Out of the frying pan .. ..***WON***

[victimnomore]

Hello Halifaxians!

 

This is my first post in the Halifax forum, though I've been a CAG member for many months. I originally joined so I could take up the fight against Barclays, who have been doing their best to make my life hell for decades.

 

One of the first things I did was open myself a "parachute account" at the Halifax - little did I realise just how much "eXtra" they really take when it comes to penalty charges. Having now strayed over my overdraft limit they're hitting me with charges left right and centre - the idiots are now actually charging me more in penalties than I have coming in!! That's not just unlawful, and grossly immoral, it's obscenely greedy and downright stupid. Do the actually think I'm going to let them get away with it?

 

Well, here goes. While I'm waiting for my court hearing date with Barclays I'm going to get started on collecting my figures for a Halifax claim.

 

Watch out Howard .. ..

[sea-sidelady]

Hiya.

Nice to see you, welcome to the anti haliprats..!

[victimnomore]

Thanks for the welcome sea-sidelady.

[victimnomore]

Excuse me. I'm afraid I need to let off steam.

 

I've just had a phone call (at 8:45 on a Saturday morning - very guerilla warfare) from "Halifax Head Office Arreas".

 

Actually, I'm so livid I'm finding it difficult to sort out what to say.

 

Basically, they want me to immediately pay off the excess over my "agreed" overdraft limit, or they will cancel all my direct debits and take all my income for the next month until the excess is paid off. I'd then have to return my chequebook and card, and generally be treated like some naughty little school-boy - ALL BECAUSE OF THEIR PENALTY CHARGES!!

 

She even said she knows I'll get my fees refunded(!!!!!!!!) but it takes several weeks for that to happen ( .. and that's MY fault HOW???)

 

Are these people actually insane??

 

 

 

(gotta go - gotta have coffee - gotta take my anti-depressants)

[lmb]

Hi victimnomore just read your last post.If I could swear here I would!The Halifax are b******s!I haven't heard anything like this before about the banks doing this.I must admit I cannot be as helpful to you { about this subject }as others on this site can be so am gonna bump.Goodluck.

[victimnomore]

Thanks for the support.

 

I've calmed down now (a bit anyway).

 

I've checked my account through online banking. I was hoping to cancel some standing orders and/or direct debits - but I can't! The idiots have gone and made my account "enquiry only" so I can't actually cancel or amend any payments .. how stupid is that?

 

I've also checked out the figures.

 

I'm currently £471.80 over my overdraft limit. Sounds as though I've gone a bit wild with my money doesn't it? But no. In LESS THAN A MONTH they've actually applied £460 of (unlawful) fees to my account. That leaves £11.80 I've "squandered". Just ELEVEN quid!!!!!!!!!

 

Time to write letters methinks .. oh yes, time to write letters.

[LinniLoo2006]

Hi victimnomore,

 

This is exactly how my other half got into so much of a state with Halifax - in one month (just before christmas 2004) they asked him to make a payment of £300, but he could only get £280 - so they put his account on hold and slapped another heap of charges on (if memory serves, about £275 worth of charges)- thus making the situation worse and placing the account in the hands of a debt collection agency. Now, over 2 years on, we have claimed the money back (£1600) but they have started phoning us again - in fact we had a call about 1/2 hour ago!

 

I will never advise anyone to bank with Halifax as long as I live - i have never heard of a bank treating people so badly.

 

Good luck with everything - sorry we can't offer any real advice.

[victimnomore]

Thanks for the support LinniLoo2006, It's nice to be among people who understand what these people are doing to their customers. Actually I had another call from them today - must have been about the same time as your call - about 13:10. It was a mistake, the guy apologised for duplicating yesterdays call and hung up, but not before he gave the "excuse" that it was an automated calling system. WHAT!! What on earth do these people think they're doing placing automated calls to their customers at lunchtime on Sundays?

 

But you're right about the level of charges. Barclays have taken thousands off me over the years, but I've been genuinely shocked at how viscious the Halifax charges have been.

 

Anyway, to action ..

 

I've just got back from posting a couple of letters. One was a complaint about all the matters arrising out of yesterday's phone call, demanding immediate release of my account, immediate repayment of the penalty charges, an apology and compensation. I expect it to achieve absolutely nothing. But it's made me feel better!! The other letter was a standard Prelim letter and schedule of charges, requesting £459 in charges together with contractual interest at 0.0715% per day (total £462.88).

 

Counting down to LBA .. ..

[victimnomore]

The guerilla war stupidity continues ..

 

The phone rang at 08:19 this morning! No response when I picked up the phone - just silence. 1471 revealed it to be 08708503492 which the excellent "SayNoTo0870" website tells me is HBOS debt collection.

 

The causes for complaint just keep piling up with these lunatics.

[noodledoodle]

Been there! Had to go to the bank and give them back my cheque book and bank cards. What a humiliating episode that was. In the middle of the bank, had the cheque book cut up, at their "Customer Service Desk" in full view of the result of the bank!! And all because of their excessive charges - very similar to your story. Have now worked out they have charged me just shy of £2000 in the last year. Makes me evil to think about it.

[LinniLoo2006]

That is an utter disgrace - how do these people sleep at night, especially when, as you say, it was a result of their charges?! I think my other half felt humiliated when they told him he must close his account last week - it was a bit like opening up old wounds but I believe we have had the last laugh (as you will too Noodledoodle).

 

Best of luck Victimnomore - I have just been posted a link about telephone harrassment if you would like it (thanks Survivor!)

 

Linniloo,

 

Click the link:

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.c o.uk/forum/bank-templates-library/37006-harassment-telephone-response-letter.html

 

Should take you to a post by jonni2bad and contains a letter template for harrassment by telephone...

 

...Should be just what you're looking for

 

Survivor

Happy Monday evening everyone XX

[victimnomore]

Thanks Linniloo, that certainly looks good. I'll use it if they keep on doing this.

I've already reported this morning's silent call on the ofcom website.

Noodledoodle, you go for that £2000! I just KNOW you'll feel so good going after people who have treated you like that.

[Andrew66]

My wife's with the Halifax, she's waiting for her statements at the mo. to claim back charges. I just think all banks are greedy. A much fairer charge would be £5 or £10, not the huge fees they charge just for caling someone to say they cannot pay the direct debit.

[victimnomore]

Well now, THAT'S been a very odd 24 hours ... ...

 

First off, yesterday afternoon I was feeling particularly angry and frustrated with THEM. Not just because of the money they've taken as such, but at the fact that they'd "restricted" my account - effectively locked me out from my own money. So I sent an email, using the addresses I found on this site, to customer relations with a copy to one of the big bosses. I told them that following my complaint I "required" them to de-restrict my account and that if they did not do so within 24 hours I would complain to the Banking Ombudsman (which I believe is quite expensive for the bank).

 

Next, this morning I got another call from the Halifax debt collection department .. at 08:25!! So I shouted at her. I told her not to be so ridiculous, that it was a STUPID time to be calling, and hung up. (At this point they were just a whisker away from a "harrasment complaint! - four calls in five days, three before 9 in the morning)

 

But then - I got another call this afternoon (2:23), this time from an executive assistant. She knew of my written complaints, but she seemed to be calling mainly in response to my email. They're going to refund all my fees to date (within five days) and restore my account access.

 

I'm not celebrating yet, not till the promised actions take place, but I think I just might possibly have, .. er .. WON!!

 

Actually I feel guilty. Some of you here seem to have to wait so long for justice! I really don't know how I got such a quick result, I must have just, accidentaly, pushed the right buttons (whatever they are). Perhaps they're more frightened of the Banking Ombudsman than I ever expected them to be.

 

Anyway, let's just wait till the money is refunded to the account, eh ..

 

 

 

By the way ..

I got yet another call at 2:41. From the collection department again. This time another mistake - "oops sorry, you've had a call already haven't you?"

Do you think these people have a communication problem??

[noodledoodle]

I only hope my claim is as easy!! Good on you - hope it all goes well.

[rippedoffagain]

Hi victimnomore, good for you!!!

 

could you post the email address you used please?

[victimnomore]

Sure!

 

I got the details here.

 

I used the email address for customer relations:

customerrelations@halifax.co.uk

(actually miss-spelled on the above link)

 

With a copy to AndyHornby@HBOSplc.com

 

Andy Hornby is Chief Executive of HBOS plc. in Edinburgh. So it's probably cc-ing him that did the trick!

[progenic7]

Hi victim no more, i have been in the same boat with the halifax.

 

Im still at S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) stage at the minute though they only have till 3.3.07 to comply !

 

a few years back when i was in financial difficulties for a period of 5 weeks on the trot the bank was taking every penny of my wages the minute they got paid in, all because of their charges.

Ofcourse it didnt help when i had seven companies repeatedly trying to draw direct debits twice a day for a month (£30 every time this happened)

Im sure when i get my copy statements there will be plently to look at.

 

Best of luck with the claim

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/halifax-bank/59099-progenic-halifax.html

[victimnomore]

**************WON******************

 

Yes, I think we can call it a win. I got back all the fees I'd asked for, but not the contractual interest I'd claimed.

 

So, "good", I thought. But, they hadn't finished messing me about (with incompetance rather than malice I think).

 

Apparently back on 10 February, when their "arrears" department restricted my internet account access, they also effectively suspended my account. That meant that, once the fees had been cancelled, and I had a little bit of money in my account, I went to a cash machine and .. .. had my card retained!!!!

"We'll send you a new card in 7-10 days"

"Can't you do it faster?"

"No, because that's how long it takes."

Nothing like logic, eh?

In fact, the card never arrived. So I phoned up and was told it had been actioned so they'd cancel it and send me another card in 7-10days!!!!

 

Now that some of my money was actually getting into my account, I paid of a few small bills, by cheque. Bad idea! The cheques bounced. (They shouldn't have done) so I sent replacement cheques. Even worse idea!! They bounced again. Moreover the recipients charged me for non-payment ("administrative fees" = unlawful penalties if you ask me). Why did the cheques bounce? Because, apparently, when little miss arrears suspended my account she also cancelled my cheque book, the whole of it. But NOBODY had told me!! I was happily sending out cheques in good faith, and being charged for the idiot bank bouncing them.

 

Another complaint to Halifax, and, fortunately they agreed to reimburse me for the penalty charges the cheque recipients had charged me. There's got to be some sort of irony in that!

 

All in all then .. a definite win, but with a few minor loose ends to tie up.

 

 

**************WON******************

[progenic7]

Victim no more

 

hi and congrats, i have not seen you post for a good while. So what exactly happened with the CI claim, did they pay up out of court or did it reach the court room ?

 

why did you except the payment with out CI ?

 

so many questions lol

 

Good Job Anyways

[victimnomore]

Because they settled at such an early stage (even before the LBA), and because the whole claim was relatively small, the interest, even at the "unauthorised overdraft" rate amounted to very little - less than five pounds I think - so not worth fighting over. Well, not this time!

[caro]

Congratulations. I think you were right not to pursue the CI.

[sea-sidelady]

CONGRATULATIONS....!!!!!!!

 

Im really chuffed for you. Great feeling isnt it. :D