Please help: Abbey messing me around, damaging credit rating...?

[Deleted User]

Hello,

Please could somebody help me make sense of the below?

I have an unsecured personal loan with Abbey that I had never failed to make payments on - always on-time. In February I changed banks, so had to cancel the direct debit and move it over to a new bank account.

I requested new DD mandate forms from Abbey but whilst these arrived I made payments manually over the phone using my debit card. Despite requesting the DD mandate several times, I still haven't received one (it's September now!).

In late February, I was slightly late in making a payment (completely my fault - not enough funds in account so payment bounced) so as soon as I realised this I phoned up and paid using my debit card. I asked the customer rep if this had brought my account up to date and was told that it had.

Each month I phone up and make payment - and each month I always ask specifically 'had this brought my account up to date' and was told that it had.

In March I received a letter notifying me that my account was in arrears, so I phoned up Abbey assuming this to refer to my late February payment and was told 'no, it's not in arrears - everything's up to date'.

In April, I received a more threatening letter telling me that I am now two payments behind schedule. I was quite worried so phoned up and was told that 'no, it's not in arrears - everything's up to date so ignore the letter'.

In May, I received a call from Abbey Collections who told me that my account was in arrears...from February! I explained to them that I've had several calls and months have passed since then, during which time several staff members have told me my account is up to date and current.

They said:

• When I phoned up in February to pay the late payment, the timing of my call fell on the due-date for the next month's payment (by chance) and so payment was taken not for February, but for March.
• That because their systems have a time-lag (a bit like clearing), the account would not have shown any arrears.

Anyway, I was very annoyed and said I would complain (in the end I didn't bother) but I made payment and asked specifically again 'has this brought my account up to date'. I was told 'yes, you are no longer in arrears and the account is up to date'.

I carried on like this (requesting more DD mandate forms - still none received) but in late July I went on holiday and realised I needed to pay that months' bill (I was slightly late, I think).

So, I phoned them up (10th August) and was told that 'yes, you need to make one payment (for July) to bring your account up to date' - so I did this and made payment. Once again, I asked 'is my account now up to date' and was told 'yes, it is completely up to date'.

Anyway, this morning I registered on Equifax for a trial of my credit report and can see:

• The account is in arrears
• No payments have been recorded on the account since June
• There is an 'arrangement to pay' recorded for April
• February, March and June's payments are '1 month late'.

I was obviously confused and angry by this so just spoke to Abbey Collections and was told:

• You're account IS in arrears...from FEBRUARY!
• The reason is hasn't been picked up before is due to how their system works
• When I phoned up to pay on 10th August I was not behind on July's payment
• When I phoned up to pay on 10th August, INSTEAD of putting my payment towards the overdue February payment, it was applied IN ADVANCE to my August payment instead (which wasn't due for another month)!

I am really annoyed by all of this as I feel completely messed around by Abbey, but at the same time I still don't understand exactly what has happened with my account.

Each month I phone up diligently to make payment and I specifically ask if my account is up-to-date (they record calls, surely?) and am told 'yes, you are now up to date', but in fact this late payment from February keeps following me and rather than them using my payments to clear this, they seem to apply my payments in advance to late months.

What should I do? Have I done something wrong or is this Abbey's error? Has anyone else had this experience?

[Deleted User]

By the way, the key thing for me here is that I always ask 'am I up to date?' and am told 'yes, you are'. Abbey keep telling me incorrectly that I'm up to date so I don't understand why my credit report is suffering because of their errors.

Bob_the_Saver

Welcome to the world of shAbbey

[Deleted User]

What should I do/say to Abbey?

Bob_the_Saver

Deleted_User wrote: »

What should I do/say to Abbey?

Best bet is "Goodbye"

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Deleted_User wrote: »

By the way, the key thing for me here is that I always ask 'am I up to date?' and am told 'yes, you are'. Abbey keep telling me incorrectly that I'm up to date so I don't understand why my credit report is suffering because of their errors.

They are an horrendous company to deal with. I have been with them for 30 years and have almost finished with switching my business elsewhere.
I just can't be bothered to list it all on here yet again. In fact, some of the stuff that has happened, I haven't bothered posting about. Shame on me but I have even been reduced to shouting and swearing down the phone at them more than once. I have always been a customer in good standing - never exceeded an overdraft or credit limit, had a number of financial products from them down the years (including my mortgage for three years) - but sometimes, their crass incompetence seems relentless.
I actually decided to leave when I felt close to nutting out on stress after one episode with them.
Switching everything away from them at once could have triggered a cashflow difficulty. I even considered borrowing a grand or two at high rates from a credit card just to help with cashflow while I was severing the umbilical cord but, in the end, decided to do it more gradually and save myself a load of interest. I resolved not to phone them during that time period.
I do have a personal loan with them which has a year to run. After reading of your problems, I think I will leave my bank account open with them just to service that and nothing else until the loan is repaid.

Paulgonnabedebtfree

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Abbey+customer+service&meta=&aq=f&oq=



http://www.switchtoabbey.co.uk/



Interesting read these links.

[Deleted User]

Very interesting reading - they do seem like a pile of the proverbial!

I'm writing them a letter now - the customer rep said they don't have an email address, but I'm assuming the one listed in the blog works fine?

A couple of questions:

Do Abbey record calls? If so, am I entitled to a copy of all calls I've made, under the Data Protection Act?

Similarly, can I request notes on my account?

Paulgonnabedebtfree

Deleted_User wrote: »

Very interesting reading - they do seem like a pile of the proverbial!

I'm writing them a letter now - the customer rep said they don't have an email address, but I'm assuming the one listed in the blog works fine?

A couple of questions:

Do Abbey record calls? If so, am I entitled to a copy of all calls I've made, under the Data Protection Act?

Similarly, can I request notes on my account?

I've no idea about their data records but I know i have emailed them before some time back. It may have been by online form on the banking website.
Got no response of course.

exabbey

Basically, Abbey's loan and collections dept is now ever more populated by semi trained people who dont know how to look at an account properly.
By the sounds of it they hadn't been able to give you an answer as they purely didnt know what to look at.
Not all calls are recorded, only random ones for training and monitoring so you can never rely on that.
if you want info on calls you've made and notes put on the system when you called you just need to go to the branch, ask for a Subject Access Request. This is a copy of all the information they hold on you, which would be useful for your situation and your complaint.
You need to make a complaint!

spethmeister

So it's not just me then!! I was told when I set up my loan with them that I would be able to make over payments and was told by the woman who sold it to me that she does the same with hers so there would be no problems with it at all - but when I try to make the over payments I get told that any extra paid to the account will be automatically refunded!! Bunch of muppetts!!