LW vs LLoyds

[lucyanneward]

Just sent my preliminary letter to LLoyds customer services via e-mail ([email protected]). Reading the other threads it seems that LLoyds do actually respond to e-mail approaches so will give them a few day before considering sending a the letter through the post as well.

 

Obtained a full list of charges from the internet banking 'search statement' feature as I only started to incur charges from 2003 onwards. Total I want back off LLoyds is £817 so here goes...

 

 

Luce

[HD]

Welcome Luce and good luck:D

 

Have you sent a DPDR to find out details of any manual interventions?

 

All the best HD

[lucyanneward]

I haven't requested any information on 'manual interventions.' Is this likely to cause problems later on with my claim and if so is it worth requesting this information now even after sending my preliminary letter?

 

Luce

[HD]

One of the defences that the bank can use is to say that it is not a penalty charge as it costs them that much to bounce a d/d .

 

If you do a DPDR asking for details of any manual interventions it stops them from using this defence.

[lucyanneward]

Recieved the standard e-mail reply to my Pre-liminary letter this morning (see copy below).

 

I have just e-mailed them the 'Letter Before Action' from the library so hopefully this will start the ball rolling. Not really expecting them to hand over the money just yet but it feels good to move on to the next stage.

 

Also, I am requesting details of any manual intervention on my account as suggested.

 

Dear Miss Ward

Re: Account Charges for Overdraft Excesses and Returned Items

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about your account.

I understand that

 

· You feel that the charges you have incurred are unlawful.

• You are unhappy with the amount of charges you have incurred as a result of being overdrawn and from returned items.
  
• You have requested that all charges incurred should be refunded for the past 4 years.
  

When you become a customer, we give you details of any charges for the day to day running of your account. Details of our charges are also available from our branch staff, telephone helpline or our website.

For the vast majority of our customers banking with us can be completely free as charges are not made for services such as debit cards, cash machine withdrawals, balance requests, statements, cheque books and Internet banking. We also do not charge for processing Direct Debits and Standing Orders when they are paid through our customers' accounts.

One of the few services we apply charges for are when a customer does not have enough money in their account to meet payments they have requested us to make. If customers think they may exceed any limit they have, we urge them to contact us to discuss their requirements. Any requests for further lending are then assessed in line with our usual credit policy. Similarly, when we return an item, we are preventing a customer from exceeding their limit, and again as we explain clearly to our customers, this process incurs a charge

Typically, we do not levy customers an excess overdraft fee the first time they go overdrawn without agreement, as long as it hasn't happened in the past twelve months and we limit excess fees to a maximum of three occurrences in any one month.

As a business we are entitled to set charges to cover additional work. These charges are not hidden and are notified in the guide to banking charges leaflet we produce. We advise our customers to ensure cleared funds are available in their accounts to meet payments due. You will also note that in the front of each cheque book we request that funds are available before cheques are issued.

You incurred charges because you did not ensure funds were available in your account to cover the payments set up by you. It is your responsibility to operate your account within any agreed limits and within the terms and conditions.

You accepted these terms when you opened your account and when you agreed your overdraft. We did not agree to pay your account in excess of the amount agreed without charges being made.

Accordingly, I am unable to agree with your request to refund the charges. We do expect your account to be run in line with the terms and conditions of its operation. This means that you must ensure that cleared funds are deposited into the account the working day before any payments are due. If you do not feel you will be able to run your account in accordance with the terms and conditions, we may have to consider withdrawing certain facilities, such as any debit cards, overdrafts and chequebooks. Alternatively, you may wish to consider alternative banking arrangements.

In case you haven't received a copy of our leaflet called 'How to voice your concerns' I've enclosed one with my letter. This tells you all you need to know about resolving your complaint with us.

If you are unhappy with my decision and feel that you have something to add which might change the outcome, please get in touch. If we cannot agree on a solution at that point, I will help you refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service for independent arbitration.

Yours sincerely

 

 

David Just

Assistant Manager

[lucyanneward]

Received this response from LLoyds after sending the 'letter before action.'

 

Thanks for your e-mail.

 

I have passed this on to David Just as requested.

 

Regards

 

Keith Boden

Lloyds TSB

Service Recovery

Birmingham

 

So they have until May2nd until I file a claim.

[lucyanneward]

Received this response (on the 20th April) from my 'Letter Before Action' (sent April 18th). All via e-mail.

 

Dear Miss Ward

Thank you for your e-mail dated 18 April 2006.

Unfortunately I am unable to add any further information to my letter dated 18 April 2006 and I am only able to refer you back to the terms and conditions of your account, although I do respect your opinion about our charges.

This letter is the bank's final response, which means that if you remain dissatisfied you may refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If you decide to pursue your complaint through the Financial Ombudsman Service you must do so within 6 months from the date of this letter. I have attached a leaflet, which outlines how to contact them

Yours sincerely

 

 

David Just

Assistant Manager

 

So today (after reading as much as possible from the website) I filed my claim with moneyclaim.gov.uk for £817 in charges + £54.39 in interest + £80 costs. They have until May 6th to respond and hopefully pay-up.

[Loula]

Hi!

 

Can I just clarify a few things please?

 

Have you requested the DPA information now?

 

Have you always sent the library copies of Prelim letters and Letter Before Action?

 

Have you always given LTSb the full 14 days before taking the next course of action?

 

Many thanks

 

LOULA

[lucyanneward]

Hi,

 

Yes I sent the texts form the bank tremplates library (although slightly edited to fit my particular claim).

 

I have been using e-mail throughout and giving them 14 days to reply, however the responses have been pretty quick (the same day in some cases although they appear to just be sending me standard responses).

 

As for the DPA information,I gathered from some of the other threads in the forum that I could still continue with my online claim whilst waiting for the DPA information regarding manual intervention.

 

Hope this is all in order. If not please let me know if there is anything that I have missed.

 

Thanks,

 

Luce

[Loula]

Hi!

 

Yes, still proceed with the DPA request as the banks reply upon the bluff that they charge so much because they have to manually process these letters and penalties.

 

By asking for the DPA information it will show all manual and non-manual interventions! Thus proving or as is more likely the case - disproving their claim!

 

Hope this helps

 

LOULA

[lucyanneward]

Just had a very strange experience with the call centre and was wondering if anyone else had noticed this...

 

I rang the standard phone number for LLoyds personal banking enquiries this morning and instead of getting the usual 'press 1 for ...., press 2 for...' there was no ringing and I was suddenly talking to a real person at the other end.

 

Very strange as I use this number a lot and this had never happened before. I was also told that I would have to ring a separate department who were now dealing with my account.

 

Just wondering if my home phone number now triggers a big red flashing light at the call centre? Oh well at least I don't have to listen to the annoying 'press 1 ...press 2.. lady' anymore.

[lucyanneward]

After having a few problems using my debit card this week and then finding some strange transactions on my online banking statement I rang Lloyds only to find my account has been blocked!

 

The customer service advisor seemed as puzzled as I was as the block had been put on my account but with no notes so she was unable to help.

 

I am currently at the claim stage and Lloyds have yet to acknowledge with two days to go. I am in my overdraft but surely they can't just block my account without warning. I have bills to pay etc and couldn't even do my food shopping because of the account block.

 

Any advice please! Has this happened to anyone else?

 

Lucy x

[commando]

Hi Lucy,

Have you set up a parachute account with another bank, if not I suggest you do ASAP. I applied online for a nat west step account its only basic but you can pay D/Ds and S/Os. Took about 10 days from online application to getting card and account number.

[lucyanneward]

I have already transferred a large some of money form my LLoyds overdraft to another account but I couldn't get a large enough overdraft to transfer all of it.

 

I have just rang Lloyds and they passed me to the Brighton collection department and they explained that as my account is in dispute no DD's or Cheques will be honored from my account. However I can get money from the cashpoint which is good news.

 

Is this a scare tactic? It worked a bit I must admit. Seems wrong that they didn't warn me at all that they were going to do this.

[sweetcyanide]

That sounds very dodgy. If you have money in your account I'm sure they can't cancel any DDs or Standing orders without notifying you. I'm going to have to watch out for this one, as I have lots of DD's on my account. They've actually been pretty good with me so far, so I havn't used my parachute account yet but one wiff of them doing anything like that and I'll be moving, permanently! Good luck with sorting them out....

[lucyanneward]

I'm fuming with Lloyds after blocking my account with no warning - I have had no access to any money for almost a week and had a lot of hassle just going about my daily business.

 

Rang the call centres almost every day trying to sort this out and nobody there seems to know whats going on. I can't use my card in shops or get money out of the ATM and if I want to get money out of my bank I have to go out of my way and then wait until they ring for authorisation. I also noticed there seems to be no problems when putting money INTO the account.

 

Any suggestions? Should I make a complaint?

 

(LLoyds have acknowledged my claim and have until the 22nd of May to defend it.)

[kelbag]

Hi

I'd definately make a complaint as they've given you no warning at all and also if they've blocked the account they shouldn't be accepting payments into it. They've forcing you into hardship. Definate bully boy tactics, I'd complain to the ombusman as well as continuing with your claim, as you say they've already sent you the final response directing you to the ombusman.

Good luck with it

[johnsacco]

Really interested to hear what the mods have to say on this matter - it's a new one on me and surely it can't be legal? BF/Dave?

[lucyanneward]

Lloyds have only a few days left now to defend my claim after their acknowledgment over a week ago.

 

However during the time after I made my claim I have incurred another £160 in charges from several months ago. What is the best way to reclaim these new charges? Should I request for them back when Lloyds send me their defence or should I contact them now? Has anyone else managed to put new charges on their current claim or do I have to start the whole process over again?

 

(Sorry if this point has already been discussed with but couldn't find an answer on any other threads).

[lucyanneward]

This topic was closed on 2019-03-08.

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