Reclaim Your Bank And Card Charges

[newguy]

Thanks for the feedback Xaccers. After reading the moneysavingexpert site, I've now decided to try 'asking for a speedy settlement' under the sample Letter template section there.

Basically, if you want a speedy settlement, one tactic is to offer the bank the option of settling for a lower amount if it pays out now. How much lower depends on you, so I'm now trying that and if no joy then it's a case of logging the case with the courts.

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Standard letter, HSBC delayed the requests of myself and my housemate knowing that there was the OFT action going on.
My charges are from 4 years ago, so not much risk of them going beyond the 6 year mark.
If yours are close to the 6 year mark, I'd lodge it with the courts. It will be put on hold until the OFT stuff is sorted but it will be logged so the 6 years won't matter (or at least that's how I understand it because you took legal action before the 6 year deadline).

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by newguy

Thanks for the feedback Xaccers. After reading the moneysavingexpert site, I've now decided to try 'asking for a speedy settlement' under the sample Letter template section there.

Basically, if you want a speedy settlement, one tactic is to offer the bank the option of settling for a lower amount if it pays out now. How much lower depends on you, so I'm now trying that and if no joy then it's a case of logging the case with the courts.

Housemate tried that, she owed them £500 overdraft, they owed her £700 fees, she suggested they called it quits, they offered her £300, she said no, they said "Oh look, we've delayed enough so there's no point you taking us to court thankyouOFT, now, how about that £500?"
Nice HSBC, not.

[newguy]

I can always try the courts after if it's a no joy, as it states that in the letter I'll be sending.

I suppose it's a case of trial and error so I'll let you know what happens.

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Housemate tried that, she owed them £500 overdraft, they owed her £700 fees, she suggested they called it quits, they offered her £300, she said no, they said "Oh look, we've delayed enough so there's no point you taking us to court thankyouOFT, now, how about that £500?"
Nice HSBC, not.

[newguy]

Hi Xaccers,

I've had a re think and you're right in what you say. I was about to print off the 'LETTER BEFORE ACTION' letter from the template I found at the consumer action site, but it states in it the following;

'You have failed to respond to my letter of the [XXXXXXX - date of preliminary letter] and its enclosed schedule'.

The thing is they did respond but it was not the response I was hoping for, as in the standard reply.

Is there another template for the 'LETTER BEFORE ACTION' letter or is that the only one?

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Housemate tried that, she owed them £500 overdraft, they owed her £700 fees, she suggested they called it quits, they offered her £300, she said no, they said "Oh look, we've delayed enough so there's no point you taking us to court thankyouOFT, now, how about that £500?"
Nice HSBC, not.

[greencreeper]

Alliance and Leicester - mate banks with them. He visits the branch in Leeds and asks how much money is in his account, and how much he would therefore have to put into the account to cover a standing over for his rent. They tell him and he puts the money in. Overnight they take £50 in charges, then take the standing order, then charge him £50 for insufficient funds and use of unauthorised overdraft

He can't keep up - doesn't know where the hell he is. Charges left, right and centre. It's leaving him short of cash to pay other bills, such as the loan agreement on his car, so they charge him for late payments... Even the bank customer service advisors are struggling to understand the charges. He did manage to get a £50 refund - they put the money in his account, then took it out again. For charges He read them the riot act - now has the money back again. It's pure exploitation of the most vulnerable I'm helping him move everything to the local credit union - so he can tell Alliance and Leicester to stuff their account.

[Zeph]

Sorry GC but I don't see it, if there's not enough money in his account to cover bills surely that is his fault and noone else's?

[Angua]

Originally Posted by Zeph

Sorry GC but I don't see it, if there's not enough money in his account to cover bills surely that is his fault and noone else's?

Not when he specifically went in to the bank and asked how much he would need to pay in to make sure everything got paid & no charges would then be incurred.

Until Banks add credits to an account before debits are taken off people who are living near their limit will get stung.

[newguy]

Hi Xaccers,

Just wondering if you got any feeback ref the below?

Originally Posted by newguy

Hi Xaccers,

I've had a re think and you're right in what you say. I was about to print off the 'LETTER BEFORE ACTION' letter from the template I found at the consumer action site, but it states in it the following;

'You have failed to respond to my letter of the [XXXXXXX - date of preliminary letter] and its enclosed schedule'.

The thing is they did respond but it was not the response I was hoping for, as in the standard reply.

Is there another template for the 'LETTER BEFORE ACTION' letter or is that the only one?

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by newguy

Hi Xaccers,

Just wondering if you got any feeback ref the below?

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/rec...-charges#step2

The template letters (for claiming with interest/without interest) include ". As I have not heard from you/not received a satisfactory response [DELETE AS APPROPRIATE]"

[newguy]

Must have mis read it 1st time around.

Thanks Xaccers.

Originally Posted by Xaccers

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/rec...-charges#step2

The template letters (for claiming with interest/without interest) include ". As I have not heard from you/not received a satisfactory response [DELETE AS APPROPRIATE]"

[TraxData]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Alliance and Leicester - mate banks with them. He visits the branch in Leeds and asks how much money is in his account, and how much he would therefore have to put into the account to cover a standing over for his rent. They tell him and he puts the money in. Overnight they take £50 in charges, then take the standing order, then charge him £50 for insufficient funds and use of unauthorised overdraft

He can't keep up - doesn't know where the hell he is. Charges left, right and centre. It's leaving him short of cash to pay other bills, such as the loan agreement on his car, so they charge him for late payments... Even the bank customer service advisors are struggling to understand the charges. He did manage to get a £50 refund - they put the money in his account, then took it out again. For charges He read them the riot act - now has the money back again. It's pure exploitation of the most vulnerable I'm helping him move everything to the local credit union - so he can tell Alliance and Leicester to stuff their account.

Same happened to me with those bunch of idiots, before i managed to get it sorted it reached well over 1k in overdraft charges (i went 9p over the limit btw and it was an automatic £35 overdraft fee..which doubled everyweek)

Told them to get stuffed, they closed my account and havent heard a peep from them since.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by TraxData

Same happened to me with those bunch of idiots, before i managed to get it sorted it reached well over 1k in overdraft charges (i went 9p over the limit btw and it was an automatic £35 overdraft fee..which doubled everyweek)

Told them to get stuffed, they closed my account and havent heard a peep from them since.

They shouldn't be charging people if they are under a quid overdrawn, we covered it in the thread earlier (post 635 onwards). If you ever hear from them again you should have a couple of awkward questions to ask them at least

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by TraxData

Same happened to me with those bunch of idiots, before i managed to get it sorted it reached well over 1k in overdraft charges (i went 9p over the limit btw and it was an automatic £35 overdraft fee..which doubled everyweek)

Told them to get stuffed, they closed my account and havent heard a peep from them since.

Haven't heard anything is not as good as you think. Have you checked your credit file?

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Haven't heard anything is not as good as you think. Have you checked your credit file?

That's a very good point.
Having gone bankrupt in 2006, and discharged a year later, I was suprised to find that I had a couple of accounts showing as active and defaulted since 2006 rather than satisfied.
Had to send off a copy of my certificate of discharge (sounds like something mr_love_monkey would have) and hopefully by the end of May they should all be sorted.
So best get checking.
Experian has the free month's trial, but they showed me as having a very good credit score and no details about bankruptcy, while Equifax charge just under £15 and that was full of information.

[Shaun]

Both are available for £2 from their websites with full information on too.

EVERYONE even if they think they are fine should check as I found a long list of issues with mine even though all my accounts are up to date.