HSBC - Bit Lost...

Capt_MashPotato

In December 2017 HSBC wrote to me explaining in a standard latter 'that I may be entitled to PPI' and that the closing date for claims is August 2019, I was quite surprised by this as I haven't banked with HSBC in over 12 years and have moved house around 5 times in this period. I did have a number of loans with them between 2002 & 2006 (with PPI on them) as well as a current account but nothing since.

I have since completed the PPI form (both online and by phone) 4 times and each time received a response stating they cannot find me at all and to provide further details. As you might expect; all paperwork or anything with any account references has long been shredded and I'm lost as to what to do next. I have been in branch twice with the letters and they couldn't find any data on me, one member of staff suggested I pursue it through a PPI claims company!

Can anyone help further with options I may have available to me in order to get this a little further?!? Thanks in advance....

Capt_MashPotato

Edit: just submitted a claim through Resolver, see what happens...

Nasqueron

Poor advice from the staff, a claims firm cannot do anything you can't do yourself

All you can do is send a DSAR to HSBC and see what they can find on you if the front line staff can't find you. Little point in continually submitting letters to them directly or via resolver if they can't find you the first time, they won't be able to the 5th time

Capt_MashPotato

Thanks for reply and excuse my ignorance, DSAR?

BooJewels

Nasqueron wrote: »

Poor advice from the staff, a claims firm cannot do anything you can't do yourself

Indeed. And they'll charge you something like 35% plus VAT from your [potential] redress payment for the privilege of doing next to nothing for you.

How do you suppose HSBC found you if you'd moved house several times, yet not been a customer for many years? Was it a speculative letter from a claims company that happened to mention HSBC, not from them directly?

Nasqueron

Capt_MashPotato wrote: »

Thanks for reply and excuse my ignorance, DSAR?

Data subject access request, they send you all the information they hold on you that they can reasonably find which may include stuff the front line staff can't see - if they don't have any records left then your complaint will be a non-starter though seems odd they'd write to you about accounts if they can't find any

Capt_MashPotato

BooJewels wrote: »

How do you suppose HSBC found you if you'd moved house several times, yet not been a customer for many years? Was it a speculative letter from a claims company that happened to mention HSBC, not from them directly?

I've no idea, there must be a way for organisations to find individuals but the letter was definitely from HSBC and not a spurious third party company. Will try and post the images below.

Capt_MashPotato

Nasqueron wrote: »

Data subject access request, they send you all the information they hold on you that they can reasonably find which may include stuff the front line staff can't see - if they don't have any records left then your complaint will be a non-starter though seems odd they'd write to you about accounts if they can't find any

Righto, thanks. Is there a template on here for the letter?

BooJewels

Capt_MashPotato wrote: »

[...]the letter was definitely from HSBC and not a spurious third party company. Will try and post the images below.

They certainly look genuine - thanks for posting them. Seems odd that they would bother to search you out and write to you if they didn't have a qualifying account on which you could make a complaint.

The first letter however is specifically about Plevin - a potential redress for excess commission they received on sold PPI policies. I had thought that this only came into play for PPI policies where a previous complaint had been rejected - I wasn't aware that they invited you to claim this particular redress out of the blue? Maybe Nasqueron or someone can clarify. It also only applies to loans that were still active in April 2008 - you said yours were 2002 - 2006. Maybe I misunderstand it.

I had a similar letter from my bank, but it was specific to a previously defended PPI complaint on a secured loan that happened to qualify by dates etc. and the letter referenced the complaint and account numbers, it wasn't generic like yours.

Capt_MashPotato

BooJewels wrote: »

The first letter however is specifically about Plevin - a potential redress for excess commission they received on sold PPI policies. I had thought that this only came into play for PPI policies where a previous complaint had been rejected - I wasn't aware that they invited you to claim this particular redress out of the blue? Maybe Nasqueron or someone can clarify. It also only applies to loans that were still active in April 2008 - you said yours were 2002 - 2006. Maybe I misunderstand it.

Thanks for the comments, can anyone clear up BooJewels uncertainty?

Nasqueron

Capt_MashPotato wrote: »

Righto, thanks. Is there a template on here for the letter?

You don't really need a template but the link below has a decent one, just might be worth amending to mention both GDPR as well as DPA because of the legislation changes.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1475553/sar-letter

Ring 03457 404 404 for the address

I think it might be worth it just to be able to put it to bed in your head because the first letter seems to be a generic invitation to complain given it's about Plevin and probably sent to everyone given there are no account details and if you haven't complained before it wouldn't apply to you.

Also yes, Plevin only applies to accounts where the PPI was active after 2008.

See what DSAR comes back, complain about PPI if applicable and see