Can someone help please?

Alyssa.C

Hi,

I had read the bank charge reclaim documents on Martins website and proceeded to fill in the template letter and send to Barclays bank (the data protection letter template). I also enclosed the £10 cheque.

I received a letter back, in short it said:

'I note that your request was made in relation to a claim for the sale of Payment Protection Insurance.....
This goes on to explain about the PPI, which is irrelevant to the information I requested, and ultimately we have already claimed the PPI on this account.

Also the letter states, 'I have returned your cheque for £10...'
Which wasnt the case, no cheque was returned in the envelope with this information, or on a separate occasion.
The letter then says, 'Should I have misinterpreted your request and you would like any other information please return the £10 cheque with the enclosed checklist confirming what you would like us to provide.'

The checklist includes the following:

Mortgage
Mortgage arrears information
mortgage application process info
mortgage complaints
other (please specify)

This is irrelevant as we do not, nor have ever, had a mortgage.

Loan
Form of agreements
Statements for loan accounts

UK retail banking information
This can include information such as complaints files and or branch recovery unit information

Statements
Last 6 months
Last 12 months
Last 6 years
Other


I am totally confused and don't understand why the template letter i used hasn't been interpreted properly.
What should be my next step to claim back bank charges?

meer53

On what basis are you reclaiming bank charges ? Are you in financial hardship ? The banks won the court case re unfair bank charges in 2009 so unless you're in financial hardship now, it may not be worthwhile claiming. Recent charges are sometimes refunded if you haven't previously been refunded but you can do this by calling the bank, a letter isn't always neccessary.

Wywth

Alyssa.C wrote: »

Hi,

I had read the bank charge reclaim documents on Martins website and proceeded to fill in the template letter and send to Barclays bank (the data protection letter template). I also enclosed the £10 cheque.

I received a letter back, in short it said:

'I note that your request was made in relation to a claim for the sale of Payment Protection Insurance.....
This goes on to explain about the PPI, which is irrelevant to the information I requested, and ultimately we have already claimed the PPI on this account.

Also the letter states, 'I have returned your cheque for £10...'
Which wasnt the case, no cheque was returned in the envelope with this information, or on a separate occasion.
The letter then says, 'Should I have misinterpreted your request and you would like any other information please return the £10 cheque with the enclosed checklist confirming what you would like us to provide.'

The checklist includes the following:

Mortgage
Mortgage arrears information
mortgage application process info
mortgage complaints
other (please specify)

This is irrelevant as we do not, nor have ever, had a mortgage.

Loan
Form of agreements
Statements for loan accounts

UK retail banking information
This can include information such as complaints files and or branch recovery unit information

Statements
Last 6 months
Last 12 months
Last 6 years
Other


I am totally confused and don't understand why the template letter i used hasn't been interpreted properly.
What should be my next step to claim back bank charges?

I suggest you write back to them explaining the situation. Ignore their checklist - just reiterate what you originally requested.

Did you originally write to their Data Compliance Officer, as that may well be a different address to their complaints department?

Wywth

meer53 wrote: »

On what basis are you reclaiming bank charges ? Are you in financial hardship ? The banks won the court case re unfair bank charges in 2009 so unless you're in financial hardship now, it may not be worthwhile claiming. Recent charges are sometimes refunded if you haven't previously been refunded but you can do this by calling the bank, a letter isn't always neccessary.

As meer53 says, it's probably only worth attempting to reclaim bank charges if you are in financial hardship. (Or it's a one off recent event)

You can usually get copies of recent statements (or at least a list of transactions) online assuming you have online banking.
(Note that it would be unusual for any refund of charges under financial hardsgip to go back more than about 6 months)

Alyssa.C

At the time of the bank charges we were in financial hardship and the spiraling charges contributed to us losing our home and pretty much made homeless for 4 months. Which was this time last year. And i used the address from Martins list.

meer53

In that case i'd call your bank to discuss this rather than send a letter. Did you call them at the time ? Before you call, check through your statements, as anything the bank don't see as essential (Sky, mobile phone contracts, gym memberships, eating out etc) will be questioned. True financial hardship cases are the ones where people have trouble meeting essential costs, gas,electricity,water,food,housing etc.

Any refund would depend on what the other issues were which contributed to your losing your home.

Wywth

Alyssa.C wrote: »

At the time of the bank charges we were in financial hardship and the spiraling charges contributed to us losing our home and pretty much made homeless for 4 months. Which was this time last year. And i used the address from Martins list.

You can only hope to get a refund of some bank charges if you are currently in financial hardship. (and even then there are no guarantees of a refund)
Typically those in current genuine financial hardship (and who are given some refund) only get a maximum refund of charges incurred in the last 6 months, and perhaps a halt to additional charges for the future 3-6 months.

I don't know which list you are referring to when you say Martins list. Perhaps you could provide the link to it?

Wywth

How long ago was this? :eek:

Because according to another thread of yours, you appear to have been in rented accomodation since at least July 2009 :cool:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3987457

Alyssa.C

meer53 wrote: »

In that case i'd call your bank to discuss this rather than send a letter. Did you call them at the time ? Before you call, check through your statements, as anything the bank don't see as essential (Sky, mobile phone contracts, gym memberships, eating out etc) will be questioned. True financial hardship cases are the ones where people have trouble meeting essential costs, gas,electricity,water,food,housing etc.

Any refund would depend on what the other issues were which contributed to your losing your home.

We have never had any sort of gym membership, always used freeview and very rarely eat out even now. I have a ten pound phone and my partner has only recently got a contract phone.At the time,my partner went from a 500 pound a week, sometimes 600, to being laid off and out ofwork for 3 months. I was at home with a 2year old.
Things are alot better now, we have DMP set up for the debts, as we tried to use credit cards to pay for rent/household bills at that time, and generally we are getting by, thanks for all the replies.

Alyssa.C

Wywth wrote: »

How long ago was this? :eek:

Because according to another thread of yours, you appear to have been in rented accomodation since at least July 2009 :cool:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3987457

Yes and we lost our home in 2012, we were homeless from January 2012 until June 2012, when we managed to sort the financial situation out. Try not to judge through a vague posting (of which there is a hell of alot more to it), when you obviously have never been in this type of situation!

dunstonh

Financial hardship criteria relates to now. Not historic. If you are not in hardship now, they dont even have to look at it.