Aqua Card - watch out

redacted_2

Hi all

I'm new to the forum. I joined so that I could share my experiences in dealing with Aqua card and their quite frankly disgraceful behaviour I have recently been subjected to.

I started using the Aqua Reward Card in September 2012. In May 2013 a fraudulent payment appeared on my account. I saw the transaction on my statement 2 days later and reported the transaction to them, and put a stop to any future transactions on that card. I was promised a new card, and that the transaction would be removed as required by law. I also found out that the card details were used online, which is strange since I had only used it twice online and by secure sites each time, and no viruses were found on my computer when scanning it with 3 different antvirus software systems.

I received the compulsory letters to fill in to allow them to investigate the fraud, which I promptly filled in and sent them back.

A week after I'd put a stop to the card, I received a text message about the transaction asking me if it was genuine (which I'd already reported.) The transaction also put me over my credit limit, which I thought was there to stop things like this from happening in the first place.

Around 4 weeks later after I'd moved house, I phoned again asking where my new card was. They told me they'd cancelled it and I'd have to apply again. I told them this was not acceptable as I had accumulated £70 of cashback and they didn't do that card anymore. After repeated phone calls, they said they'd be able to issue a new card once the fraud investigation had been complete.

After sending several months of statements which confirm that I owe them nothing, they decided that they'd reapply the fraudulent transaction to me in my August statement. When I phoned up to complain they sent me another one of the letters where I indicate the fraud to allow them to investigate. I filled this in and sent a letter of complaint with it. They have again acknowledged the receipt of the letter and that I don't owe them anything but I now get calls and text messages from their collections department illegally demanding money from me which I don't owe them. I explained the situation to the first caller, who told me I shouldn't be contacted by them again. Needless to say I keep getting threatening calls from them, (which I now just put the phone straight down on.)

Currently I have to wait another 3 weeks before I can report them to the financial ombudsman and I keep getting contact from their collections department illegally demanding money from me. When I phone asking where my card and cashback they owe me is, and why I'm receiving illegal demands for money, I get promised that their collections department will not call me again, and I'll get another card once the investigation is complete.

It is hard to see how having a card with Aqua is going to help anyone's credit rating.

[Deleted User]

redacted wrote: »

It is hard to see how having a card with Aqua is going to help anyone's credit rating, and I can't believe HBOS allow this kind of thing to happen.

Aqua is owned by Progressive Credit. Nothing to do with HBoS.

redacted_2

They seemed to share numbers with Halifax when I called them a few times. Removed from post.

Naf

redacted wrote: »

They seemed to share numbers with Halifax when I called them a few times. Removed from post.

Yes, my experience is that they share numbers.
Reading your post, I feel like you gave up on your cashback much too easily.
You want to write a thorough letter of complaint direct to head office by recorded delivery, ignore everything else they send (but keep everything) until you receive a response, and chase it up every fortnight until you do.
You might owe them nothing, but you accumulated that cashback according to their T&Cs. The only way they can refuse to pay is if you breached the T&Cs in some way.

redacted_2

Naf wrote: »

You want to write a thorough letter of complaint direct to head office by recorded delivery, ignore everything else they send (but keep everything) until you receive a response, and chase it up every fortnight until you do.
You might owe them nothing, but you accumulated that cashback according to their T&Cs. The only way they can refuse to pay is if you breached the T&Cs in some way.

I haven't given up on the cashback or even the card completely yet.

They responded to my complaint on the 16th August this year. According to the rules of the financial ombudsman, I have to wait until the 10th October (8 weeks) until I take take it up with them. Beyond that, I may end up having to sue them if I get denied a mortgage due to them wrongly and illegally putting black marks on my credit rating for this.

I don't know if I made this clear enough on my first post, but the fraud took place early in May this year and in August they decided to add the 3 month old fraudulent transaction to my statement ( I hadn't had any access to my card since I reported the fraud in May.) The way I see this, it is in total violation of UK Law, and they are constantly harassing me for the money due to this transaction, and no doubt they'll try adding interest and all the default charges, which they have no right to.

slopemaster

If you're worried about this affecting a mortgage application, contact your MP.
I did this when I had a similar problem (different company) and it was resolved very quickly

Gromitt

redacted wrote: »

IThey responded to my complaint on the 16th August this year. According to the rules of the financial ombudsman, I have to wait until the 10th October (8 weeks) until I take take it up with them.

OR the company concerned (Aqua) issue a "final response" in regards to your complaint which you are unhappy with. There's no point in waiting 8 weeks for no reason.

sharpy2010

Aqua card is owned by Sav Credit, who are complelely independent from HBoS. Having said that, HBoS customer service are the ones who manage the cards, with regards to customer services, on behalf of Sav Credit.

Naf

redacted wrote: »

I haven't given up on the cashback or even the card completely yet.

They responded to my complaint on the 16th August this year. According to the rules of the financial ombudsman, I have to wait until the 10th October (8 weeks) until I take take it up with them. Beyond that, I may end up having to sue them if I get denied a mortgage due to them wrongly and illegally putting black marks on my credit rating for this.

I don't know if I made this clear enough on my first post, but the fraud took place early in May this year and in August they decided to add the 3 month old fraudulent transaction to my statement ( I hadn't had any access to my card since I reported the fraud in May.) The way I see this, it is in total violation of UK Law, and they are constantly harassing me for the money due to this transaction, and no doubt they'll try adding interest and all the default charges, which they have no right to.

So they responded, and said what? Did it indicate that would be their final response? Have they said they have completed their investigation into the fraud?

interstellaflyer

Deleted_User wrote: »

Aqua is owned by Progressive Credit. Nothing to do with HBoS.

IIRC Aqua was owned by HBoS, however it was sold off early 2012.

CKhalvashi

interstellaflyer wrote: »

IIRC Aqua was owned by HBoS, however it was sold off early 2012.

AFAIK, BoS are Aqua's bankers, in the same way that Cap1's bankers are (were when I had one) HSBC.

I don't have an Aqua card, and therefore can't be certain.

CK