Bank Charges Financial Hardship Disussion

MsNoviceMoneySavr

rocjescai wrote: »

Hi I am also with Smile(ther co op),we have 6 months of mortgage arrears but they wouldnt pay us a penny either!I am currently waiting on news from the FOS who say we should have an adjudicator by the start of October.I will update as soon as I hear.I think Smile are a nightmare they arent paying anyone out!!!

I'm really pleased you said that - because I am desperate to pay off my overdraft with them, and leave them but am unable to do it until they pay me. So am getting very stressed out with the situation and wondering if there is anything I can do.
Did actually consider calling them up and crying down the telephone every day but realised probably would not work...

Our arrears are not as bad as yours, and currently if we're careful, and have now agreed repayments we can afford on loans and stuff out incomings are about the same as our outgoings. Though of course depends how you look at it..i.e. pitifully small 'emergency' budget etc.

natweststaffmember

hermum wrote: »

Hi, my mortgage is luckily paid in full at the moment. My water arrears & current consumption is 14.00 a week gas arrears on meter 7.00 a week. I think that the total amount outstanding on both is around 2grand. This only leave 69 a week for everything else except water charges.
Regards
hermum

The surplus a week could be a problem since it might show that you are paying off arrears and have a surplus. Ask them the question.
Can I double check which bank it is(apologies but I might have their I&E form so am just double checking)?

natweststaffmember

filthiestfish wrote: »

OK sorry for the confusion. So, to clear things up: I have sent 1 letter to natwest for the credit card charges and 1 letter for current account charges (they are different addresses). I have not received a reply from the credit card side, from a first letter sent 3 weeks ago, so a couple of days ago I have sent them a second letter saying that I will be contacting the F Ombudsman.
Regarding current account charges, their response is that I must fill in a hardship form, which they have enclosed with letter. My issue with that is that I am not currently in hardship, but I was in hardship during the months that they kept applying overcharges on my account, despite receiving monthly payments from CCCS.
Is that a bit clearer? I would like to thank you for helping me out so far. :T:A

In that case on the bank charges side, your claim is ok now with the bank since they will have logged it.
On the credit card one, did you send the letter recorded delivery?

natweststaffmember

highstoney12 wrote: »

Some advice, please. I wrote to Abbey on 22nd August this year using Martin's hardship template requesting 4200.00 pounds of unfair bank charges and received a reply on 7th September thanking me for my recent contact adding "Our understanding is that you are currently experiencing financial difficulties and are requesting a refund of the unauthorised overdraft bank charges on your account etc." It went on to state "Once you have completed the Income, Expenditure, Assets & Liabilities form, please return it to us within 7 days with any supporting evidence you would like us to review".
Unfortunately, Abbey forgot to include that form and when I phoned to inform them of this omission they promised to put one in the post immediately.
However, today I received another letter from Abbey (but no Income/Expenditure form) thanking me for my recent contact regarding unauthorised overdraft charges and adding "We have carefully considered your financial activity with Abbey, together with information obtained from credit reference agencies to assess your claim. Please note our check with credit reference agencies will not be recorded on your credit file." The letter then goes on to state "As a result, we appreciate your current financial situation and therefore, as a gesture of goodwill, we will be refunding unauthorised overdraft bank charges totalling 865.00 pounds. We have arranged for the payment to be made by cheque to assist you. This amount is based on the unauthorised overdraft bank charges you have incurred in the twelve months prior to the date of our receipt of your claim for financial difficulty. In addition, we will cancel any unauthorised overdraft bank charges, to be applied to your account until the end of the statement period 07/10/2009"
I have not used my Abbey account since April this year where I have an overdraft of some 1600.00 pounds, which they had been asking me to clear. My question is this, what should I do next? Should I still demand the Income/Expenditure form they neglected to send me, or take the 865.00 pounds goodwill gesture and pursue the balance?

That is a pretty good offer considering you haven't used the account at all. However, if you wish to ask them to assess the situation with an income and expenditure form then I have one, which is on the Legal Beagles site which you will need to register with to print it out and complete:
http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showpost.php?p=127469&postcount=5

EDIT: Legal Beagles is in the process of changing their server today so it may be down at some point today but should not be down for too long.

natweststaffmember

welshwomble wrote: »

After a number of years, Nationwide have just reimbursed me £1,000. I still have a live case with the FOS for a further £2400.

I think you just have to hang on in there and show them that you will not go away, like a number of you I too prepared a financial statement showing that I was in hardship, and like number of you despite showing clearly that I was it was rejected.
I think we have to start to campaign outside the various outlets of these companies, as I am sure you will agree they are ruining our lives, for financial gain and greed.

What is your argument on the remaining outstanding amount owed?
Are you aware that any amount still outstanding is still "live" so to speak since no refunds can be in full and final settlement of a claim but merely the financial hardship part of it?

longhauladdict

Hiya,
I hope I'm in the right place, and tha one of you fabulous helpful people can assist?
I have submitted a claim to barclays under hardship, and was claiming £1184. I have recieved a letter today enclosing a cheque for £637.50 as they have accepted my complaint and this is as a 'gesture of goodwill'.
I am now about to write back to them and ask for the full ammount again, and also refer this to the FOS - has anyone been successful in doing this, as i know under the hardship guidance, they only have to offer a goodwill payment to try to assist? But surely, it's worth trying?

However, what should I do about this cheque? The letter doesn't state anything about full and final settlement, it refers to the FSA clause that if the decision is made to refund charges, then it will make a further payment. The letter does however state that this is their inal response, so is is even worth ringing/writing to them or just to go stratight to FOS?
if so, should I cash the cheque or would this be seen as accepting their offer????

Thanks so much for all of your help, I wouldn't even be this far along without it!!!

filthiestfish

natweststaffmember wrote: »

In that case on the bank charges side, your claim is ok now with the bank since they will have logged it.
On the credit card one, did you send the letter recorded delivery?

Yes all letters are sent by recorded delivery so that they cannot come up with excuses.

natweststaffmember

filthiestfish wrote: »

Yes all letters are sent by recorded delivery so that they cannot come up with excuses.

yep that's the main reason and it means if they do not respond then you have proof that you sent it to them, ie Financial Ombudsman Service if you go down that route.

natweststaffmember

longhauladdict wrote: »

Hiya,
I hope I'm in the right place, and tha one of you fabulous helpful people can assist?
I have submitted a claim to barclays under hardship, and was claiming £1184. I have recieved a letter today enclosing a cheque for £637.50 as they have accepted my complaint and this is as a 'gesture of goodwill'.
I am now about to write back to them and ask for the full ammount again, and also refer this to the FOS - has anyone been successful in doing this, as i know under the hardship guidance, they only have to offer a goodwill payment to try to assist? But surely, it's worth trying?

However, what should I do about this cheque? The letter doesn't state anything about full and final settlement, it refers to the FSA clause that if the decision is made to refund charges, then it will make a further payment. The letter does however state that this is their inal response, so is is even worth ringing/writing to them or just to go stratight to FOS?
if so, should I cash the cheque or would this be seen as accepting their offer????

Thanks so much for all of your help, I wouldn't even be this far along without it!!!

Is the account still open?
Do you have priority debt arrears(mortgage.rent, council tax, utilities)?

longhauladdict

natweststaffmember wrote: »

Is the account still open?
Do you have priority debt arrears(mortgage.rent, council tax, utilities)?

Hi, the account is still open. The cheque actually surprised me, as i have a OD with them which is now on a repayment loan so i thought my money would just go back into the account if anything (not that I am complaining).
No, I don't have any priority debts, I would just be using this to clear the overdraft etc, but I am thinking that I should try for the whole ammount, but don't know what to do about cashing the cheque?
Thanks