How Best To Go About Making A Complaint With The Bank

[WhatALife]

I'm considering making a complaint with Halifax/Bank of Scotland, I've been considering doing this for some time now but mentally I'm in a better place now (having a few personal issues).

 

I had a Current Account with Bank of Scotland for over 20 years then a few year ago I made a few mistakes and ran into a few problems, got a load of bank charges and ran up a lot of debt. I found the bank to be very unhelpful... at the time I was receiving a lot of harassing phone calls, a lot of bank charges (I was receiving charges for charges when there wasn't enough in the account to pay them), despite only having a £100 overdraft I managed to end up with the account being overdrawn by a 4 digit amount. I wrote several letters to the bank at the time but they claim to have never received any of them. In 2008 I eventually managed to get a response from the bank and claimed back some bank charges (the charges were over £3000 but only managed to claim back about 10%). Over the period of about 2 year I wrote to the bank several times asking them to close the account to stop the debt with them increasing further, they wouldn't do this. Around about 2008/2009 with the account still overdrawn I managed to have the account closed and the negative balance written off.

 

I also have an unsecured personal loan with Halifax/Bank of Scotland which has been in default since 2007 (no default notice was ever received) and has been in dispute since earlier this year and it's been the same story... lots of harassing phone calls, no reply to any of my letters to them (they claim no letters were ever received but still managed to cash the cheque that was sent with the letter). I eventually managed to get through to them (I had to write to the CEO as it was the only way I could get a reply). Now when I write to them all I receive in return is a letter asking me to call them to discuss things further. I CCA'd them a while back but the Credit Agreement I received was almost unreadable and there was bits missing.

 

There was also a lot of misleading phone calls regarding the unsecured loan... they were asking me how much I can afford to pay towards the defaulted amount, I would agree an amount that was affordable to me but they would then take an amount that was quite a bit higher and as there wasn't enough in the account to cover it the payment wouldn't go through. This happened mostly with the loan but did happen on several occasions with the current account too. I believe this to be unlawful but don't know how to prove it. I also believe this had a knock on effect which has caused me financial hardship in so many other ways... I fell behind with rent, council tax, gas payments, phone etc. This is still something which is affecting me to this day.

 

I very quickly learned to keep all communications in writing and not to phone them.

 

What I would like to know is can I still complain regarding the Current Account if it is now closed and can both the bank account and loan be put into one complaint as they were both with the same bank?

 

I have copies of every letter sent to and received regarding the loan and most letters regarding the bank account.

[rebel11]

Hi what

 

Have a read of number 14 in my signature. BCOBS / COBS.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/content.php?834-Fair-Treatment-for-Credit-Card-Holders-and-Borrowers

 

'What I would like to know is can I still complain regarding the Current Account if it is now closed and can both the bank account and loan be put into one complaint as they were both with the same bank?' Yes you can.

 

Were you mis-sold PPI on the loan?

[WhatALife]

Hi Rebel, thanks for the information. Had a look through the links and I believe I have experienced a few of the examples of unfair treatment.

 

I was mis-sold PPI on the loan but not sure if I should claim back the PPI then complain or include the PPI in the complaint.

[rebel11]

Hi WhatALife

 

Claim the PPI back first, templates and spreadsheet can be found in the library, I'm moving your thread to the PPI forum. You'll need to send a SAR to get all your statements. Have a read of No.2 in my signature.

To claim your PPI back you will need to send a covering letter, FOS PPI questionnaire and the spreadsheet.

 

Hi Rebel, thanks for the information. Had a look through the links and I believe I have experienced a few of the examples of unfair treatment.

 

I was mis-sold PPI on the loan but not sure if I should claim back the PPI then complain or include the PPI in the complaint.