NatWest Historic Bank (Penalty) Charges

[jo_jordan]

APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE, NECESSARY LONG POST

 

Hi, I first joined CAG in 2006 when I was claiming Bank Charges for my daughter who suffers from mental ill health.

This nightmare took from late 2004 through to September 2008.

 

I was supported in this claim by FOS whom I first contacted in January 2005 and

 

the FOS adjudicated in our favor in July 2008.

The FOS also raised several (complaints) case files that were also upheld.

 

We were sent an offer late 2008 from NatWest,

we were pleased as the temperature was heating up about making claims,

so we were quite positive.

 

Before I accepted the settlement I asked the case worker from FOS relating to the method of payment

asking if we could elect to have a cheque made payable to my daughter or myself

(I was acting as her 3rd party representative)

 

The reason for this request was that her account had been passed over to Debt Management

and any money deposited would subject to them taking their 'cut' thus kissing goodbye to almost £800 relating a loan

she was 'encouraged' to take out to pay off her bank debts caused by penalty charges; (or as I preferred to call it "Loan Sharking"!!)

 

Once I had conformation from the FOS I was within our rights to request the cheque

I telephoned a dedicated number given by NatWest for accepting offers based in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

 

I was greeted by an apple munching female who totally dismissed my request insisting it 'could not be done',

everything had to go through the bank account.

 

I tried to reason with her,

suggested her manager phone my case worker at the FOS (by this time I had her direct line!) and she refused.

She said she could not process our claim and ended the call.

 

I returned to my FOS contact who raised yet another complaint against NatWest,

she commented that the bank "was not making this an easy process"

 

I contacted the same people who made a note of my case number from FOS and was advised to give it a week I would get a letter from them.

 

I assumed that this was to give the Bank an opportunity to see the case raised and to have a reply.

 

After 10 days and nothing from the bank

 

I telephoned them on the same number,

but to my horror there was a recorded message saying that any Claims were now suspended because of the involvement of The Office of Fair Trading.

 

All this happened around July 2008, and there simply was not any alternative contact number to call.

I believe the cases were classed as "stayed" pending a test case.

But this related to those that had applied through the courts and had a judgement awarded because the Banks simply did not show up!!

 

Also I did not go through the Courts as the bank was in communication with me, well more like I kept on their case!!!

I think about this time I then lost the will to go on and left it for a while, expecting to return to it within a few weeks.

 

But then our lives changed dramatically, my husband became redundant after 25 year with Citi Bank,

I had to come to terms with becoming a permanently disabled wheelchair user;

my daughters husband escalated abusive behavior towards her that led to divorce.

We bought into a Pub only a few months before the rescission took hold (2008/9) and we lost everything trying to survive.

We moved out of the Pub and

 

a few days later it was set on fire,

our quarters were destroyed with a lot of our possessions still in them.

 

My daughter went on to meet someone and became pregnant;

but when she was 34 weeks pregnant (August 2012) with her daughter she attempted suicide and she almost succeeded.

 

I know it must sound awful; but she wanted to end her life and waited until she was 34 week and the baby was viable.

Both I am pleased to say they both survived, but the thought and worry is always with me of 'what if'...

 

She has now been diagnosed with Bipolar as well as personality disorder;

all attributed to when her depression first started when she had financial problems

that became intolerable and exacerbated by the Banks penalty charges,

she was known to be a self harmer, but again she got worse.

 

So, my question is ..........

 

can I resubmit and reclaim?

 

I am gathering the information together,

some of the documentation was lost in the fire,

but almost everything is on my PC.

Who might I submit it too?

 

As I had a written 'offer' (now lost I'm afraid) will that account for anything?

 

I have all case and reference numbers and as I said original files on my computer, including spreadsheets.

 

This group helped me so much in the past, Bankfodder, Steven Hone and I went into the Office of Fair Trading in Fleet Street to present them with a 'dummy' cheque.

I was the token wheelchair disabled person they invited in, Bankfodder was quite angry and was 'invited' to leave the meeting early(!!) oh what fun!!!

 

I know how hard people work on this site, my thanks in anticipation.

 

Jo

[dx100uk]

the full history is here

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?99-Natwest-Penalty-Charge-Claim-for-my-Daughter

 

dx

[dx100uk]

sadly i think there is little you can do now.

 

dx