Bank making errors: Please advise

haribol_2

Hi

I recently decided to close my First Direct curent account and had requested the Alliance and Leic (my new bank ) to help SWITCH all my Direct Debits and Standing Orders and then to inform FD to close my account using the A&L Switching Service.

All was fine and I had a letter from A&L stating that the SO's and DD's have been transfered and that the First Direct Account would be closed from 30 days of this letter.Letter dated 9t January 2007.

All my DD's and SO's were to commence payment from February 2007 with A&L and I had sufficient funds in the FD account to service any that would have arisen this month (Jan).

However FD closed my account last Saturday. When I rang them (Monday) and asked who had given such instructions, they admitted an error on there part. They had also transfered all the remaining balance of funds into my wife account who also banks with A&L. I nor A&L had ever given any instructions to FD to transfer these funds to my wife account. I had asked FD about this and they said that that was another error they had made and had ascertained the banking details of my wife account from a transaction that I had done in the past.

This situation has left me in a right mess not having made payments to some of the DD's and SO's and charges of interest including Visa card payments that was due this monday (15th) which should all have been settled through the First Direct Account.

I would very much appreciate any help from you to advice me what course of action/compensation I should seek. First Direct have admitted there mistakes and said that they will pay any interest charges that may occur as long as I submit the bills for extra charges and covering letter.

Should I press for any compensation and any help putting together a letter would be gratfully received.

I am appaulled with First Direct and would recommend all MSE's to consider dropping them as a bank of choice.

Thank you all so much in advance.

haribol_2

I would appreciate some help for the above situation.

Many Thanks

cheerfulcat

haribol wrote:

First Direct have admitted there mistakes and said that they will pay any interest charges that may occur as long as I submit the bills for extra charges and covering letter.

Should I press for any compensation and any help putting together a letter would be gratfully received.

I don't really know what else you could want; FD have admitted the mistake and offered to cover any penalties so you don't have much of a case for compensation. You could ask for an apology, if one wasn't offered...

tom188

Why is it everyone seems to expect compensation for everything these days?
No wonder there's such a market for ambulance chasers etc.

They are going to cover any costs that you may incur, to me thats all they should do. Youve not really been put out afterall.

Everybody makes mistakes.

RayWolfe

Quite agree Tom, Stuff happens. If the bank had not agreed to do the right thing, then the OP may have a case but here thay are covering all costs and immediatly.
Are the Ambulance Chasers cause or effect?

haribol_2

Point taken. Thank you for your comments.

Voyager2002

Well, I can understand what an unpleasant shock this experience was. Make sure you contact the organisations whose DDs will not be paid and let them know what is going on. And keep a record of how much time and money this costs you (postage, etc.) so that you can ask FD to give you enough money to put you back in the position you would have been had this mistake not happened. That is what compensation is supposed to do for you.

And I must say, since you seem (rightly) upset by this experience, you should think carefully about moving all your banking to A and L. They are far more likely to make this kind of mistake than are First Direct. What I did was to use A and L as a savings account and grabbed all the freebies, while keeping my salary, DDs and main banking with a reliable bank, in my case Smile.

So: try to remain on good terms with FD because you might want to come back to them before too long.

haribol_2

Thank you very much Voyager2002 for your valued comments. Yes it's been an awful experience. One which I do not wish to have again.

Once again many thanks.