What happens when SAR letter fails

samnewman

Can anyone advise what I should do next. I had a mortgage with Cheltenham & Gloucester from 1987 to around 1998. I have sent an SAR request to the correct people who have now replied saying that they "have been unable to trace a mortgage account (the most likely reason could be that the account relates to a mortgage that was redeemed over 7 years ago)".

I gave C & G the actual account number and the mortgaged property address and so I find it difficult to believe that they have no records.

So can anyone advise what I should do next?

PS: My most recent successfull PPI claim was for a small loan taken out in 1990 and redeemed in 1997.

Many Thanks

Sam

antrobus

samnewman wrote: »

....I gave C & G the actual account number and the mortgaged property address and so I find it difficult to believe that they have no records....

Why? The mortgage was redeemed 15 years ago.

samnewman wrote: »

....So can anyone advise what I should do next? ....

If the C&G have no records, and you have no records, then there's nothing to do.

[Deleted User]

samnewman wrote: »

I gave C & G the actual account number and the mortgaged property address and so I find it difficult to believe that they have no records.

If you've had a reply to a Subject Access Request (SAR) letter which has returned no details, then it truly means that the Bank no longer have any record of you and any complaint you might make has failed before it's begun.
The fact that you successfully complained about PPI on an old loan is irrelevant I'm afraid.

samnewman

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies. My real concern is whether banks are getting "clever" now with SAr requests because the ones I sent out last year seemed to come back with loads of information but the last few requests 9some covering the same time periods as the first ones) are coming back with the banks saying the hold no data. Maybe I am just being a touch "cynical"? Thanks anyway.

Sam

[Deleted User]

samnewman wrote: »

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies. My real concern is whether banks are getting "clever" now with SAr requests

Financial institutions are only required to keep records for as long as they might reasonably be needed. The recommendation is for this to be six years for closed accounts.
While I'm certain that Banks are being far more diligent in applying this principle than they might have been in the past, your insinuation that they are acting in any way wrongly is inaccurate.

You don't have any documentary proof in your own archive and neither do they, so it's case closed.

dunstonh

I gave C & G the actual account number and the mortgaged property address and so I find it difficult to believe that they have no records.

I would be more suprised if they held records.

1 - its pre-regulation of insurance.
2 - its over 6 years from the redemption of the mortgage (15 years to be precise) and way past the time they should have destroyed such records under the DPA.
3 - MPPI by C&G was typically standalone paid by direct debit. So, wouldnt likely be in the mortgage paperwork anyway (which is another reason why most MPPI complaints fail)

PS: My most recent successfull PPI claim was for a small loan taken out in 1990 and redeemed in 1997.

Loan PPI is very different to mortgage PPI. Most loan PPI complaints succeed. Most MPPI complaints fail. Banks are able to tell from the account code on an account number whether you had PPI or not. Account number records are kept indefinitely. MPPI is a standalone policy which is not based on account number but policy number. Once you stop paying, the records would be expected to be destroyed around 6 years later.

So can anyone advise what I should do next?

If the firm cannot provide details of your policy then they have to rely on the paperwork you have. So, supply them copies of information you have about this policy.

I suspect you have nothing as you are doing a SAR. So, at this point you dont even know if you had MPPI, the lender has no record and you have no record. This is dead duck.

Maybe I am just being a touch "cynical"?

The same comment could be made against you. Whilst banks did oversell loan PPI and sometimes used methods that were not ethical, when it comes to mortgages, most people take out insurance and with good reason (which again is why most mortgage insurance complaints fail). Here you are looking to get a refund of money on something you dont know you paid but would have been done 26 years ago on something that had only just started to be offered and from the days before the banks went sales crazy which, even if you had it, you probably had a financial need for it.