Is it always bad when you get a phonecall to check your claim?

filibear

I put in a claim 6 weeks ago with Halifax. Claim going back to 2006 on a credit card. Got a call last Friday asking me particulars about my salary/sick pay/life insurance at the time (also whether I spoke to a man/woman), did a bit of digging and it looks like most people get a letter soon after rejecting their claim. Has anyone ever had good news?

[Deleted User]

filibear wrote: »

it looks like most people get a letter soon after rejecting their claim.

There is no system of ringing someone who is likely to then be rejected, it's simply another part of their investigation.

If you have a valid (and preferably verifiable) complaint it will be upheld, if not then it won't.

Even if you are rejected, you can still take it to FOS.

dunstonh

Is it always bad when you get a phonecall to check your claim?

No.

it does mean you are not getting a quick auto payout without investigation. However, depending on your complaint reasons and how you answered questions, it shouldnt be viewed as negative or positive.

did a bit of digging and it looks like most people get a letter soon after rejecting their claim.

That would be an unreliable assumption. People tend to post when they get negative outcomes. Not positive.

Has anyone ever had good news?

yes they have. Plenty of times.

thaimeister

did a bit of digging and it looks like most people get a letter soon after rejecting their claim. Has anyone ever had good news?

Don't think you should read too much into other peoples failures. But if it makes you feel any better I have just had a successful claim. Submitted mine to Halifax about 5 weeks ago, again for a credit card. I recieved a phonecall about 2 or 3 weeks after sending the letter. I couldn't really answer any of the callers questions and basically just confirmed what I'd told them in my letter and claim form. Because I struggles to answer some of the questions I expected a refusal letter to follow.

Anyway, yesterday returned home from work to find a nice offer letter from the Halifax. Now waiting for a nice cheque to arrive for £3289

filibear

thaimeister wrote: »

Don't think you should read too much into other peoples failures. But if it makes you feel any better I have just had a successful claim. Submitted mine to Halifax about 5 weeks ago, again for a credit card. I recieved a phonecall about 2 or 3 weeks after sending the letter. I couldn't really answer any of the callers questions and basically just confirmed what I'd told them in my letter and claim form. Because I struggles to answer some of the questions I expected a refusal letter to follow.

Anyway, yesterday returned home from work to find a nice offer letter from the Halifax. Now waiting for a nice cheque to arrive for £3289

Wow that's good news! Thought I'd call them for an update and just got the usual 'your claim is being processed' . So just need to sit tight. Congrats!

[Deleted User]

filibear wrote: »

Thought I'd call them for an update and just got the usual 'your claim is being processed' .

There is no point ringing them or contacting them at all during the eight weeks they have to consider your complaint. You just need to forget all about this complaint for the duration and definitely don't rely on a positive outcome.

Brains64

filibear wrote: »

I put in a claim 6 weeks ago with Halifax. Claim going back to 2006 on a credit card. Got a call last Friday asking me particulars about my salary/sick pay/life insurance at the time (also whether I spoke to a man/woman), did a bit of digging and it looks like most people get a letter soon after rejecting their claim. Has anyone ever had good news?

It's not necessarily bad but what I would watch out for is that the answers you gave them to any questions they did ask you on the phone were consistent with what you put in the original complaint letter because if there are any discrepancies they could use it against the claim even if you have a rightful claim, during my own claim for mis- sold credit card PPI, once I wrote the letter and got the acknowledgment of the investigation, I didn't pick up the phone if it rang in case it was my bank, if there was anything more they wanted to know then I would wait for them to write and I would have replied in like in writing which they never did.

They probably never called either, I didn't bother to keep doing 1471 to check every call, in the end they just refunded it back into my credit card account within two months which covered arrears on it to be honest but I didn't mind, it's what I expected them to do, the thing about getting phone calls is that it does put you on the spot and call centers know this very well, I'm presuming this was a bank call center on behalf of the bank that rang you about your PPI refund claim, it's all the same whether they're trying to sell you something, doing surveys, checking, they know very well that they will be likely catch people on the hop, you might forget certain detail or make a Freudian error with regards to any facts you are trying to explain, you have more time to think about what you are saying in a letter but when someone rings you up you have less time to consider, even when you know what it's about it's still a bit awkward, they could utilize that to their advantage, just my view.

[Deleted User]

Brains64 wrote: »

I didn't pick up the phone if it rang in case it was my bank

I think your post is needlessly alarmist.

No one should fear answering the 'phone while they have a PPI complaint ongoing.

The calls are not made to "catch out" the unwary.

Regardless, if your complaint was based on the truth what could you possibly have to fear?

filibear

Sorry for the delay in responding, just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experiences, I still havent heard anything but am taking the same line as moneyineptitude and leaving it until after the 8 weeks is up (next wednesday).

kittsbud

filibear, I had a call about my claim, and on the very last day I was due an answer I had a lovely letter with an offer that was way beyond what I expected! So don't fear the call, it may mean nothing. The money is apparently going into my bank tomorrow and I'm well chuffed.

Good luck!!!!!

wardlc

I have put 2 claims in ,recieved phone calls few questions answered as best i could , and recieved 2 pay outs