Robdblynd v Abbey ***WON***

[Robdblynd]

Hi,

Just saying hello. This is my first post on the forum although I've been reading stuff for ages. I've finally got around to feeling confident enough to tackle Abbey & was gobsmacked when they sent past 6 years statements without a blink and in under three weeks. Then spent days trawling through before getting up list of chargexs etc. The request for repayment letter including list of charges etc was posted "special delivery" to both Milton Keynes & Bradford on 23/02.

This morning I got the usual, "Sorry you've had to complain, we'll investigate etc & respond in 4 weeks.

Question is, do I reply & tell them I want answer by 14 day deadline I gave them or should I just send the next letter when the 14 day deadline expires?

Even thought I've read everything I can about this process I'm still unclear as to what's the right way of goign about this bit. I'm quite prepared to go the whole way with them because they've been most uncooperative over the years & we're now talking 8k in back charges so I'm feeling somewhat aggrieved, I didn't relaise it was that much till I did the totals. Good job I was sitting down.

 

Any help out there?

Thanks.

[bottomburp]

Welcome to the CAG!

 

You need to send the LBA, acknowledging their letter and saying that you're disappointed by it. You can either do it now as they've responded to your preliminary letter - OR - just to show how totally reasonable you are, you can wait till the 14 days are up and send the LBA then.

 

What you do NOT need to do is follow their timetable. You're calling the shots here and it is for them to comply with your very reasonable timescales.

 

Hope this helps and best of luck with your claim.

 

P.S. Also you should start a thread in the Abbey's section - so people can follow your progress and help you should the need arise.

[Robdblynd]

Thanks, that's helped a lot.

I just wasn't sure if I should ignore the letter & the complaints procedure leaflet that came with it and wait till the 14 days were up before going ahead. Made me smile actually that they think it's ONLY a complaint. They'll soon learn how serious I am.

As you pointed out, if I wait they can't accuse me of being unreasonable.

[bitingback]

Hi Rob,

 

All i can do is echo Bottomburps comments, haveing been through iot with abbey you will amass a collection of standard letters as they try to hijack tour timetable.

 

It is important to remember that you are driving this action and issue your letters as you have stated you will.

 

Post a Robdblynd v Abbey thread in the Abbey forum

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/abbey-bank/

 

so people with first hand of Abbey can lend support, if you need a quick answer at any time try the chatroom as there are usually some very helpful people there.

 

best of luck

 

BB

[Robdblynd]

Thanks BB.

 

All the advice I'm getting says the same thing, I dictate the timetable so you can be sure I'm gonna do that.

 

From past experience with Abbey I think they're staffed by robots, you certainly never get a personal response to letters to them.

 

Oh well, I'll keep flogging away, they owe my megabucks in back charges.

[pawnbroker]

hi i am new to the site have sent off my letter for list of bank charges and £10 chq! on monday of this week so it looks like i will be in for a long wait but if you dont ask you dont get ! but it does sound quite scary !

[Robdblynd]

Hi Pawnbroker, must admit I was VERY surprised when I contacted Abbey to ask for 6 years statements & got first 14 months within 2 days and the rest as microfiche photocopies two weeks later.

It did take some work going through every sheet and marking up every charge, what it was for and then the interest that had been debited.

Best advice I've been given is keep reading the threads etc on here & if you're unsure ask because everyone is so friendly and they'll help if they can.

Stick with it, we'll all get there in the end.

[pawnbroker]

thanks for reply what exactly can i claim back can you claim for unpaid direct debits ? and leters they have sent out ? last year i was waiting for a cheque to clear in my bank account and they had charged me within 2 weeks over £390.00 that was one week for dd unpaid !

[Robdblynd]

If they've charged you for DD, Standing Orders, Cleared Transactions, Unpaid Cheques, Letters, Debit Interest, in fact anything they took money from you for is claimable (not sure if that's a prper word but it says what I mean).

When you get your statement information give yourself time to really go through them and mark up everything they've charged you for, then when you do schedule of charges you list every single one, the date it was applied (i.e taken from your account) then total it all up.

When I did mine Ilisted charges & waht they were for + debit interest taken = total amount reclaimed. There are spreadsheet templates & examples on this site if you have a ferret about and can work them when you find them. I have terrible trouble sorting them out so I did a simpler version which achieved the same result but means I can understand it. As I'm not yet going to claim the 8% interest on what they took I didn't refer to the number of days since the breach.

Best advice I have is, keep reading everything you can on this site, don't panic and if you need help, moral support or somewhere just to vent your feelings, this seems to be the place to do it.

Keep your chin up, we'll win in the end.

[MARTIN3030]

Hi your posts moved here ...to Abbey bank group.

[bitingback]

Hi Robd,

 

Just checking back and you seem to have settled in just fine , fignres corssed (and typing too) that all goes well.

 

Regards

 

BB

[Robdblynd]

Thanks BB,

 

Doesn't take long to settle, you guys are all so friendly and helpful.

 

My typing goes to pot when I get carried away so you'll have to forgive the odd typo.

 

Been reading todays success stories and it certainly raises your confidence. Seems funny when I think how nervous I was at putting my first post on here, and look at me now, 24 hours late and gobby with it.

 

Hope your process is progressing smoothly and all goes well for you.

 

Cheers,

 

Robd (and we all have been over the years)

[Robdblynd]

Quick update.

 

Just about to post LBA for this account (which is joint with OH).

 

Since last post I've checked my personal account and guess what, substantial charges so decided to ask for statements etc. Did it online & got letter asking for authorisation as most were micrfiched. I rang the dept (Pam Speeds) and spoke to woman who said they were snoed under with requests & that although she'd love to comply with 40 day deadline she really didn't think she could & would hate to be accused of being obstructive. She then referred to the charges as "penalty" charges. Boy do I wish I'd recorded that call.

 

Oh well, off to the PO with the LBA & will keep updating as things happen.

[bitingback]

Lol Robd,

 

You do seem to be enjoying yourself and have things well in and. I'd would always use the SAR for statements as this will apply pressure and give deadlines to comply.

 

Continue having fun!!

 

BB

[Robdblynd]

Thanks BB.

 

Yeah, I am having fun, it's about time the boot was on the other foot with this lot.

 

I've been spreading my wings 'reading wise' on the entire site and must look like a goldfish at times, I've got dropped jaws and I'm constantly saying "I didn't know that". You can bet I'll be using some more of the info I've gained here and when, not if, we get our cash back I'm straight into donating cos the info is invaluable to folks like us who were getting ripped off till this site came along.

 

Keep up the good work and I hope you are progressing successfully, I must subscribe to your thread so I can keep up to date with how you're doing. Can you send a link or do I have to trawl till I find you?

[Robdblynd]

Sorry Martin 3030, forgot to thank you for moving my thread to the Abbey forum.

 

You guys have my utmost admiration for the way you keep things running and still have time to offer advice etc.

 

From all the little people out here who are getting help, support and confidence from this site, THANK YOU.

[bitingback]

Hi Robd,

 

Thx for the vote of confidence and my current thread is completed on Abbey, plannin 3 more and will lwt you know as it happens.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/abbey-bank/9558-biting-back-abbey.html

 

The easiest way to check on people is to click the name beside these posts and you can then find all threads or posts made by that person.

 

Thanks again and catch you soon.

 

BB

 

 

Any advice offered is my own opinion and if in doubt I would always recommend getting a second opinion.

If you find it useful or helpful please tip my scales.

[Robdblynd]

HELP!!!

 

I've sent LBA and am in process of getting together all info & paperwork I'll need for the next stage and I want to use the spreadsheet in the library to calculate the 8% interest but can't get past 193 entries before it stops inputting & won't calculate any further.

 

As I'm TOTALLY useless with anything mathematical I sure would appreciate some help from you knowledgeable people out there.

 

Need to get this right otherwise I'll be sunk at the first broadside from them.

 

Ta, in anticipation. :confused:

[bitingback]

Morning Robd,

 

You should be able to copy the "formula cells" futher down the spreadsheet and carry on inputting.

 

Highlight the last cell with a formula and right click on it. Press copy on the list displayed.

 

Then select the cells under this (highlight), right click again and press paste. Hope this works amd let me know.

 

Cheers

 

BB

[Robdblynd]

Afternoon BB.

 

Thanks for that, I'll have a go tonight & let you know how it goes.

 

Don't be surprised if I'm screaming for help later on, I can never get the da**ed things to come out right. I even got thrown out of the Maths class at school & my son despairs of my abilities on a computer. Guess I'm not logical enough for them.

 

Gotta go now, dogs want feeding.

 

Will check back later.

 

Cheers.

 

Tricia.

[bitingback]

Hi Tricia,

 

Just wondering how you are getting on with the spreadsheets, hope everything is going OK and if you need a hand just shout.

 

Regards

 

BB

[Robdblynd]

Hi BB,

 

Sorry I've been offline for a while, I've been in Sheffield helping out a friend who had to dash off to Oxford when her stepfather collapsed. Her mum's in her late 80s and a bit dodgy on her legs so needed somebody with her. Sadly the old chap died so I'm still running backwards and forwards to help out with her dogs etc.

 

Anyway, as to spreadsheets, haven't had time to have a go yet but am planning to be back at keyboard around 9 this eve so will get stuck in and then let you know. From your advice I should be able to crack it but in my experience with me and this computer, don't hold your breath.

 

Thanks for asking & you can bet your Kn****rs I'll yell if I get stuck.

 

Tricia.

[Robdblynd]

Hey BB I'm yelling.

 

I've PM'd you as well so hopefully you'll have th emagic wand I need cos swearing at the thing ain't working.

 

I did exactly as you said I should and it allowed me to carry on inputting but stopped calculating.

 

What the blazes did I do wrong?

 

Now I know why my son despairs, nothing I do works but when he does it, bingo, everythings fine. Wonder if I can tempt him back home to live while I get this lot sorted. Perhaps not, his partner might take the hump.

 

Anyway, if you can think what I did wrong & give me shove I'd sure appreciate it.

 

Regards,

 

Tricia. x

[KnellyK]

Hi Robd

 

I think I saw somewhere that the spreadsheet has so many rows and If you have more entries than there are rows you should fill one spreadsheet and save it so you've got a a sub total, then start another sheet and add the sub totals together. But now I can't find where I read that - so I might have dreamt it! (I've started having mad dreams involving money and spreadsheets!). Anyway using 2 spreadsheets is worth a try and If this isn't the answer I'm sure someone else will point you (and me in the right direction)!

knellyK:)

[charleyfarley]

Hi Robd,

 

I copied the formula down onto lots more rows than the example and it worked fine so if I can help I will.