northern Bank charges reclaim **WON**

[lickthewallfatboy]

What a top site,first of all!!This has been a long time coming,IMHO

 

Anyway-sent off to Northern Bank in Belfast initial request for charges/statements on 27th April via recorded delivery.Heard nothing back as yet....

 

This outfit take every small window of opportunity to beat you around the head with charges for letters,unpaid direct debits etc-so I'm looking forward to a bit of payback.At a rough reckon(very rough) I could be looking at £1500-£2000.

 

2003/04 was a particularly bad year for us,because I was off work on the sick and got down to nil pay-cheques were bouncing,DD's weren't paid and credit card companies were over me like a rash

 

 

Time for some payback!!Up next-

 

CITI CARDS

MBNA

BARCLAYCARD

NATWEST CARDS

CAPITAL ONE

RBS ADVANTA

 

Can't wait to see them squirm!!!

[lickthewallfatboy]

Best of luck Matey !

 

That is one helluva crazy user name !

 

 

Thanks!!This site inspires confidence to such a degree that you just want to get stuck in!!

 

The user name comes from one of my 7 year old son's expressions-he comes out with some good ones!!

[lickthewallfatboy]

cheers m8-you too.I never came across a bank who are as quick to jump through the slightest window of opportunity to nail a charge on you....I hope a lot more people wake up to them!!

[lickthewallfatboy]

Tomorrow(monday) will be 18 days gone and 22 to go and not even an acknowledgment from one of the targets!!!

 

This could go to LBA's with the lot!!!

[lickthewallfatboy]

how's this for bank efficiency?

 

Sent DPA on 27 April-no response.

Sent reminder letter 24 may and got a letter in this morning.They claim to have lost my original letter,and tracked it down after receipt of my reminder.Top class service so far!!

 

They now claim to have 40 days from May 30 to comply,but will try with "every possible effort" to have this information for me next week.

 

They had better otherwise their arse is in a sling-it's my timetable,not the Northern's!!

 

Anyway,they claim that manual intervention is applied in all circumstances of charges applied-*YEAH RIGHT*-but that it would take a disproportionate effort to get me the details.

 

They are also looking for £6 per page of statements prior to April 2004,because they can't be bothered to get off their lazy arses to get me them.

 

If they think I'm falling for this they must be located on Mars-I know that Abbey customers got the same run around.Can anyone point me to a thread where this was comprehensively dealt with?

[lickthewallfatboy]

found a sample reply letter for this scenario on the Abbey section,and rejigged it to suit.-

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4031

 

Whoever does the work on those templates needs a medal......

[lickthewallfatboy]

today's update-

big box arrived stuffed to the gills with statements,and a letter.Unfortunately for the northern,they only sent me statements dating back to April 13,2004-statements prior to that "are not readily available",apparently.....they also have refused to send me a list of details of charges levied,as primarily requested,as these would "already have been furnished in statements already issued".ANOTHER REFUSAL-this is getting good!!

 

well,after 6 June,the Northern are in breach of the DPA request,and will be reported to the IC if I don't get the rest by then-and I'm not expecting them to provide them.They are asking £6 per page for them-so obviously they are readily available-they just want their pound of flesh for those as well-SORRY MR NORTHERN,NO CAN DO!!!

 

Also,they seem to find it a "disproportionate effort " to furnish me with hard evidence of manual intervention in the application of charges,and I have asked for this TWICE in wiriting.Judge is gonna love that- LOL!!!

I wonder why it would be too much of an effort-perhaps even the Northern have realised that you can't find something that doesn't exist.....

 

Anyway-I am going forward on this basis for the Northern to consider-

 

I have totted up the charges for the 2 years statements issued to us,and they come to a rather healthy £1791!!Now I am going to estimate a total for the 5 years we have been with them on the basis of 2/5 of 5 years =£1791

 

so 5 years estimated charges =(£1791/2)x5=£4475.50

 

and let them prove otherwise by giving me hard evidence,or else they will throw the dolly out of the pram and completely refuse to play.Either way-they are going to come in in second place.

 

I feel a fight coming on.....

[lickthewallfatboy]

to cut a long story short-

 

Northern Bank have now twice refused to supply me with statements prior to April 2004,and any list of charges whatsoever,on grounds of "disproportionate effort needed" -total crap,I know

 

They will supply me with statements prior to 2004 at the very reasonable rate of £6 per sheet!!How nice-so they are obviously available-but cannot provide proof of manual intervention,which they claim is applied in all cases-did you ever hear so much nonsense!!

 

anyway-we have tallied up for the 2 years out of the 5 that we have been with them and that they have sent details for.It amounts to £1791.What I am thinking of doing is this-divide £1791 by 2 to get a figure for 1 year,and multiplying that by 5 to get an estimate for 5 years-comes to £4475.50.

 

If they can't be bothered to send me what I want,is it reasonable for me to request repayment of £4475.50?It would clearly not look to good for them if they suddenly are able to dig out the information I require.

 

The 40 day DPA compliance expires Tuesday 6 June.

 

Appreciate any help

[lickthewallfatboy]

I have one written for them Alan,but I was wondering if i could ultimately hit them with an estimate.

[lickthewallfatboy]

Hi Jim

yes you're right,I'm in the orchard county;)

 

You are also right about the £2000 limit,but a way round this has been suggested by claiming for each separate year....

 

I see you're going after the MBNA-they are fairly straightforward to beat,it seems.I had total success with precious little effort.If you need any help,just PM me...

 

all the best

[lickthewallfatboy]

tomorrow is June 6(how appropriate)-D Day for the Northern Bank.They still haven't given me full disclosure,and I'm not expecting anything in the morning.

 

So,estimated charges for the 5 years of £4477.50 will be duly requested-let's see what happens-will they tell me to sod off,or will they miraculously come up with the information I requested?

[lickthewallfatboy]

Hi Cat

 

glad to know there's someone else at my shoulder with the Northern!

 

I have sent the letter(yesterday) with the estimate for £4477 as they have now twice refused to provide me with all the information I need.So they will either freak out and refuse to budge,or freak out and send me the details I asked for,but I don't expect them to cough up the manual intervention notes:rolleyes:

 

I will leave the IC out of this (about the DPA breach) until I get a reply to my letter.Then I will make my mind up about what to do about that,depending on the content of the response.I genuinely expect this to go to small claims,but as this is limited to a max of £2k,I am inviting opinion as to the way forward on that front,as regards multiple claims for separate years etc etc.

 

We do live in interesting times,to paraphrase a well known chinese proverb.....

 

all the best to you Cat-if you need a listening ear,just post here or PM me.I'll try to help and give moral support where I can.

 

How much are you getting into them for?

[lickthewallfatboy]

Cat

i'm not legally inclined,but I have picked up a lot in a short time here from some very helpful people.I'm trying to examine the options open to me without the high court avenue.

 

I wonder if a group action would be viable?I may post that in the general section and see what the general opinon is.....

 

I know what you mean about things being personal!!

[lickthewallfatboy]

This has been raised by a member in my htread about the northern bank...

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=6263&page=2

 

in Northern Ireland,as you know,the small claims limit is £2K,but some of us(me included) could well be looking at claims well in excess of that figure.

 

It has been suggested that we band together and go to the High Court in a group action.

 

Now I do not have a clue about this-could someone advise of the pros and cons of such a move?I know there are downsides(not clear on what they are)but I'm aware they do exist....

[lickthewallfatboy]

Thanks for the advice.If the Northern don't give me the details I need I am going to have to put in an estimate up until the time I have figures provided for.It will work into 3 separate claims in that case!!

 

 

scales duly clicked on, Robert!!

[lickthewallfatboy]

letter dated 14 June received this morning from Nuala Walsh,Service Recovery Manager.

 

Jist of this was that my complaint was being taken very seriously,and that they would be investigating it with a view to replying in the next 20 days my clock is going tick tock in an ever more loud fashion.....

 

Also included a helpful ombudsman leaflet to be added to a growing pile of waste paper!! LOL

[lickthewallfatboy]

I have drafted this letter for posting to the Northern today-

 

22 June 2006

 

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dear Ms XXXXX

 

As you will be aware,I wrote to the Northern on April 27 2006 with a DPA request for details of all charges levied on our accounts since their inception.

 

The information I received was totally inadequate,in that details for the past 2 years only were forthcoming.The deadline for full compliance with that DPA request was June 6 2006,and full compliance has not been achieved.The date is now June 22,so you will see that I have been more than reasonable under the terms of the legislation by not adhering strictly to that deadline.

 

Yesterday,I received a further automated charge on my account,which now has a debit balance of £1501.84(as of 21 June).Since my initial inquiry,(including that penalty)a further £113 has been levied in charges.This brings the known total for the 2 years details I have been furnished with to a grand total of £1904-the refund of which would bring our account up to a credit balance of £402.16

 

The overdraft balance on account no xxxxxxxx now consists totally of unlawful penalty charges levied on the account.I require a refund of those charges to our account as an interim measure before refund of the remaining charges for the period of non-disclosure.I would expect the balance on the account to reflect this refund by close of business on Monday 26 June 2006,otherwise the initial sum of £1904 plus interest and costs will be pursued in the Northern Ireland Small Claims Court,beginning on Tuesday 27 June,without prejudicing the further recovery of the charges pre 2004.

[lickthewallfatboy]

I don't know as yet-I may do this if I think it would be worthwhile,but I wouldn't stoop to their level of asking £20 for a letter.....it kinda goes against the spirit of the campaign to get our money back.

[lickthewallfatboy]

I will be checking the account at the ATM tomorrow evening,and if the funds aren't returned,it's off to NI small claims website....

[lickthewallfatboy]

I really think things need bringing to a head.I don't expect the Northern to refund me today,so I am ready to initiate a claim tomorrow.It's going to be a busy week,with RBS and capital one about to have action taken as well.....

[lickthewallfatboy]

good luck

we really need a success against 1 of the so called big 4 in NI to prove to all that it is possible to make a succesful claim here

 

has anyone had success over here???

 

did you not read about the Belfast taxi driver who threatened the Ulster Bank with court over almost £2K in charges,and they coughed up straight away?

 

Seems to be that if they are put up against a wall,they will buckle like the rest......

[lickthewallfatboy]

from what I could gather from the story,the guy counted up his charges,wrote them a letter saying you owe me £x-pay up or go to court-and they paid up

 

all on his own,too

[lickthewallfatboy]

As expected,no refund forthcoming as of deadline at end of business today. Off to NI Courts small claim site to initiate proceedings.

[lickthewallfatboy]

as you say,they are prepared to sit back to see how far you will take it.They've called my bluff,and I'm am about to up the ante.I have already started on CITICARDS,although those dumb Indian call centres who throw a wobbly when you deviate from their prepared script still persist in ringing incessantly asking why I haven't sent a payment.

 

When they pay us back around £1400,then they might get some co-operation.....

 

same goes for RBS and Capital One-only a couple of days to go for them.

[lickthewallfatboy]

got a 2 line letter from the Northern this morning- "I am pleased to say my investigations are currently underway and I will respond to you as soon as these investigations are complete,as outlined in my letter of 14 June 2006" too late I'm afraid-claim for £2082 inc interest and costs has just been initiated.(and that's just for the last 2 years)They must think I'm some kind of mug or something!!