GE Money - looking for compensation from them

[Danny54]

My mother who is 81 and who has never done a dishonest thing in her life, has recently been put under a lot of worry and stress from a stupid company called GE money for something she never did and now she's received an apology letter from them. My question is about getting compensation from them.

 

My mother took out a store card with Debenhams a few weeks ago. She never received the card. She later received a letter from GE Money asking for payment of about £12 for allegedly mail ordering clothes to be sent to some address in romford of which she has no clue about. She ended up receiving threatening letters with threats of collection agencies, and she received daily robot calls asking for the money. The debt was increasing all this time with interest being added. Trying to phone them and speak to a person is difficult enough, not to mention they're 0871 numbers at 10p a minute!

 

Last wednesday I rang them and finally got to speak to a woman. I insisted they were at fault and that they need to stop these robot calls and threat letters immediately. She said she would cancel the letters and robot calls. Finally the robot calls stopped and today my mother received an apology letter. However, the letter is weak, unsigned and doesn't in our opinion appease the situation to any satisfaction. There has never been any explanation from them as to why they made such a massive cock up. It's cost my mother a few quid in phonecalls @ 10p per minute plus unnecessary aggravation and harassment.

 

GE Money are not taking enough responsibility for their actions and imo, this amounts to the business equivalent of manslaughter, because they could very easily have put my mother in hospital due to the stress they caused her for something she never did. GE money should be compensating her for this and I intend to write to them with a copy of their apology letter asking for this. I also think Debenhams head office should receive a copy of the letters. I only have a PO box address in Leeds for GE Money customer service, but would prefer an email address. Could you please advise me based on what I've said here and does anyone know of an email address for GE Money? I think something in the region of £100 compensation is not unreasonable to ask for. What do you think? Thanks.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Danny54

[ReasonableRon]

Do you have any formula for working out why £100 should be sufficient compensation, or is it just a sum of money that would come in handy for christmas?

 

Assuming your mother is still very much alive, I think going down the corporate manslaughter route may be prone of a very significant flaw in your argument.

 

Compensation does not get based on what might have happened, but what did actually happen, which appears to be a few quid in phone calls.

 

I would be more interested in how an 81 year old managed to get the store card in the first place, bearing in mind the problems the rest of the population is having in getting credit.

 

Regardless of this, it sounds like you won't be happy until you've got someone's head on a plate so all I can say is 'good luck'.

[Danny54]

Do you have any formula for working out why £100 should be sufficient compensation, or is it just a sum of money that would come in handy for christmas?

 

Assuming your mother is still very much alive, I think going down the corporate manslaughter route may be prone of a very significant flaw in your argument.

 

Compensation does not get based on what might have happened, but what did actually happen, which appears to be a few quid in phone calls.

 

I would be more interested in how an 81 year old managed to get the store card in the first place, bearing in mind the problems the rest of the population is having in getting credit.

 

Regardless of this, it sounds like you won't be happy until you've got someone's head on a plate so all I can say is 'good luck'.

 

What an absolutely pathetic response.

[OoopNorth]

GE Money are not taking enough responsibility for their actions and imo, this amounts to the business equivalent of manslaughter, ..

What do you think?

 

You got a reply, a quite reasonable one but you think it's a pathetic one. Fair enough but I can't see too many other people rushing to suggest things for you (IMO).

 

HTH

[Danny54]

GE Money are not taking enough responsibility for their actions and imo, this amounts to the business equivalent of manslaughter, ..

What do you think?

 

You got a reply, a quite reasonable one but you think it's a pathetic one. Fair enough but I can't see too many other people rushing to suggest things for you (IMO).

 

HTH

 

I asked for advice and got a sarcastic, eyerolling reply. If you think that's helpful you need your head testing. I'm already getting good replies on other forums, so don't waste your time on my thread anymore, this place is ****ing rubbish.

[OoopNorth]

Sounds like the OP won't be reading this but unless the detail has been reduced for brevity it sounds like GE issued card, card was intercepted or account taken over and fraud was commited.

 

Last Wednesday, some 5 days ago, GE were contacted for the first time (unless a letter/other contact was made). In that time they have identified it was fraud and presumably written off the debt.

 

If that is a reasonable summary I can't see what GE have done wrong, if they have been told repeatedly and ignored such communications then yes they have failed.

 

Then again perhaps I just need my head testing.

[Danny54]

 

If that is a reasonable summary I can't see what GE have done wrong.

 

 

LOL!! I hope you're not a lawyer. God help us. Or maybe you work for GE Money.

[ReasonableRon]

What an absolutely pathetic response.

 

I kind of figured that would be the reply I'd get. Perhaps I'm also liable to pay you compensation for the stress and inconvenience you must have suffered by me not telling you what you want to hear?

 

Get real man ffs.

[Lula]

Danny, I think you are incredibly rude, you have received unemotional, reasonable advice, you can ask for your costs to be reimbursed, you could also check to make sure that your mothers credit report is unaffected and this costs £2 to order, if it took a week to sort then the credit company have been brilliant. I think you owe Ron an apology.

[OoopNorth]

Well was it a reasonable summary ? Was the first time GE became aware the activity was fraudulent was Wednesday 12th November ?

 

You do mention the cost of a few pound in calls at 10p per minute. Were these calls every connected and what was the outcome of those calls ?

 

If you have phoned, emailed, written numerous times and GE just didn't bother to acknowledge the fraud then fair enough, fill your boots and stick a request in covering all expended time (charge them your currently hourly rate at work for 15-30 mins per letter/email), costs (stamps, envelopes, phone calls ideally from an itemised bill) etc SINCE the first contact was made advising them of the fraud.

 

I don't work for GE but then again I don't agree some phone calls are the equivalent of corporate manslaughter.

[Danny54]

I kind of figured that would be the reply I'd get. Perhaps I'm also liable to pay you compensation for the stress and inconvenience you must have suffered by me not telling you what you want to hear?

 

Get real man ffs.

 

I was looking for advice on getting compensation. Your reply was completely negative and sarcastic. Not helpful. Don't kid yourself that you did me any favours.

 

 

Danny, I think you are incredibly rude, you have received unemotional, reasonable advice, you can ask for your costs to be reimbursed, you could also check to make sure that your mothers credit report is unaffected and this costs £2 to order, if it took a week to sort then the credit company have been brilliant. I think you owe Ron an apology.

 

I do not owe ron an apology. I was rude because he was rude. The credit company is not brilliant. Wherr do you people get this stuff from?

[ReasonableRon]

LOL !!!

 

Why was my original reply rude? It was a little tongue in cheek maybe, but this is known as 'irony' in the face of the rather over the top tone of the original post.

 

You state that you were looking for advice about compensation. I gave you some advice.

 

"Compensation does not get based on what might have happened, but what did actually happen, which appears to be a few quid in phone calls."

 

Another poster has also twigged exactly what has really happened here - your mothers new card was intercepted and used fraudulently. As soon as the situation was established GE appeared to resolve the issue. God knows why you think they are liable to your mother for any further compensation - she has not suffered a demonstrable loss, apart from a couple of phone calls.

 

Anyway, I've made my point. As I said before......Good luck!

[Lula]

you know what danny, if you dont like the advice given then you don t have to come here, I apologise for this site and most of its members not being part of the vexatious litigants/compensation culture, but if you have found somewhere else that is, and you prefer their advice, then my advice would be to go and talk to them!

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

Do you have any formula for working out why £100 should be sufficient compensation, or is it just a sum of money that would come in handy for christmas?

 

That was sarcastic and totally uncalled for.

 

Assuming your mother is still very much alive, I think going down the corporate manslaughter route may be prone of a very significant flaw in your argument.

 

Compensation does not get based on what might have happened, but what did actually happen, which appears to be a few quid in phone calls.

 

I would be more interested in how an 81 year old managed to get the store card in the first place, bearing in mind the problems the rest of the population is having in getting credit.

 

I'd say it is none of your business! There are many 81 year olds who have more disposable money than say a 31 year old single mum of 3 who also has a store card.

 

Regardless of this, it sounds like you won't be happy until you've got someone's head on a plate so all I can say is 'good luck'.

 

I think it is disgusting that a very elderly lady was treated in such a shabby way by GE Money and so quickly without obviously finding out the correct facts.

 

This lady is from a generation who in the large part would never get into debt but would save and pay their way by putting aside money in empty jars.

 

She was very clearly distressed and for no reason.

 

Don't know if £100 is the correct sum for causing this distress but GE Money should send a bunch of flowers and a proper apology rather than just a meaningless unsigned letter that is not sincere.

 

 

 

 

There was no reason to be so harsh to the person posting this worried about there elderly mum.

[ReasonableRon]

Oh bejeesus - here we go again.

 

My point about an 81 year old being granted credit was not a jibe at the OP or his mother, but rather a suggestion that he takes this up with GE in an age where lenders are supposed to be lending responsibly.

 

Is that OK Mr O'Sullivan?

[Lula]

dont rise to it Ron

[OoopNorth]

I would be more interested in how an 81 year old managed to get the store card in the first place, bearing in mind the problems the rest of the population is having in getting credit.

 

I'd say it is none of your business! There are many 81 year olds who have more disposable money than say a 31 year old single mum of 3 who also has a store card.

 

None of this is our business but the OP did decide to post on the board.

 

 

Regardless of this, it sounds like you won't be happy until you've got someone's head on a plate so all I can say is 'good luck'.

 

I think it is disgusting that a very elderly lady was treated in such a shabby way by GE Money and so quickly without obviously finding out the correct facts.

 

I'd suggest you don't know the facts as the OP hasn't clarified what took place and this would then allow an informed decision as to whether GE screwed up. At the minute it looks like they were chasing a legitimate debt. Whether those are tactics people approve of is a different question.

 

 

This lady is from a generation who in the large part would never get into debt but would save and pay their way by putting aside money in empty jars.

 

Good generalisation. However, a store card was taken out. Again the more reasonable line of complaint may well be mis-selling

 

She was very clearly distressed and for no reason.

 

There was a reason, it looks like fraud was committed which is distressing.

 

Don't know if £100 is the correct sum for causing this distress but GE Money should send a bunch of flowers and a proper apology rather than just a meaningless unsigned letter that is not sincere.

 

Did GE cause the distress ? It appears they resolved the fraud (from the customers point of view) very quickly.

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

dont rise to it Ron

 

I have to say, which is why I first posted that some members on here are a jolly unfriendly lot. I experienced this when I first joined.

 

The members mum was clearly distressed, as would my elderly mum, and it is appropriate she be compensated for that, even if its a bunch of flowers.

 

All she has received is an unsigned letter that is not sincere.

 

Thats all the member was concerned about.

[Lula]

there are ways and means of asking for advice, also of disputing advice. Some people have been here for quite a while and have seen quite a bit

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

Oh bejeesus - here we go again.

 

My point about an 81 year old being granted credit was not a jibe at the OP or his mother, but rather a suggestion that he takes this up with GE in an age where lenders are supposed to be lending responsibly.

 

Is that OK Mr O'Sullivan?

 

Not really, no Ronald. The fact an 81 year old lady has a store card is not relevant to what the op has posted.

 

He is concerned his mum was distressed which any son would be unhappy with because GE Money got heavy handed without first checking the facts.

 

As far as I'm aware causing distress is a valid compensation claim and I think that is what GE did.

 

This site is full of the tatics of these big institutions and rightly condemned yet this poster has been subjected to some quite nasty replies.

 

There is without doubt some very unpleasant members on this site.

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

there are ways and means of asking for advice, also of disputing advice. Some people have been here for quite a while and have seen quite a bit

 

Yes Lulu, I appreciate that. But my mum is elderly too and I know that something like this happening to her would horrify her and distress her too.

 

Why are people not condemning this big institution and their behaviour in being so heavy handed instead of the member?

[OoopNorth]

All she has received is an unsigned letter that is not sincere.

 

Thats all the member was concerned about. .

 

Hate to disagree with you here but I think the OP was just after cash compensation (which a company would never pay they would pay an ex gratia payment as a gesture of goodwill). Maybe I misread the original post but perhaps not after some of the later posts.

 

If the OP had requested advice in wording a suitable letter they may well have got a different response.

 

Asking for an email address also suggests the OP was after the easiest way of contacting GE not raising a genuine complaint with GE.

 

Again only just my opinion. I'm more than happy when large intransigent firms are held to account but there is a way of doing it and people on this site do have the knowledge if it is asked for in the right way/spirit.

[ReasonableRon]

Not really, no Ronald. The fact an 81 year old lady has a store card is not relevant to what the op has posted.

 

He is concerned his mum was distressed which any son would be unhappy with because GE Money got heavy handed without first checking the facts.

 

As far as I'm aware causing distress is a valid compensation claim and I think that is what GE did.

 

This site is full of the tatics of these big institutions and rightly condemned yet this poster has been subjected to some quite nasty replies.

 

There is without doubt some very unpleasant members on this site.

You have again completely misunderstood the nature of my comment - I was suggesting to the OP that he question GE about their lending policies (which indirectly led to this stressful situation in the first place).

 

I also happen to agree with OoopNorth, the OP's tone in his original post made him appear that he was simply baying for blood over what still appears to be a minor misendeamour. And then to describe them as culpable to manslaughter just went from the sublime to the ridiculous.

 

There is room on this forum for healthy debate, disagreements and - dare I say it - even humour (assuming some people would just lighten up). It seems that on this thread the only nasty comments have come from the OP and you, Mr O'sullivan.

 

There is really no need to resort to calling me unpleasant - I don't think that is deserved based on what I have posted, nor based on the pretty decent advice I have given people since joinging this site over a year ago.

 

In the words of your namesake....."You never listen to reason" but "What can I do?"

[davethorp]

Well GEmoney wont lend to me (just tried) so their policies seem pretty sound to me

[Gilbert_O'Sullivan]

In that case I'm sorry to you ronald and I withdraw what I said.

 

It just seems an elderly lady was distressed and a big company did it with an over the top attitude.

 

Will you accept my apology?