Aviva nightmare trying to encash Friends Life legacy with profits bond

[boggler]

I have an ex Friends Life with profits investment bond now under the ownership of Aviva.

This was transferred to me by my mother.

Over the past three years I have made a number of successful partial withdrawals on the policy without issue.

 

This all changed when in early September of this year, I submitted another partial encashment for £3000.

After not receiving the money within 10 days I contacted Aviva and was told that due to a technical issue sufficient units could not be cancelled to action a payout. Therefore, the process was delayed. To exacerbate, the issue, I had a building project which was underway and tradesman and materials need to be covered.

 

Towards the end of September I decided to encash and cancel the whole policy.

I was reliably assured that this would not be hindered by ‘the technical issue as it was a full encashment. I submitted a claim for a full encashment for £28000.

 

Once again, after 10 days I still had not received my funds I contacted Aviva.

This time it was claimed that I needed to submit certified copies of my passport and bank statement despite Aviva having paid out in the past from the policy to my bank account, Aviva suddenly needed to check my documents.

 

I had these stamped by the bank on Friday 12th October and sent them off.

On Friday 19th October, I was assured that all was fine and that the payment was on the way.

 

Having not heard further I again phoned on Wednesday 24th October only to be told that actually the payment was delayed again as they needed on the verification documents, the contact details of the person at the bank who stamped the documents. I would therefore have to resubmit new verification documents again.

 

Even at that stage I felt that the handling of the matter was unacceptable especially with different customer agents giving confusing and contradictory assurances and information. However, I resubmitted new verification documents this time stamped with contact details of the person verifying them.

 

On Wednesday 31st October, I was informed that the documents had now been verified and payment would now be authorised the next day and sent out.

 

On Tuesday 6th November I phoned Aviva again to check on the progress of this payment.

I was told that the payment had just been authorised but it would be with me in “3-5 working days”

 

By Tuesday 13th November I still had not received any money I contact Aviva, yet again.

I was informed that the payment was definitely on the way and I should contact my bank to see if it was coming through.

 

On Friday 16th November, Aviva finally admitted that there may be a problem and that my money could be missing. My bank told me not to worry and that they could trace it if given a payment reference number.

 

Despite requesting this on both Friday and today, the Aviva/Friends Life call centre have been extremely reluctant to furnish me with this simple information which would help Barclays easily trace the money.

 

Today it is Monday 19th November and a payment that I was due to originally receive on September 15th is still delayed with no one seemingly knowing where it is.

 

Any suggestions would be most appreciated as I have lost all faith in the ex-Friends life branch of Aviva and am starting to suspect there has been a misappropriation of funds.

 

Two weeks ago, I was offered and given £100 compensation for the stress and inconvenience caused by the initial delays but I think any objective person would agree that in the circumstances, £100 is extremely paltry compensation.

 

In short, you have to remember that the original request was submitted in early September. We are now in late November and I still have not received any of the money from the policy (apart from the £100 compensation!)

Also, I needed that money to pay bills and tradesmen as soon as possible.

 

The two-month payment delay has led to me having to resort instead to credit cards to pay for my £50000 renovation project as the builders became fed up with my excuses as to why their labour and materials had still not been paid for. The cost of this interest has been astronomical.

 

This has been so stressful, but I believe I can’t take this to the financial ombudsman until Aviva close the matter (?) so any suggestions would be very much welcome.

Edited November 19, 2018 by dx100uk
spacing

[honeybee13]

Hi.

 

I've merged your threads to avoid confusion, the merged one is in the Aviva forum.

 

HB

[honeybee13]

Have you recorded the calls with Aviva and have you made an official complaint to them? Normally if your complaint hasn't been resolved after 8 weeks you can go to the ombudsman.

 

HB

[boggler]

Have you recorded the calls with Aviva and have you made an official complaint to them? Normally if your complaint hasn't been resolved after 8 weeks you can go to the ombudsman.

 

HB

 

Thanks. Yes, I made one complaint but I am guessing they marked it as resolved when they paid me the £100 compensation after they thought the policy encashment money had been sent out earlier this month. I have put in another complaint since the encashment money went missing though.

[honeybee13]

I think it would be worth speaking to the FOS's helpline and seeing what they say.

 

HB

[boggler]

I think it would be worth speaking to the FOS's helpline and seeing what they say.

 

HB

 

 

Ok, thanks. I'll give them a try.

[king12345]

Call them again and record the call.

When they tell you that payment has been made, be extremely blunt and tell them that you know that's a lie.

Get the manager to come on the phone, get his/her name and make them repeat that payment has been made.

Then tell them you'll hold them personally responsible for the lies if (when) payment doesn't come along.

I would attack them via county court rather than fos and claim all interests on your credit card back.

This can and should be done even if they give you the money today.

After all, you should have got your money when you resubmitted certified copies of your documents and they said payment had been authorised.

Do not forget to record the call, it will be gold dust in any further action.

[boggler]

Call them again and record the call.

When they tell you that payment has been made, be extremely blunt and tell them that you know that's a lie.

Get the manager to come on the phone, get his/her name and make them repeat that payment has been made.

Then tell them you'll hold them personally responsible for the lies if (when) payment doesn't come along.

I would attack them via county court rather than fos and claim all interests on your credit card back.

This can and should be done even if they give you the money today.

After all, you should have got your money when you resubmitted certified copies of your documents and they said payment had been authorised.

Do not forget to record the call, it will be gold dust in any further action.

 

 

Thanks. The latest is that I was promised that a named person would call me back on Tuesday afternoon. I never received the call. So I called around 4:30 and was told that unfortunately she had to go home early.

However, she would definitely be in on Wednesday and that she would call me with an update. Her manager had even been cced in.

Wednesday came and went without a call. So, I called this morning. Apparently she was on another call but would call me back within the hour.

This time I did get a call back. Not from the rep as she had to go home as she was unwell again but a specialist who said he had taken personal charge of the case to get it resolved adn he will be back in touch with me by the end of the day.

 

I also mentioned to him that in the meantime I had had a reply from Sir Adrian Montague's office who said that he had asked for the relevant department to look into this as a matter of urgency! ( I emailed both him and Andy Briggs late on Monday) Hopefully, this will get the wheels moving. I will take your advice though and record the phone call. I am fearing though that it will be another holding message i.e. "thsi will take 10=15 days to resolve etc, etc."

 

I will update though!