suzi999 v haliprats!!

[suzi999]

Hi All,

 

Have just sent my preliminary approach for refund with my schedule of charges totalling £2916. Have sent it recorded delivery to the Trinity Road address as advised on quite a few threads. So fingers crossed and I'll keep posting my progress on here!!

 

To anyone that still hasn't started I recommend spending a good while on here reading, reading, reading then reading some more till you feel comfortable with the process then go for it. It's your money, not theirs after all!

[Guest ian cognito]

Hi Suzi and well done for starting your claim and getting your head round things first, it does make life much easier.

 

Good luck x

[martinhw]

Haliprats (Brill) do drag it out so you are in for the long haul. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

NEVER GIVE UP

[suzi999]

Hey All,

 

Update on my claim - hold on guys it's a long one!! I'll start with a GRRR. For once not for the Haliprats but for Royal We'll-Lose-Your-Mail.

Originally sent Subject Access Request on the 21st of February. After 3 weeks of no reply I cursed myself for not sending it recorded delivery and assumed that it was probably lost by the ever so incompetent boys and gals at Royal Mail. Then by chance managed to find all bank statements in a box at the back of an extremely messy cupboard. "Result!," thinks I and dutifully sent off my Initial Approach for Repayment on the 21st of March, this time first class recorded delivery as stated above.

Feeling generous, held off checking Royal Mail Website until the following Monday, the 26th of March. But alas, computer says no and check back another day.

I then receive a letter from Haliprats on the 29th of March dated 27th saying the are sorry to hear I am unhappy bla bla...FSA gives them 8 weeks bla bla bla. I think this is the standard reply and think right, I can start counting down my 14 days till I send my LBA.

However, upon checking my bank account today realise Halifax have just cashed the £10 I sent them with the SAR yesterday. Thought I best check the Royal Mail website just to make sure that Howard and his chums had actually received my Initial Aproach and guess what - yep that's right computer says no again. So I pick up the phone and speak to someone on the Royal Mail's Track and Trace Helpline (who incidentally sounded like he had an IQ of room temperature - on a frosty day when the boiler's broken - you get the picture, he wasn't the brightest,) who helpfully told me that his computer also said no and the item had been delayed.

So, Haliprats haven't received my Initial Approach, have only just received my SAR I sent over a month ago, and probably won't receive the Initial Approach for another 15 days. Well not if I can help it, I'll be sending them another tomorrow, recorded delivery again.

Could really be doing without the delay as I'm sure Howie and his chums will dig their heels in enough without good old British Snail Mail giving them a helping hand - oo er perhaps it's a big conspiracy. Or maybe I should just lay off the X-Files re-runs and caffeine after my busy night shifts??

 

Finished my rant now you'll be pleased to hear. Hope everyone out there currently claiming is having better luck than me!!

[Guest ian cognito]

Wrong as it may be, i believe royal mail don't always get signatures if they have large amounts of mail for one adressee, especially from PO box addresses so they could well have received your letter, i suspect they are as busy as royal mail at the mo!

 

Stick to your timetable, they''ll get the message soon enough.

[suzi999]

Thanks for that Ian Cognito!

 

Suspected that may be the case with Royal Mail. So should I send my LBA at the 14 day point from when I can reasonably expect my Initial Approach Letter arrived at Trinity Road or should I wait until Royal Mail say they have definitely received it? Might be a bit of a daft question but I am blonde and spent so long making sure I had my head around the whole process before I started my claim I don't now want to be jumping the gun and sending LBA too soon?!

[Guest ian cognito]

I would send you LBA 14 days after your prelim, I have heard mention that you should allow a couple of days to receive it but it is also gonna take the same time for them to receive the lba, It is not uncommon for banks to ignore prelims or to reply to them after receiving the lba then reply to the lba after the court date has passed.

 

Just on with your timetable, they will catch up with you at some point!

[suzi999]

Hi All,

 

Quick update on my fight -had just typed in a lengthy rant but internet timed me out before I posted it. The general gist was Haliprats withdrew my overdraft on Monday. Have managed to talk them into giving me some of it back but am still about £300 down. Not good.

 

Just printed off my LBA - schedule total now £2983. Can't wait to get it back - especially after this latest fine example of the Haliprat's gold standard customer service (that would be of the 9ct Elizabeth Duke variety!!) but know I'm in this for the long haul with Howard and his chums.

 

Hopw everyone out there is progressing well with their calims. Good luck!!

[suzi999]

Hey all!

 

Haven't been on the site for a while as spending quality time with my hubby before he jetted off to sunny Basra for 7 months. Looking for some advice if anyone could lease help. Sent LBA recorded on 4th May so should have started MCOL on Friday but will have to wait tiill I get paid this friday (do love always being skint - not!!) received a letter last Thursday from Hali-tw*ts saying they have fully investigated my complaint....when I opened the account I agreed to terms and conditions these included charges when you do not stick to terms of account....charges are due to additional work they have to carry out...they cannot reveal how amount of charges are worked out as this is commercially sensitive information....guidelines on credit card default charges issued by OFT do not apply to bank accou nt charges and they are declining my complaint. I have never seen a letter like this being mentiones on any of the threads I have read. Has anyone out there received one?

 

Not sure what to do from here so some advice would be greatly appreciated if anyone's got a moment to spare??

[sea-sidelady]

Dont worry about the letter, it is standard. So just ignore it.

 

You just carry on and when you can...

[suzi999]

Thank you for that Sea-Side Lady (suggestion change your name to Sea-Side Saint - you're so helpful, sure a lot of people would agree!!)

 

Will carry on with MCOL on Friday when I've got some money. Good luck to everyone else!!

[wallyred1234]

Hi All,

Having just been through wot you went through we sent another letter LBA2 after the 14days and calculated the interest on top of the £4600 we wanted and said we would give them 7days then be quite firm that you will add the interest and court fees. That took ours up to £5000!! We got a letter back offering us £2400.40. It went into our bank account even before we got the letter but it did give us an actual person to contact so I phoned him yesterday and he said how much did we want not to take it court so I told him £4500.00 and he agreed!!!! Its always worth phoning and be firm.

Good luck

[suze1]

Hi suzi999

 

I'm due to file my court claim as my LBA is up today - gulp! I too have to wait til payday and as only have electron card and MCOl don't accept that will have to send to court. So it looks like we are at exactly the same stage, so thought I'd post lots of luck to you I have only received the standard 8wks to investigate letter, rang them last week and got no further. I started adding the overdraft interest last night out of interest and this makes my claim over £100 more, and after reading wallyred1234 post am inclined to send another LBA like he's done. My claim is for £1,202 in charges so fairly substantial and with interest, court interest and court costs they'll have to pay me nearly £1,800. Am going to have to deliberate this one but am very tempted. By the way with regards Royal Snail Mail, details relating to both my prelim and LBA are still not confirmed some 28 days later! Yet when I've had to post by special delivery (cheapest is approx £4+), the delivery details are there pretty quickly. Says a lot for recorded delivery, makes you wonder if it's just as well to go for proof of posting and save the pennies! Anyway rambled on, but good luck Suzi, will be keeping an eye on you

 

Suze

[suzi999]

Hey All,

 

Thanks for the message of support Suze, good to know there are others out there going through the same thing. Unortunately things have taken a drastic turn for the worse today, just got paid and was all set to file my MCOL this evening when I got home from work. Checked my bank account via telephone as I always do on payday and yep my £1400.00 was there. Went for petrol on the way home only to be told that my bank card was to be retained. Called Haliprats, they said that due to receiving a letter from my Debt Management Company (Not related to my current account) they have closed my account. I was left in pretty much the middle of nowhere, on my own (hubby is in Iraq) with no money. Fortunately a family member was able to drive 50 miles to come and help me.

So now left with not a penny and not aving a clue what to do. Any suggestions??

[**Tilly**]

hi suzi sorry to hear that how awful can they really do that if

its not connected to your other account

[suzi999]

Really don't know. I was 1200 into overdraft got paid 1400 so 200 in credit. They've said that because a debt mangement company is dealing with my creditors and they have informed them they are dealing with my accounts they have closed my account, taking back their overdraft and my credit balance.

[**Tilly**]

but even so surely the debt managment have got to leave a certain

amount to live on sounds as though they need a kick up the jacksy

and they wonder why people are struggling it just dont make

sense keep your chin up try n1 you might be able to get exempt

if you can prove hardship hope this helps a bit i no its not much

[suzi999]

The debt management company are working for me, not chasing me for money. They are dealing with my creditors and for some reason have contacted the Halifax about my current account overdraft. Thing is I had been paid so the overdraft was paid off - as it is every month. Can't get in touch with my debt management company and Halifax have told me it's not their problem. Lost and confused!!!!

[**Tilly**]

see what you mean haliprats are exactly minus the hali have the debt management not got an email address at least then they would

no the situation just a thought

[suzi999]

Hi All,

 

Update on my drama, spoke to my debt management company this morning, in their words Halifax are being "a**eholes." Unfortunately the whole thing i partially my fault as I should have had my wages paid into a different account but have been unable to do so as it's a joint account, my husband is in Basra at the moment and I have no way of changing the account that his wages are paid into. Got an appointment at my Halifax local branch at 13.30 to discuss my account but seriously doubt they are going to do anything to help me. Means I'm £1200 down this month so there's no way I'm going to be able to afford to do my MCOL as I'll barely have enough money to eat.

[**Tilly**]

well at least they agrred to you see lets hope there feeling nice

good luck:)

[moneyhelp]

This is disgusting Suzi. Is there really nothing that can be done?

 

 

I really feel for you as they have done the same to me on numerous occasions.

 

I managed to get all mine back as I am on benefits, but it took a lot of tears to get it back.

 

God these banks make me so fecking mad!!!!!!

 

(((((((((((((((suzi)))))))))))))

[MacBoy]

Couldn't this account closure be classed as retaliatory action? Might be worth looking at approaching the FOS about it.

[suzi999]

Hey all,

 

Thankyou very much for your messages of support Tilly & moneyhelp.

 

Went to my local branch this afternoon, they've Taken the money because I have another overdraft on a bank of scotland account of £338 which my debt management company are dealing with along with the overdraft on my current account of £1250. They've said that because my debt management company have contacted them they have taken the money "while they can." My husband has a halifax credit card and I have a BOS credit card so chances are they will seize my husband's wage when it is paid on Thursday also. This is why debt management companies always advise you change accounts before you enter a debt management programme. There was nothing they could do today as they are unable to overrule head office. They gave me £50 cash as a "goodwill" gesture but I cannot access any of my funds. I just hope my husband doesn't need any money out ther in Iraq as I cannot get in contact with him!

I now cannot do anything until Tuesday, I need to call their head office and pretty much grovel for my own money back. It's all left me feeling a bit shattered to be honest and I'm now feeling extremely guilty as I have had to book sick for work tonight & tomorrow (I'm an Emergency Medical Technician) so now because of the Halifax (though I conceed if I managed my finances better none of this would be happening) the ambulance cover in this area is going to be affected on a very busy bank holidy weekend, leaving my already stressed colleagues even more stretched.

On the plus side (well I'm still not exactly doing cartwheels here) the chp I was speaking to today said that he had noted I had lodged a complaint against my bank charges and asked if I had replied to their letter declining my complaint. I said that I had and he said that's good. Obviously there are some employees in these banks that know what they do is wrong.

 

Hope everyone else is having a better bank holiday weekend than me!!

[**Tilly**]

suzi dont let them get you down i know it must be really hard for you right now but they are just not worth it your at home worrying they are not

when you ring head office ask for suki i had to ring them few weeks ago

did simular thing but like yours but she did sort it out keep your chin up:)