Halifax Overdraft - Changes to Accounts £1 a day

[surprise]

Well true to their word Halifax have withdrawn their charges and I now have a zero balance. I've not had a letter from them yet but I've checked online and all charges since Jan have been removed but it appears the account is still open as they have left the overdraft still available.

 

Will wait for their letter before I do anything else.

 

In the meantime, however, I received a phone call on Monday from them, but was out, and a letter yesterday from their Head of Risk Operations. They want to discuss the points raised in my letter. This was the one I sent after the termination letter I received from them. Now what would they want?

[Bookworm]

Only one way to find out, lol.

[surprise]

I'll think I'll leave sleeping dogs lie, not sure I want to phone them now that they've cleared my account.

[Undercover-Elsa]

I agree. Keep it in writing!

[Bookworm]

Oh I agree too! I just meant that you won't know until they get hold of you!!! At which point you should tell them to put it in writing anyway!

[Bigdebtor]

Maybe they are going to confirm their offer did actually mean they are only too happy to refund all your charges right back to Year dot? (can't seem to get the sarcastic face to show any more - must have used them all up)!

 

Anyway - surely it's worth a phone call to find out?

 

BD

[surprise]

Confirmation letter arrived account clear and closed. Round 2 coming up. Will keep you posted.

[Bookworm]

WOW, that's a RESULT!!!! Excellent!!!

 

You know what you should do (if you have the time, that is)? You should start a new thread in which you run through the whole thing, all the way to its conclusion, and ask the team to sticky it to the top of the forum, because that is one of the most encouraging things i have seen in a long time, but at the moment, it kind of gets lost in the 25 pages of this thread with other people's stories. ;-)

[surprise]

I've got a feeling that my last email sent to the CE was the one that had the bearing as it seems funny that despite all my other letters and two FOS complaints, hey have stuck to their guns. I think the crucial words were, I think! "I'm in the course of preparing a full list of costs that the Halifax have incurred as a result of my ongoing complaints. Once this has been completed it will be sent to the new Government given their manifesto". I also mentioned the amount of taxpayers money that had been wasted and their inability to negotiate a compromise.

[surprise]

Well, I've now sent my cheeky letter, I'm sure there will be a few expletives when they realise what the content of their letter meant. Extract from my letter.

 

"There is still, however, the question of the outstanding charges on the account which still require reimbursement. (copy of these charges attached for your convenience).

 

In view of the fact that I accepted your offer outlined in your letter of 10th June 2010, ie "you would remove all charges on the account" then this should, in fact, apply to those charges I have already paid.

 

In order to avoid further costs your cheque in the sum of £... in settlement is requested by no later than Wednesday, 30th June 2010.

 

ys.

[maybelline]

is £15 a fair charge for returned DD and or cheque?

[bigyeti]

is it buggery. It'll cost them next to nothing. I'd say £1.50 is fair.

[Bigdebtor]

Surprise

 

Well done! Please keep us posted!

 

BD

[surprise]

Halifax have again responded in double quick time. Letter attached.

I do feel a court case coming on, what would be my chances on the basis of their last two letters?

Halifax letter received 22.6.10.doc

[Bigdebtor]

1. Threten threm with FOS. They have change dthe basis of your agreement after you accepted it - immoral and illegal.

2. Complain to FOS if they don't pay up - it will at least cost them £450 and you are not bound by an unfavourable FOS decision, but they are.

3. Issue a claim for the other charges through Small Claims if FOS doiesn't support you. I would be surprise dif they didn't settle before it is heard.

 

We all know they made a mistake in ho wthey worded their letter - but they are bound by that offe rwhich you accepted (IMHO). Their customers did not deliberately incur unfair charges - it was usually a mistake and they didn't let us off the hook for our mistakes!

 

Good luck - this is turning into a brilliant David v Goliath story!

 

BD

 

them what they

[surprise]

I already have 2 complaints in with the FOS awaiting the ombudsman's decision as the Adjudicators on each claim said the halifax were right. Don't particularly won't to go down this route again, but would be willing to take them to court.

 

I think I am just going to remind them that their offer did say all and as I upheld my part of the agreement I cannot be responsible for their misrepresentation.

 

Will draft a letter later and post tomorrow.

[surprise]

I have just drafted a letter, I've headed LETTER BEFORE ACTION.

 

Thank you for your letter of 21st June 2010.

 

I am very disappointed to note that your letter of 10th June 2010 was misrepresented to me. In your letter of 10th June 2010 it clearly states that if I pay the sum of £xxx into my account you will remove all charges. The word all should mean all, that means every single charge that has been made to my account should be refunded whether they have already been paid by me or not.

 

On this basis, therefore, it is my intention to take the matter to court as I believe that I have been misled by you and your offer. Whether this was intentional or unintentional the situation is such that I expected reimbursement of all my charges which you now state will not happen.

 

Your final response would be appreciated by no later than Thursday, 1st July 2010.

[Undercover-Elsa]

Have you calculated the total of the other charges, Suprise?

[surprise]

I have sent them a list of the charges that I've paid its not a lot as its only since last year as I had an electron card before and I didn't have any charges prior to May last year.

[Undercover-Elsa]

That last letter from them sounds a bit panicky to me..

[surprise]

Thats why I've decided to go with LETTER BEFORE ACTION.

 

I've probably got them on another technicality aswell. She said "I do not intend to reimburse you with any charges you incurred prior to the date of the complaint". What complaint is she referring to as my first complaint goes back to my first charge on 21 May 09?

[Bigdebtor]

That's a good point. If they reply "no deal" then tell them they have not even done all they promised in their letter of 21 June - under which they confirmed their intention to at least refund all charges from the date of your complaint (21 |May 2009).

 

I agree FOS are usually a waste of space - but confronted with such a clear promise from HBOS (even if made in error) they just might find for you - and cost HBOS a further £450 or so even if they don't.

 

This is better fun (and gets them more annoyed) than just poking them with sharp sticks!

 

BD

[Bigdebtor]

I have sent them a list of the charges that I've paid its not a lot as its only since last year as I had an electron card before and I didn't have any charges prior to May last year.

 

Did you include the amount of interest you have paid on these charges since they were imposed?

 

BD

[surprise]

Yes, I included the interest.

 

I've changed my letter slightly to:

 

In your letter of 21st June 2010 you say you will not refund charges incurred prior to the date of the complaint. I would respectfully draw your attention to the date of my complaint, which was 21st May 2009, at the time the first charge was incurred".

 

If there last letter seemed paniky, can't wait for the next one!

[Bigdebtor]

Absolutely - who needs sharp sticks when Halifax make it so easy to get them really uptight?

 

I wonder if their next reply will be so prompt - or if your letters will now need to go "upstairs" for further consideration?

 

BD

 

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