Santander are now refunding interest payments on Cahoot flexible loan's

XXSCOTSLASSXX

Denza wrote: »

I also have no recollection of ever been offered or advised to switch to another product and would need to see evidence to suggest this. Unless this is in the form of a guaranteed acceptance to an alternative fixed term product then it is meaningless anyway.

I remember this being advised at some point and I did contact Abbey as advised and told them it was a flexible loan account and had been advised by cahoot that I could switch the product etc etc .....was declined 3 times .... so at no point was it ever a guaranteed switch... their argument here is worth nought!!... i had included this in my original complaint letter to them....

do they really think so many people would have been stuck with it if it had been a guaranteed switch..... in all honesty if it had been guaranteed why didnt they just switch all over to a lower fixed rate loan with Abbey??

Cell

I was never offered a switch, nor even was it suggested.

The thing is that all messaging was done via the website. You had to log in and read the message, and these drop off after a certain period of time. Even then once the online facility was withdrawn how could anyone refer back?

I guess that we could have printed them off, but that's 20/20 hindsight. As debtors we used to take whatever was thrown at us because we weren't empowered to fight back. We couldn't switch, we couldn't close the account like we can now etc etc.

That's why this is important. Just because we didn't realise were being abused doesn't mean that the abuse was correct or fair, or that cahoot/Santander should get away with it.

Denza

gbatey wrote: »

You were informed of the interest rate rises in advance both via your web based Cahoot secure messaging facility and in writing via email to your nominated account. This was an acceptable method of communication as all Cahoot accounts are operated online. As part of this process you were advised that you could move on to another product with Santander (Abbey at the time) which may have offered better rates and this could have been done without penalty.

Along the lines of transference to a fixed product, it is fair to say that this is exactly what happened on transition to Santander in the form of a mandatory switch.

At a fixed rate of 21.9% (for me) with zero flexibility and zero online management (for all).

Never have the words "may" and "could" have been so broadly applied!

UK_AEH

Ok, so its been >8 weeks since my original complaint has been accknowledged by Santander (with no offer or rejection letter, just one saying that they are looking into it after 4 weeks)....what now?

Cell

Ring them up and find out what's happening, pointing out the expiry of the 8 weeks.

Then, if they can't progress the matter, go to the FOS site and fill in the forms.

fairydust30

Can I have the SAR address too please. (Dont know what SAR stands for?) but Im right in thinking it'll give you a breakdown of your account and statements showing apr's etc? I think I might as well get it now as I plan to take this all the way. I wasnt offered anything else nor were the rate rises pointed out to me - I never received any emails so it totally relied on me logging in but like ppl have pointed out old messages fall off after so long and nobody has any access to it anymore. It might have been an account mainly operated online but surely they have to take all reasonable measures to inform you of rate rises? Surely a letter (which Ive never had on any of the rises) would have been 'reasonable'?

SHic

Hi - I have sent 3 emails to the [EMAIL="ceo@santander"]ceo@santander[/EMAIL] email address but they have not replied to any of them. Has this happened to anyone else?

happy_bunny_2

fairydust30 wrote: »

Can I have the SAR address too please. (Dont know what SAR stands for?) but Im right in thinking it'll give you a breakdown of your account and statements showing apr's etc? I think I might as well get it now as I plan to take this all the way. I wasnt offered anything else nor were the rate rises pointed out to me - I never received any emails so it totally relied on me logging in but like ppl have pointed out old messages fall off after so long and nobody has any access to it anymore. It might have been an account mainly operated online but surely they have to take all reasonable measures to inform you of rate rises? Surely a letter (which Ive never had on any of the rises) would have been 'reasonable'?

Subject access request. Google this and information commissioners office. There is a template on here somewhere to request one.

Cell

I had a response to my original e-mail, within 25 hours, but they have not acknowledged two further, dated 14th February and last Friday.

No letter either.

Eight weeks is up in a couple of days.

If they don't respond I'll complain about them failing to comply with their own complaints policy:D

shewitson

I sent an email via the ceo address, no reply. So, I tried the complaints form via Santander website. Again, no reply, just an automated receipt.

I guess its a game of patience.