Vanquis Refusing to Refund Credit Balance

beargirl

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help with my query?

I had a credit card with Vanquis which I transferred to one of their fee free cards so it was cleared in full back in December last year. I then cleared the fee free card in March. As far as I was aware this was the end of it but about a month ago I got a statement for the original card showing I was £46 in credit. I promptly rang them and they said they would issue a cheque for the balance.

One month on, still no refund after several calls, all saying that it was processed on 12th July. I called today to be told that I am not actually entitled to a refund! I asked them to explain and was told that the credit on my account was for interest and charges and not money I had paid. I explained that the balance was transferred on to a new card which was now clear so any refunds would be from money I had paid. She would not budge and the department who deal with it do not accept calls.

I've put in a complaint but where do I go from here? Annoyingly if I still had the card I would have been able to spend the money!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

izools

beargirl wrote: »

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help with my query?

I had a credit card with Vanquis which I transferred to one of their fee free cards so it was cleared in full back in December last year. I then cleared the fee free card in March. As far as I was aware this was the end of it but about a month ago I got a statement for the original card showing I was £46 in credit. I promptly rang them and they said they would issue a cheque for the balance.

One month on, still no refund after several calls, all saying that it was processed on 12th July. I called today to be told that I am not actually entitled to a refund! I asked them to explain and was told that the credit on my account was for interest and charges and not money I had paid. I explained that the balance was transferred on to a new card which was now clear so any refunds would be from money I had paid. She would not budge and the department who deal with it do not accept calls.

I've put in a complaint but where do I go from here? Annoyingly if I still had the card I would have been able to spend the money!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you still had the card you wouldn't be able to spend a credit balance without proof of where the funds came from with Vanquis.

You'll have to follow their complaints procedure I'm afraid and in my experience, their complaints procedure is totally ineffective and you won't get your money back without taking the matter to the financial ombudsman.

Worth doing anyway, just as a matter of principle if nothing else

McKneff

Do you not remember the card number at all.

did you do any shopping on line where they keep the details
for the next time you shop. (I know that Travelodge do this)

Failing that, could you tell them you have lost your card and request another one.

As far as Im aware, if you take a case to the FOS, it will cost them £500 up front, maybe you could use this as a bit of leverage.

izools

McKneff wrote: »

Do you not remember the card number at all.

did you do any shopping on line where they keep the details
for the next time you shop. (I know that Travelodge do this)

Failing that, could you tell them you have lost your card and request another one.

As far as Im aware, if you take a case to the FOS, it will cost them £500 up front, maybe you could use this as a bit of leverage.

Vanquis block cards from use if they are in credit. Straight away and without leeway.

callum9999

izools wrote: »

Vanquis block cards from use if they are in credit. Straight away and without leeway.

Mine was in credit for about 3 months and it still worked fine (only by £10 though - I hadn't used it at all and then got that £10 payment for the eVanquis problems).

mcrock

i suggest you just keep writing them, send them a letter each month, with copies of the previous letters and charge them £20 for each letter you send them, eg

wheres my cheque for £ 46, i am charging you £ 20 for this letter, please send a cheque for £ 66 to me etc.....

then next month

wheres my cheque for £ 46, i am charging you £ 20 for this letter, please send a cheque for £ 86 to me etc.....

and keep on until they reply

if you call the Finacial Ombudsman Service they will write to Vanquis
whi normally reply quicker when the FOS are involved, but remember Vanquis are ruthless, unhelpful, rip-off artists .

good luck

beargirl

Thanks for your help! I just spoke to them again, raised the query to a complaint and asked for a copy of their complaints procedure which, I was told, I cannot have as they don't have them. I have to wait for the letter from the complaints department and then ring them and get one. Apparantly I can't have the number for them either, until the letter arrives! Gah! Very frustrating but I will keep at it!

Thank you again