Thanks, I am going to read through all of this carefully and decide which letter to use. My letter does say full and final settlemet and I am not asking them for all of the money. I only feel the injustice of the fair element and would expect around half - not less - of my claim. For this reason I am not happy with the offer and the fact that the Halifax are particularly unreasonable and people should fight. I am glad I found this site and will let you know the outcome of this.

hi, re my problem regarding to accept the offer or not and thanks for all the replies, it seems that there are 3 options and just wondered about the views. The last letter from the Halifax says (overall time now 4months): The offer is a goodwill gesture and is in full an final settlement of your complaint against Halifax. To accept this payment you do not need to take any further action as the payment will be credited to your account within the next 14 days. I think - this statement is unreasonable in its content. The offer is less than 50%, but £500 all the same. the options: 1. accept the offer 2. do not accept the offer and wait for the outcome of the OFT, but if they win, the counter claim from the banks could take up to 24 months, I am told? They may well win with a ruling that charges are made 'fair' and a percentage of costs refunded. It is doubtfull that they will loose entirely, but they could. 3. accept in principle the goodwill gesture but negotiate for 50% in full and final settlemtent (but do I let the money go in first)? The Halifax are entitled to withdraw any offer they have made, the letter could easily, legally be contested on a few points, but I can't really afford to go to court. just a note - I think that of all that I have read about the Halifax is one of the worst and they have made it public that they do not want customers with low accounts and those with or wanting overdrafts. I really do not like this bank anymore. thanks

I have been writing to the Halifax since the end of March this year. First reply was no, etc I sent a court letter and the answer was - go to the financial ombudsman. I sent another court letter by recorded delivery and a form to the ombudsman. Since the news has broken that the office of fair trading is to challenge fair bank charges in court and an agreement should be reached by the end of the year,the Halifax have sent me a letter agreeing to refund £500 directly to may account - out of the £1300 I claimed. Now, bearing in mind that I was told on the phone several months ago that the Halifax would never in the life of my account refund me anything at any time unless they were negligent (i explained this to the ombudsman) and that they previously, in writing, said that they would give me a refund of £39 if I completed a disclaimer for the future, that they have now offered less than half but much more than £39 and that they have not sent a disclaimer but stated that they will pay this directly to my account unless I tell them otherwise within 14 days and that this is in full an final settlement. They are making this statement in the assumption that I recieve this one and only letter stating this to me. It has taken them 4 months to agree this after previously stating that they would not pay. The question - does anyone think that the Halifax is about to do stingy deals because they think that the banks will loose their day in court and that people will be able to calim amounts in full with possible interest? Also, remember that the Halifax feels it can do without its poorer customers so doesn't care if they cull a few - that they have made poorer. So do I take the money???? Thanks