Halifax £100 Incentive problems

jemmou

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone out there has taken advantage of the recent Halifax incentive and actually received the £100?

They state that the payment will be "paid into your new account by the end of the month following the month in which you make your second payment of £1000 into your account".

In my case, the second payment was in April, making the £100 due at the end of May and yet I have received nothing despite 7 frustrating phone calls to their "help" line. On all occasions they have agreed verbally that I "should have been paid" and have promised action.

Anybody out there got any ideas how I should proceed with this?

SilverScooby

I had real problems getting this account up and running, but did eventually get the £100. The best thing to do is to make a complaint (but even they take ages). I'd suggest faxing them as they lost my letter of complaint!

Here's how, from their website

HTH

Phil

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How To Complain

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]If you have a problem, we can help[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]We aim to offer you the best possible service, but there may be occasions when you feel you have cause for complaint. If so, we will always try to resolve the problem quickly and to your satisfaction. If you are unhappy with our response, you can take your complaint further through our complaints procedure.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Where you first make your complaint[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]We aim to resolve your concerns within 24 hours. Sometimes it may take longer to look into the matter fully. If this happens, we will let you know within 5 working days who will reply.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Often the people you first raise the matter with are able to help, but there may be occasions when a specialist area needs to be involved. If you don't know who to contact, you can:[/FONT]

• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Telephone Customer Relations on 08457 25 35 19*[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Contact us using Textphone if you have a hearing impairment on 08456 00 17 50*[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Write to us at:[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Halifax plc, Customer Relations, PO Box 548, Leeds LS1 1WU[/FONT]
• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Fax us on 08451 28 13 85*[/FONT]

regularsaver1

jemmou - you didn't already have a Halifax current account did you, as this made you ineligible and did you use the switching service?

jemmou

no and yes - I am pretty sure that I have met the criteria - everyone I speak to at the Halifax seems to think I am owed the money - they just don't seem able to pay up! I spoke to them again today and was again promised the money - I'll believe it when I see it - can anyone tell me why all corporate dealings are so unsatisfactory - whatever happened to service?

benjimoron_2

Record the call, you don't need to tell them that you are recording it. Get their name and some sort of employee number so that you are able to track them down again should they not pay up. Ask for a date at which they will have paid by. Once that date passes phone up again and get through to the same person, you should have some sort of name and employee number to be able to get hold of them again and ask them if they remember the call from before where they promised the money. If they don't then jog their memory by playing the call back to them. Then demand that you speak to a manager and tell them they have 7 days to have that money in your account otherwise you will see them in the small claims court. Problem solved!

kevinherring

I wish I could have even got as far as you guys. I applied for the account but yesterday was rejected. I also applied for a similar offer with A&L last year and they also rejected me. So yesterday, I thought enough is enough, so I applied for my credit history check with Equifax (the one that Halifax use).

Surprise surprise it was flawless.

However on the report was the few accounts/credit cards I have had over the last 10 years or so.

I think what must happen is that they see that you have applied to lots of cards etc they decide that you are just going to take the £100 and run.

Well I've had enough. The bank manager will be receiving a strongly worded letter from me today!
Kevin

oramoss

I may have it wrong, but when I applied back in February 2007 I don't recall the terms and conditions necessitating use of their switching service or transferring any DDs...hence I didn't (bad experiences with screw ups on this kind of thing before) and now they're saying I'm not eligible.

Thing is, they can't prove it because the terms and conditions have changed on their website - it's now at least 2 months of salary input rather than the 3 when I accepted the offer and I'm sure it didn't need the switching service to be involved either...I asked for a copy of the old T's and C's but they said they didn't have them...twaddle!...I stated that by law they need to keep them...so they've gone off to investigate.

Considering they screwed up my application and necessitated me visiting one of their branches twice to fix their screw up, I think they owe me the money anyway!

We'll see what happens...

TuftyMatt

I applied in early June for the Bank of Scotland high interest account and followed all the instructions. I was told to fund the account with £100 which I did via a transfer from my Lloyds account (£102). I then phoned up the number which they gave me once this money had cleared in there.

3 weeks later and still no cheque book etc so I checked my account online and found the money was gone and with no history to show it had ever been there!!

Off to the Halifax I went last Friday and after 45 minutes of calls by them to Manchester and Glasgow they assured me it would show back in my account the next day.

Off I go again on Monday afternoon as still no money!!

Yesterday morning two lots of £102 showed in my account.

Today it is back to the right amount but still no info on DD or cheque books etc.

Talk about making you work for your £100 incentive.

:beer:

YorkshireBoy

oramoss wrote: »

the terms and conditions have changed on their website

When this offer first appeared in Feb 2007, those T&C's were reproduced on here.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4212515&postcount=2

A tip for the future...when you sign up for something, keep your own record of what you've signed up to.

regularsaver1

oramoss wrote: »

I may have it wrong, but when I applied back in February 2007 I don't recall the terms and conditions necessitating use of their switching service or transferring any DDs...hence I didn't (bad experiences with screw ups on this kind of thing before) and now they're saying I'm not eligible.

Thing is, they can't prove it because the terms and conditions have changed on their website - it's now at least 2 months of salary input rather than the 3 when I accepted the offer and I'm sure it didn't need the switching service to be involved either...I asked for a copy of the old T's and C's but they said they didn't have them...twaddle!...I stated that by law they need to keep them...so they've gone off to investigate.

Considering they screwed up my application and necessitated me visiting one of their branches twice to fix their screw up, I think they owe me the money anyway!

We'll see what happens...

To be fair though it was a "switching offer" as their tv advert said

I have found the T&C from the earlier campaign from the HBOS Plc website:

The £100 Switcher's offer conditions:

1. To qualify for the £100 switching payment customers must open a new Halifax current account between 5th February 2007 and 23rd March 2007. All account openings are subject to acceptance.
2. Customers must use our Switching Team to transfer Direct Debits and standing orders from their existing account elsewhere to the new Halifax current account.
3. Our Switching Team must receive completed switching instruction forms by 30th April 2007.
4. Customers must make payments totalling at least £1,000 every month, into their new Halifax current account.
5. The £100 switching payment will be paid into the new current account by the end of the month following the month in which customers make their second payment of £1,000 into their account. This second payment must be received before 30th September 2007.
6. Payment applies to first account opened only, whether sole or joint. Joint account qualifies for one payment only.
7. The £100 offer is subject to change and may be withdrawn at any time.
8. The offer is open to new current account customers only and not available to existing Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holders. New customers opening a joint account with an existing sole account holder will not qualify for a payment.
9. Our Student Current Account is not eligible for the £100 switching payment.

http://www.hbosplc.com/media/pressreleases/articles/halifax/2007-01-31-DoubleWinf.asp?section=halifax

hopwood_2

Perhaps Martin ought to be more aware of problems with the Halifax before promoting the High Interest Current Account as "best buy". Despite meeting all the conditions, I'm still waiting for the £100.00 over five months after opening the account, and after two phone calls and two letters to their complaints people promising action that never materialises.

I used to be a customer of the Bank of Scotland whose service I found excellent;but following their merger with the Halifax, I've been manoeuvred into dealing with the Halifax people. Over the last two years I've come to dread having to contact their helpline or their complaints people - I had trouble over an ISA too.

I'm now taking a serious look at the Coventry's account. I've always found the smaller Building Societies much more helpful and efficient. I can't wait to be clear of the Halifax.