSA regulation (being 5 working days to acknowledge, 4 weeks to send a holding letter if still no resolution and a final response must be sent at 8 weeks). I am still sitting here now, just over 15 weeks after initially making the complaint, and I haven't even received the four-week holding letter. Nothing since the acknowledgement. It was passed off to their Customer Service Recovery team in Birmingham on 29th February but the telephone number they quoted on the letter asked for you to leave your details for them to contact you back within approx 2 hours, which after 5 messages, they still haven't. Now I know that this a serious breach of FSA regulation, and not only can I take this to FOS, but they would also be fined for breaching the regulation in the first place. My understanding is that the FOS service costs the company involved (it never costs the consumer) approx £300, and that they would be fined approx £100 as well. I am looking to prepare a letter to them, confirming all this, and asking for some kind of settlement for me not to take them to FOS and costing them approx £400, instead offering me approx half of that for time, distress and to cover costs. I need some advice on if and how I should go about this. Your help would be much appreciated on this matter. Cheers,