Halifax offered compensation for Control account

gemstars81_2

Hi,

I want to know if I should accept Halifax's compensation offer of £75 plus any accrued costs or expenses or should let the Ombudsmen take the matter further. This is what has happened for me to get this point....

I have a current account with Halifax but accepted to have what they call control put on it. This is when you are in financial difficulty and stops any bank charges including overdraft. After 6 months this costs £10 per month.

I cancelled before the 6 months so I would not be charged any costs. This was nearly a year ago.

Since then Halifax have taken the £10 out of my account every month since. I have phoned them at least 5 times and each time they refunded me the charges and told me it would not happen again.

I also made Halifax aware for over a year now that I suffer from long term depression and I am in financial hardship but as you will find this has not made them do their job properly.

A few months ago I got the ombudsmen involved as it just kept happening. Halifax refunded the charges again plus gave me £30 compensation.

Halifax then charged me again for two months in a row so I involved the ombudsmen again. Halifax have now sent me a letter offering the £75 etc. as above and once again saying it will not happen again.

So is there anyone who knows or has had a similar experience who can say if £75 plus expenses is fair or I should continue my complaint with the ombudsmen?

Thank you.

colsten

Write to their CEO. I wouldn't mention financial hardship and depression, just ask him to ensure his staff stop wasting your time.

YorkshireBoy

gemstars81 wrote: »

Hi,

I want to know if I should accept Halifax's compensation offer of £75 plus any accrued costs or expenses or should let the Ombudsmen take the matter further. This is what has happened for me to get this point....

I have a current account with Halifax but accepted to have what they call control put on it. This is when you are in financial difficulty and stops any bank charges including overdraft. After 6 months this costs £10 per month.

I cancelled before the 6 months so I would not be charged any costs. This was nearly a year ago.

Since then Halifax have taken the £10 out of my account every month since. I have phoned them at least 5 times and each time they refunded me the charges and told me it would not happen again.

I also made Halifax aware for over a year now that I suffer from long term depression and I am in financial hardship but as you will find this has not made them do their job properly.

A few months ago I got the ombudsmen involved as it just kept happening. Halifax refunded the charges again plus gave me £30 compensation.

Halifax then charged me again for two months in a row so I involved the ombudsmen again. Halifax have now sent me a letter offering the £75 etc. as above and once again saying it will not happen again.

So is there anyone who knows or has had a similar experience who can say if £75 plus expenses is fair or I should continue my complaint with the ombudsmen?

Thank you.

If it stops now, only YOU know if the amount is "fair".

When you say you involved the FOS do you mean they simply wrote a letter on your behalf to Halifax? Or do you mean you rejected the first and second Halifax offers and asked the FOS to adjudicate? I suspect the former.

If you want to see what the FOS thinks is fair* (which is far more meaningful than asking a bunch of forum users what they think is fair!), then simply reject the latest Halifax £75 offer to close your formal complaint (assuming it is a formal complaint?) and any subsequent offers they make and ride out the 8 week timescale so you can then ask the FOS to adjudicate.

Be warned though, the FOS may consider £75, or any other Halifax offer that trumps this, too high and make a lower award...leaving you with even more stress and anger.

* Search their website for 'distress and inconvenience'.

gemstars81_2

The first time FOS were involved they did just write a letter and they have done so again.

The reason I am asking the forum is in case anyone else has had a similar problem and are willing to share that experience so if I decide to proceed with the FOS adjudication I am not stepping into the great unknown.

Plus as I am in the situation and feel like this :mad: I don't trust how I view the situation. So by using the forum I am also hoping it will give me perspective or confirm how I feel.

I have already found on the FOS about compensation for distress etc and the monetary brackets for each level but the examples do not match my situation and, as above, I might not be able to see the wood for the trees.

Archi_Bald

As you have had no financial loss, the FOS will be extremely unlikely to award you more than the amounts you have already received and/or been offered. Also, the FOS might not deal with your case for 6-12 months as it would just go into a queue.

If you do want more money from Halifax, you could just take a chance and see whether they will continue charging you the £10. Every time they do, you can complain again and ask for a refund and compensation for the ongoing distress and inconvenience.

Regardless, it is your right to go to the FOS, after you have decided to decline the Halifax final offer.

PeacefulWaters

Take the cash.

Open an account elsewhere, perhaps benefiting from a switching bonus.

Then close the account that's giving you grief. Dreadful service.

bengal-stripe

Archi_Bald wrote: »

If you do want more money from Halifax, you could just take a chance and see whether they will continue charging you the £10. Every time they do, you can complain again and ask for a refund and compensation for the ongoing distress and inconvenience.

Arthur Daley would have called it: "A nice little earner!"

Nebulous2

Won't the ombudsman tell you if they think it is reasonable?

I had a disagreement with Clydesdale and they totally ignored my complaint so I went to the ombudsman. They then sprung into life and offered me £300.

The ombudsman recommended I accept, both verbally and in writing, saying the amount I had been offered was more than they would normally award in those circumstances.

gemstars81_2

Thanks for all your replies they all helped me make a decision.

I phoned Halifax and said that considering the time it has taken to sort out and how it has affected my health I would be willing to accept £100.

I probably could have got more as they said yes straight away but £100 is a week's money for me and, more importantly, for my health I need to draw a line under it.

plunt

i personally just would have accepted it on the condition for every time it happens again they would be willing to double the compensation