PPI Reclaim Halifax - Is it worth waiting for the FOS?!

[loulou32]

Hi All,

 

I've posted on here before and you've all been a great help in fact you are all highly recommended by my peers.

 

Anyway, enough of the buttering up.

 

Had a loan with the Halifax, taken out in 2005 for £10k over 3 years. When it was sold to me I was only ever offered the loan WITH PPI. After completing I then realised that the amount charged for insurance was nearly £50 per MONTH. I tried to remove it from the agreement, only to be told the only way to do this was to refinanance = more interest and no gaurentee I'd be accepted for another loan. I did not know at the time that it had been missold to me.

 

I've sent the letters to the Halifax as detailed on here. Telling them I've been missold and asking them to justify the £50 a month charge when I can get it for £6 elsewhere. They've told me they've done nothing wrong, didn't answer my questions and told me to complain to the FOS. I am waiting for them to deal with my case - for nearly 6 months. It's still in a queue.

 

As I've lodged a complaint with the FOS can I still decide to issue a letter before action and take the Halifax to court instead?

 

I've been a bit lazy regarding this, due to personal time constraints. But now I'm up for the fight and I want to get my money back!

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[Goldlady]

I think you can issue a LBA regardless of the state of play with the FOS.

[citizenB]

Hi, I dont know when you filed your complaint with the FOS. However, I have just spoken to them about a PPI complaint I made a few weeks ago and they advise they are only just dealing with complaints made in November 2007. So they are approximately 8 months behind.

[bathgatebuyer]

I've lodged court papers with the Halifax and getting nowhere with them but I seem to be hearing about lots of success on here and on MSE with people getting 'goodwill' settlements from the Halifax where complaints have been lodged with the FOS.

 

I avoided the FOS given the timescales invovled and hoped that the Court process would lead to a quicker settlement but it hasn't as yet. So far I've had £85 application fee, £35 to file my Allocation Questionnaire and no doubt face a few more hundred pounds in the run up to the action court hearing.

 

Who knows - had I followed the FOS path, I'd maybe have had a settlement by now!