let down by CAG???????

[Bookworm]

i don't want to sound bitter but why did this site not recomend the FOS???

my partner phoned them with his complaint and within 12 days had all of his bank charges back without all the rigmarall of posting this letter after that.

i have been using this site and its recommendations since the 11th of january and now i'm going to have to wait till the end of the year cause of this test case. my court date is on the 13th aug and i'm going to have to waste yet more money on my bundle just to have a judge make a stay on my claim!!!!!

not only that i may not get any money back.

the banks must be confidant of winning if they have requested a test case, otherwise they are just going to cost themselves alot of money and embarrisment!!!!

:confused: :confused:

sorry for my spelling mistakes!!

and sorry if i sound peed off but if this site would of told me about the FOS way back in january then i woud of had my money back by now

 

There's a few things to note here:

 

1 - Until quite recently, neither the OFT, FSA or FOS were very interested in handling individual complaints. The fact that they started getting of the fence and dealing with customers is down to... CAG, which tirelessly campaigned and questioned them about their lack of action.

 

2 - Until even more recently, any resolution brought on through FOS would usually entail the customer losing out, sometimes huge chunks, as the bank would offer derisory amounts, the FOS would say "well that looks reasonable to us", and the customer could either accept or.... you guessed it, go to court. The fact that the FOS finally decided to toughen their stance is undoubtedly down to... CAG, which tirelessly encouraged people no to give up or give away their lawful rights.

 

3 - As of yesterday, thanks to the OFT's court case, the FOS is yet again as useful as a chocolate teapot, since all complaints have been put on hold until the court decision. However, court actions can (and should) still be lodged, and it will be up to the individual judge whether to stay the case or not.

 

4 - This is a self-help site. There is plenty of information regarding the different routes you can choose. CAG did not recommend the FOS because until recently, it was not the way to get all of your charges back, but the information was there for anyone who wanted to go down that route. Your partner phoned them and got his money back? Good for him. I had the opposite experience where I got my money back before other users who had gone the FOS route, and I got mine in totality, they didn't.

 

Noone put a gun to your head and forced you to file at court. I understand your unhappiness, which is shared by many right now, but shooting the messenger won't help.

 

As for the banks being confident of winning, don't bank on it. I have no doubt that they were forced into that position because things could not be allowed to go on unchecked. Left to themselves, they would have maintained the status quo for years, hoping that the campaign would eventually lose steam.

[Bookworm]

Wow, this has turned into a real "We shall overcome" thread, hasn't it?

 

I'm not taking the mick, honest! I think that it's great that at a time where things seem to take a darker turn, for one person with a negative outlook, so many of you are ready to jump in, not give up and state your own positive experience. It also shows that not everybody gets their money back and runs, some of you obviously are still sticking around.