Enough Is Enough - Settled In Full!

[Mariana]

Hi all. Came across this brilliant site this week and took action to recoup all the bank charges straigtaway. My husband and I have two seperate bank accounts with Halifax and have incurred a total of £2500.00 in bank charges since September 2005! Like everyone else, I don't mind paying SOME charges - we know we are in the wrong - but not these exessive charges! Bottomline - we will not be in this situation if it wasn't for the Halifax and their charges! We do not live exessively, and count a visit to the garden centre for 'n few plants as a treat! We have two young children, and this month I am faced with having to survive on £200 from today to the end of the month. I work 20 miles from home and petrol is costing me £30.00 a week! Were does it all end? Well, enough is enough. I have sent my DPA request on Tuesday, and await a response from them. I am also proceeding to recoup charges from GE Money, Warrior Direct and Royal Bank of Scotland Visa.

 

The funny thing is that we would life quite comfortably if it wasn't for the charges upon charges upon charges which causes a snowball effect and leaves you in debt!

 

Thank you for all the good advise, which I will follow ....

 

Keep you posted.

 

MC

[dave]

Yeah - very funny isn't it?

 

Not.

 

Bank have pushed far too hard - if they had kept them even 5-10 quid less, then they wouldn't have this revolt on their hands and they could probably have carried on fleecing people for years.

 

More fool them.

 

Welcome to the forum - keep us posted and good luck (you won't need it).

[Mariana]

I am so outraged about all of this! In the space of two days a total of £273 has been debitted from my husband's account in charges! I have opened a new account with Barclays. Just got off the phone to my husband who is at home for lunch - despite being £500.00 overdrawn Halifax has sent me a new chequebook!!!!! - Being cut up - methinks!

[Mariana]

Standard letter received from Halifax in response to my Prelim letter. Quite a good turnaround - I sent it on 9.05.06! Well, we all know what comes next ...

[deemacperth]

On a lighter note, your title reminded me of a Barbra Streisand song.

[Mariana]

Deffo - "I can't go on .....

[Spiceskull]

On a lighter note, your title reminded me of a Barbra Streisand song.

***cough cough*** Barbara Streisand AND Donna Summer (THE original Disco Queen)

[deemacperth]

I stand corrected. I am only 29 after all.

[Mariana]

Did not even know that one myself!

 

Well, I tell you this much - I don't feel like a disco queen at all - more like a low life - in debt - stressed - depressed member of the community! I just telephoned Barclays to find out what the progress is in on my bank account - was informed that my request was declined!!!! All I want is a bogstandard account - no chequebook, no overdraft - nothing! Explained that a letter coming out today will explain why. Well, can't wait for that - I need to get things in order so that our salaries will not be affected. Went online to open a Step account with NatWest - I can see that most people are taking that option. NatWest account agreed in principle - will see what is in post tomorrow ....

 

Our credit score is probably non-existant at this stage!

[kaysamoly]

Dont mind me suggesting try natwest step account, you can apply on line we had no problem getting one despite having bad credit rating and also there is an account the nationwide have which does not involve a credit search.

[Mariana]

Thanks for the advice - yes, I have been to NatWest and it seems as if we would be ok with them.

 

Quick question - can someone list all the banks HBOS owns?

[kaysamoly]

i know they own nat west but but we had no problem..

[Mariana]

Yes, I knew they own quite a large majority of the banks now. I am one step away from keeping MY money in the cookie jar! My mum always says: "Go back to basics." - Makes me wonder sometimes ....

[storm79]

Just for info, HBOS don't own Natwest.

 

The parts of the group that you're interested in are:

 

-Halifax

-Bank of Scotland

-Birmingham Midshires

-Clerical Medical

-Intelligent Finance

-Sainsbury's Bank

-St Jame's Place Bank

[kaysamoly]

Sorry for misimforming you nat west is part of the RBS group.

[Mariana]

Update - after emailing AmandaBasen@halifax.co.uk (got it from Edinburghkev's thread) - with no acknowledgment, I sent a further email requesting an acknowledgment of my email. Which was replied to almost instantly advising me:" I confirm reciept of your message and confirm your request will be actioned in dure course."

[Mariana]

In reply to the Standard letter received from Halifax yesterday, in which they notify me that my request will be dealt with within 4 weeks, I wrote to them as follows:-

 

Thank you for your letter of 10th May 2006. I note your comments about dealing with my request within 4 weeks.

However, I would draw your attention to my letter where I requested that you reply within 14 days. If I do not hear from you by then, I will initiate legal proceedings against Halifax plc to recoup these unlawful charges.

Please further note that I have also requested a breakdown of all charges from you via email, which have been incurred on both my accounts for the last 6 years. Whilst I await hearing from you in this respect, I will in the interim continue to proceed with my request that all charges made since September 2005 be returned to me.

I take this opportunity to remind Halifax plc that the fees which they have been applying to my accounts in relation to direct debit refusals, exceeding overdraft limits and so forth are unlawful at Common Law, Statute and recent Consumer regulations.

I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.

Yours sincerely

 

Am I on the right track?

[roselyn]

Like yourself, I feel now that enough is enough. I have been going through a lengthy divorce, suffered badly at the hands of several banks, mainly the Halifax, and am being harrassed 2/3 times a day, most days including weekends and bank holidays when they say they can't wait the few weeks until I get my settlement and want an immediate payment.

 

I too have no money, DD haven't been paid, including our mortgage, but we have again been charged excessive fees from the banks and also now from our other lenders, car insurance, mortgage etc., you know the score.

 

I am so angry now that I am going to have to do something about it. I am so stressed that I burst into tears at the mere mention of finances and the CAB previously advised me to go bankrupt saying it would only stay on my records for 12 months, I don't think so, do you.

 

Any advice greatly appreciated and great to know we're not on our own.

[Mariana]

Hi Roselyn

 

Gosh, I do feel for you. I am in the same situation. Had a very irritating call from Royal Bank of Scotland yesterday. The lady was so rude, and even told me off for taking loudly - I was trying to compete with my two-year old's crying around my ankles - and couldn't hear her!!! I sometimes feel like David against Goliath. Bankruptcy is an option, although it will only be for a year, I feel that it will have an effect in later life. It is a tough one. We have to face it - it is not going to sort itself out in a few months, I think best option is to keep your head down, try to work out a repayment plan, via CAB, with your creditors and work out a three year plan to get out of debt. Getting a the exessive bank charges back from the bank is a good start ....

 

I do hope that you can sort it out.... Let me know how things get on.

 

Take care

[Mariana]

I can home on Friday with lots of post from Halifax. Amongst these were the bank statements for the last 6 years for my husbands account - I was astonished! - £8,000.00 in total! I guess I have to claim twice on this account. Also, in response to my prelim letters claiming charges back from last September, Halifax offered my husband £400.00 and me £200.00 as a "goodwill gesture" and in "full and final settlement". Of course, I am not accepting this, and will continue accordingly.

 

I am still waiting for my account's statements - will be interesting to see what that amounts to.

 

Got details of my new account with NatWest yesterday, and spent the rest of the day phoning around changing direct debits. The CAB advised me to pay Halifax overdraft off by £50.00 per month, as they were the last of my priorities. I was totally in agreement!

 

Tomorrow I will send LBA to Halifax for charges from September.

 

Will keep you posted.

[Mariana]

Hi everyone!

 

Just a quick update.

 

I posted the appropriate letters to Halifax today, accepting their offer, but advising them that I am intending to reclaim the full amount of charges.

 

I am still awaiting the breakdown of charges on my account for the last 6 years, and have noted that in my letter to Halifax. In the interim, I am reclaiming charges made since September 2005 - a total of £1098.00 on 9th May 06!

 

I am claiming back £4979.00 for charges on husband's account - charges from July 2004 to date. Once this matter has been resolved, I will proceed to reclaim the balance of £1500.00 for charges from October 2000 to June 2004.

 

This afternoon, I was contacted by Halifax demanding that I pay my overdraft straightaway. I said I can't and have been advised by the CAB to repay them £50.00 a month. She then went on to tell me to live within my means (I am living within my means - "my means" being swallowed up by Halifax every month in bank charges and overdrafts!!!. Anyways, the saga continues ......

[Spiceskull]

Don't let them put you off with derogatory remarks like that - how you live, and the means in which you do it, is none of their business...good luck.

[Mariana]

Update -

 

Telephoned Amanda Basden today at Halifax (Escalated Complaints Department) to enquire about progress on my request for a breakdown of account charges ... Was told that my request has not been processed yet, due to the number of requests that have been received and that my request will be seen to in due course. She acknowledged receipt of my letter dated 21st May 2006 and I then politely reminded her of the timescale imposed in my letter. She said, yes, she is aware of it. The telephone call was concluded then.

 

Funny thing is, my husbands request was sent the same day as mine. He did not get a standard response from Halifax and his statements turned up on Friday, 19th May!

 

I DID get a response and still it has not been processed!

 

Beggers belief!

[Mariana]

Quick question please -

 

I note that the 14 day deadline given in my Prelim letter expires today. Do I now proceed to issue a LBA, eventhough they offered £200 last Friday?

[Mariana]

I have today sent off my LBA, specifying bank charges based on accounts that I have. Interestingly, although I receive it electronically, there are about 4 statements missing. I therefore stipulated which statements my figure of £1478 was based on. This is really in order for me to claim back any charges contained in these missing statements when this matter is concluded.

 

I have also requested that I hear from them as a matter of urgency about the breakdown of charges since 2000 and their cheque in the sum of £200.00.

 

Clock is ticking ..... TICK TOCK..... hear the pennies drop ......