@asklloydsbank Unrefunded unauthorised direct debits

[katytatlow]

On 12th September 2012 two unauthorised direct debits came out of our Lloyds business account for £183.60 each (total £367.20) going to a company with which we have no agreement.

 

We found out about this in December when completing our vat return and phoned Lloyds on 12th of December to notify them.

 

We were informed on the phone that the payments would be recredited to our account and the direct debit cancelled and that this was being actioned immediately. Job done.

 

We phoned back, just to be on the safe side, spoke to another member staff who confirmed that action was being taken,

and enquired if we should cancel the direct debits manually via the online control panel.

They were non-committal and said that we could if we wanted to. We did.

 

Upon checking the account again on January 15th we noticed that no credits had been made to refund these funds.

There is no contact email or messaging service via the online facility and so we were forced to telephone Lloyds once again.

 

We explained the situation once again and asked them to check on the status of the refund.

 

We were then told that the refund had been "actioned" on January 11th and that the funds should appear within 3-5 working days of that date.

 

We complained that we were informed on December 12th that the funds would be recredited to our account immediately.

They responded that as it was an indemnity claim going back some months that it takes longer to process.

 

Whilst renegotiating our overdraft facility on January 16th, another extended phone call, we enquired as to the status of the refund again.

After a lengthy explanation we were told that it had indeed been actioned and that it would take 3-5 days.

No explanations were forthcoming regarding the assurances given on December 12th that the refund would be made immediately.

 

When asked for a reference we were told that this was unavailable.

When asked to be referred to a supervisor we were repeatedly told that one was unavailable.

When asked for a email address for the complaints department I was told there was none.

 

When asked for an address for the complaints department we were told that they did not have one.

 

We were told that a complaint could be raised by them but no reference could be given.

 

We agreed to the complaint being raised and were asked to ......... please hold.

 

More than 10 mins later and back on the line we were told that a complaint had been raised and "would we accept £50 for the trouble?".

 

We replied that, no, we would not accept the pay off as we had no information from them whatsoever regarding the refund

and obviously could not now rely on information given over the phone as this had proved to be incorrect previously.

 

We asked again to speak to a supervisor, or at least to the person who had authorised the £50 pay off, but were told that they were unavailable.

 

We asked for the contact details of the Banking Ombudsman and were told that they did not have one and maybe we should look on Google.

 

After a great degree of cajoling, and threatening to take the issue to the Banking Ombudsman,

we were then, very reluctantly, given a reference number for the "indemnity claim", a "complaint reference", a "team manager's" name

and the address where the staff member was situated. We were still refused any contact info for the complaints department.

 

The whole phone call took 1 hour and 15 mins.

 

As far as we can see Lloyds bank have conducted unauthorised borrowing of £367.20 from our account for over 30 days.

 

Are we within our rights to demand the interest due at the current Lloyds unauthorised business borrowing rate,

together with the original sum plus expenses for the time and inconvenience caused.

 

Also ... surely Lloyds bank (as with any on-line business) cannot refuse to provide an email complaints contact address.

 

This wall of misinformation and timewasting is incredibly frustrating.

[dx100uk]

if it WAs a DD and ir WAS

 

under the DD guarantee they should have reversed it within 12hrs!!

 

 

i know you've prob heard it from them all before

 

no we cant etc etc

 

the DD guarantee is INSTANT no quibble thats what it is there for!!

and they MUST refund any costs/charges you have incurred too as a result.

 

you should seek compensation as well

 

there is a complaints tab on the lloyds website

 

hit them with that too.

 

dx

[katytatlow]

Thanks dx100uk - errr.... I can't find any complaints tab on the Lloyds website - where is it?? I'm trying to get a formal complaint off to them but can't find an email address or message form anywhere !!

[Michael Browne]

http://www.lloydstsb.com/contact_us/complaints_procedure.asp

[dx100uk]

http://www.lloydstsb.com/contact_us/complaints_procedure.asp

[dx100uk]

bugger you beat me mike!!

 

dx

[katytatlow]

Cheers guys - just found the online complaints form - very well hidden indeed. Fired off a complaint and request for compensation and immediate refund.

 

Will let you know any progress.

[noddy997]

My advice to you, from person experience, would be go in to your branch and ask to see the manager and only the manager. Tell him exactly whats happened. They will sort it for you.

 

The frontline staff (as I call them) are clueless and again, from previous experience, cannot even use the in house system properly. They're sending you in circles.

[katytatlow]

Thanks Noddy.

 

I have sent my complaint via the on line form (twice) but have not recieved any email confirmations !! I am not convinced the online form is working. My 'absolute' promised phone call and refund for Thursday am has not happened (predictably). So feeling a tad ignorded.

 

Happy weekend.

[noddy997]

Thanks Noddy.

 

I have sent my complaint via the on line form (twice) but have not recieved any email confirmations !! I am not convinced the online form is working. My 'absolute' promised phone call and refund for Thursday am has not happened (predictably). So feeling a tad ignorded.

 

Happy weekend.

 

They're absolutely gimmicks mate. I dont know how Lloyds work, the complaints might be sent abroad (a county where Enlgish isn't even a first language) then might be referred back to the UK if its considered important, in the complaints form people might just leave a negative feedback/comment so rather than pay UK staff at the local rate they may people peanuts in India to flick through complaints.

 

With me, HSBC put a default on my credit file which shoiuldnt have been there and instructed debt collectors to still collect the amount from me. When I went to HSBC the little frontline idiots couldnt find any information on their own system so I always had arguments with the debt collectors disputing that am not liable.

 

When some months went by and I tried getting a mortgage I couldnt because my credit score failed as it was "poor" due to the default. I was about to give up and let 6 years go by... but no I thought that is a long time. Went in, and asked for the manager. The frontline clowns asked me "why, whats it about" I said "I cannot discuss it with you, I need to speak to the manager its urgent and cannot discuss it with you" (this shut him up, as I was already annoyed with the whole fiasco). The manager popped down, spent 30mins on the computer infront of me found the details and said "you are right there shouldn't be a default on your credit file". He phoned up the relevant department and he was told "the default will be removed within 5/7 days". And that was the case. He even wrote me a letter explaining everything, which I am using to sue them now. A few times after that I had different debt collectors harass me, and I went into the branch again and he again told them to back off.