Bank-smart now charging me!

ricardo274

Hi all, in the same boat as a lot of people on here. Just received a letter from Bank-Smart saying that I am in breach of contract as I have failed to provide some correspondence they required. Firstly I was on the assumption this was a" No win No fee" agreement, I have now been billed for a sum of nearly £400. Got into correspondence with this company in 2012 with no contact until now, so presumed my case was unsuccessful. Secondly I would like to know how this company was able to proceed with the search if they are awaiting a document from myself which is detrimental to the case and is now the cause of a breach of contract. I think "SCAM" comes to mind.As I explained to them I sent off all the paperwork which may have got lost in the post or in there department, which sounds about right for a cowboy outfit. I would like to thank everyone who has given a response to this topic, even though its a horrible and worrying situation to be in its nice to know we are not on our own and we need to beat this company together.

magpiecottage

I suggest you make a formal complaint to complaints@bank-smart.co.uk.

Make clear that you will expect:

1) Confirmation that no fee is or ever will be due.
2) Compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused.
3) That unless they give a satisfactory response to your complaint within 8 weeks you will refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman.

The Legal Ombudsman is free to you but, even if they win, will cost them £400.

Hastings69

I find myself in the same situation, In 2012 i was contacted by Bank Smart saying they could claim back my PPI. So i sent all the forms back and details that they asked for and waited, and waited, and waited and waited.

Then they kept on sending through letters asking me for information that i had already given them, i ignored the letters, after a few more arrived i wrote back to them, and to make sure they got the letter i took o copy to their offices in Shelton street and put in in the letterbox (I only work around the corner)

On Thursday of last week i received a letter telling me that i owe them over £500.00 for all the work they have carried out so far on my case, they are charging me for letters, and emails (Which i never received) this has caused my myself and my wife a huge amount of stress (I recently had a pacemaker fitted) and i don't know what to do, or who to turn to.

Any help would be appreciated

7yearnightmare

I have just had a letter through the post from MIL Collections claiming that I owe Bank Smart £2,461.50 for breach of contract. My story is the same as many others on this thread. I instructed them in 2009 to find out if I was entitled to any PPI. I have been in an IVA since 2008 and my IVA company have since reclaimed any PPI back into the IVA fund - I wasn't aware of this at the time of going through Bank-Smart who I was lead to believe were a no win no fee organisation.

I phoned MIL Collections - twice this morning and am reeling from my conversations with them. During the second call I was asked how I would feel about being made bankrupt just when my IVA finishes!!! I'm beside myself at the moment and don't know how or what to do to address this. Should I contact citizens advice or look at legal representation?

Hastings69

Ouch that is a huge amount of money, and i presume like most people on here you have seen Bank Smart do nothing for you at all.

I have emailed through to info@claimsregulation.gov.uk, and will also be emailing Bank Smart direct so that they have everything in writing.

This i believe gives them 8 weeks to reply, Hopefully this will get them of my back and hopefully yours.

Horseygirl123

There is also another thread running:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4059155

Horseygirl123

Hastings69 wrote: »

Then they kept on sending through letters asking me for information that i had already given them, i ignored the letters, after a few more arrived i wrote back to them, and to make sure they got the letter i took o copy to their offices in Shelton street and put in in the letterbox (I only work around the corner)

The letter I have recently received from BankSmart is very similar to yours. There is a paragraph which states:

"You have been sent a replacement LOA which needs returning. The lenders often require one every 3-6 months and it is important that you sign and return this document without delay".

Maybe they are the letters which you ignored.

I phoned the complaints department and asked for a copy of my signed authorisation document and the terms of my contract as I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have signed up to anything which resulted in me having to cough up even though the claim failed. I'm still waiting so they've probably lost it, in which case I don't think they can continue harrassing me any longer. We'll see!

Hastings69

How long ago did you call them?

7yearnightmare

Yes Hastings it is a huge amount of money. I got so fed up with being randomly bombarded with paperwork that a while back I started returning to sender. I have never received anything from them and I didn't hear from them for a long time so assumed, like you, that nothing came of it. Until yesterday when I received the debt collection letter.

I will email through to the claims regulation address that you posted - thanks for that. I'm 3 months away from completing an IVA that commenced in 2008 (extended due to unemployment and ill health) - so I've come too far to let something like this bring me undone.

Horseygirl123

Hastings69 wrote: »

How long ago did you call them?

I phoned them on the 9th March. Their complaints telephone number is: 0845 073 7149.