What would you ask Lloyds for?

Hootie19

Cutting a long story as short as possible.

I've been a Lloyds customer for about 15 years (started off with TSB). I had a "normal" current account. I went into the branch for an account review (i.e. a sales pitch) and was offered an "upgrade" from the classic account to the select account. The manager explained that there was a monthly charge for this, but that it came with various benefits. I declined, saying that none of the benefits were of any interest to me, so I'd stick with the classic account as I didn't want to be paying a monthly fee for nothing.

Some time later, I received, out of the blue, a "welcome to your select account" package. I (naively) assumed that they'd stopped doing the classic account and that all accounts were being changed to select accounts.

The upshot is that since about 2000, I've been charged a monthly sum on my current account (started off at £4 a month, and is now £7 a month, I think). From 2nd July 2001 until November 2006, the fees total £345.

A few months ago, we decided to have a bills account, so that bills money wouldn't be swallowed up in amongst the general spending money each month. I went into Lloyds and opened one, and it was only when I got home I realised that they'd opened a classic account, so clearly not all classic accounts had been closed and upgraded.

I asked Lloyds if they could give me a copy of my written agreement to my first classic account being upgraded. After much to-ing and fro-ing, they had to admit that they couldn't find a copy of my written agreement - not surprising, given that I *know* I never agreed to the upgrade.

The last letter from them ends (paraphrased) - "very sorry about this, let us know what we can do to help".

Now, *I* think I am justified in asking for a refund of all the monthly charges they have levied, as effectively, they have been taking this money for 6 years without my permission (theft?? ;-))

However, the past 6 years have not been without charges being levied on the account, and part of those charges will have been made because all those little sums have mounted up and presumably "rolled over" into overdrafts/exceeding overdrafts etc.

So when I write back and ask for my stolen money to be refunded - should I also ask for some form of compensation, and if so how much? Or should I just ask for the monthly fees to be refunded and think myself lucky if I get them?

Sorry - even trying to make it a short story it still ended up lengthy!

sgx.saint

I would defintely ask for your monthly charges to be refunded from the past 6 years.

If you can defintely indicate where these charges lead to more charges i.e. over limit charges etc then yes I would say claim those back also.

The only way I can see you being able todo this is if you have a copy of your last 6 years statements or you send Lloyds TSB a DPA request for your last 6 years statements and then go through them.

However as Lloyds are asking you how they can set this right so to speak, I think you shouldn't push your luck. I would just ask for your charges back plus say a £50 goodwill credit to compensate for their original mistake.

Thats just my two pennies anyway!

seven-day-weekend

....And also ask for the account to be downgraded again to the non fee-paying one.

They are still going, I have two.

Hootie19

Thank you both.

I don't want to push my luck too hard, so I will just ask for a refund and maybe subtly hint that it might be nice of them to include a little bit extra for my "pain and suffering" lol.

sevendayweekend - do you know offhand if you can still have an overdraft and debit card on the classic accounts? I have had (and used, unfortunately) a £600 overdraft facility on my current account for years and years, and I couldn't afford to lose this in one hit.

I don't often use a debit card these days (easier to budget when it's cold hard cash you're handing over in a shop, rather than "invisible" money from a debit card), but I don't really want to give mine up, as it is handy for online purchasing (given up the evil credit cards now)

asandwhen

I have just downgraded from a platinum plus account to the classic and have kept my £500 overdraft.

Hootie19

Just thought I'd update on this :-)

I've been refunded all the fees they charged me, plus an ex gratia payment of £25. My account has been downgraded to a classic current account and I keep the overdraft facility.

I'm quite impressed - I didn't have the heart to tell her on the phone that I was about to go after a refund of my bank charges, amounting to around £3,500!!

damo101

Hootie19 wrote:

Just thought I'd update on this :-)

I'm quite impressed - I didn't have the heart to tell her on the phone that I was about to go after a refund of my bank charges, amounting to around £3,500!!

You can always say the whole affair led you to review your account and you noticed all the charges - that way it looks like their original mistake got you thinking about reclaiming your charges.

D.