daisygirl VS BOS

[daisygirl]

Hello folks!!

 

This is my first post so hello to eveyone and thanks for taking you taking the time to read my post!! Should just warn you all that i work for a bank - but have PM'd the moderators and got permission to use the site before I started. Personally dont agree with the level of charges levied against customers and am often to be food in a little room with customers writing down website address and all sorts to help them claim their charges back!! (will be straight out the door if I get found out!!) Decided to take my own advice and started the proceedings against Bank of Scotland after they applied £130.00 of charges after I went £2 overdrawn!!! (They're not the bank I work for btw).

 

I sent my first letter off on the 22nd April - posted through the branch mailbox but have so far heard nothing and cheque hasn't been cashed. Thought I'd give them a quick call this morning to check that they had received my letter and was told they hadn't and it must "have gotten lost in the post". Then I was told that I "shouldn't have posted the letter to the branch I should have posted it to their customer relations team in Leeds". (Although I dont really understand why the branch team couldn't have forwarded it on - not exactly rocket science, is it?) I then pointed out that it couldn't have gotten lost in the mail as I had hand delivered the mail and got "Oh" as a response. Then got given an address in Leeds "where i should've posted them to in the first place". Apparently.

 

I then said I wanted to make a formal complaint about the fact that the letter had been lost by them - got put straight on to a manager. He came straight on the phone started giving me some blah blah about the process, and the letters being scanned at glasgow, how long it takes to print the statements etc. When I pointed out that was irrelevant because my letter was lost he told me it wasn't lost and that they had a backlog of 8-10 weeks. When I pointed out that the infomation commissioner has stated they have 40 days to reply to me he replied that "he didn't like people quoting legislation at him" and that only 28 days had passed. When I pointed out that I had only phoned up to check they were dealing with my request i got "oh" again. He's now logged a complaint for me and someone in their customer care team is looking into it and will call me back again but my question is this - do you think I would be better just starting again and sending the letter to the team in Leeds because apparently they are dealing with therequests within 40 days? Or just wait for them to come back to me and tell me to wait another 4 weeks? Can they do this?

 

I've already posted this in the main section before I realised there was an HBOS section so apologies for the double post!!

[moneyhelp]

First off, hello and welcome

 

I am quite a newbie myself but thought as no one had replied I would

 

I personally would start over and send your S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) recorded delivery and follow the guidelines on this forum, FAQ here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/faqs-please-read-these/ that way you have proof of everything and wont end up chasing your tail.

 

I am sure someone more knowledgeable than I will be along shortly.

 

Good luck!

 

Oh and I have a very friendly lady at my Halifax branch that informed me about claiming back my charges, so there are a few of you around

[daisygirl]

Thank you moneyhelp, maybe no-one wants to reply because I work for a bank!!! We're not all the same you know, some of us are actually interested in helping people and I certainly don't toe the party line of no bank error, no refund.

 

Think I will send the letter recorded delivery to the address in Leeds that I got today and just in case anyone else is starting out with HBOS the guy today told me the direct address is

 

Customer Relations

Halifax PLC

PO Box 548

Leeds

LS1 1WU

[**Tilly**]

hi as moneyhelp says hello and welcome please dont think you are not being answered cos you work for a bank everbody is great here and if they can help you they will get to you at some point good luck:)

[maroondevo52]

Yes, Welcome aboard, daisygirl.

 

HBOS are also my main "Opponents" best wishes with your claim.

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[moneyhelp]

I don't think you being a Bank worker is the reason for no replies, I personally think you are very brave and welcome you being here

 

I was advised to send every thing to:

Halifax Bank PLC

Trinity Road

Halifax

HX1 2RG

Everything recorded delivery

[daisygirl]

thanx tilly

 

I wouldn't blame some people if they didn't want to help me....the attitude of some of my colleagues and the bank I work for in general towards customers and bank charges is quite shocking. I was threatned with disciplinary action at one point for using my common sense in situations and was told that "you refund way too many charges.....you're name is flagging up on reports left right and centre at head office". Now i have to go through my line manager to get charges refunded for customers.

 

And they way I've been spoken to by most of the staff at the Bank of Scotland? Don't even get me started!!! I suppose it's like anywhere - it all depends on how lucky you are and who you speak to........

[**Tilly**]

gosh that must be awful well your among friends here keep us posted:)

[sea-sidelady]

Yes, like tilly said, you are among friends. The fact you work for a bank makes no difference. You are in the same boat as the resat of us.

 

So please read as much as you can, including the threads, so you can get an idea of what to expect.

 

If you have any worries, just ask, some one will be around to help.

[overflow]

hi daisygirl and welcome.

Please dont think that you working for a bank will make the members take no notice of you. On hereyou will find the nicest of people willing to help you every step of the way. Some will go out of thier way to help in any way they can. Im sure nobody would be predudiced against you.

If you have any questions or are feeling a bit stuck just post on here youll be pleased with the response you will get.

I hope you take the time to read the FAQs here as the content is invaluable to making your claim.

I have posted my LBA to SCALIFAX a few days ago, so the clock is ticking ,if Im honest I found it all so scary when I first started but Ive read , and read,and then some. I think the hardest part ,for me anyway, (bit long in the tooth now see) was the interest bit. Still non too sure Ive worked mine out right, Im claiming for CCI but I bet they put up a fight. I know that if you start a claim youve got to be prepared to see it through to the end but I still find the prospect of going to court, if it gets that far, daunting:o

I'm just waiting now and trying to get my bundle together just in case ,dont want to be caught short eh:lol:

Good luck and again WELCOME

 

regards:smile:

[HBOS_Staff_Member]

Hi Daisygirl, I also work for a bank. My bank is also the one that I am claiming against.

 

I have already had the subtle threats about being a staff member - "All complaints have to go through your Manager". That was until I subtly pointed out that I was also a shop steward for the Union. Oh and by the way HBos staff can be quite rude but apparently they cave quickly to claims as the complaints staff have been told to get through the cases quickly

[philandsj]

hi Daisygirl

just wanted to say good luck - don't worry about the fact you work in a bank - that's an asset for us as far as i'm concerned!

sj

[daisygirl]

Hell everyone, thanks for all your great responses.

 

Got a letter from them yesterday telling me that my letter was indeed lost and that perhaps I should check with The Royal Mail to see if they knew where it was......doubtful seeing as I posted it directly to the branch mailbox.!!!! Spoke to a very nice young man called Ian who apologised and dais he would see what he could do to speed the prcess up for me since I had already been waiting 40 dyas or thereabouts.

 

Got ANOTHER ketter this morning:

 

Dear DaisyGirl

 

YOUR BANK CHARGES

 

Thank you for your recent complaint. I am sorry that you are unhappy about the charges that have been applied to your account.

 

OUR INVESTIGATION

 

I have carried out an investigation and I am satisfied that the charges have been correctly applied to your account, This letter explains the reasons behind my decision.

 

Then there is some blah, blah about terms and conditions etc. I am astounded. Not only have they not sent me my statements, how on earth would I go about claiming back charges if I dont't know how much I need to claim for?????????!!!!!!!!!! :-x And I dont care if they have been correctly applied to my account, they're excessive, unfair and the babks make massive profits from them so they're illegal!!!!!!! And I should know because I work in a bank!!!!!

 

***banging head off desk****

 

Spoke to another nice young lady who tried to tell me it was still going to take 40 days. When I pointed out that they obviously had a copy at customer care for them to respond to me, she said she would send me my charges breakdown out 1st Class Post. Result!! And my £10 cheque never got cashed!!!!! :D

[moneyhelp]

Don't worry about the fob of letter, we all get them. Carry on with your claim and ignore anything they say, follow the steps closely on here and you wont go wrong.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/faqs-please-read-these/31460-example-step-step-instructions.html

[sea-sidelady]

also it will be worth letting Halifax know the cheque is lost, as if it does turn up they will cash it. You dont want another charge now really.

[Dusary]

Hi daisygirl,

 

I've just discovered your post! Don't worry about working for a bank - as you've already seen there are others in exactly your position.

 

Some things I've picked up:

 

As Moneyhelp said: send everything to Trinity Road, Halifax.

 

I wouldn't send anything recorded delivery - royal mail happened to lose my LBA. I'm now sending all correspondence "SPECIAL DELIVERY" (the silver receipt as opposed to the orange one).

 

I sent my SAR on 24 April requesting all my history UP TO 08Jan01 - and they have failed to do so. (I have my statements from 08/01/01 - and they make extremely grim reading!).

 

I'm wondering whether the default notice they are threatening me with stems from my harrassing them!

 

Some of my requests for info were sent to HO by HBoS internal mail. With a repeat request as well. They seem to be ignoring me - ah well, it's off to FOS I go - after writing to the Information Commissioner.

 

Stick with it - I am!

[daisygirl]

Talk about a bloody saga - my statements came this morning - 3 years of them missing, obviously. Can't expect them to be getting things right on the 3 rd attempt - gotta give them a few more chances!!!

 

Which apparently means that my original SAR wasn't lost after all. I dont think I have ever encountered such an incompetent organisation!!!!! Although I have to say that everyone I have spoken to at their customer services team have been lovely.

 

The girl I spoke to yesterday has arranged with her team manager to get the list the of charges they used to decline my claim (you know the calaim that I hadn't made because they haven't sent me the statements?) so I should hopefully get them the next few days. Apparently when I asked to make a formal complaint about the fact that my DSAR form had gone missing the team manager made a complaint on my behalf about my bank charges......in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king!!!!!!

 

Fingers crossed I should be almost at stage 2 in the next few days!!!!!

[moneyhelp]

Well at least you have some of them eh! Trouble is, it doesn't stop there unfortunately. Not to dishearten you but, wait until you try and get money out of them. That is quite a different story.

 

Good luck and I hope you get them soon. When is their 40 days up? keep a count and get that non compliance letter sent out bang on the day!

[mad hatter3]

Hi daisygirl i too am trying to claim against the bos and got the exact same letter saying that charges applied to my account were correct and would be given no refund, its now in the hands of the fos who are now going to look further into it as the bank still refuse to pay back charges. One time the charges took me over 100 pounds over my overdraft and they had the cheek to charge me interest for being over, but what ticks me off is that if there was not enough money in my account to pay the direct debits how could they then take money out of an account that had insufficient funds lets hope i get the money back and good luck with your claim.

[mcadden]

As postman i advise every one to send there mail special delivery as you can track and trace your letter right up to the point when royal mail delivers it to the halifax postroom.If you send the item recorded delivery it is treated as normal mail.And as they receive a lot of mail each day the recorded stickers can easily be missed by delivery staff.If this happens to you can reclaim the cost of record delivery from royal mail.download a form from there web site www.royalmail.com Any way all cost can be added to your claim

[stueycg]

Hi daisygirl

 

Welcome!! Keep it going i'm going for HBOS also. If we all remember why we are doing this (because we are being ripped off) we'll all be fine!!

 

Good Luck with your claim.

 

 

ps..... maybe we can all come to you to open new accounts when ours get closed!! LOL

[Dusary]

Yeah!

 

That's what I said earlier - but maybe we should somehow highlight this at the top of this sub-forum.

 

I'm sending EVERYTHING "Special Delivery" now (silver sticker!) - not by "Recorded - Signed For" (orange sticker!) - it's more expensive but infinitely more reliable!

[moneyhelp]

Any luck in getting your statements DaisyGirl?

[mad hatter3]

hi yes i got my statements two weeks after i asked for them but the fos are having to investigate further as this has been ongoing for over 3 months had two letters from the bank both saying that the charges applied were fair so sent the last one to fos who hopefully will get my charges refunded otherwise court action if a bank cant tell you what the charges were used for then they should be repaid thats why most banks have never gone to court i thought the process wouldnt have gone on this long as per other consumers who acted against there banks fingers crossed i get paid in full in the not too distant future good luck with your claim.

[Dusary]

i thought the process wouldnt have gone on this long as per other consumers who acted against there banks fingers crossed i get paid in full in the not too distant future good luck with your claim.

 

Oh! Believe me - it CAN go on a long time! Guess it's the delaying tactics thingie!

 

Have a look at my thread:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/halifax-bank-bank-scotland/81108-dusary-bank-scotland.html?highlight=dusary+v+hbos

 

and you'll see how long it has gone on before I even received my first letter of refusal :

"I am satisfied that the charges have been correctly applied to your account."

 

Just keep going! It's your money!