Halifax have wound me up.

Nuclear_Tom

Halifax have wound me up something rotten, so thought I'd vent my anger here :cool:

Rant 1 - Credit card

My old Halifax credit card had a limit of £1500, and until a few months ago it had been consitantly at about £1400 balance. I've never missed a payment or gone over my limit. However, the past few months I've got the balance down to £550. I went to pay for my holiday on the card (for the added protection only) and the card was declined, so ended up paying on the debit card.

I got home from work that day to find a letter on the doormat telling me they'd reduced my limit as part of their responsible lending ethos :mad:. Would have been nice to get the letter before they dropped the limit. :eek:

Then, a few days later I got a letter saying that as a value existing customer they were offering me 6.5% on balance transfers for the life of the balance. Rang them to take them up on the offer to be told they wouldn't put the limit back up, so the offer is useless. Wound me right up. The card will be cleared this month and cancelled . Love the way they reward loyal customers by shafting them. :mad:

Rant 2 - Halifax Personal Loan

I've had a personal loan with the Halifax for just over 3 years (60 month term).

About 18 months ago I moved my current a/c from the Halifax to Lloyds TSB, and used the switching service. The direct debit appeared on my list on my online banking, but for some reason they didn't request the directdebit. The day after the normal collection date I rang them, they said they didn't have my details, so I gave my correct details and made a payment with my debit card.

Same thing happened the following month. So for about a year I paid via online banking on the normal collection date. The DD still shows on my online banking but its just not being claimed. :eek:

Anyway, about 6 months ago I got a new current account with Lloyds TSB. Instead of using the switching service I asked Halifax for a DD mandate which I filled in with the new details in the vain hope of paying by DD. However, no joy so I've been paying by online bank transfer since.

Well last month I forgot to pay on the normal collection date (fell on a Sat and didn't remember to pay until the Monday or something along those lines) and I got an arrears letter. Rang them and they confrimed I'd already paid and to disregard the letter.

Then a couple of days ago I got an arrears letter for £70. My payment is £155.02 and I've never made a partial payment so I rang for clarification on what the amount was. They couldn't tell me (assured me I hadn't been charged at all for anything) and told me to go into branch to find out why. They said they'd put my a/c on hold for 10 days.

Well I didn't get round to going to branch that week, and on Sunday they rang me again (about 4 days after calling :eek:) chasing the £70. Told them I'd get to branch this week. He said they'd put my a/c on hold for 10 days.

Phone rang again this morning, not even 24 hrs (are days 2.4hrs long now?) chasing the money. I went mental down the phone, can't believe these people. Got an apology from the supervisor but was told I really must go into branch.

Took an hour off work and drove into my local branch today. I was met with a wealth of confusion. 25 mins of patient waiting later and the lady said she was ever so sorry she couldn't get to the bottom of it and someone would contact me in the next few days

Getting stupidly tired of it all - I just want to pay my loan off monthly by direct debit, is it so hard

The icing on the cake though - checked my credit report today as I often do, and Halifax have put a months arrears on my file for this month. :eek::eek:

I'm fuming. I've worked my nuts off to get my credit report glowing. I haven't missed or made late payments for nearly 2 years now, I've settled 5 credit cards etc etc, for Halifax to go screw it up through their imcompetence is mind blowingly frustrating.

Sorry for the length of the rant, I'm still fuming :eek: Any advice peeps?

Ta.

wannabe_sybil

I am no expert. However if you post on the budgeting and banks board you may get some expert help. I believe some of the regulars on there work for banks, so they may be able to shed some light.

Hope it all works out for you.

mooomin

Hi ho!

Former Halifax branch-worker here to be of service.

You need to speak to someone who deals with loans (A banking adviser). They have the facility to key exactly where you want the payment taken from, but the branch staff can only do so much - if something goes wrong with the setting up of the payment at the other end it's hard to fix. Ask them to show you the screen as they key your new bank details, that way you will know it's being done.

The bank can also amend your credit file if there is an error on it - marking you as paying late is technically an error. They haven't received your payment at the right time so they will automatically mark it as a missed payment, they can correct this. The branch will be unable to do this. I think it might be better to send a letter directly to the Complaints folk (Leaflets in branches will give you an address) If you catalogue exactly what the problem is, how long it has gone on etc you will probably find it will be fixed and that you get some kind of (small) compensation payment.

I can't help with the credit card I'm afraid, I don't know a huge amount about their internal credit limit setting process.

Good luck!

*edited to say* I know this is hugely frustrating and that you will be understandably angry, but keeping complaints letters factual and to the point tends to get you further. In my experience of complaining to companies anyway. Best of luck again!