Scottish Widows Demutualisation Payouts: £70 million still unclaimed!

The_Enigma

I have just received today the same Scottish Widows letter saying that they sent me a check for £4204.38 on 20/9/2000 and that it was cashed on the 14/09/2000. I must have borrowed the Tardis off Dr. Who to be able to complete this transaction. There are not many people than can cash a cheque before it is written, but apparently I must be one. Having carefully explained this to them they are now saying that my cheque was sent on 21/08/2000. Based on the magnitude of this error I asked if they knew the exact address that the cheque was sent to. Only to be told No?!!!
I have been in touch with my local bank (LloydsTSB) who unfortunatley cannot do anything for me without the proper relavent information from Scottish Widows. This would be the information off the cheque and where it was cashed etc. However this is the very information that according to the forum that SW are refusing to release.
What I would like to know is has anybody out there actually received all the relevant details necessary to make a successful claim.
If not what should be the next steps towards making a successful claim?

kiltyboy

vivienp wrote: »

On another tack, earlier comments in this thread have mentioned a VIP account. Is there any vague possibility that this is where these alleged cheques were all paid into?

Don't think so, I took out a VIP account with mine sure I had to fill in forms to do this.

vivienp

kiltyboy wrote: »

Don't think so, I took out a VIP account with mine sure I had to fill in forms to do this.

Didn't really think so, but I want to cover every possibility no matter how unlikely. Guess I'll just have to wait for the SW gentleman to get back in touch and see what his response is, like I can't guess.

No response from Watchdog either. Conspiracy theory!!

vivienp

Hello again... I must have nothing better to do today!

I was poking around on the internet at lunch time and found an interesting article about SW. Personally I will be hanging on to it because I think its quite relevant to this present situation as it shows SW's ability to foul things up. Its from the Thisismoney website, dated 17 June 2001 and refers to someone's experience with SW. They 'received no demutualisation vote, but were assured they would get a cheque. When it arrived, it showed the wrong amount and policy number. They were told it should have gone to a policyholder in Wales. After three months they again phoned, to be told their cheque had been issued a week earlier . . . to an address in Wales. They pointed out that they lived in Birmingham, the young man at Scottish Widows responded: 'Oh man, they've done it again!'

k9love

The_Enigma wrote: »

I have just received today the same Scottish Widows letter saying that they sent me a check for £4204.38 on 20/9/2000 and that it was cashed on the 14/09/2000. I must have borrowed the Tardis off Dr. Who to be able to complete this transaction. There are not many people than can cash a cheque before it is written, but apparently I must be one. Having carefully explained this to them they are now saying that my cheque was sent on 21/08/2000. Based on the magnitude of this error I asked if they knew the exact address that the cheque was sent to. Only to be told No?!!!
I have been in touch with my local bank (LloydsTSB) who unfortunatley cannot do anything for me without the proper relavent information from Scottish Widows. This would be the information off the cheque and where it was cashed etc. However this is the very information that according to the forum that SW are refusing to release.
What I would like to know is has anybody out there actually received all the relevant details necessary to make a successful claim.
If not what should be the next steps towards making a successful claim?

Ive emailed SW and sent a complaint through their website asking for details of mine and my husbands elusive cheques, not a word back from them!!!!
There must be something we can do, looks like they think we will go away if they dont reply! something has to be done about this, but what I dont know, we need someone that knows what to do next:o

kiltyboy

k9love wrote: »

Ive emailed SW and sent a complaint through their website asking for details of mine and my husbands elusive cheques, not a word back from them!!!!
There must be something we can do, looks like they think we will go away if they dont reply! something has to be done about this, but what I dont know, we need someone that knows what to do next:o

I did ask in a earlier post when you emailed them? looks like some of the others got calls you would think the same would have happened with you.

The_Enigma

Thanks for the reply, I have vented my spleen to them today and done the rounds of the appropriate offices. I have been promised an inspection of my case that should take approx 10 working days. I will let you know what happens, but I'm not holding my breath. I asked if anyone had been successful in their quest to regain what is rightfully theirs and he declined to answer.

vivienp

Got a letter from SW today, basically telling me very politely that I wasn't getting anything.They sent a cheque on 21/8/2000 to the correct name and address, which was cashed on 1/9/2000. They can't give me any more info as more than 6 years ago! They recieved an option form from me asking for a cheque, but they can't provide evidence of that. They have nothing on record to show I ever received a letter saying I wasn't entitled to anything, but if I didn't get/cash the cheque I should have got in touch and didn't!I can take my complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman but to the best of their knowledge it doesn't fall within their jurisdiction so they can't do anything!

k9love

vivienp wrote: »

Got a letter from SW today, basically telling me very politely that I wasn't getting anything.They sent a cheque on 21/8/2000 to the correct name and address, which was cashed on 1/9/2000. They can't give me any more info as more than 6 years ago! They recieved an option form from me asking for a cheque, but they can't provide evidence of that. They have nothing on record to show I ever received a letter saying I wasn't entitled to anything, but if I didn't get/cash the cheque I should have got in touch and didn't!I can take my complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman but to the best of their knowledge it doesn't fall within their jurisdiction so they can't do anything!

Looks like we've all been had!!! how on earth can we fight a company like theirs?
Im going to email the Mirror Newspapers investigations dept to see if they can do anything.

k9love

vivienp wrote: »

Got a letter from SW today, basically telling me very politely that I wasn't getting anything.They sent a cheque on 21/8/2000 to the correct name and address, which was cashed on 1/9/2000. They can't give me any more info as more than 6 years ago! They recieved an option form from me asking for a cheque, but they can't provide evidence of that. They have nothing on record to show I ever received a letter saying I wasn't entitled to anything, but if I didn't get/cash the cheque I should have got in touch and didn't!I can take my complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman but to the best of their knowledge it doesn't fall within their jurisdiction so they can't do anything!

I recieved the very same letter today! same date cheque was posted and cashed etc, they said that I had filled in a form to say I wanted a cheque as compensation, well mine and my hubbys memory must be really bad because neither of us remember recieving a form let alone filling one in!!!, same thing was said to us, we could go to the ombudsman but didnt think they would be able to help us, goodbye £6000!!!:mad: