DrClaw v HSBC

[DrClaw]

Hi,

This forum is absolutely class, and without being a brown-nose the mods etc are doing an excellent job helping out poor souls like myself !!

OK, I'm a bit thick and have read everything I can understand on this site, so here is the lowdown.

I've just wrote my letter requesting repayment of charges (without the 8% - which is added when I file my claim?)

I've worked out £1030 altogether and £730 of that from 2000 - 2001 when I had just turned 18!!

Do people have better responses e-mailing or posting their letters?

 

If anyone could clarify this for me it would be most appreciated,

Thanks again,

Claw

[overcharged_consumer]

DrClaw,

 

You're correct - 8% doesn't get added until you actually file your claim in the courts.

 

Re method of delivery - do both. E-mail it and follow up in the mail. That's what I did although having said that, they took six weeks to respond to my LBA by which time I'd already filed a claim! I don't think that had anything to do with my method of delivery though.

 

OC.

[DrClaw]

Excellent, thanks for the quick response mate, out of interest who did you e-mail..... Phil or Alan?

[overcharged_consumer]

I just e-mailed the customer relations department and marked it for the attention of the manager.

 

Address is something like customerrelations@hsbcplc.com but please check the HSBC website to confirm it's the correct address before you send.

 

Good luck

 

OC

[Sweety83]

I would suggest that you send any mail by recorded delivery. Just so that they can't deny receiving it!!

 

Good Luck

[DrClaw]

Cool, going to get down to the post office in the morning and send it !!

It's amazing how much these companies make off us, I remember being offered a £12.750 loan/credit card/check book-guarantee card when I turned 18 and I didn't even earn that in a year!! I thought 18-19 was a bad year for me but £730 over 12 months is rediculous... No wonder this country is in so much debt. WHEN I get my money I am going to go on holiday and send a nice postcard to the branch...

[norbar]

Dear Dr,ive Just Read Your Letter And I Find It Very Interesting,i Will Be Sending Loyds A Simaler Letter About The Charges They Have Claimed From Me Since 2002,yours Norbar(good Luck)

[DrClaw]

Also, has anyone else found that online the charges are either shown as 'charges' or 'total charges' - is this ok so just put this in my spreadsheet or do I have to be more specific?

[Janet-M]

I would suggest that you send any mail by recorded delivery. Just so that they can't deny receiving it!!

 

Good Luck

 

 

If your email is not returned then they have recieved it

[DrClaw]

Also, has anyone else found that online the charges are either shown as 'charges' or 'total charges' - is this ok so just put this in my spreadsheet or do I have to be more specific?

 

Not being ignorant, but I think this post was missed - does anyone know if you have to be more specific than this or is their information provided by online banking enough?

[overcharged_consumer]

Not being ignorant, but I think this post was missed - does anyone know if you have to be more specific than this or is their information provided by online banking enough?

 

DrClaw,

 

Just enter them on the schedule as they appear online or on your statements. They know what they are anyway.

 

OC

[DrClaw]

I've had a mail this morning from HSBC as follows...

 

Dear Dr Claw (not my real name!)

15 June 2006

Thank you for your recent email.

I am looking into the matters you have raised and will contact you with a full response as soon as I have completed my investigations.

I am formally obliged to advise you of the Bank’s complaint handling procedures that you can view by logging on to www.hsbc.co.uk and Contact Us, then 'How to Complain' which sets out the relevant details for you.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us. I am only sorry it has been necessary for you to do so.

Yours sincerely

 

Tara Young

Customer Relations Officer

 

Does this mean I should now send my letter Before Action or do I have to wait a further 12 days (14 in total) before sending it? I await your responses!

[HSBCrusher]

My advice would to stick to your timetable rigidly, these letters are just to try and put you off track.

It is good to demonstrate that you have given ample time for the bank to respond, but not give them too much time either.

 

All the best with your claim!

 

Crusher:grin:

[DrClaw]

So I should wait another 12 days to send the next letter even though in the request for repayment letter it says the following...

 

I will give you 14 days to reply to me accepting, unconditionally, my request in principle and letting me know a date by which I will receive payment.

 

If you do not respond, or you do not respond positively, within this time period, I shall send you a letter before action giving you a further 14 days in which to reflect. I believe that these targets are more than sufficient for a large company such as yours with dedicated staff and departments.

They have responded to this in a non positive way, so does that not mean I should send the Letter Before Action and obviously this time give them the full 14 days before I file the claim regardless of whether they respond or not?

 

[HSBCrusher]

The best thing to do is 14 days, then 14 days LBA.

Stick to your original timeframe, this shows you to be professional, and you cover your back:D

[overcharged_consumer]

So I should wait another 12 days to send the next letter even though in the request for repayment letter it says the following...

 

 

 

I will give you 14 days to reply to me accepting, unconditionally, my request in principle and letting me know a date by which I will receive payment.

 

 

If you do not respond, or you do not respond positively, within this time period, I shall send you a letter before action giving you a further 14 days in which to reflect. I believe that these targets are more than sufficient for a large company such as yours with dedicated staff and departments.

 

 

They have responded to this in a non positive way, so does that not mean I should send the Letter Before Action and obviously this time give them the full 14 days before I file the claim regardless of whether they respond or not?

 

Well, they haven't actually responded non positively though. They've acknowleged receipt of your complaint and have advised that they are investigating which actually shows a little courtesy.

 

Wait til the 14 days are up.

 

OC

 

P.S. Dr Claw isn't your real name??? Gutted! Truly gutted! What an excellent name that would be!

[HSBCrusher]

first name- hooded:-D

[DrClaw]

lol - very good!!

[skyrocket123]

Dr Claw

Re 'total charges' and finding out specifically what these were for, if you click on the 'total charges' sometimes it tells you what the charge was for.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Sky

[DrClaw]

UPDATE..

Well after a standard reply to my first letter and 14 days notice (which went very quick!) I sent my letter before action this morning. Hopefully someone will actually read it this time and not just hit the 'send letter' button on their special keyboard...

 

Claw.

[maverik1979]

i wouldnt count on it, i never got a reply to my lba, just went straight to mcol

[DrClaw]

Ok, so further to my letter before action on the 28th June HSBC have come back with an offer i'm very tempted to take. They owe me a total of £1030 and have offered me £930. I know it's £100 less but so far I have not had to put in my claim yet. I didn't put in the letter the total interest they would owe me, does this matter?

Also how long could they potentionally make me wait for my further £100 and do you think I should take the money and run?

[barracad]

Obviously it's entirely up to you but why should you settle for anything less than the full amount?

 

I don't know about you but I could think of a lot of things to do with an extra £100 so why let them keep it?

 

Also if they don't pay the full amount before you start legal action then you will get 8% interest too.

[DrClaw]

Yeah, good point... do they usually offer the FULL amount before it goes to court (or once I send back the letter declining) Also, what do I write in the response. I remember seeing somewhere it was 'I accept this offer in part payment' or something but I can't find the post

[barracad]

You coluld send the following:

 

Dear Mr Banker

 

Thank you for your offer of £xxx.xx as part settlement of my claim.

 

Your offer is not satisfactory, although I am prepared to accept this sum, unconditionally, in part-settlement of my FULL claim of £yyy.yy.

 

I shall continue to proceed with my action to recover the remainder of my claim.

 

There's only 2 possible outcomes: either they give you the full amount; or they stick to their guns, and you take them to court and still get the full amount, and interest too.