HSBC Ignoring Claim

JW2010

Hey all,

Bit of a long story, but I'll summarise as best as possible.

Made redundant end of Nov 2006. Still unemployed in August 2007, so put in a claim for bank charges for previous 6 years (approx £1k). Stipulated my situation, on benefits, unable to meet debts etc due to hardship.

I received a reply stating nothing they could do till court case resolved. I wrote back once, then naively left it. In December 2009, got a letter advising me of the court case result. I came hear and saw others who had claimed under the hardship rules and had been sent income/expenditure forms etc. I wrote to HSBC stating that I did not believe they had dealt with my claim properly. I received a reply towards the end of January this year. The letter pretty much acknowledges that HSBC had not dealt with my claim as it should have:

...
I very much regret that due to administrative errors on our part we failed to follow the procedures set in place at that time for dealing with financial difficulty claims. As such, we did not address your financial difficulty claim detailed in your letters and email. With this in mind, I would ask you to accept my sincere apologies for this situation.
...

Later in the letter, I am asked to call their Financial Guidance Team (FGT). It was my understanding that this was to provide them with information required to progress my claim/complaint.

However, calling the FGT, I was told there was nothing they could do and gave me another number to try. Called the 'other' number, again, no help. I received, about 3 weeks ago, a call from my branch - they were unsure why they needed to call me, or at least, how they could help. I explained the situation and they came back at the end of that week with yet another number to try.

Now, I am still unemployed, and I prefer to use the credit on my mobile for arranging interviews - not waiting on hold to HSBC. Anyway, I called into my local branch today and sat down with someone who, on reviewing the correspondence suggested that my initial interpretation of the above letter was perhaps wrong.

It was suggested that the letter was merely apologising for the banks failure to deal with my claim appropriately and that I should discuss my current situation with the FGT - which has already been established they can't really offer any advice. I was advised to write a 'stern' letter back stating the only way the bank can resolve the issue is to deal with the claim as it should have been back in 2007.

Basically, I feel that not only was I brushed aside back in 2007 - and naivety about the whole situation meant I let it lie - but again, they have tried to do the same thing this year by trying to misdirect my attention away from the claim and 'offering' help with my current difficulties.

So, I'm halfway through drafting a this 'stern' letter and just thought I'd see if there was any advice any of you guys can offer? I've pretty much said that i won't be fobbed off and that the only way they can get rid of me is to deal with the claim as it should have been. I'm also inclined to warn that if I do not receive an initial satisfactory response, I will be forwarding copies of all correspondence and an official complaint to the FOS. It should probably be noted that I am pretty much paying the bank £50 per month, and have been for the majority of the last 3 years, but obviously this is after[/] my initial claim.

Thanks for your patience - I know no one likes looking at walls of text on a computer screen. Would be good to hear some feedback so I can get this resolved before I really lose the plot!

natweststaffmember

Who advised you that you needed to write another letter?
My initial gut feeling is that you have no need to go back to HSBC on this and simply go to the FOS now on that basis since HSBC have readily admitted failing to help you.

JW2010

It was the HSBC customer service representative that I spoke with in branch today that suggested I write back.

natweststaffmember

JW2010 wrote: »

It was the HSBC customer service representative that I spoke with in branch today that suggested I write back.

I'd say they had plenty of time to have given you an adequate response so I think the you should ask the FOS for advice and either write to them or deal with the FOS based on your specific circumstances.

JW2010

I'll give the FOS a call tomorrow, see what they say. Thanks.