Yorkshire Bank Scandal! Help Needed

TheHorse

My mother-in-law has a credit card with BMI and normally pays it with the slip in the bank (Yorkshire Bank) in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts.

2 weeks ago she went to pay off her bill as normal, drew half the money out of the cash machine at Yorkshire (she had the remainder in cash already) and went inside to pay it. Inside was very busy so she decided to use one of their drop-off envelopes. Put the cash in it with the slip and left.

MOnday - she receives a new statement from BMI with late/non-payment charges on. She rang BMI and they said they had not received payment.

So she went into Yorkshire Bank who denied everything before she'd even explained.

They've 'looked' into it and seen that she had drawn the money out but claim she didnt deposit the envelope so she said to check the CCTV as she would be on it.

Today the bank manager has said that they didnt see anything and gave her a complaint form and pretty much said she was lying. She requested to see the CCTV footage but they refused....

They are obviously lying so what can we do now? Are we legally entitled to view the footage ?

So infuriated, I can't let these people get away with it - any advice ??

PaulLuke

Not sure where you can go here but in terms of asking to see footage it is covered by DPA so your mother would need to put in a formal request (subject access request) to see all information the bank hold on her, which does include recorded images etc which may help if there is a camera by the deposit area.

There will be a fee payable and it will take a little time (I can't remember the time limits off hand) but ask the bank for details of how they operate the process.

TheHorse

sounds extreme but would calling the police help, seeing as it is essentially theft (or they just havent bothered to look for the envelope).

Coupon-mad

Maybe someone saw her put the cash in the envelope and was able to fish it back out after she had left (not necessarily Bank staff, I am thinking an opportunist, thieving customer). This would show up on CCTV if the camera was pointed in the right direction of course...

Are you supposed to put cash in those things anyway, at my Banks (HSBC and Lloyds) you can only put paying in slips into such a box if it's cheques you are paying in, or bills being paid by cheque. This is for obvious reasons of security and to avoid accusations against Bank staff if the cash doesn't add up/isn't there later...

TheHorse

Coupon-mad wrote: »

Maybe someone saw her put the cash in the envelope and was able to fish it back out after she had left (not necessarily Bank staff, I am thinking an opportunist, thieving customer). This would show up on CCTV if the camera was pointed in the right direction of course...

Are you supposed to put cash in those things anyway, at my Banks (HSBC and Lloyds) you can only put paying in slips into such a box if it's cheques you are paying in. This is for obvious reasons of security and accusations against Bank staff if the cash doesn't add up/isn't there later...

I personally would never use a deposit envelope so Ive no idea if youre meant to put cash in it or not. I dont bank in Yorkshire either so I cant say what the deposit box is like. I'll have to go in and see if theres a camera overlooking the deposit box.

these things are so frustrating and it's not even my money :mad:

littlemissbossy

I used the quick deposit envelope once with cash at Natwest. They rang me later that day to tell me not to use it for cash for security reasons, I had never given this a thought. Then a couple of weeks later I used the envelopes again (a cheque this time) at a different branch of Natwest and there was a box to tick to say whether you were paying in cash or cheques. Very confusing.

savagej

To see the CCTV she would need to put in a SAR and pay the £10 fee, then included with everything else they hold on her she would get a DVD/Video whatever she prefers with the camera footage for that day on it. She would have to state in the SAR the date and approximate time period in question maybe going 1-2 hours either side of when she was in the bank.

I think she should make the complaint formal at this stage so they cannot say, "oh, sorry we wiped that tape". I also dont think calling the police is that extreme they have to answer every complaint and it will put the wind up the bank no end.

They will even go to the lengths of looking at the CCTV of the staff (to make sure one of them did not pocket it) opening the box, taking out the envelopes, and processing the transactions and in most banks it will be policy 2 people do this in order that it can be verified.

TheHorse

update:

She has been to the bank this morning and they said that the SAR is not applicable. They still refused to let my mother-in-law see the manager and still refused her to see the CCTV footage.

The police said there's nothing they can do....what a surprise so I have now contacted the financial ombudsman. They say we have to allow Yorkshire 8 weeks to respond to our formal complaint and deal with it before they get actively involved.

The CCTV camera looks directly over the deposit box so they're bang to rights!!

The contempt of the staff is unbelievable, I feel like wringing their bloody necks!

Fire_Fox

Letter in writing to the bank'S complaints department, sent recorded delivery ASAP.

flossy_splodge

I have printed this thread off and will be taking it into my own branch of Yorkshire Bank where they have always been absolutely brilliant.
Someone needs to let them know that we share info and one rogue branch will get them all a bad name.
I will post back this evening as to what is said.
Good luck.

TheHorse

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Letter in writing to the bank'S complaints department, sent recorded delivery ASAP.

yes thats what we're getting done now, I sense a long and protracted case ahead :mad: