Bank-Smart want money/take me to court!! I thought they were ment to help?

Angelhil

I started claiming charges back about three years ago with a company called Bank-Smart

for the first 6 months I kept emailing them for information with very little feedback.

Now they sent me e-mails saying I had an outstanding invoice. I was surprised as I'd forgotten about them. I logged in to find a bill for £430. I e-mailed to ask what it was for and they said it was for not returning a form that was sent out more than a year ago. I have moved since then and they did not email me to tell me I had to return a form. They now say that I can either give them my address and they will send me the form to fill in or I can pay the bill to cancel. This suddenly made me feel a bit nervous. It started to feel like a scam so I told them my concerns and they said I need to send them my address. If I didn't they would find me through my credit report and put a black mark on it as I owed them money so I am in debt to them. they have also mentioned court proceedings.

I feel uncomfortable with them now and their passive aggressive e-mails have made me very nervous to give out my details. they say that they cannot e-mail me the forms.

Has anyone come across this sort of thing. I can post the email exchange. Would I be breaking any law if I did that

Thank you

barloo69

Angelhil wrote: »

I started claiming charges back about three years ago with a company called Bank-Smart

for the first 6 months I kept emailing them for information with very little feedback.

Now they sent me e-mails saying I had an outstanding invoice. I was surprised as I'd forgotten about them. I logged in to find a bill for £430. I e-mailed to ask what it was for and they said it was for not returning a form that was sent out more than a year ago. I have moved since then and they did not email me to tell me I had to return a form. They now say that I can either give them my address and they will send me the form to fill in or I can pay the bill to cancel. This suddenly made me feel a bit nervous. It started to feel like a scam so I told them my concerns and they said I need to send them my address. If I didn't they would find me through my credit report and put a black mark on it as I owed them money so I am in debt to them. they have also mentioned court proceedings.

I feel uncomfortable with them now and their passive aggressive e-mails have made me very nervous to give out my details. they say that they cannot e-mail me the forms.

Has anyone come across this sort of thing. I can post the email exchange. Would I be breaking any law if I did that

Thank you

Hi, have done a few reads for you and I think it just best if you read this:-
http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?t=16018&highlight=bank+smart

In short, you are not alone to have fallen foul of this companies excessive charges and misleading t & c (infact they lost in court over this!! Ha ha)

A couple of things though from your post though ? Have / do you remember physically signing any kind of agreement from them ?

Have you moved since ? Because if they havent got your address, there is nothing they do with your credit file. Do you have access to your CR ? If not, get access and have a look and keep looking because if anything appears it will hold no water at all and can be removed legally.

On the link I have provided there are some VERY knowledgable people there that can help you in full detail with this and even examples of letters that need to be written.

friend123

Angelhil wrote: »

I started claiming charges back about three years ago with a company called Bank-Smart

for the first 6 months I kept emailing them for information with very little feedback.

Now they sent me e-mails saying I had an outstanding invoice. I was surprised as I'd forgotten about them. I logged in to find a bill for £430. I e-mailed to ask what it was for and they said it was for not returning a form that was sent out more than a year ago. I have moved since then and they did not email me to tell me I had to return a form. They now say that I can either give them my address and they will send me the form to fill in or I can pay the bill to cancel. This suddenly made me feel a bit nervous. It started to feel like a scam so I told them my concerns and they said I need to send them my address. If I didn't they would find me through my credit report and put a black mark on it as I owed them money so I am in debt to them. they have also mentioned court proceedings.

I feel uncomfortable with them now and their passive aggressive e-mails have made me very nervous to give out my details. they say that they cannot e-mail me the forms.

Has anyone come across this sort of thing. I can post the email exchange. Would I be breaking any law if I did that

Thank you

Hello,

What ever you do, do not cancel your claim with Bank-Smart.

If you have a client ID under 17000 you can quote "No Win, No Fee". Bank-Smart cannot invoice anyone for not returning forms. As you may know the banks won the case that has dragged on for so many years now and Bank-Smart are going to try and tempt people in to cancelling their claims to perhaps generate income.

DO NOT CANCEL YOUR CLAIMS WITH BANK-SMART.
-This will allow thEm to enforce the ridiculous minimum fees but if you do not make any contact with them they cannot do anything..

IGNORE ALL CONTACT WITH BANK-SMART, DO NOT RETURN FORMS!!!

davidfoote

I got an email about a form PDF to fill in and send back formt he get go looked odd. I email them and told them to get lost. Got an email back saying they hope to help me with money problems...what money problems I don't have any. Block them on your email account / spam etc and do not send ANY details to them at all.

They are pigs.

PaulDF

I have just had a series of threatening emails from Bank Smart to pay a penalty for late settlement going back to 2007. There has been no contact with them in the meantime. They threatend excess charges and legal costs.

I wrote to the following organisations with full details:

Ministry of Justice
Financial Services Authority
Which?
Sunday Times

and copied Bank Smart in.

Within 6 hours Bank Smart emailed to say that they would withdraw the demand "as a gesture of goodwill"!

akadawny

Hello

Paul I have emailed several places, the ombudsman referred me to ministry of justice, they referred me to consumer services, and I havent heard from them yet. I have just emailed financial services authority, and I have cc'd banksmart in all of them,and I am still getting threatening emails topay. Mind you I am disputing the fees as I understood it was no win no fee, and I have 2 sets of t&C both completely different, with no proof as to which version I signed. I am at my wits end, I just want some help

Robert79_2

Hello everyone, I have the same problem with the Bank Smart I got a letter from them given notice to me with one of my four claim is unsuccessful and I must to pay them 118.80 pounds so I think I begin another scam, this time on me. I have 14 days to pay please for help because I do not know what to do

magpiecottage

Take a look at this thread.

The best line of complaint is likely to be either "Your representative told me you were 'no win no fee'" (if they did, or "You missold your service to me by not telling me I could shop around. If you had not done that I would have chosen a 'no win no fee'" firm.

Milliman

you do realise they charge you every time they send you an email

Robert79_2

what a nightmare, for tomorrow I have to pay them (Bank Smart) for one unsuccessful claim still don't know what to do it is 118 pounds for nothing , This is a scam !!! was to be 10% of my successful claim .
what would you do? I have to pay or go to a lawyer but at the risk of further fee for late payment .
I don't think so it's a good idea to give them my bank account details , but if I don't give my account number they send the case to court and probably start charge more money , someone have any ideas ?

magpiecottage

Have you looked at the other thread I referred to above - do any of the grounds for complaint apply?

I am guessing that it is unlikely that you would have signed up if it had been made clear that you would have to pay this sum even if they lost.