miss_squeezy77 vs LloydsTSB ** WON **

[miss_squeezy77]

Just starting out against Lloyds - have sent SAR and now begins long wait for copy statements! No idea how much I'm owed but I suspect it's in the thousands.....

[dolly]

Just sent our DPA off today - checked online on internet banking and back to July 2002 it is about £2.5k so I am expecting a further £1k at least.

 

Good luck

[miss_squeezy77]

Thanks Dolly! We can hold each other's hand through all this!!

 

Sent my ltr 1st class recorded delivery on 2nd Aug - it's not showing up on the royal mail tracker as having been signed for yet. Hmmm..... quick call to the postie tomorrow I think!

[miss_squeezy77]

My recorded delivery SAR still hasn't been delivered :-x

 

Royal Mail have been extremely unhelpful and said I have to wait until 21st August (19 days after I sent the letter, first class!!!) before they can do anything.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[adamski]

Yes

I sent all my letter recorded and the LBA letter came up as not delivered, a week later they replied to my LBA, so i guess they got the letter.

I would send again and cancel previous check.

Regards

Adamski

[miss_squeezy77]

Checked with Royal Mail - still no sign of a delivery! Having to claim back for the postal order and resend the whole thing!!!!! grrrrrrr........

[adamski]

Hi

Try ringing the copy statement unit on 0845 300 4431, blag them and tell them that you have sent it recorded and have confirmation of delivery

a white lie! (they will try and tell you they have not received they did with me).

Give them your account number and hey presto they will tell you if they have received it.

Then you will know where you stand if they say no we still have not received then send again.

Hope this helps

Regards

Adamski

[miss_squeezy77]

Thank you for your posts Adamski - all the info arrived today so guess they must have received the SAR after all!!

 

Now I have to figure out the spreadsheet for the charges......

[miss_squeezy77]

OK - have calculated all the charges £2723 in total!

 

Have tried to calculate the overdraft interest associated with the charges, using the advanced spreadsheet - but no joy, just can't get my head round it (and I'm good at maths!! but not with money, obviously....) so am going to claim for the charges only. Watch this space....

[miss_squeezy77]

Quick update.... Sent my preliminary request for charges on 31st August and received standard 'no chance' response at the 11th hour.... LBA sent off today - BRING IT ON!!!!

 

In the meantime, have had ltr from Lloyds solicitors demanding repayment of my overdraft - they can sod off!!!! Wrote back enclosing copy of LBA and schedule of charges explaining that if Lloyds hadn't been imposing such extortionate charges in the first place, I wouldn't have an overdraft at all as it was only added to my account to pay for the bloomin' charges...... grrrr....

[miss_squeezy77]

Have received the standard ' this is our final response letter' - next step, court. Will be starting through Moneyclaim on the 4th.

 

BTW have any other Lloyds customers had a copy of the updated charges leaflet through the post?? Seems like they've completely disregarded the OFTs ruling.

[reload]

Thing is miss_squeezy (love that name, conjures up such images ), the OFT's ruling only applies to credit card defaults, which as Lloyds are fond of trying to remind us "dont apply to current accounts" - honest guv'nor

 

Can't say I've received a list either. Then again, I'm not one of their favourite people to be sure

[miss_squeezy77]

Thing is miss_squeezy (love that name, conjures up such images ),

 

:o :o :o :o

 

dread to think what images they would be.............

[miss_squeezy77]

RIGHT!! THAT'S IT......... the proverbial gloves are off, have just submitted claim through MCOL (after scrimping for the court fees!), will now wait with bated breath for the resulting response from Lloyds.......

[miss_squeezy77]

Having read other people's threads, I can see that Lloyds are claiming that they've not received any schedule of charges - going to send copies to the court and to Lloyds' solicitors.... does anyone have an email address for Sechiari and co???

[BARTY]

Hi

There is no e-mail address for SCM, well not that they've told anyone on here about anyway.

Barty

[miss_squeezy77]

Thanks Barty, have faxed it to them instead and will post another copy today I think!

 

Another question - I have another account with Lloyds which I have been using and today have found that they've blocked my card, I can't even get a balance from the cash machine!! Can they do this, even though I've now filed a claim against them for No 1 account???? :x

[miss_squeezy77]

Called the bank on Thursday to ask why they'd blocked the acct - they said it was because they hadn't had any contact from me!!!!!!!!!!! Do the prelim letter, LBA, schedule of charges sent to them by post and by fax not count???? Not to mention the MCOL claim, which, by the way, I've received an Acknowledgement of Service from them saying they intend to defend (19 days and counting, Lloyds, before I request a default judgement......)

 

Evidently, there is a SERIOUS lack of communication between all of their departments as the person on the end of the phone said they had no notes on my file of any communication being received! This is absolutely laughable, considering I've had response letters (the usual system-generated ones, no 'serious dialogue') and the AoS. Anyway, I requested that they remove the block on the account so that I can pay my mortgage and she said she'd have to get a team leader to look into it and contact the solicitor looking after my file. I was promised a phone call the next day....

 

Do you think I got one?

 

That's right folks, I did not. Hmmm.... blocking my acct because I 'hadn't communicated with them' then failing to call me as promised (ie not communicating!!)...

 

Called today to find out what was going on, got through to the same person I'd spoken to (who was lovely, but of course could only keep repeating that it was not her "job to defend the bank" - excuse me, you work for S, C & M - you are part of their solicitors, who by definition "defend the bank"!!). Apparently, they'd removed the block from my account but charges from the previous month were then applied so my mortgage money has all gone!!! :mad: :mad:

 

I suggested that she may as well refund the charges immediately as I'm going to get them back anyway through the courts... After 8 minutes on hold (at least it's not Greensleeves for the hold music!) while she checked with a supervisor, she agreed to refund £70 as a goodwill gesture, but no more because I'd signed a contract and didn't have enough money in my acct to make payments so it was my fault that I'd incurred the charges. I replied that the level of charges were unlawful, that I fully expect to recoup all charges plus costs and that I'm well aware of Lloyds' tactics with these claims and they don't faze me! The response was "the bank do not believe these charges are unlawful" - so I asked her that if this was truly the case then why have all the claims that have been issued settled out of court and not been defended in front of a judge where the bank would have opportunity to state their case! NO ANSWER!!! lololol

 

Poor girl, I did feel sorry for her....

[adamski]

I was hassled twice by Lloyds to put my account in order.

Because it was a joint account first they sent me a letter to which i phoned their collections in Brighton and quoted my case number and told it was against the banking code to try to call in an account when it is in dispute, they assured my i would hear no more and i did not.

But then they sent a letter to my wife so i had to phone them again and did the same thing i have heard no more since i was given a court dtae

adamski

[miss_squeezy77]

Well, the saga continues.....

 

I received a letter from SCM marked Without Prejudice (?! hmmm.. considering a letter along the lines of unilateral imposition etc...) offering me a 'special deal' to help me pay off my overdraft with Lloyds at £17/mth. Didn't have time to call them to complain about the harassment that day, the next day had the same letter again!!! Called their call centre to complain that this was against the banking code as the account is in dispute through legal channels - they asked me to send them proof cos their solicitors were too busy to confirm that I'd made a claim! I couldn't resist a comment along the lines of "I'm not b***dy surprised they're busy with all these claims they're settling!"

 

Also discovered that the 'goodwill refund' had been applied to the wrong account and that the block on the other account had not, in fact, been removed at all! To the lady's credit, she did action both things immediately after this was discovered.

 

So, next day, faxed over a copy of the Acknowledgement of Service and requested a call confirming receipt. The phone call finally came and was an apology for the letters, the account should have been suspended as soon as the solicitors acknowledged my claim etc.... "Oh, and, you've got £160 worth of charges due to come out next month but we're going to clear those for you." LOLOL No reason why they've suddenly decided to do this, perhaps it's because they're so shoddily run and they realise that they're going to have to settle anyway because they don't have a leg to stand on with a defence.

[adamski]

They have got me for over £880 in charges since my claim, if i get settlement i want an account interview so i can try and get these back.

I have a court date now 23rd Feb sooo long but i intend to chase SCM for settlement

Hope you dont have so long as me to wait

adamski

[miss_squeezy77]

They have got me for over £880 in charges since my claim, if i get settlement i want an account interview so i can try and get these back.

 

Hi Adamski - you mean WHEN!!! I have to say, I've been following your thread and I really hope you can get a court date sooner, although as freebird (I think it was her!) says, maybe now is the time to start pushing a bit more with SCM. I've just put a post over on your thread....

 

Thank you for keeping an eye on my thread, it's very encouraging to get posts from others - you know then that you're not alone!

[adamski]

You are more than Welcome Miss S

adamski

[miss_squeezy77]

Called Northampton today to check the date that SCM have until to file a defence, they said they received one today so I should receive a copy shortly..... hmmm wonder what it will say....

[miss_squeezy77]

Quick update - received the defence from lloyds - the bog-standard ' our charges are a fee for service' one and have filed my AQ at my local court.

 

To anyone who's worried at all about going in to the courts to hand in documents or ask for guidance on filling them in - don't be! The lady I saw was absolutely lovely and I'm sure that would generally be the case wherever you are.

 

So, just guess I'll start gathering info and documents just in case it goes to court - 99% sure it won't, the more I read in the papers and in other people's threads, the more I'm convinced that if the banks ever went to court and had to disclose how much it actually costs them to send letters and bounce DDs etc... it would topple the financial fat cats. Unfortunately, we don't live in a world where that will happen. However, if we all keep putting pressure on the right points, they will eventually have to rethink their actions.

 

I know I've not won yet, but I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone on this site - not only has there been strangers (friends we've not yet met!) willing to spend their time and share their experiences, but I've learnt so much about my rights as a consumer and my eyes have certainly been opened!!!!