Missy v Halifax ****WON ****

[MissMorningStar]

Right after yrs of complaining about my charges and coming across the Martin Lewis article about this site, I have sent my initial DPA letter by email to Halifax tonight.

 

Cant be honest in that I understand all the processes involved in claiming this money back (seems to have gone right over my head some of it), but will just take it a step at a time and see what happens.

 

I suppose after requesting my money back from them, I still have the choice at that stage whether or not to take court action (although I more than likely will).

 

Quite nervous about taking on such big organisations... not good for a summissive person generally!

 

Anyways,

 

Good luck to you all.

 

Missy

[BankFodder]

If you don't undersatnd tthe arguments and the processes then stop. Read as much as you can for as long as you take until you do.

This is not a get rich quick scheme.

[MissMorningStar]

Sorry, I obviously didnt make my self to clear in my ramblings. I do understand the aguments thoroughly, just theres so much information (which is obviously an outstanding thing) and some of it... i.e the legal side and quotes were a little bewildering.... I thoroughly understand it in lay terms that people have written about.

 

I have and never have thought of it as a get rich scheme. I see it as a legal way of claiming my money back that I was duped into thinking I legally owed over the years. It will take as long as it takes.. I just expressed a little anxiety at the prospect of it getting as far as court but if thats what happens... ce la vie.

 

 

Missy

[MissMorningStar]

Just highlighted to myself the reason for the PREVIEW button below...

 

It was meant to have read 'I dont and never have thought of it as a get rich scheme.'

 

 

[sooduck]

Could you let me know what the email address is for contacting the Halifax, i can't seem to find one

cheers

Soo

[MissMorningStar]

Hi there,

 

I decided to email because just thought it would be faster than posting a letter (I end up carrying letters to be posted for weeks in my bag before actually getting to a post box).

 

I noticed another member had emailed using the Online Service so I did it this way too as I couldnt find any other direct email addressess.

 

If you log onto Halifax Online Banking, then use the Contact Us option there's an option to email right at the bottom of the page. You have to fill in their standard form but you can copy and paste your letter into the box provided.

 

I havent had a reply yet (but only sent it last night) but the other member seems to have had a reply this way.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Missy

[Natasha]

Hi Missy,

 

I understand how your feeling aprehensive, it took me a while before i decided whether to go through with this or not, but after reading the site for a few weeks i knew i had to do it.

And its a step by step slow process so you know what your doing at each step, if you have any questions i'm sure people will help you out on here!

 

Good luck

[sooduck]

Many thanks for the help Missy, email sent, so we'll see what happens next! maahhhhhhh ~crusading type exclaimation~

[MissMorningStar]

Thanks Natasha for your kind words of support.

 

Will see what happens ...

[MissMorningStar]

No problem sooduck.

 

Good Luck!

[MissMorningStar]

Right an update.

 

After sending my initial DPA letter by email in March I never recieved a reply from them. Work and life sorta took over then and I put this onto the back burner for a bit.

 

But I knew I had to claim my charges back, I couldnt just let it drop, so on 6th July I posted a new DPA letter to them, and monday 17th I recieved the reply saying my duplicate statements have been ordered and will be sent under seperate cover.

 

I now await them with great anticipation

 

Fingers crossed.

[MissMorningStar]

Well forty days were officially up tomorrow (friday) so Monday I emailed Halifax and reminded them of this and that if I hadnt received my statements by this time I would have no choice but to report them for non-compliance. And guess what... by 1pm special delivery today (Thursday) they magically appeared!

 

Have'nt had chance to go through them yet, but from a quick flick through don't think there's as much as I'd originally thought..but as they every penny counts and its MY money!

[moony]

glad you got your statements. 40 days are up for me and am now half way through the 7 days waiting before i take court action to get these

[MissMorningStar]

I wish you luck moony. Keep in there

 

Well after totalling up my charges (which aren't distinguishable at all just 'Charges as Notified' they all add upto £872 which is more than I thought from the first flick through!

 

Tomorrow will just do a second total up, and then will sort out my first letter to them and see what happens...

 

Missy

 

(p.s Could a mod change my thread title to MissyvHalifax please?..Thanks )

[MissMorningStar]

Right, after reading and reading and reading other people's threads I think I'm ready to send my preminlary letter requesting my charges back.

 

My main concerns were that all my charges were only identified as 'Charges as Notified', but from other threads I've read, it doesn't matter and that I just list them as this- the same way as the Halifax have- in my schedule of charges.

 

My other concern was calculating any interest they may have charged on my unlawful charges and distinguishing this interest from the lawful interest, but again on reading around I've seen it mentioned (by Micheal Brown i think..sorry if thats incorrect ) that its OK to not worry about calculating this if the claim isnt a large one for ease? It was this inparticular that was making my head spin and spin.

 

Any encouragement or advice greatly appreciated :)

 

Missy xx

[lknox]

Agreed. It is complicated and some people here have chosen not to bother, as it may not amount to very much.

 

It's your call.

You could just calculate the 8% interest on your charges as per the spreadsheet. But remember to omit your claim for interest from your prelim and LBA letters. This is added only when you file your claim at Court.

 

Hope that makes sense.

[Michael Browne]

The choice whether to claim overdraft interest on the penaly charges or not is up to you. But this seems to cause more headaches and worry, and more mistakes than any other single issue,, especially to those who aren't used to spreadsheets, which is why a lot of people don't bother.

[MissMorningStar]

Thanks to you both for confirming that..am off now to right my preminlary letter

 

A quick question though, do I have to do the schedule of charges on the speadsheet now ( I know that its minus the 8% interest page at this point) or can I just include a breakdown of charges this way:

 

31/05/2003 Charges as Notified £28.00

31/07/2003 Charges as Notified £48.00

19/11/2003 Charges as Notified £30.00

 

and so on, or wouldn't this look professional enough?

 

Thanks in adavnce,

 

Missy xx

[lknox]

I would say that as long as your charges are listed in a coherent and logical way, it shouldn't matter how you send them.

 

Just my humble opinion...

[MissMorningStar]

Cheers Iknox

[MissMorningStar]

Well posted my prelim yesterday and checked today its been recieved, so they have until 5th September to respond before my LBA.

 

I wont hold my breath...

[Brad Smith]

good luck missy, you're a day in front of me

[MissMorningStar]

Thanks Brad and all the best to you too

 

Keep me informed how your doing... I'm sure we'll both be celebrating very soon (fingers crossed emoticon)!

 

Missy xx

[MissMorningStar]

Received an acknowledgment to my letter yesterday which is quite quick for Halifax since they only received it Tuesday.

 

Unlike some other people's that I've read, mine doesn't state a time lengh in which they reply (i.e 4 weeks) but just that I'll receive a response from a Customer Relations Manager within Core Business.

 

Will see what happens next...Otherwise LBA going out on 5th Sept.

[MissMorningStar]

Ok, decided to bite the bullit and started filling in my details into the advanced excel spreadsheet template.

 

I'm ok with the charges section on the left but its the interest section that confusing me to death.

 

I have inputted all the interest debited from my account over the years but not sure its correct.

 

It states on my statements 'Interest Debited' and 'Interest Debited-Notified Last Month'. I have included both these into the spreadsheet? Basically, the end yellow section 'Interest on penalties' is a total of all these debits?? I thought that it was suppose to calculate the interest from the day I was charged till now? Or is that just the 8% interest that does that?

 

Also how many of these 'Interest Debited' amounts do I add on the claim? Is it just till the date of the last penalty charge made on my account? As I'm still incuring interest every month now, which is obviously the lawful kinda interest? I'm obviouly finding it very difficult to distinguish btween which id lawful interst and which is the interest on the penalty charges.

 

I'm sure its much easier than I'm making it out to be but after sitting here for past 6 hrs its drove me crazy!!

 

Also, when I click on the 8% tab its just showing 'REF!' under Penalty Charged and 'VALUE!' under 8% on Penalties for the Totals.

 

Help!