Packaged bank account charges

clayton16749

Hello, just hoping someone may be able to provide some advice...

I approached my bank (Halifax) to try to reclaim my packaged account charges. Ultimately they've said no.

Has anyone had any recent success with Halifax and how? Do I now go directly to the ombudsman service or should I employ a company to reclaim it for me? 

Thanks

brettcta

The success anyone else may have had is about as relevant to your scenario as to what I had for my tea last night. You made a complaint, presumably with your allegations as to why you were unhappy, the lender has disputed those and rejected your complaint. If you feel they have not satisfactorily answered your allegations then you can either go back to them or go to FOS (within 6 months of the bank’s final response). 

Instructing a claims management company is folly at any point, it’s especially pointless now that you’ve already made your complaint yourself. All they will do is forward it to the FOS (which, as you know, you can do yourself) and if it’s upheld, invoice you for a sizeable chunk of whatever redress you may be offered. 

clayton16749

I think it's relevant to find out how other people have had success, very dismissive to suggest otherwise. 

Why do you suggest I avoid using a company to do it for me?  I'm aware of the downside that I have to pay them if successful but that would still be a better situation than getting nothing back at all. 

[Deleted User]

It's not relevant because their mis sale reasons are not yours.  Making up a reason or changing it to fit someone else's case just marks you as making a fraudulent  complaint.

With regard to claims companies, you need to give them your complaint and ask them to post it to FOS. You can find the FOS address yourself online. In fact, it should even be in your rejection letter from the Halifax..

It's a terrible use of your time and money to pay someone else to send it for you.

dunstonh

I approached my bank (Halifax) to try to reclaim my packaged account charges. Ultimately they've said no.

Which is not unexpected as most of these complaints fail.   

Has anyone had any recent success with Halifax and how?

Probably but that wont help you as reasons are always personal.

 Do I now go directly to the ombudsman service or should I employ a company to reclaim it for me? 

All a CMC does is post your complaint to the same address you used handled by the same staff at Halifax.    CMCs generally have a lower success rate than personalised complaints.   The FOS are only upholding around 1 in 13 of PBA complaints (last time I looked).

If you employed a CMC now, you would run the risk of a CMC charging you for wasting their time.   Halifax would not look at it again but just refer you back to the original complaint rejection.

You need to focus on the rejection reasons you have been given and what evidence you have available that counters their rejection.  So, why did they reject and what do you have to counter it?

clayton16749

Dunstonh thank you for the useful and informative response. I didn't realise success rates were so low. 
I haven't had the letter yet, so I'm not sure why it's been rejected. I was only informed earlier by someone in customer services who just said the letter was in the post. 

clayton16749

If there is anyone else on the forum who's had success with this sort of issue, I'd be grateful to know how. 

brettcta

clayton16749 said:

If there is anyone else on the forum who's had success with this sort of issue, I'd be grateful to know how. 

but as we’ve mentioned, this makes absolutely no bearing on your own complaint. Trying to use someone else’s complaint points in order to obtain a payout could be seen as fraud.

clayton16749

Brettcta, yes of course it could. That isn't my intention. I'm just trying to learn more about the situation and understand why they will reject some complaints and not others. 
If someone else has had similar circumstances to me and been successful, then why? I just want as much information as possible in order to win. 
Obviously you don't know me, we're on website, but acting fraudulently is not something I would do and is not a risk I would consider. But, when I believe I'm right about something I want to arm myself with as much information as possible in order to win. 
I thought I had done that before complaining to them but obviously not...

brettcta

If you think you’re right, then stick to your guns and refer it to the FOS and let them decide

jonesMUFCforever

OP What makes you think it was missold to you?
Over what time scales are we talking here?
I bank with Lloyds part of LBG (includes Halifax) - I get a yearly letter to ask whether the account I pay for is still suitable for me.
They will have records of when these letters were sent - if you did not respond to any of these then perhaps that is why they have refused your complaint.