Halifax Charges From 6.12.09 My Journey

[angel_1]

Hiya all

 

welcome to my thread.

 

I am starting my own thread as this is now become a passionate endeavour for me personally

 

please see the links below to help you further from which ive taken info from and started my complaints already

 

I now have the interest of a local councillor who i plan on meeting up with

 

 

take care for now

angel x

 

 

*****

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/halifax-bank-bank-scotland/226753-complaint-about-halifax-new.html

 

The above link is thanks to Bookworm

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/halifax-bank-bank-scotland/225535-halifax-overdraft-changes-accounts.html

 

The above link is thanks to sigsoldboy

 

***********************************************************************************

 

So far - Update

 

1. sent complaint to halifax - received only their acknowledgement letter

2. sent letter to Oft -

3. sent letter to FSA - received reply that i have to complain to FOS (however, i cannot do that until i get a final response from halifax)

 

4. Contacted a couple of local councillors - have received interest from one who i will meeting up with soon.

 

Keep positive guys!

Edited December 2, 2009 by angel_1
given update

[stacywoodhouse]

Hi Angel,

 

Keep us posted.

 

Stacy

[Undercover-Elsa]

Good one, Angel

Will follow with "interest" !!

Elsa xx

[angel_1]

Thank you both Stacey and Elsa and welcome to my mad ramblings here;)

 

laters angel x

[London000]

Thank you both Stacey and Elsa and welcome to my mad ramblings here;)

 

laters angel x

 

Hi Angel,

A step behind you . Letter in post to FOS, so waiting...

All the best,

DD:cool:

[angel_1]

Welcome also to you DD (aka London000)

 

all we can do is continue the journey:cool: good luck to you too

 

laters angel x

[Jan4a]

just subscribing, interested as brother is having problems with Halifax and I need to help him.

 

Good luck.

[angel_1]

Welcome to my thread Jan4a -

 

update

 

have received a reply from the office of fair trading -

basically they are considering whether the Halifax terms raise concerns but have not reached any views at this stage - blah blah and do publicise formal action on their website.

 

They also advise i can talk to other current account providers, whilst i agree i can talk to other current account providers to change my account, unfortunatley i cant as ive already tried to increase my overdraft at my current account with another bank

 

(this overdraft with the halifax id got it running until i was able to start paying it off and with hoping the charges claim i had in with the halfax id hoped as plan A to have nearly cleared it)

 

 

Now plan B, i will have to either save elsewhere and get a lump sum together to clear it off in full swoop and gain some interest along the way since im going to be paying the daily 1.00 a day anyway whats the point in paying a 10.00 a week into the account if they continue to charge a 1.00 daily flat fee???

 

I will be forwarding the generic reply from the oft to my councillor and with a view to a visit soon

 

i see others have again sent letters offering a payment plan but i wish to investigate this a little more further

 

anyway these are my thoughts for the day on this

 

catch up laters angel x

[sigsoldboy]

Thanks Angel, keep trying. I lost all faith when the OFT caved in to the bank charges. Unfortunately we live in a Bankocracy, Banks rule the world and governments pass the laws to make it easier for them and thier cronies to deprive us of our money and our rights. Until this congontive dissonance on what is really happening in the world is passed we are stuffed. My conclusion......save, save & save until I have paid every last penny back and then use banks purley as a checking account for my salary. Sorry about the rant.

 

Meanwhile im thinking once my debt is paid I will use the post office and continue to investigate how you can get around BACS salary payments.

 

Good luck and if I can help please let me know, Economics, Banks and Central Banking is my forte.

[Undercover-Elsa]

Morning Angel

Just checking on your progress!

good point that Sigsoldboy (love the word Bankocracy )

Me too...and I'm watching with interest to see when the new Post Office Bank Account comes out, which I think will be late in 2010.

Meanwhile anything I have left over comes out of my Bank and into an instant access PO savings account. Unless I run off without paying for my stamps at least I know it can't be offset!!

Elsa xx

[Bookworm]

Unfortunately we live in a Bankocracy, Banks rule the world and governments pass the laws to make it easier for them and thier cronies to deprive us of our money and our rights.

Well said, i might have to put that in my sig at some point!

 

Meanwhile im thinking once my debt is paid I will use the post office and continue to investigate how you can get around BACS salary payments.

I think maybe Dave's technique is the best: He gets his wages paid in his GF's bank account, then goes and takes out the lot on the day he gets paid and pays his bills accordingly. Going back to a cash economy would be difficult for me, I have become used to doing it all online and I have a propensity of cash disappearing too easily from my purse as if it were "spare" money, but it might be that I will have to teach this old dog a new trick after all... I just can't bear this climate of constant worry, switching back and forth to cover this and that overdraft. The Halifax one is paid off, that's one down, but I have so many others to service. I'll get there. Sorry for the rant too. :-|

[angel_1]

hiya sigsoldboy welcome to my thread - no need to apologise for your rant, i understand i get this way too lol

 

and hiya too to you Undercover-Elsa - hey will have to get the rest of the gang here lol

 

well a bit more of an update, im hoping to meet up with my conservative councillor, since unfortunatly the labour one has not got back to me

 

so my theory is run with the man who can!

 

politics aside, - at the end of the day im going to make as much noice about this to the person who has expressed their interest and has appeared so far to understand what im talking about

 

im hoping this side of christmas to at least show him info so far done and received and then once the new year kicks in see what happens

 

mind you ive not really had any other responce from the halifax, i had thought to pay a little back a week, but then now im not going to pay anymore into the account this year and see what the new year brings

 

i had read on another thread cant remember if yours sigsoldboy, or bookworm, someone had commented that the 1.00 charge is being applied regardless of whether you are on a overdraft of say 500.00 or the max of 2500.00 so in theory people who have a higher overdraft is paying the same as someone who hasnt, well if im going to be charged and treated the same then in theory i should have the same 2500.00 overdraft,

 

this is another point i wish to raise to my councillor, again this appears and goes against a fair system in my mere humble opinion

 

at the end of the day i want to get rid of this and i had started paying something weekly but with the interest being charged monthly i could see the balance decreasing at the rate of the 31 or 30 or 28 days depending on month it will cost me far more in interest and thus my balance appears never ending

 

keeping me in the debt trap for longer

 

anyway any other points you wish me to raise please feel free to post on this thread and then i will include too

 

cheers for your interest and have a peaceful christmas and lets all have a lucky 2010

 

cheers angel x;)

[angel_1]

hiya everyone

 

since im meeting up with the councillor this friday if anyone has any questions i can put to him i will be happy to do so with relation to these halifax charges and if anyone has had anything back different from any of the companies ie OFT, FSA or Halifax then let me know

 

i aim to finish off 2009 with a bang lol

 

anyway keep on posting catch up laters angel x:cool:

[Undercover-Elsa]

Hi hon,

Well done on your quest so far, and good luck with the Councillor.

No particular questions but if you want another good illustration from CAG about just how unfair and vicious these charges are, check out a thread I'm trying to help on below.

Basically, student, low income, young brother signs up to some viral internet points scheme using students spare debit card (empty account, not overdrawn) without his permission.

Next thing the student knows, there's multiple debits for £3 ish being taken from his account to pay Lovefilm.

Student contacts Halifax urgently, tells them to stop paying them, explaining situation. They say they can't stop it. Lovefilm won't stop taking them unless he reports his little brother for fraud, which he won't do. He said he'd honour the lovefilm fees if they'd waive the charges and interest-Halifax refused, defaulted him and set a debt collector on him.

He now has a £1000 + unauthorised overdraft, of which only £60 is the Lovefilm payments. The rest is penalty charges and interest. Now he's going to be hit with the daily unauthorised overdraft fees on top.

How horrendously vicious and unfair can this bank be?

I've advised him to write to CEO and complain to FOS but getting nowhere. Poor lad.

Here's the link:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-debt-issues/218341-bank-charges-awkward-situation.html

 

Have a lovely Christmas Angel, and let's all go get em in the New Year!!

Elsa xx

(PS just heard on news Hbos lied about their conference, booked it under a false name so people wouldn't know they were spending £500,000 on it.

Why should anyone believe a word they say about anything?)

Edited December 17, 2009 by Undercover-Elsa

[Bigdebtor]

Hi angel

 

I think that perhaps at last the Halifax has shot itself in the foot. How can a charge be "fair" if they charge customer A £1 a day for an arranged overdrfat (or £5 a day for an unarranged overdraft) of £10.01 (I think they waive charges on first £10?) but charge customer B only £2 per day for an arranged overdraft of £20,000?

 

Not even the most is bank-friendly judge, FOS or OFT employee could claim thsi was fair.

 

For anyone in this horrible spiral I think a good ploy might be to raise a small claims case to get these charges refunded under the unfair terms act - forget its real name. I really don't think they would or could be defended.

 

BD

[angel_1]

hiya everyone

 

please keep on giving me your comments and huge concerns, as i am seeing the councillor tomorrow - taking all the letters sent (thanks Bookworm) and any responces so far received , printouts of the daily mail article (thanks citizenb)

and any others i find today

 

but im just wishing to put across a very strong set of points and concerns we all have and face

 

for me personally it is that however i try and reduce this overdraft it will take me longer and although ive agreed initially to their terms and conditions being changed, it should not allow them to bulldoze through something that puts me on a worse standing so severley and i have no choice as i cannot get another overdraft elsewhere at this moment

and they are not prepared to offer any alternative other than the reward account

 

im also concerned for other people in far more worse positions than myself, that literally their money is being swallowed up by 31.00 a month and this debt cycle will cause them even more hardship

 

thanks for looking in

 

cheers laters angel x

[Bookworm]

Thanks, BD.

 

I have no doubt than a SCC would see matters right. But, and I speak as someone who has litigated often and successfully, it is TIRING. To have to fight all the time, to have to file, draft POC, reply to letters, the whole thing... I also have no doubt that faced with a SCC, Halifax will do what they always did, and that is cave before it ever gets to court.

 

Most people will not take the bank to court, they are too scared, apathetic, you name it. For those who do, how often? Every 3 months, 6 months? How long do you do it before you get tired of fighting for every pound you shouldn't be paying for in the first place? How long before you think "sod it, I can't be arsed anymore"?

 

I have been fighting these institutions for near on 4 years now, and I dont' mind telling you, I have had ENOUGH. I have cases I need to get cracking with, from Virgin Media to Barclays and I am SICK of it. I really, truly feel that they are winning, finally, by wearing me down. The test case has shattered the little faith I still had in our justice system and I am at the point where I think that no matter what we do, we just can't win in the end.

 

Sorry for the defeatist talk, but it seems to me that for every step we take frward, the establishment is intent on crushing us 2 steps backwards.

[Bigdebtor]

Bookworm

 

Nil desperandum! Non illegitimi carborundum! You don't need to be the one fighting this. other CAGGERs will - and then we'll have a template that they'll fold under - as they did before OFT stuck its nose in in 2007. Also the press would LOVE to report on SCC wins against HBOS in this.

[Bookworm]

Thanks BD, you're right. Blame it on the migraines. :-|

[reidnet]

Have already complained to Halifax (wi Bookies masterpiece..lo) and the OFT and have had the same bog standard replies from both parties.

[Bigdebtor]

Reidnet

 

You should still complain to FOS on grounds of fairness - and cost HBOS a further £450!

 

Can you post up the OFT reply?

[angel_1]

hiya all

 

lets all have a fab 2010 and keep positive as always - apologies for my delay in getting back with an update

 

*******

I too have had the rejection letter - what a load of cobbles:-x

 

ive chatted to my local councillor about this and i have expressed my concerns and remember all its an election year, maybe in the meantime we should all send out a huge message to the politicians too of our concerns -

just my mere humble thoughts - i will be updating him once ive penned my reply as i do have the 8 weeks to express my responce and disgust - i then await on their final responce as no doubt i will eventually get and then it will go to fos to cost the halifax at least 450.00 for fos to review

 

in the meantime i await on the mse and our cag teams to inform us of the template letters to future use for the reclaim of the the charges

 

i have brought up the moral issue that as a taxpayer - what are the statistics of halifax doing this change in their terms and how many customers has it lost due to enforcing this onto its customers, as i as a mere taxpayer wish to know where my tax has been spent, and thus has it caused more harm than good in following this policy.

 

thanks to all laters angel x

[Its WAR]

What kind of complaint will the fos look at to them charge Halifax £450? I want to make a complaint just so they get charged. I am angry today, because I have just felt forced to pay £700 into my current account just to get below the £2500 threshold and reduce the daily fee. Haiax wont let me retain te original terms and I dont know what else to do. Is there a template to the fos?

[angel_1]

What kind of complaint will the fos look at to them charge Halifax £450? I want to make a complaint just so they get charged. I am angry today, because I have just felt forced to pay £700 into my current account just to get below the £2500 threshold and reduce the daily fee. Haiax wont let me retain te original terms and I dont know what else to do. Is there a template to the fos?

 

 

hiya Its War, welcome to my thread

 

in theory it would be the complaint that you write to the halifax and they would need to investigate it first ( they have as per fsa guidelines to give a final resolution by end of 8 weeks) that would first need to be looked at by the halifax ie of your charges and your above expression if you wanted to include that you were forced to pay the 700 into your account to get it under the 2500 to reduce the daily fee,

 

when they reply and you are still not happy or if the 8 weeks have passed without any satisfactory reply then you can send all the correspondence to fos for them to investigate and each complaint they get from a consumer will cost ie the halifax 450.00

 

***

 

this is where im at today i have had a responce which i definatley am not happy with and thus will be responding to the halifax and then if i get a final resolution letter which should say i can take my complaint to the ombudsman ie fos, then i will at that stage

 

i like you am very angry that they have given me no choice in the matter and that it will make me worse off - i do wish to repay back on the original interest charges terms but not at this daily 1.00 amount

 

start a thread and let us know and we can pop over and see your updates

 

good luck and let s all get empowered by this - remember nothing will change if we do nothing at all

 

laters angel x

[coolchris]

Hi Angel. Well I have given up on quoting this, that and the other consumer law at them as they just show their arse to you; also given up with the FOS because as far as my experience goes with them, they are totally useless, have TARGETS to meet, and do not look at your complaint at an ombudsman level unless you complain about THEM!!

Basically I am now going the courts route. I have wrote to them yet again and said..OK, sue me for the debt. That way I force their hand to accept my proposals of repayment, in my case 20 quid a month as I am a Carer and rely on benefits unfortunately. IF it ever came to court, the judge would have to ask why they did not accept my numerous offers considering my circumstances. THEY KNOW THIS and will only accept your offers when they are backed into a corner they know they cannot get out of. The court way is unfortunately the only way for my particular circumstances-I simply cannot afford to pay the overdraft back in one go and am certainly NOT going to get another loan to consolidate that NON PRIORITY debt.