need help with reclaiming benefits taken in charges

[overflow]

Hi Karen

 

If the bank wont take notice of the letter then why not get in touch with the benefits office and explain to them what the bank is doing.

My daughter did this and they interveened on her behalf and wrote to the bank they soon stopped.

Could be worth a try.

 

Good Luck

Regards

[karen654321]

hiya, Thanks for that overflow. I did contact the benefits agency at the start of all this and they told me they couldnt get involved in individual cases. This was the local benefits agency. Did your daughter contact her local agency or someone higher up?

 

Im really pleased for your daughter thats great news.

 

karen

[kennythecelt]

Please read the link. Note FOS comment re hardship cases. Support is there. Go to them.

 

 

Overdraft charges: Stake your claim now | Saving and banks | Guardian Unlimited Money

 

Thanks to alanfromderby for this find and link

[karen654321]

Thanks for the kennythecelt. I have already sent this off to fos and they replied last week stating that they cant do no more till oft hearing. So i sent off another letter stating this is nothing to do with that a completely different thing.

 

I will go and have a look at link now. Once again thanks so so much for all your excellent advice.

 

karen

[shazb35]

hi

 

i have just received information from my court that my claims are being sent to cardiff court for a stay, i had about 85% of my charges taken from benefits, i am fuming, can anyone advise on my next course of action sharon x

[karen654321]

i cant believe it shazb. i cant help but im sure someone will. good luck

 

karen

[karen654321]

Just a quick update. I rang halifax on friday and stated that the letter i had received from them stating that they will not be refunding any charges until the oft hearing has been dealt with is nothing to do with my claim.

 

He said that this was just a standard letter and that it had been passed now to a different section who deals in harship cases and i would hear back within a few days. He took my phone number so they could contact me by phone.

 

Well still hadnt heard so i rang again today and he told me that they have been dealing with loads of these claims. I explained that i wasnt interested in what else they were dealing with i had been told a few days and no one has contacted me.

Ive now been told to wait till friday and i should hear.

I wonder if this is just a delaying tactic.

 

will keep you posted.

 

 

karen

[**Tilly**]

fingers crossed for you karen

[overflow]

Hi Karen

 

lets hope its not just bog standard delayin game for your sake.

 

Everythin crossed.

 

Regards:)

[karen654321]

Hiya, just as i thought. Got of the phone to them. Both people i had spoke to had given me incorrect inof. they are dealing with my claim but there is no time limit. it could take days, weeks or months. I am on a list and will get contacted when they are dealing with it.

 

I cant believe it. I truly believed the man i spoke to friday and i also spoke to someone wednesday.

 

I argued that there time limit is 8 weeks for complaints and my first letter which was sent recorded and recd to them was on the 22/5/07.

 

All he kept saying was basically they have hundreds of these cases. The customer relation section doesnt process them and i cant speak to the section that does as they have no phones to speak to customers.

 

I think its disgusting. Im so mad. I kept telling him i dont care about the hundreds of cases and he said well yes obviously everyone thinks like that.

 

I told him when i should hear and he told me he doesnt want to give me a time limit because he has no idea.

 

This was a senior customer adviser at halifax. I told him the names of the last two people that i had spoke to who had told me it would be dealt with this week and he said he would have a word with them.

 

Im not sure what to do next.

 

any help or suggestions

 

karen

[rory32]

I think you now must get in touch with the FOS and explain to them that this is benefits money and it is causing financial hardship. The bank are either unwilling or unable to deal with it and are continuing to take money from your daughters benefits. You have been through their complaints process and have got nowhere.

[kennythecelt]

Yes, Karen

 

Follow Rory's advice, asap.

I read another post where the FOS after initially refusing agreed to take a similar case on board.

Will try to track it down for you and post a link!!

Don't worry.

[overflow]

Hi Karen

 

Cant believe the way your being treated. I hope that all this good advice on here will bring you the result your looking for if you follow it all.

 

Good Luck

[karen654321]

Ive rang the halifax today again. Im still on a list waiting to be looked at. There are no time limits and basically they will contact me when its been dealt with.

 

I contacted the fos but the lady dealing with it isnt in to next week. Couldnt give me much info to be honest.

 

will keep you posted

 

karen

[overflow]

Hi Karen.

See your still being messed about then.

Have you filed your claim in Court yet or are you just going to wait to see when the bank can get round to you.

Dont lose sight of the fact that you go by YOUR timescale not theirs, just go for it, been fobbed off enough by them I think.

 

Good Luck

 

 

Regards

[karen654321]

Timescales are gone. I sent the first letter in June. I had a call back from a different person at the fos. After my initial call telling me that the lady i needed to speak to wasnt in someone else called me back.

 

She said basically the same as the halifax. At the fos they are working there way through hardship cases. Im in the pile and will be dealt with. If i havent had a letter through within two weeks from fos then to phone again.

 

What i tried to explain but got no where was this is a hardship case and two weeks is an awful long time to wait to get money back but they didnt care.

 

Im not sure if i should just sit and wait now or if i should start court proceedings.

 

any suggestions welcome.

 

thanks

 

karen

[deadlykiss]

hi karen

i would go ahead with court proceedings anyway and if Fos do decide to help let them know , i have put my N1 in on july 24th and going to ring FOS tomoz as halifax are going to apply for stay , dont know if court will allow it as mines is 1 of them that are judging case by case , , also if FOS cant help when this test case is over you will be already in que for payout

 

good luck

[karen654321]

Hiya thanks for advice. Is your claim a hardship case if you dont mind me asking?

 

If it is can the halifax request a stay as its not actually anything to do with unfair bank charges i believe.

 

keep us updated on progress

 

karen

[deadlykiss]

nope as did not realise i could but i have told courts im recieving benefits , so they are aware , sorry to get you confused , im on IS and child tax credits

[karen654321]

Thats ok im easilly confused. Good luck with your case and keep us updated.

 

Ive sent a lovely email to ceo of halifax today. I dont expect to get anywhere though. It made me feel better sending it though lol.

 

Will keep you posted.

 

karen

[overflow]

Hi Karen.

 

Know the feeling well, this stuff can get very confusing. Hope you get the reply your lookin for .

Be checkin on you lookin for news.

Good Luck.

 

Regards

[karen654321]

Well ive had confirmation that the complaint has been recieved in the ceo and that they are looking into it.

 

Ive emailed back asking when i should expect to hear.

 

will let you know when i get a reply

 

karen

[karen654321]

Ive had a reply today saying that they will get back to me when they can. Ive sent a nice email back saying that its not good enough. I first contacted halifax in june about this. I was told them it could take 8 weeks.

 

I asked the lady thats replying to me if Mr Hornby the ceo has actually seen my complaint. I have asked her for hes comments on it.

 

Im sure hes not even there. Probably playing golf or something.

 

well will keep you posted.

 

karen

[overflow]

Hi Karen

 

 

Just wondering have you started the Court process yet or are you going to wait for word from Halifax.

 

Regards

[karen654321]

Hiya well i havent heard back from them. Ive rang the ombudsman again and they said that the case would be looked at but they are not an emergency service. (cheek) But they aim to resolve complaints usually withing 6-9 months but at the moment they may take longer.

 

Ive had enough now really. I am going to try to claim this through the courts but i have not got a clue about the poc. Can i still do this claim on line? Ive been told that i would not have to pay for the court but im not sure if this is correct. If it is how do i go about getting this done.

 

Its all so confusing. Going to look at some more threads now and see if i can find a poc suitable for this type of claim.

 

 

karen