Need help resolving a complaint with the Post Office, they can't resolve my issue!

Alfiefarrell

Hello all, new to the site.

I am hoping someone can give me help with an ongoing complaint that I've had with Post Office that is going absolutely no where.

In July I used the Post Office service to pay in some cash to my TSB current account. I was aware it can take 3 - 5 working days for the money to be processed.

However when I checked my account 10 days later I found I was £100 overdrawn. The money hadnt gone in and the various bills and payments had taken me overdrawn.

I went in to the branch and the clerk realised she has not processed the slip properly and did it again. Now that is an easy mistake to make and I bear no grudge against the clerk. I phoned TSB to find out the implications and they said I would be charged £86.30 in charges in September.

Ok I thought, it's fine the post office will compensate me for this as it is their fault, as banks regularly do.

So for the past 4 months I have been in correspondence with their customer care team, who have obviously never dealt with this before. I have provided them with all the sufficient evidence ie. Receipt of the initial deposit, proof it never went in, showing when it actually went in, and the letters I have received from the bank concerning the charges from that date.

Initially they wanted to contact my bank so they could liaise with the Post Office but after speaking to them they told me they couldn't discuss my details due to customer confidentiality. Fair enough.

Through this ordeal I've had to reiterate my problem with them because the case gets handed to someome else each time I respond. I've had to resend them the evidence because they seemed to have lost it. I've had them fail to respond and tell me I haven't replied to them, which I corrected them on.

After sending another email with absolutely everything they need reiterated again, I thought surely it would be over.

I have just read their response stating that it is not their fault the cheque never went in to my bank, I should contact them to find out why it took so long, sorry they can't help me. WHAT CHEQUE?!!?! This isn't about a cheque I have never mentioned the word cheque!!

:mad: :mad: :mad:

I have been calm during this whole process thinking surely it would be resolved. Initially was fine and just wanted it sorted but I am now so extremely angry with them due to their terrible customer service!

I have given up with them and I don't know what to do. They caused me financial hardship and a great deal of stress trying to sort it.

They have no contact telephone number, so it is purely through email that I can talk to them (that can take 10 working days to get a response).

Help

I can't afford to have that money gone out my budget, I shouldn't have had to pay that money and they just cant manage to sort it.

Does anyone know what I can do?

Thanks in advance

pmduk

At this stage I'd escalate the complaint to the FOS, even if the initial complain had no merit, their handling of it leaves a great deal to be desired .I suspect if it get that far the FOS will be all over them, (or ought to be at least)

radoslaff

I'm not sure if I am 100% right, but it might be worth a check. I think before you escalate the complaint to the FOS you need to have their final decision. So maybe try once again and ask for a final decision before this thing prolongs for years.

alanq

radoslaff wrote: »

I think before you escalate the complaint to the FOS you need to have their final decision.

Alfiefarrell wrote: »

So for the past 4 months I have been in correspondence with their customer care team, ...

"The business has eight weeks to give their "final response" to your complaint. If you're not happy with how things turn out - or you don't get an answer within eight weeks - let us know."

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/consumer-leaflet.htm

radoslaff

It's a no brainer then. And it's going to cost them much more than the £90 that they actually owed you initially. I hope the FOS will do the job.

Weybridge78

FOS please.

alanq

Weybridge78 wrote: »

FOS please.

Are you asking what FOS stands for? If so its Financial Ombudsman Service. I have provided a link to its site in an earlier post.

Owain_Moneysaver

I'm not sure it's the Post Office's responsibility to compensate you, even though it's their error. They're not your bank and have no contractual agreement with you.

Your complaint is with your bank, TSB. You used a service which they provide through the Post Office and if the PO get it wrong it's TSB's responsibility to correct the errors on your account and compensate you for your loss.

I'd have expected TSB to correct this immediately for you after receiving your evidenced complaint.

radoslaff

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

I'm not sure it's the Post Office's responsibility to compensate you, even though it's their error. They're not your bank and have no contractual agreement with you.

Your complaint is with your bank, TSB. You used a service which they provide through the Post Office and if the PO get it wrong it's TSB's responsibility to correct the errors on your account and compensate you for your loss.

I'd have expected TSB to correct this immediately for you after receiving your evidenced complaint.

I'm sorry but I disagree with that statement. Post Office is the company offering that particular service to cutomers. So when they fail to deliver that service and this leads to damages, it is their responsibility to compensate the affected person. They certainly get paid for that by the banks. So if they can get compensated by the bank later (which I seriously doubt) good for them. But they are certainly liable for the damages THEY inflicted.

agrinnall

radoslaff wrote: »

I'm sorry but I disagree with that statement. Post Office is the company offering that particular service to cutomers. So when they fail to deliver that service and this leads to damages, it is their responsibility to compensate the affected person. They certainly get paid for that by the banks. So if they can get compensated by the bank later (which I seriously doubt) good for them. But they are certainly liable for the damages THEY inflicted.

Although I don't know for sure I'd say Owain is more likely to be correct, and that if TSB compensate the OP they could recover that amount from the Post Office (who TSB have a contractual relationship with) rather than the other way round.

radoslaff

agrinnall wrote: »

Although I don't know for sure I'd say Owain is more likely to be correct, and that if TSB compensate the OP they could recover that amount from the Post Office (who TSB have a contractual relationship with) rather than the other way round.

You may as well be right, though when the OP entered the Post Office branch and handed them his money being given a receipt in return, he entered in something like contractual agreement with the Post Office. They had the money and they issued the receipt.
If you were to send something with DHL and it arrived 2 weeks after the agreed date would you persue the party that didn't receive the package or the courier? In this case the Post Office is the courier that didn't fulfil their part of the deal.
On the other hand TSB could waive the penalties if they wished to. They didn't or weren't asked.
Anyway I'm really curious to understand how is this going to end.