Guidance regarding RBS - £723 from £25 and all because they didn't close the account!!!

[Bingohomer]

Hi,

 

Hoping someone might be able to give a little guidance for me and even maybe a letter template. I recently got my fiancee to check her credit file and get her score from Experian usign the 30 day free service, so that we could see how we were both looking. When my fiancee's report came back there was a default logged against her for RBS.

 

Looking into the information it appears that she went £25 over her overdraft limit and since then the charges have piled up and amassed to a staggering £723 in 24 months. They logged the deafult status against her last year in August, even though the debt had been creeping up gradually since before then.

 

I asked my fiancee about this and she swears that she went into her local branch and asked them to close the account, as she had moved her banking to BOS at that time, clearly they didn't do this and because of it they also allowed a DD to go out which triggered the charges.

 

She tried to ring them but the guy on the phone was so rude and unhelpful, he effectively told her he couldnt do anything as they had passed it onto a debt collection company and she had to deal with them.

 

I asked if she's had any correspondence but she also moved house soon after and never redirected any mail etc so never new about it. We havent even had anything from a debt collectors as it looks like the debt is now registered against her last address which she moved out of a month after the default date.

 

I guess the debt collection agency will catch up eventually but I am really looking for some guidnace on the best approach to take with them as I can't believe they have let what appears to be a £25 cost accumulate into such a massive debt and are now effectiovely washing their hands of it.

 

This is having a massive impact on her credit rating, she has no debts whatsoever apart from a small OD with her BOS account that is managed perfectly every month. I am sure that if teh RBS default wasnt there it would be much healthier.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Kind Regards

Bingo

[rebel11]

Hi bing

 

Welcome to CAG

 

Write a Formal Letter of Complaint mark it as such. Explain whats happened, how they they have let her down (she visited branch - they failed to close account when notified) and what you want them to do (All charges refunded, credit file sorted out and account closed as previously requested. In your letter to them quote BCOBS directly. Tell them you will consider further action if the matter isn't resolved to your satisfaction. BCOBS - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?827-Examples-of-unfair-treament

 

Send it to:-

 

Stephen Hester, Chief Executive

[email protected]

 

Some tips:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1242161/How--write-letter-complaint.html

 

Lets see what they say, then we can suggest further solutions.

 

Please let us know how your problem has been resolved, it could help fellow Caggers.

[Bingohomer]

Hi rebel,

 

Current update, I originally sent the letter into their complaints department, which was answered but not satisfactorily (I thought I would give them a chance). Basically they told me they had noted my complaint but a collections company (Transcom) was dealing with it and they had passed the details on and they would be in touch shortly and I should contact them from now on.

 

Clearly they have just ignored the fact that all this has happened because they did not close the account as instructed. Have now taken your guidance and written a formal complaint to Mr Hester and emailed it off this evening, telling him not only about the original complaint but also how his company have failed to deal appropriately with it.

 

Let's see what we get back and I will update you, I feel I may need some further support with this one.

 

Thanks

Bing

[Bingohomer]

So sent the email to Mr Hester last night and this is the response my fiancee received today:

------------------------------------------------

Dear Miss xxx

 

Thank you for your email which has been received by Stephen Hester's office.

 

I am sorry to hear of the problems you have encountered recently. In view of your comments, we have asked for a full briefing from those involved. Once this is received, your complaint will be allocated to a case manager who will be in touch within the next two weeks.

 

We will aim to get a response out to you as soon as we can but we also want to make sure that a thorough investigation takes place. If, for any reason, there looks like being a delay, we will, of course, write to you again to explain why.

 

If you do have any queries in the meantime, please feel free to contact us.

 

Yours sincerely

Group Executive Office

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

What are your guys thoughts on the wording and time scale? Is this just the standard response to complaints sent to Mr Hester?

 

None the less I will post back when I get the next response.

 

Thanks

Bing

[jackieandwayne]

Yes, this is the standard response from that office. I am dealing with a complaint about an RPA for my nephew currently. The female (Wendy McNaught) who was our case worker e-mailed back a load of old tosh so I e-mailed her back immediately and told her so. She replied that she couldn;t help as FoS were now involved. Then ten days later i got a call out of the blue from a completely different caseworker, who refunded the unauthorised payment, all associated charges, but to date we have heard nothing more. The number he gave me just goes straight to answer machine and he is not getting back to me. Luckily I kept the FOS complaint open (and it was the new guy at RBS who suggested that I did this so as not to be put to the back of the queue so to speak if I then disagreed with any decision he came to.)

 

I shall give this guy a further week (in case of holidays etc) and then I shall start stamping (on what I don't know yet but stamping will begin).

 

I should make a complaint to the FoS if you don't like the reply you get.

[Old Cogger]

Complain to FOS if and when you get a Final Response, (That is the time FOS will accept a complaint), if you do not get the reunds etc.