Lies, Damned Lies from Halifax

Tim_L

I always ask for £30 if a bank or financial company screws up, pointing out that if I fail to keep my engagements to them they would do likewise. And to be fair they always pay up.

Walletwatch

Exactly. And to me, if I have to make extra efforts for having to do something that I wouldn't have to do if my Bank were providing me service as promised, that deserves to be 'compensated', not an ex-gratia payment.

DFC

Agreed, it is a question of semantics, and maybe ex-gratia is the term banks use, on their internal / external communication, but to me, in such a situation, anything I get from them would always be compensation. Ex-gratia sounds like charity to me (perhaps incorrectly so), and I would always write 'compensation' and not ex-gratia.

BOOTSRED

???I know exactly what you mean about the Halifax. My 18 year-old has just left school and started work as an apprectice electrian earning £4.00/hr. To get him in to the way of saving and controlling his own cash we set up two DDs on his current account with the Halifax. His wages were paid late into his account and the Halifax charged him £76 for late payment of two DDs and another £38 for overdrawing his account by £3.00 as he didn't have overdraft facilities. The overdraft arose because of their charges. I thought this very unreasonable 'phoned their Customer Services - yes hung on for half an hour to be told there was nothing they could do, he should have made sure there was money in his account.

I then made an appointment at the local Branch to plead his case and they waived the overdraft charge but upheld the others. I did point out that my son was their future card holder and mortgagee but no way would they waive these charges. I think they are absolutely disgusting to deal with. The "laugh" is that one DD was to a savings account with........... you've guessed it.......... the Halifax. We have closed all of our accounts with them and so have my two daughters - how short sighted of them - fools! Two lessons learned here - never trust a bank to do the morally correct thing and never bank with the Halifax.

Close your account woman you'll get far better service elsewhere. We've gone to the Yorkshire Building Society who were delightful to deal with.[img][/img]s

Debt_Free_Chick

DFC

Agreed, it is a question of semantics, and maybe ex-gratia is the term banks use, on their internal / external communication, but to me, in such a situation, anything I get from them would always be compensation. Ex-gratia sounds like charity to me (perhaps incorrectly so), and I would always write 'compensation' and not ex-gratia.

I don't disagree

But if one is asking for compensation for financial loss, then the loss must be quantified and the compensation should be the same amount.

If the request is for compensation for "distress & inconvenience" then it should reflect the level of distress & inconvenience ... there are no hard & fast rules here, but one should be reasonable and not take the p1ss

Regards

DFC (currently drafting a letter to a pension scheme member to refute a claim for financial loss, as there is no financial loss. Easy to defend )

Walletwatch

I don't disagree  ;)

But if one is asking for compensation for financial loss, then the loss must be quantified and the compensation should be the same amount.

If the request is for compensation for "distress & inconvenience" then it should reflect the level of distress & inconvenience ... there are no hard & fast rules here, but one should be reasonable and not take the p1ss  ;)

Regards

DFC (currently drafting a letter to a pension scheme member to refute a claim for financial loss, as there is no financial loss. Easy to defend  ;) )

Another point here being that when I write a complaint letter in such a case, I want to be reasonable and 'calm and collected', so it doesn't take on an emotional tone, but I do want to retain some amount of spontaneity (for want of a better word) to convey how !!!!!! off I am with the service. Ex-gratia again sounds to be coming from someone fishing for any free lunch you can get from these providers.

While free lunches are welcome, I don't want to be seen as someone out with a begging bowl

Cheers
WW

P.S. We seem to be degenerating into a one-on-one here, DFC, and while I am enjoying this debate , and would like to continue, suggest we move this discussion elsewhere... will not be posting anything in relation to the 'Ex-gratia v/s Compensation' clash on this chain anymore...

lulabell

Just thought I'd post an update.
I've now received my Halifax card today, that made 6 long days without it. BUT I've been sent out a visa electron, instead of visa debit, and my current account has been demoted to a cardcash. Apparantly "the system" is to blame for it all ::)
I am now waiting for a phone call from my bank manager in the vain hope it will be sorted out.
Watch this space!
Lulabell

Robert_Sterling_3

Watch this space!
Lulabell

You have left me on hold "watching this space" for about 8 hours or more already.

lulabell

You have left me on hold "watching this space" for about 8 hours or more already.

LOL@ Robert Shilling ;D