Abbey (merged)

Julieoolie

michelleshoc wrote: »

What number are you using to contact them re your case (and anyone else please) I just cant face starting that route through the general call centre in India.

Thanks
Michelle

Customer complaints is 0845 600 6014 (Milton Keynes) - a bit hit and miss as to who you get :rolleyes: i.e., those who can read fluently off a screen and those who read it parrot fashion. Go for option 2 on the menu (NOT info re: claiming bank charges). Ended up having to challenge almost everything they told me - you can tell they've been instructed to be as cagey as possible!

Banking centre based in Bradford is 08459 724 724. They told me you have to apply to them directly for charges details via SAR but I'd still do it through details on this site/CAG website. To be honest, the Bradford person wasn't particularly helpful (not her fault though) and she ended up putting me through to complaints. Ended up on the phone for almost an hour in the end. Despite being confidently told (after discussion with her colleague) by the lovely Michelle in complaints this morning that Abbey don't keep any data older than 6 years due to DPA stipulations (but who then ummed and ermmed when I told her she was wrong about this), I was told by the (genuinely) helpful lady this afternoon that they do keep data after 6 years, Abbey just won't pay out on charges prior to 6 years (now there's a challenge.....:D ). Had, let's call it, a debate with her regarding my issues and ended up telling her that I don't mean to spoil her day but if I didn't get all my requested info by 4th May (40 day deadline) I'd be off to court. (Basically they sent a totally irrelevant standard letter response to my SAR :rolleyes: )

All I can say is keep at it!!! I know I'm going to!

Twinkly

michelleshoc wrote: »

Also I can’t seem to apply for interest on top as Abbey have only given me the month and year and no day so when I put charges into the calculator it isn’t adding interest. Well spotted, I hadnt noticed ! In the absence of a date it would be safe to assume the date of receipt of your monthly statement could be used for a rough guide as to the amount of interest. If the claim gets as far as court we will need the exact date of each charge and I will be writing ASAP to ask for this.

Should we be asking for interest at this stage, I thought it was only if it goes to court

If you check the template letters in the main article the LBA - Letter Before Action asks for interest and states that you would be awarded it by the court. This is to show the amount that you will be claiming in court and give them another chance to settle. They can choose to settle in full less interest and still feel like they won, basically, but you can ask for it and they do sometimes pay it.

lillywhizz

Hi

We have lodged our case with the court, Abbey are (not suprisingly) defending the whole claim (£3686). Now awaiting their defence within 28 days and for the case to be transferred to our local County Court.

However, since we filed this case, they have taken approx £220 in further charges. Can we add these charges to the case? Should we start another case, or should we just ring them and ask for them back and threaten a second case?

Also, they haven't suspended any of our accounts (2 current and 1 savings) which I'm waiting for them to do!

Any advice?

Lillywhizz

hugo07

Originally Posted by hugo07
....
The letter was basically a table outlining charges, is this normal? it included Total cleared transaction charges (totalling £280.00 although its states £40.00 was refunded in May 04) Can I claim for the remaining charges that have not been refunded? This is normal and is Abbeys new system apparently in place to deal with the volume of Subject Access requests. You can reclaim any charges not refunded.

I was also charged £32.00 in Aug 04 for unpaid cheque charge. Can this also be claimed for? I just really confused in what I can claim as the wording Abbey use is different to on this forum. Yes you can reclaim this charge.

Also I can’t seem to apply for interest on top as Abbey have only given me the month and year and no day so when I put charges into the calculator it isn’t adding interest. Well spotted, I hadnt noticed ! In the absence of a date it would be safe to assume the date of receipt of your monthly statement could be used for a rough guide as to the amount of interest. If the claim gets as far as court we will need the exact date of each charge and I will be writing ASAP to ask for this.

Any information and advice would be very gratefully appreciated.

Many thanks for your time

Purply bits are my comments. Hope they help.

Twinkly wrote: »

Purply bits are my comments. Hope they help.

Thank you so much Twinkly for clearing that up for me, much appericated!! Its alot clearer now!! I think not putting the day with the summary of charges that Shabbey send out is a new tactic of theirs!!

Its took me so long just to get only some of my Microfinche charges i can see asking for the days of charges getting a whole lot longer to complete

michelleshoc

Twinkly wrote: »

If you check the template letters in the main article the LBA - Letter Before Action asks for interest and states that you would be awarded it by the court. This is to show the amount that you will be claiming in court and give them another chance to settle. They can choose to settle in full less interest and still feel like they won, basically, but you can ask for it and they do sometimes pay it.

Thanks Twinkly

Michelle

kev2b3

Does anyone know why abbey are only sending a summary of bank charges charges for Jan 04 up until Dec 06, and not for the requested 6 years.Its taken them over the 4 weeks to send these to me and now they say it could take another 4 weeks for the other statements to arrive. I wonder if its some kind of delaying tactic.I tried to get a answer from abbey today but was sent from pillar to post so i gave up the quest. I know there are others who received the same summary of bank charges this week and i am wondering if any were lucky to find out whats happening.
many thanks
kev

missjules

My 40 days were up yesterday, I spoke to them last week and they said they should be with me this week. if they are not here by thursday, then I will be sending them a letter informing them i will be issuing a small claims court to make them comply, and that I will also be reporting them to the FSA and ICO.

With regards to the lack of date the charges were applied to my account (from their useless spreadsheet), When I have looked at previous statements, they seem to apply any interest / charges between 6-9th of each month, (no later and no earlier than that) so when it comes to the time to send off my charge/interest schedule to them, I will put the 9th down for each time they charged me, that way if they took the money out on the 6th for example, they cannot moan as they have gained 2 days interest out of me.

Just a thought, if they are not supplying the exact date, does that mean they havent supplied a complete list as we all requested in our SAR? and does that then mean that they have not complied with the data protection act? does anyone know?

TheGame110

missjules wrote: »

My 40 days were up yesterday, I spoke to them last week and they said they should be with me this week. if they are not here by thursday, then I will be sending them a letter informing them i will be issuing a small claims court to make them comply, and that I will also be reporting them to the FSA and ICO.

With regards to the lack of date the charges were applied to my account (from their useless spreadsheet), When I have looked at previous statements, they seem to apply any interest / charges between 6-9th of each month, (no later and no earlier than that) so when it comes to the time to send off my charge/interest schedule to them, I will put the 9th down for each time they charged me, that way if they took the money out on the 6th for example, they cannot moan as they have gained 2 days interest out of me.

Just a thought, if they are not supplying the exact date, does that mean they havent supplied a complete list as we all requested in our SAR? and does that then mean that they have not complied with the data protection act? does anyone know?

I've had the same problem as yourself with Abbey. Requested full statements - got sent a spreadsheet of charges. Not what I asked for!! I've just had to list the charges i'm wanting to reclaim in the same format as they've listed them (Jan/06 for example).

They've just been such a carry on as a whole getting these statements. I waited till the 40th day and then got onto them twice a day from then on. Each time they just gave me a sob story about not having enough staff etc, and apparantly i'm "not allowed" to speak to a supervisor, as one member of staff kindly put it.

hooamus80

Hi guys
Have now sent the letter before court action to Abbey but in the last few days they have sent me letters telling me they will be applying charges in the next 22 days for unpaid DD, SO etc. These were mainly incurred due to them taking their charges out the day after they said they would so I thought I had more money than I actually did.
Now for my Q- can I add these charges to my claim? I have already sent them a schedule of charges and interest total but it seems unfair that they can still keep applying charges we're looking at nother £300.
Any advice greatly received.

Twinkly

hugo07 wrote: »

Originally Posted by hugo07
....
The letter was basically a table outlining charges, is this normal? it included Total cleared transaction charges (totalling £280.00 although its states £40.00 was refunded in May 04) Can I claim for the remaining charges that have not been refunded? This is normal and is Abbeys new system apparently in place to deal with the volume of Subject Access requests. You can reclaim any charges not refunded.

I was also charged £32.00 in Aug 04 for unpaid cheque charge. Can this also be claimed for? I just really confused in what I can claim as the wording Abbey use is different to on this forum. Yes you can reclaim this charge.

Also I can’t seem to apply for interest on top as Abbey have only given me the month and year and no day so when I put charges into the calculator it isn’t adding interest. Well spotted, I hadnt noticed ! In the absence of a date it would be safe to assume the date of receipt of your monthly statement could be used for a rough guide as to the amount of interest. If the claim gets as far as court we will need the exact date of each charge and I will be writing ASAP to ask for this.

Any information and advice would be very gratefully appreciated.

Many thanks for your time

Purply bits are my comments. Hope they help.



Thank you so much Twinkly for clearing that up for me, much appericated!! Its alot clearer now!! I think not putting the day with the summary of charges that Shabbey send out is a new tactic of theirs!!

Its took me so long just to get only some of my Microfinche charges i can see asking for the days of charges getting a whole lot longer to complete

I have no doubt it will lengthen the process but depending on the wording of your initial letter requesting the details then they should have sent this information as part of your SAR (Subject Access Request) and within 40 days. The template letter does not specify the date of charges so perhaps they have exploited this, who knows. I know I amended my template and asked for the charges to be laid out as Date Applied, Type Of Charge and Amount Charged so I intend to complain at the omission of the dates.

As this is a new system they have in place to deal with the volume of requests it is possible that this fact was overlooked. At the very least you can mention to Abbey in writing that this point is subject to complaint if the omitted information is not received in a timely manner.