Hi There Have just very nervously paid £120 in Court Fees and finally made my claim against Bank Of Scotland . . . I just wondered how long the banks get to respond once they have been issued with a claim? I am determined to get every penny, but could really do with the £££ ASAP!! Many thanks *D

Hi Just a word of warning - like most other large companies, the SLC have terrible internal communication and alot of procedures are kick started automatically by computer, so be VERY careful that your correspondence gets through to the correct person and overrides any of these. I went abroad for a year and despite thinking that I had deferred, found out that the same had happened to me and I owed then £300-odd pounds. It resulted in Baliffs being sent to my home etc etc etc and God knows what it has done to my credit rating!! So I would just try and sort it out as soon as you can. Don't mean to scare u, but they are utter b*****ds!!!!! Good Luck

Hi there. Will keep this as simple as poss: I recently acquired a new landline with BT on the agreement that the 1st 6 months' line rental would be half price. I received my bill which didn't include this offer and BT have said that I was not offered that deal on the Option 1 that I took. They have listened back to the original phonecall and I have requested that they send me a copy/transcript of the call. 12 days later and nothing has been sent so I have contacted the guy I spoke to and he said that I would have to send £10 (under the data protection act) to get a copy/transcript sent to me, to which I replied that it was BT's responsibility to disprove that I had agreed to anything other than 6 months' half price line rental. He is getting back to me later today . . . I just wondered if anyone knew exactly where I stand with this? The amount I am arguing for is only £30 or so, but it is the principle!!!!! When I first complained, they offered me £10 (therefore admitting liability?), but I would welcome any advice that you may be able to give as to what I should do next. Many thanks!! Dan PS. Have looked at the OFCOM website and I understand that they have to make sure that I fully understand and agree to all aspects of the contract.

Hi Think I am am finally getting the basics of filing my claim. My Branch address for BOS is in Scotland (I opened the account when I lived there in 1995-1999) - but have lived in England since 1999. Do I make a claim through Scottish Courts system or English Courts system? The address I have been sending letters to was originally the BOS Head Office in Edinburgh, but more recent letters have been sent to HBOS customer service in Leeds. I read on one of the forums that if I could find an address in England for BOS, then it would be through the English courts, but what address should it be? Thanks & Good Luck!! Dan

Hi Think I am am finally getting the basics of filing my claim. My Branch address for BOS is in Scotland (I opened the account when I lived there in 1995-1999) - but have lived in England since 1999. Do I make a claim through Scottish Courts system or English Courts system? The address I have been sending letters to was originally the BOS Head Office in Edinburgh, but more recent letters have been sent to HBOS customer service in Leeds. I read on one of the forums that if I could find an address in England for BOS, then it would be through the English courts, but what address should it be? Thanks & Good Luck!! Dan

Hi There Apologies if I am asking the obvious, but I have had a 'goodwill offer' from BOS which falls laughably short of the amount I am claiming. Have written to them and said I will accept as part settlement but will be following up for rest of monies owed etc. So: Dealine has now passed and it's time to issue a claim to show them that I'm serious. Have been doing some reading up on here, but can't seem to find a step-by-step guide to issung a claim. Have downloaded the pdf Claim Form, but just need some guidance or reassurance on exactly how to proceed as I don't want to make any mistakes. I'm sure I'm just being thick, but could someone point me in the right direction? Thank you, thank you. Cheers Dan ~ I have to say that this whole experience (and website) has altered my entire attitude to consumer issues and now don't take any c**p from these huge companies/institutions that basically try to screw us all at every stage!!

Thanks for the quick replies. The other issue is that I have been consistent in sending all correspondence to the BOS Head Office address at The Mound in Edinburgh. The replies I have received have been from addresses in Leeds and just to make things even more complicated, they letter of the £137 offer came from an address in Leeds and the pre-paid envelope they sent me was for another address in Leeds! So, maybe this is why the letters may have crossed in the post. Should I continue sending correspondence to the BOS Head Office in Edinburgh, or now start sending letters back to the named individual who was replied to me?

Hi There Have been reading through this site again to try and find out the info I require, but would be grateful if anyone could help me clarify what I need to do next?!? I'm claiming £814.50 from BOS and after sending my 'Letter Before Action' have just received a letter offering £137.00 as 'a gesture of goodwill' - I'm clear that I should accept this, but is there a letter in the library that I can use to accept the £137.00 which states that I will continue to make a claim for the rest?!? I'm a bit confused as to what I am actually saying to them next and also if I accept some monies, what does that mean in terms of schedule, ie. My last letter said that they wouldn't hear from me again until I made a claim? Hope this makes sense!?!?! Feel close to the finish now and am determined to go all the way and take the slimey B@#*ards for all I can!!! Any help or advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks! Dan

The logo on the letter is just the Halifax one and there is NO mention of BOS at all. I think I am going to send the 'Letter Before Action' on Monday when there 14 days is up and stay consistant and send all correspondence to the BOS Head Office address in Edinburgh . . . Thanks for your help!

Hi Am claiming £815 back from BOS and have sent my 'Preliminary Approach For Payment' Letter. I have now received a reply within the 14 days, but as BOS has now merged with Halifax, the letter has come straight from Halifax PLC Customer Relations and there is no connection with BOS on the letter at all (There isn't even a BOS emblem, the address etc etc etc is all Halifax). My question: Does this matter?!?!? My claim is against BOS who's head office is in Edinburgh, so should I continue contacting them or now deal with Halifax at the address on the letter I have received? Also: They have said that 'A Customer Relations Manager will investigate the points you have raised and you will receive a reply shortly, but certainly no later than 4 weeks'. This is bulls**t, as they have 14 days to reply as I understand it, so should I send the next letter once the 14 days has passed? Thanks for any advice!!

Thanks for such prompt responses - I feel so empowered (even though I haven't got the £ back yet!). I think I will just ignore that interest as it is too much of a hassle to work it out and will probably amount to little anyway. Could I confirm that I just omit the 'in addtion you have charged XXX interest' from the letter and just claim the amount for the charges? Also, how come the banks are only liable for the 8% interest once it reaches court and we are not able to claim it before? Surely, if they have taken the money unlawfully, we should be able to charge them the interest? Whilst the principle of claiming back this money is hugely significant, I would also like to say that if and when I get £850+ back, it will make a huge difference to my finances - so 'Viva the Revolution!': I for one have been telling everyone and anyone to get on the case and claim back their money (alot of people simply don't believe me!). Good luck to one and all!

Hi I have received all my statements from Bank Of Scotland and have worked out all my charges (£850). I too am unclear as to what interest (if any) I can claim back at this stage? I understand that the 8% interest can only be claimed back if and when the case goes to court, but if the banks are liable to refund this money - why can it not be claimed now?. The prelimary request for payment letter template (the next letter I will be sending), has a provision for claiming interest made on overdrafts - how do I work this out and what interest am I claiming: is it on the charges since the date they were made (and how does this differ from the 8%) or is it at the overdraft interest rate from the date the charge was made to now (if so, how do I know what interest rate was charged) ?. I have read this morning about all the mistakes people have been making when claiming - so am determined to get this right and also ensure that I claim back ALL monies owed to me! Many thanks for any help/advice you can give. Dan