Cats progress **WON**

[cathrionas]

Dear all,

Yesterday, I sent the model letter (recorded delivery) from the BankActionGroup library to the senior manager at LloydsTSB Data protection Dept with the cheque for £10 requesting info on charges for the last 6 years. Thank you very much for the time that has been put into making all this useful information available.

 

I am conscious that in the last 6 years, the 'overdraft' I have had makes it unlikely that I will have paid many charges, but I have had moments (and years) of desperation earlier, saved only by an unwitting investment that paid off my debts to the bank. There is a matter of a different account (a joint) that generated penalties more recently because the bank made it difficult to set up a small overdraft. I plan to take one step at a time.

 

I feel nervous that sooner or later the banks will fight back but I do believe in what is being done here.

 

I will keep the thread posted.

Thanks again,

Cat

[BankFodder]

We are looking forward to your next post.

[cathrionas]

I am a little surprised that I haven't heard anything at all from Lloyds. It has been just over a week...

[Loula]

Hello!

 

Suggest you wait until Tuesday morning (weekend post and all that), then email them. If you do not hear from them by email or otherwise within 24 hours suggest your phone them.

 

They seem to be taking about two weeks to get their act together, but that is no excuse for not acknowledging receipt of your letter.

 

 

Did you check on the royal mail website that your letter was received and signed for? http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm put your reference number in the TRack and Trace box. It doesn;t say who or when it was signed for, just that it was delivered.

 

Good luck

 

LOULA

[cathrionas]

Thank you Loula.

Will do as you suggest,

Cat

[bram stoker]

Surely a DPA letter gives them 40 days to respond. That would make it 8 May. A lot of banks seem to be waiting until the last minute on most issues. And it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they're not snowed under with DPA letters. I'm not sure how far you'll get by phoning them. They tend to give everyone the run around, so don't be upset or take it personally if they do it to you. Best of luck.

[cathrionas]

Thank you. I received the information I requested. Now I need to make sence of it.

Will post again soon.

Cat

[cathrionas]

Dear all,

It was becoming difficult to stay motivated about this because I thought I wasn't really owed money by the banks for this chunk of my life, but would you believe it - today the bank has billed me £30 for being overdrawn for about 7 hours. I rang and politely pointed this out to a gentleman who was the most unhelpful, insincere customer care representative I have ever spoken to. I didn't even receive a letter from them on this occasion. I asked him what the 'fee' was for, he explained that it was up to me to manage my money and he would gladly give me information on where to pursue an answer to my question.

WELL I ALREADY HAVE THE NECESSARY INFORMATION THANKS TO THIS SITE.

 

Thank you. I am galvanised.

 

Previously I had received:

1) A helpful letter from Chris Brown, Copy statement Unit, dated 19/04/06.

2) 4 pages of customer notes which I have yet to decipher (they include references to lost cards, standard letters, facilities offered etc).

3) 'View statement entries' (11 pages of tabulated entries - includes reference to all 'charges' including OD interest/ account charges/ and 2 entries where I have been charged OD excess fees of £40 - so for this account: £80)

4) There are maybe 80 pages of statement copies.

 

SO - QUESTIONS.

1) Can I/should I request the information for my other 2 accounts ((bills and joint) where I haven't had a humongous unnecessary overdraft agreed without request and where I am positive there are more of these 'charges') so that I can take it all forward together.

2) Can I assume that the charges that are jumping out at me from the section entitled 'View statement entries’ are the only charges or do I need to look deeper? I say this because I think it is unlikely that there are many charges because of aforementioned overdraft facility.

3) Where to next?

4) Are there any questions that I haven’t thought of/ am I missing anything?

 

I have opened an account with a different bank in case it is needed.

 

Many thanks,

Cat

PS I hope spirits are up and people have lovely weekends.

[cathrionas]

Apologies about tizzy earlier. Felt a bit overwhelmed. I am back searching the site for my answers to my questions now.

Cat

[cathrionas]

Have just prepared my second letter (Preliminary approach for repayment) for one of my accounts and requests for information under data protection act for two other accounts (both of which have had more charges applied).

 

I hope all is well.

Cat

[cathrionas]

I have just received the recorded delivery correspondance that I sent to 'Chris Brown' back with a royal mail note saying the addressee has gone away.

I will send it again tomorrow.

Cat

[cathrionas]

Next letter will go to

Penny Berryman

Senior Manager

Data Protection Dept.

Chiswell Street

48, Chiswell Street

London EC1Y 4X

 

2 other things -

1)Chris Brown had invited responses to him in reponse to the earlier Data Protection request. What if all the named staff start 'moving'?

 

2) I'm absolutely sure it's nothing but the envelope was damaged just slightly and when I looked I could make out a couple of words that would have illustrated what the letter concerned - e.g. fiduciary. Just in case other people are getting back slightly damaged envelopes...

[cathrionas]

Letter before action sent for account 1 and 2 letters requesting statements for 2 other accounts sent (for the second time) registered next day delivery.

[cathrionas]

I sent the prelim letter (not the LBA as I said above)

[cathrionas]

Hello,

Standard 2 page letter received from LloydsTSB in response to prelim letter. Advised me that if I am unhappy with their decision not to pay my money back, they would help me refer my complaint to the Financial Ombutsman Service.

Cat

[cathrionas]

I received 'data protection' information on my 2nd and 3rd accounts but it is incomplete and frustrating. I used the standard letter same as for my first request for information but got less info back. I have tried to make sense of it in the hope that it was some sort of blessing but it isn't adding up - much as I flagged when I saw 80 pages of statements come though before, this is even worse. They also seem to have refunded my 2 cheques for £10.

 

I am hoping to combine the claims for the 3 accounts but have a schedule to keep in order to do so as the first account is progressed by a month or so.

 

I am tempted to use the search facility in my online banking to see if I can find the O/DRAFT excess charges for myself but it seems like such a lot of work.

 

I need encouragement.

Cat

[cathrionas]

Back again, hello.

Have gone back through statements using the search facility - as far as it would let me - 010102. It seems that I have had £230 levied in against these 2 accounts.

Looking at the sparce info for before that time, I cannot see any other charges.

 

Should I just send the Prelim letter asking for this back, wait for the response and then combine with the other claim for £80 and send the LBA for this? Any advice/ support appreciated - thanks

 

(Guardian Angel at Data Protection office??? It may well be to my untrained eye that they have only sent me what I need to make a claim... comparing everything I found in my online searching with what I thought was inadequate information i.e imcomplete statements - it does seem the charges match up)

 

Cat

[adamski]

Hi Cat

It seems to me that you are doing everything right, go for it girl!!!, i from the info i have gathered here and on other sites i would put the two claims in together if they are for the same bank i.e. Lloyds, from 100% of peesp on here it seems Lloyds take you all the way to the wire up to point of you sending in bailiffs in just hold on tight and keep going, i will watch in anticipation of your final victory

all the best

adamski

[cathrionas]

Sending prelim letter for accounts 2 and 3 recorded delivery in a few minutes...

Cat

[SurlyBonds]

Dear all,

It was becoming difficult to stay motivated about this because I thought I wasn't really owed money by the banks for this chunk of my life, but would you believe it - today the bank has billed me £30 for being overdrawn for about 7 hours. I rang and politely pointed this out to a gentleman who was the most unhelpful, insincere customer care representative I have ever spoken to. I didn't even receive a letter from them on this occasion. ---snip---

 

They CANNOT, and should not be putting charges onto your account straight away anyway. LTSB are a signatory to the Banking Code which clearly states:

5.5 Before we take interest or charges for standard account services from your current or savings account, we will give you at least 14 days’ notice of

how much we will take.

 

i.e. They HAVE to tell you how much your charges are going to be, and then give you 14 days before they apply them

 

I would inform them that they appear to have breached Code 5.5 of the Banking Code and this action gives you the right to report the matter to the Banking Code Standards Board. But, in the interests of trying to be amicable, you are prepared to hold back on such action if the bank unconditionally refunds the charge without further delay.

 

Keep a copy of the letter, and send it recorded delivery (or fax it and keep the fax transmission report - this is usually accepted in English Courts as proof of service), because if the matter goes to Court, you can put a copy of this letter with your Admissions to the Court, to show that you have tried to be reasonable all along, but it is the bank being non-approachable.

 

[cathrionas]

Thank you for your advice. I am trying to keep it really simple so I am including the charge in my overall claim. Cat

[cathrionas]

Hello,

I just now received a response to my letter dated the 21st of June (which was the date on which I sent the second 2 prelim letters). Nice letter stating that their final position is the same as stated in their previous response to my request concerning the first account.

They advise again that I should contact the ombutsman and this confuses me. It seems like a reasonable thing to do but will clearly delay my plan to proceed with a letter before action which is my next step. Anyone got a quick pointer for me on this please?

Bye for now,

Cat

[kazzaw]

Looks like you've received a standard letter as mine also referred me to the Banking Ombudsman.

 

Carry on as you are & send the LBA letter to the bank 14 days after preliminary letter.

[cathrionas]

LBA sent with schedule of charges from the excel spread sheet.

[cathrionas]

Received a letter from J O Neill, dated 20 July saying position unchanged. Recieved Small Claims self help kit which is straight forward as promised. I am working away at the claim which I intend to submit online. I need to submit that ASAP.

Cat