Bathgatebuyer v Smile ***WON***

[bathgatebuyer]

Righto, they've annoyed me. Despite being reasonably impressed by their online service, I cannot take their inconsistent approach to customer service (i.e. sometimes we write, sometimes we don't, sometimes we cancel all your direct debits without warning, sometimes we take away your overdraft without warning leaving you at a petrol station in the highlands with less than quarter a tank and no way of paying for more to allow you to get home safely.................you get the idea).

 

Final straw has been to just suddenly cancel everything on my account, demand my card back threatning court summons, etc, if it's used because a direct debit for under a fiver bounced! I've had problems previously while setting up direct debits and standing orders because I moved from getting paid monthly to 4 -weekly which is a nightmare! My salary goes into my account on Friday and I have no way of getting it as I don't have my card anymore.

 

So, prelim letter has now gone to them saying, "Give me my money", close the account and send me a cheque for what is left.

 

They can quick that jibba jabba, crazy fool.

[caro]

Have you sent your LBA yet?

[bathgatebuyer]

Not yet, they've had the prelim letter with the LBA due in a few days time.

[bathgatebuyer]

LBA has now been sent claiming back just under a thousand pounds - let's see what happens over the coming fortnight!

[bathgatebuyer]

And a secure message in response to my LBA sent by recorded delivery and secure message?

 

We have received your letter about the charges on your account. You should have received a letter from us letting you know that we are looking in this for you.

 

However, we work to timescales set by the Financial Services Authority. We are allowed up to 4 weeks to reply to your initial complaint. However, law allows us a maximum of 8 weeks to respond to your complaint. If we need anymore time after the initial 4 weeks we will let you know either by secure message or written letter.

 

I think not!

[daddyg]

Hello there Bathgatebuyer,

 

Looks like our claims are both at a similar stage. Am I correct in thinking you're also in Scotland?

 

If so which route are you planning to get your money back?

[bathgatebuyer]

Yes, also in Scotland! To be honest, I'm quite happy to use the English system to get it all back at once. I used Newcastle County Court for both Nationwide and the Halifax claims and found it fairly straightforward. Would be happy to follow that route again!

[Micky the Hippo]

bloody hell bathgate, that does sound vexing

 

were you a difficult customer, other than their charging approach I've found smile thoroughly decent

 

their charging approach is out of order though, and that from someone with NW previously!

[bathgatebuyer]

I don't know what the problem is with Smile - even this month they refused to allow my mortgage direct debit even though there was a balance of £3K in the account and the payment due was for £700!

 

No smile here!

[Micky the Hippo]

that makes no sense

 

how can they refuse a £700 payment when you have sufficient cleared funds?

 

congrats on having a £700 mortgage btw

[bathgatebuyer]

 

congrats on having a £700 mortgage btw

 

Sorry, having a blonde moment - why congratulations?

[Micky the Hippo]

compared to my mortgage it's tiny

 

all relative I suppose

[bathgatebuyer]

It is indeed - wee person, wee mortgage! Luckiily if I tried to by my place now it would apparently cost just under 3 times what I paid for it, so I don't envy my new neighbours!

 

LBA deadline for Smile with me today. Nothing in my account, no secure messgae response other than the one telling me that they had an 8 week timetable.

 

Oh well, they have until tomorrow at 5pm (because I'm feeling generous) and thereafter I'm applying to the Courts.

[daddyg]

Can I ask how you plan on processing your claim through the English system? Are you using a friends address? I'm in the same boat as you now and am unsure how to proceed???

[bathgatebuyer]

I've just done mine manually using my own address with Newcastle County Court - on the off chance I need to go it's a fw hours on the train!

[daddyg]

I thought you needed to use an address in England to file though?

[bathgatebuyer]

Only if you do it online via Moneyclaim - manually Newcastle County Court have previously accepted mine for both Nationwide and Halifax so no great problem.

[bathgatebuyer]

Another victory against the banks! All monies now in my account from Smile!!! Woo hoo!!! Time to change my signature too!

[splendid]

Hi bathgatebuyer. Just wondering if you had actually filed a court claim before smile coughed up? How long was it from sending your LBA to payment? Was there any correspondence between you and smile after the LBA?

 

I am eagerly following the progress of recent payouts and have noticed that smile is strangely putting in a defence against planet_moomin. Did you get to this stage?

 

My LBA is due to be sent this Thursday and I'm interested about what I can expect from smile. My gut feeling is that they're still one of the nicer banks to deal with and as a result they are snowed under with claims (wohoo!).

[bathgatebuyer]

I didn't have to file the court claim - I had it prepared but never sent it (due to being busy with work stuff rather than anything relevant to the case). The weekend I was going to send it, I received a letter from Smile advising that they would put the money into my account. A day later, there it was! That was just within the 8 weeks timescale that they appear to be putting on these things.

[caro]

Missed this one. Belated congratulations.

[raml]

congatulations bathgatbuyer, if I get my money in 8wks I'll be happy to wait, I sent mySAR and it was recieved and signed for on the 2/5/7, haven't heard anything back but sent a secure msg on the 25/5 asking politely how it was comming along, just wait and see now i guess.