Lloyds won't freeze interest - has the FOS helped you?

Time_to_face_the_music

Pink-Angel wrote: »

I've been on a DMP for just over a year with CCCS. It's going well and my creditors have frozen interest, apart from Lloyds. This is causing me huge problems, as what I have been paying towards my loan is less than the charges Lloyds are adding. I do appreciate that creditiors don't have to freeze or reduce interest, it's just that I can't see an end to it.

It's got to the point where I've been feeling very low, not sleeping, and even have considered an IVA or bankrupcy as I can't see how I'm ever going to get out of debt if they keep adding interest and charges. Letters to them have not made any difference.

Today I decided I shouldn't have to consider an IVA or bankruptcy, as it's Lloyds that's the problem, not the DMP itself. If they froze or even reduced the interest it would help. As my most recent letter was ignored, I have spoken to someone at the FOS who is going to write to Lloyds. Apparently Lloyds will have 8 weeks to write to me with their decision, and if I'm not satisified I can file a complaint with the FOS.

I'm feeling better as I now feel there might be some hope. I know my debts are my fault, I take responsibility for that, it would just be nice to not end up with more debt at the end of a year than I started with due to interest and charges.

I just wondered if others have used the FOS, whether the inital letter helped with getting interest frozen, or if a complaint achieved this?

Hi Pink-Angel

I am really glad that you got this resolved, well done :T

Can I just ask you if you ever got any responses to your letters to Lloyds TSB? We are in our 4th month of our DMP and are still being charged full interest and charges by Lloyds TSB, NatWest and M&S. We have a complaint in with NatWest which they keep sending letters deferring to a later date but the 8 weeks are almost up so we will be able to refer that to the FOS soon.

Lloyds TSB just completely ignore our letters and complaints but I have read today that the FOS expect you to send the last letter from the company and we don't have one!

M&S also ignore our letters but leave messages on our answering machine saying they need to speak to us on a 0845 number :mad:. One day in desperation and frustration, I did actually phone them only to be told it was actually the wrong number and the number we needed, another 0845 number, was only available from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday. I had a bit of a rant at the person on the other end, then M&S sent a letter asking us to call them, with the wrong number again!

Do they think we will just go away if they ignore us?

pure_dead_dopey

FOS do not want you to sent the last letter, you phone them on their free phone number, tell them the circumstances, they write that down and send it to the company in question, who then has 8 weeks to reply or sort it. If they sort it, well and good, if they don't the FOS will the send it to an FOS adjucticator and they will decide on the cases merits. The vast majority of these complaints when the company is obviously wrong are sorted by the first letter. It's what the FOS are there for, it's your entitlement as a consumer to be treated fairly. Delaying going to the FOS not going to help anyone, the more peeps who complain, the less likely the banks are to think they can break rules and guidelines, they should not be doing this, if they are complain!

Time_to_face_the_music

pure_dead_dopey wrote: »

FOS do not want you to sent the last letter, you phone them on their free phone number, tell them the circumstances, they write that down and send it to the company in question, who then has 8 weeks to reply or sort it. If they sort it, well and good, if they don't the FOS will the send it to an FOS adjucticator and they will decide on the cases merits. The vast majority of these complaints when the company is obviously wrong are sorted by the first letter. It's what the FOS are there for, it's your entitlement as a consumer to be treated fairly. Delaying going to the FOS not going to help anyone, the more peeps who complain, the less likely the banks are to think they can break rules and guidelines, they should not be doing this, if they are complain!

I went onto the FOS website which provides the following information:

"Complain to your bank, insurance company or finance firm
It's important that you complain first to the business you're unhappy with – and give them a chance to look into your problem. They have eight weeks to do this. We can help by contacting the business for you, and telling them about your complaint."

OK we have done that

"Ask us to look at your complaint
If you're not happy with how the business has dealt with your complaint, you can ask us to look into it for you. But the business you're unhappy with has eight weeks to look into your complaint first – before we can investigate your case.
You will need to fill in our complaint form – so that we know your details."

This is the part we are trying to do now.

The FOS complaint form asks us to send the last letter that we were sent, then at the bottom of the form, requires us to tick to say we have enclosed this letter.

So are you saying not to fill in the FOS form, just to phone them?

I assume the banks may or may not go along with this as we will told from the outset that there is no guarantee they will stop interest on a DMP?

Thanks for your help :T

pure_dead_dopey

FOS consumer helpline

Monday to Friday – 8am to 6pm
Saturday – 9am to 1pm

• 0800 023 4567
  free for people phoning from a "fixed line" (for example, a landline at home)
• 0300 123 9 123
  free for mobile-phone users who pay a monthly charge for calls to numbers starting 01 or 02

we'll be happy to phone you back, if you're worried about the cost of calling us




Phone them

Pink-Angel

Time_to_face_the_music wrote: »

Hi Pink-Angel

I am really glad that you got this resolved, well done :T

Can I just ask you if you ever got any responses to your letters to Lloyds TSB? We are in our 4th month of our DMP and are still being charged full interest and charges by Lloyds TSB, NatWest and M&S. We have a complaint in with NatWest which they keep sending letters deferring to a later date but the 8 weeks are almost up so we will be able to refer that to the FOS soon.

Lloyds TSB just completely ignore our letters and complaints but I have read today that the FOS expect you to send the last letter from the company and we don't have one!

M&S also ignore our letters but leave messages on our answering machine saying they need to speak to us on a 0845 number :mad:. One day in desperation and frustration, I did actually phone them only to be told it was actually the wrong number and the number we needed, another 0845 number, was only available from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday. I had a bit of a rant at the person on the other end, then M&S sent a letter asking us to call them, with the wrong number again!

Do they think we will just go away if they ignore us?

Hi there,

As pure dead dopey has said, it's best to phone the FOS. The guy I spoke to was reallly helpful. I didn't have to send a copy of any letters to them, although I did have account numbers and facts about the situation to hand when I rang. It's best to speak to someone, things will happen quicker.

Lloyds never replied to any of my letters about freezing interest - until they obviously got the one from the FOS. I've now got a named contact and direct dial number, and the person I've spoke to has been extremely nice and helpful.

It defintely worth giving them a call when you can.

Good luck!

Pink-Angel

Just looked at your other message again. Don't worry about the form, just ring.

You're right, banks don't have to freeze interest. As in my case, it may mean defaults on your credit reference file and account passed to debt collection for this to happen. It depends on whether your financial sitaution is likely to improve in the near future. For me it was worth it because mine won't.

Time_to_face_the_music

Pink-Angel wrote: »

Just looked at your other message again. Don't worry about the form, just ring.

You're right, banks don't have to freeze interest. As in my case, it may mean defaults on your credit reference file and account passed to debt collection for this to happen. It depends on whether your financial sitaution is likely to improve in the near future. For me it was worth it because mine won't.

We are aiming for a DMP of 4 years or less and the defaults that will go with it. Neither of us ever want credit again so to be honest, we don't give a damn about our credit reference files

Thanks ever so much for your help and advice and we will be calling the FOS tomorrow :T

Pink-Angel

Good luck, hope you get on ok with the FOS. I found them really nice, very helpful, hopefully you'll have the same experience too.

I know what you mean about credit in the future, perish the thought ....

All the best to you.

Time_to_face_the_music

Pink-Angel wrote: »

Good luck, hope you get on ok with the FOS. I found them really nice, very helpful, hopefully you'll have the same experience too.

I know what you mean about credit in the future, perish the thought ....

All the best to you.

Have just phoned the FOS and they were unbelievably helpful and nice. They said letters will go out tomorrow to Lloyds TSB and M&S. So next I need to get my OH to phone them about NatWest.

Thanks for the advice and help everyone and I will keep you updated :T

pure_dead_dopey

hallelujah!!!!

the FOS don't do much but they can help in these cases but you need to phone them to start the ball rolling................................