LoanFinderUK took "Administration Fee".......need letter please.

[Guest flubdub]

Ok, my partner applied for a loan through Loan Finder UK on 30th March. Today, I check his bank statement online, and it says that £62 was taken out of his account today, and that it was a debit card transaction. He rings his bank, and they say that POSTNET took the money out at 8.33am, and they gave us a phone number that went with PostNet.

He rings the number, and its LoanFinderUK, NOT PostNet.

Anyway, LoanFinderUK did not find my partner a loan, and we never heard from them after the application. My partne was never told about this money.

Anyway, they say they take the money for the "work" they do, not that they actually did anything, and that they had every right to take it. But they DID say that he could get his money back if he requested it in writing.

Idont want to send them a letter, only to get a reply saying "no".

Can anyone help with what to send them please? Something to let them know we mean business!!

Thanks.

[legalpickle]

Ok, my partner applied for a loan through Loan Finder UK on 30th March. Today, I check his bank statement online, and it says that £62 was taken out of his account today, and that it was a debit card transaction. He rings his bank, and they say that POSTNET took the money out at 8.33am, and they gave us a phone number that went with PostNet.

He rings the number, and its LoanFinderUK, NOT PostNet.

Anyway, LoanFinderUK did not find my partner a loan, and we never heard from them after the application. My partne was never told about this money.

Anyway, they say they take the money for the "work" they do, not that they actually did anything, and that they had every right to take it. But they DID say that he could get his money back if he requested it in writing.

Idont want to send them a letter, only to get a reply saying "no".

Can anyone help with what to send them please? Something to let them know we mean business!!

Thanks.

PostNet takes out transactions for loan brokering companies that are part of that group. LoanFinderUK is one of them. Your partner would have had to give them his debit card details for them to take out the monies. They always charge money to find a loan or credit card people but in my experience then don't find one. They quite often claim they've found one when sending advertising but when paid give an offer which requires guarantors or something like that. There is apparently some law that allows them to keep a £5 handling fee if you complain - which is after a lot of hassle.

 

Which debit card was it? If it was a VISA (or VISA Electron) debit card then the issuing bank must issue a chargeback if requested. If it was another debit card then they don't have to but it's worth a shot. Your partner should call up asking for chargeback forms to initiate a chargeback. The transaction was unauthorized, as it wasn't clear that they were charging.

 

When you have the chargeback forms, I'll try and write a cover letter for you, but with Passover and other things I'm very busy over the next few weeks.

[Staropram]

Check out this link where another person had a similar problem a few years ago.

 

YES Loans - Claiming money back [Archive] - Penalty Charges Forum

 

It give a good example of a letter you could write to these people.

 

Good luck.

[Guest flubdub]

It was a Solo card. Thanks LP, I will tell him about the chargeback froms.

Dont worry about being busy, its nice of you to help me when you can.

 

We wouldnt mind the fee, if we'd been told about it, but we wernt. I told him to ask if they record all the phone calls, and they said they did. So iv told him to ask for a recording of the one where they told him about the fee, and that he had 15 days to cancel, but I doubt it will emerge.

They also say they charge between £20 and £65. How do they figure out how much to charge who?

 

Thanks Staropram, will check out that link too.

[Guest flubdub]

What section of the cca can I quote? It cant be the one in the link because 6 months havnt passed.

[legalpickle]

It was a Solo card. Thanks LP, I will tell him about the chargeback froms.

The bank doesn't have to operate a chargeback scheme for Solo. It's worth a try, but not guaranteed.

No problemo.

Dont worry about being busy, its nice of you to help me when you can.

Nice to be appreciated too. I'll try my best.

 

We wouldnt mind the fee, if we'd been told about it, but we wernt. I told him to ask if they record all the phone calls, and they said they did. So iv told him to ask for a recording of the one where they told him about the fee, and that he had 15 days to cancel, but I doubt it will emerge.

They also say they charge between £20 and £65. How do they figure out how much to charge who?

Don't say you don't mind the fee, just that you weren't told about it up front. Though it's probably hidden on the forms and he probably didn't read them in detail. He shouldn't have given his debit card details in the first place!

 

Thanks Staropram, will check out that link too.

I'd be skeptical that a thread about Welcome would help. Welcome are not known to be very reliable (to say the least!) and their tactics are different to PostNet who specialize in this brokering of loans business. A payment to Welcome would most likely have not been for a brokering fee.

[Guest flubdub]

Ah right, ok. I wont tell them I wouldnt mind the fee if they'd have only told me! lol

It was me that did all the applying on my partners behalf. It was all done on the internet (with his permission). I put his card details in, naively thinking it was so they could put the money in his account! It was all done on one application form online, and didnt seem so in depth at the time. He has spoken on the phone to them since, but only to give extra details, but not about payments etc.

[Guest flubdub]

Also, I have heard about Welcome yes, and they seem v unreliable. I googled Postnet quickly, and though they were a Postal Service!

[legalpickle]

Ah right, ok. I wont tell them I wouldnt mind the fee if they'd have only told me! lol

It was me that did all the applying on my partners behalf. It was all done on the internet (with his permission). I put his card details in, naively thinking it was so they could put the money in his account! It was all done on one application form online, and didnt seem so in depth at the time. He has spoken on the phone to them since, but only to give extra details, but not about payments etc.

You probably didn't read all the terms & conditions like most people. That's where they make there money.

Also, I have heard about Welcome yes, and they seem v unreliable. I googled Postnet quickly, and though they were a Postal Service!

All Post Office services will have the Post Office or Royal Mail logos on the website. Credit & Debit card charges from the Post Office or Royal Mail related companies will have Post Office then the name of the company (for example; Post Office Homephone, Post Office Insurance, etc...) or Royal Mail. If it doesn't it's no relationship.

[andie_303]

have you tried to dispute the transaction with your bank? sometimes your bank will do it if you ask them.

[legalpickle]

have you tried to dispute the transaction with your bank? sometimes your bank will do it if you ask them.

Andie, Please read my recommendations above. I have already recommended that flubdub tries this.

[andie_303]

ok

[danny12]

Hello..I work for LoanfinderUK, and I stumbled accross this thread so thought I would see if I can help you. LoanfinderUK is a trading name of Postnet and is part of a group of companies called The Richmond Group. LoanfinderUK are an independant loan brokerage. Unlike most brokers in the UK, we do not charge any fee's upfront for our service. At the point of application, we take payment details and arrange our fee usually around 3 weeks later as usually this is plenty of time to contact a lender which we recommend for them to arrange a payout. It isn't possible to enter your card details through the LoanfinderUK website, these are taken over the phone by our operators, and scripts state that this fee will be taken unless it is cancelled by the customer. Of course we do have a refund policy in place. You can contact the customer service department and they will give you full details on how this can be done.

 

Hope that helps you

Edited May 22, 2009 by danny12

[manda85]

Exactly the same has happened to me, they took 52 pound out my account a week ago, did you get your money back?

[42man]

Seems they have been ticked off by the OFT - adding for others who come into contact with this group - The Office of Fair Trading : OFT imposes requirements on credit broker

[connor123]

i hope this can be of help to anybody else in this position today 15/2/10 i checked my bank account online to find a direct debit of £61.27 had been taken by loanfinder.co.uk after checking with my wife and racking my brains i realised that all this company had done was send me a form for a loan with a company called FLM,before getting on the phone and into an argument with them i thought i would try and look into them first.

I came across this forum took all the info. on board and then spoke to them, to my suprise the lady i spoke to listened to me, put me on hold for less than a minute then said that the full £61.27 would be refunded straight away.I asked for an explanation which was "because i didnt follow up the online application by telephone they automaticaly took the payment".Many thanks to everyone who replyed to the original question you have saved me from a probable verbal abuse charge.

[Conniff]

Come back again when you have had the refund and let us know.

[ssuzi17]

I have been looking at loans online and loanfinder and creditxtra came up, I don't actually remember giving my bank details but I must have because I checked my bank this morning and there were 2 direct debits set up, one for loanfinder and one for creditxtra. I have had no warning about this and have of course cancelled the direct debits, as it stands I don't think I've lost any money to these people, but I've got some pending payments going out on my card and I don't know what they are until they go out, I'm hoping that they're the payments I've authorised and not one to these jokers. Be warned folks, these guys are well dodgy....

[NORNIRONGIRL08]

I paid £59 by Debit Card to a company called unsecuredloan feel really daft now as I thought they were guaranteeing me a loan even worse I gave them my account number and Sort Code. They told me a senior underwriter would get back to me.

 

Ive been really daft havent I ???

Edited August 19, 2010 by IdaInFife
link removed

[setmefree]

Here you go Guys and Girls,

This is what one of their staff quotes

 

Loanfinder offers an independent loan brokerage service, set up to find the best loan that's available for you in the UK. We don't charge any upfront fees for our service. We set up our fee for a later date set by yourself, so we aim for you to receive a payout via a lender before making a payment for our service.

 

If for any reason you haven't received a loan 5 working days before your payment date you just need to email us and we can reschedule the payment for you.

Charlotte Schuller

Customer Care Team

[NORNIRONGIRL08]

It was Loanfinder who obviously put me onto Unsecuredloans.net I didnt realise they werent the same company so it was insecuredloans.net who took the fee.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrroan

[42man]

OFT bares teeth to loan 'brokers' who ask for a fee upfront !! - http://www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press/2011/62-11

[denmark786]

Danny don't know if you work there still, can you help on the below as anxiety and depression I got under control since my last period of 'sickness' due to financial stress a year ago, is just about starting to creep in after spending half an hour on your site only to get a 404 website error, considering 33 x £8.99 charges, I'd love to hear about me even getting the benefit of the service you provide on just 1 occasion. Has anyone else been so stupid as to let this number of payments go by without being picked up?

It would be nice if you guys had mailed or even called me once in a while to show some appreciation in being such a loyal stupid customer , but I suppose that would have only high lighted the fact that I was so stupid,

 

I trust I will hear from you promptly before further action is required.

 

"I've just discovered 'Postnet t/a L' appeared under my direct debit list by chance yesterday, calling Barclays it appears they've taken 33 x £8.99 over the last 3 years, whether my stupidity or not my blood is boiling at 3am

 

I tried to submit a refund request through their website but get a '404' error so that don't even go through,

They don't seem to have a number that can be called and although Barclays are going to try raise an 'Indemnity DD case ' what ever that maybe, I need to devote some time to making known that I must have been misled and certainly haven't benefited from what ever service they provide for almost 3 years.

 

Advice on what plan of action I should take guys and with whom,

Failing any refund with Barclays I may as well take the train down to where ever their offices are and let them know exactly how I feel about them taking advantage of peoples financial difficulties when they are at their weakest, I may have applied to some payday loan and unknowingly agreed to their subscription but how can anyone justify an ongoing charge like this beats me.

 

To those who feel its my own fault, so you know I have at least twice checked with bank all the direct debits I have set up in the last year, and it appears the reason why it didn't get picked up is because the charge was the same as a mobile phone insurance policy, because the full company name isn't shown on transaction, it was never high lighted however Barclays can't guarantee my cash back because I've had at least 2 unpaid charge backs which are seen as me being notified .

 

Not happy

 

Imran Ahmed"