Advice on dealing with HSBC

Beakerthon

Hi all

I finally got myself together to send my letter off to HSBC requesting 6 years of bank charges.

I work in the arts and have been self employed since I was 25 and still dealing with a lot of university debt (I am nearly free of that now). Gaps in work, clients being slow in paying me meant that I was often in a tight spot with no where to get money from (my parents are unable to help me). So I have more than £3000 in charges over the past few years.

I'm still not earning any more than about 11,000 a year and I'm frequently unable to pay rent or bills, having to put them off until the following month, or borrow money. My argument in my letter is that without the bank charges, I'd be in a better financial position now (my overdraft is still at £2000 for instance). I sent my letter off and have my response. They ask me to contact their financial guidance department and complete an income and expenditure form.

Should I do this or and then follow up with another letter asking for the charges back? or just reply to their letter with the information? I hadn't expected all of the charges back, but to negotiate perhaps to help with my overdraft.

thanks for all the stories - very helpful in getting some confidence to try and sort things out.

B

dunstonh

hey ask me to contact their financial guidance department and complete an income and expenditure form.

Should I do this or and then follow up with another letter asking for the charges back?

They dont have to pay you a penny if you do not co-operate. If you want them to believe you are in hardship, then you need to show them that you . That is why they want you to fill this in.

I hadn't expected all of the charges back, but to negotiate perhaps to help with my overdraft.

You need to persuade the person looking at this that you are in genuine current financial hardship. You dont want to be difficult on their requests as you want the person on your side.

Beakerthon

Thanks dunstonh.

Beakerthon

Hi again,

I guess my question also about how, if I speak to the financial guidance team, I maintain my request about the charges: i.e., the letter is from one department, and I'll now go and deal over the phone with another.

B

dunstonh

You dont have to request anything. They are not required to refund you a penny. So, making demands is not going to help. They will be focusing on your financial situation and deciding whether you are in current financial hardship. They will then decide what options they will use if you are.

The options can be a refund of recent charges. It could be a suspension of future charges for the next x months. It is unusual (but does happen in extreme cases) for them to refund charges going back over many years.