Bank not advising of my rights to contact Financial Ombudsman Service following making a complaint

born_again

Edi81 said:

Why are people resurrecting a year old thread???!

Was showing new posts & goes straight to these on page 6. So responded to that. 👀🤦‍♀️

OceanSound

Thrugelmir said:

OceanSound said:

JohnSmith999 said:

.......
Can someone please advise me of what procedure my bank should follow now? They're clearly just trying to wash their hands of the situation, because so much of it happened over 6 years ago, but I believe that since I was not advised of my rights as I've described, this makes the situation current again, and I believe they should take notice.

......

FOS has referred my complaint back to Fineco Bank to so they can now issue a final response. Shows how the FOS is pretty much at the mercy of these financial institutions (as it's funded by them). 

Bottom line is the customers foot the bill. There's no magic money trees. 

I heard there is - in the Cayman Islands.

Edi81 said:

Why are people resurrecting a year old thread???!

Of course! Of course! That's the most pressing issue here - not that a person's rights have been infringed.

Shakin_Steve

JohnSmith999 hasn't been on for over a month, so I doubt we'll ever find out what happened. But you never know.

JohnSmith999

I know it's been a long time since I posted, so apologies for that, but here's an update, and whatever my chances are, the bank's idea of 'customer service' is... well...

May-July 2020: I complained to the bank following receipt of the reply from FOS. I heard nothing.

Sept 2020: I complained again to the bank, had a called from 'T' at the bank who I spoke to for about 30 mins, he took a lot of details, and then when I asked about emailing through some more things to add rather than detail it all over the phone, he agreed, and I sent that through. He said he would get back to me within 8 weeks. I heard nothing.

After this, my mum was not at all well. I tried phoning the Halifax a few times, and was just told by the phone agents on the frontline that my complaint was still being looked into. I kept asking for someone to contact me. No-one ever did.

Jan 2021: I complained again through the website about how I got no response from 'T', nor anyone else after I tried phoning. Got a letter a week later, which shows it was dashed off the next day on a Friday afternoon, saying how they were done with the whole thing and weren't going to take any action ever again, and that any subsequent correspondence would be added to the file, but they wouldn't respond. They ignored my complaint about the fact I was told I'd hear back from T or anyone else.

Feb 2021: My Mum died, and that pretty much threw me for the rest of the year. I did try phoning up again a few times, was always told someone would get back to me. No-one ever did.

Feb 2022: I complained yet again through the website. This time I heard from 'J', who said they'd look into everything, and I spoke to them for about 30 mins. He said while there's an 8-week timeframe, I'd likely hear sooner than that.

Last week: I phoned the bank again, and since I'd got a number for the Complaints Dept, I phoned them. I was told that since they'd sent that letter in Jan 2021, my complaints were completely nilled/abandoned/however you want to put it.

I tried explained that J said he took all that information and said he'd come back to me, but now I know that as clearly happened with T as well, they said they'll look into it and come back to me, but then as soon as the call it ended, they cancel it, and have zero intention of coming back to me.

So, they lied, basically. Why say you're going to do something and then not? If I did that in my line of work, I'd be reprimanded severely!

All Complaints could do is suggest I put in a complaint again (with the frontline agents, since Complaints can't take a complaint!) and it would be passed to them. I did so, but while the agent said she hoped I would hear something and get a resolution, naturally, no-one has come back to me yet. So, we're either one week into the 8-week process, or one week minus five minutes since someone received it and just cancelled it.

Regardless of what you think of me, my chances or my situation, why on Earth is a bank allowed to say they'll look into this, process it, and come back to me, etc.... and then do the complete opposite?

How many of you would get away with that in your job, if you deal with members of the public?

callum9999

JohnSmith999 said:

I know it's been a long time since I posted, so apologies for that, but here's an update, and whatever my chances are, the bank's idea of 'customer service' is... well...

May-July 2020: I complained to the bank following receipt of the reply from FOS. I heard nothing.

Sept 2020: I complained again to the bank, had a called from 'T' at the bank who I spoke to for about 30 mins, he took a lot of details, and then when I asked about emailing through some more things to add rather than detail it all over the phone, he agreed, and I sent that through. He said he would get back to me within 8 weeks. I heard nothing.

After this, my mum was not at all well. I tried phoning the Halifax a few times, and was just told by the phone agents on the frontline that my complaint was still being looked into. I kept asking for someone to contact me. No-one ever did.

Jan 2021: I complained again through the website about how I got no response from 'T', nor anyone else after I tried phoning. Got a letter a week later, which shows it was dashed off the next day on a Friday afternoon, saying how they were done with the whole thing and weren't going to take any action ever again, and that any subsequent correspondence would be added to the file, but they wouldn't respond. They ignored my complaint about the fact I was told I'd hear back from T or anyone else.

Feb 2021: My Mum died, and that pretty much threw me for the rest of the year. I did try phoning up again a few times, was always told someone would get back to me. No-one ever did.

Feb 2022: I complained yet again through the website. This time I heard from 'J', who said they'd look into everything, and I spoke to them for about 30 mins. He said while there's an 8-week timeframe, I'd likely hear sooner than that.

Last week: I phoned the bank again, and since I'd got a number for the Complaints Dept, I phoned them. I was told that since they'd sent that letter in Jan 2021, my complaints were completely nilled/abandoned/however you want to put it.

I tried explained that J said he took all that information and said he'd come back to me, but now I know that as clearly happened with T as well, they said they'll look into it and come back to me, but then as soon as the call it ended, they cancel it, and have zero intention of coming back to me.

So, they lied, basically. Why say you're going to do something and then not? If I did that in my line of work, I'd be reprimanded severely!

All Complaints could do is suggest I put in a complaint again (with the frontline agents, since Complaints can't take a complaint!) and it would be passed to them. I did so, but while the agent said she hoped I would hear something and get a resolution, naturally, no-one has come back to me yet. So, we're either one week into the 8-week process, or one week minus five minutes since someone received it and just cancelled it.

Regardless of what you think of me, my chances or my situation, why on Earth is a bank allowed to say they'll look into this, process it, and come back to me, etc.... and then do the complete opposite?

How many of you would get away with that in your job, if you deal with members of the public?

I assume they're saying that because that's how the complaint system works, then after they've hung up they've discovered the notes about how they won't accept any further complaints from you.

If it was me, I'd call you back and let know this, so I completely accept you're receiving shoddy service.

But, you're the one wasting your own time here. Despite what the front line agents are saying, you already know that Halifax refuse to entertain your complain but keep trying. You've also been told dozens of times by people on here that your complaint will fail, so you shouldn't really be expressing surprise at that.

My deepest condolences, I hope you can get over/learn to live with this trauma soon. It would still be a pointless endeavor, but if you want to keep complaining you'll need to try and go above Halifax now instead of ignoring their clear instruction to stop contacting them about it. I, and everyone else here, know that they will just reject your complaint but if you keep refusing to move past this then that's your only real option.

OceanSound

JohnSmith999 said:

I know it's been a long time since I posted, so apologies for that, but here's an update, and whatever my chances are, the bank's idea of 'customer service' is... well...

May-July 2020: I complained to the bank following receipt of the reply from FOS. I heard nothing.

Sept 2020: I complained again to the bank, had a called from 'T' at the bank who I spoke to for about 30 mins, he took a lot of details, and then when I asked about emailing through some more things to add rather than detail it all over the phone, he agreed, and I sent that through. He said he would get back to me within 8 weeks. I heard nothing.

After this, my mum was not at all well. I tried phoning the Halifax a few times, and was just told by the phone agents on the frontline that my complaint was still being looked into. I kept asking for someone to contact me. No-one ever did.

Jan 2021: I complained again through the website about how I got no response from 'T', nor anyone else after I tried phoning. Got a letter a week later, which shows it was dashed off the next day on a Friday afternoon, saying how they were done with the whole thing and weren't going to take any action ever again, and that any subsequent correspondence would be added to the file, but they wouldn't respond. They ignored my complaint about the fact I was told I'd hear back from T or anyone else.

Feb 2021: My Mum died, and that pretty much threw me for the rest of the year. I did try phoning up again a few times, was always told someone would get back to me. No-one ever did.

Feb 2022: I complained yet again through the website. This time I heard from 'J', who said they'd look into everything, and I spoke to them for about 30 mins. He said while there's an 8-week timeframe, I'd likely hear sooner than that.

Last week: I phoned the bank again, and since I'd got a number for the Complaints Dept, I phoned them. I was told that since they'd sent that letter in Jan 2021, my complaints were completely nilled/abandoned/however you want to put it.

I tried explained that J said he took all that information and said he'd come back to me, but now I know that as clearly happened with T as well, they said they'll look into it and come back to me, but then as soon as the call it ended, they cancel it, and have zero intention of coming back to me.

So, they lied, basically. Why say you're going to do something and then not? If I did that in my line of work, I'd be reprimanded severely!

All Complaints could do is suggest I put in a complaint again (with the frontline agents, since Complaints can't take a complaint!) and it would be passed to them. I did so, but while the agent said she hoped I would hear something and get a resolution, naturally, no-one has come back to me yet. So, we're either one week into the 8-week process, or one week minus five minutes since someone received it and just cancelled it.

Regardless of what you think of me, my chances or my situation, why on Earth is a bank allowed to say they'll look into this, process it, and come back to me, etc.... and then do the complete opposite?

How many of you would get away with that in your job, if you deal with members of the public?

Same had happened to me once with Chase UK. 

When I phoned to complain (on 11 January 2022), the agent took all the details, said a complaint has been submitted and that 'someone should get back to me'. I even asked him to read back the complaint to ensure he had noted everything correctly (I've read this is good practice especially with complaints over the phone). Everything had been noted. 

Days became weeks, no response. So after 8 weeks (since 11 January 2022) I complained to the financial ombudsman. Chase then accepted their mistake and said they will uphold my complaint. Apparently, there hadn't been an initial complaint raised and only a 'general case'.

Chase UK paid me £100 compensation for distress and inconvenience + £ 2.25 (postage cost when making complaint with ombudsman)