Bank chargeback help

jonesMUFCforever

The complaint should NOT have gone to the CEO unless that is what their complaints procedure states. The devil is in the detail.

soolin

jonesMUFCforever said:

The complaint should NOT have gone to the CEO unless that is what their complaints procedure states. The devil is in the detail.

The Metro bank complaint page says to either make a complaint to CS , which I had already done and which they had lost, and then go to the CEO at their head office, there are no other steps. 

colsten

jonesMUFCforever said:

The complaint should NOT have gone to the CEO unless that is what their complaints procedure states. The devil is in the detail.

There is no reason whatsoever why people should not be complaining to the CEO if the normal complaints channels cannot produce a resolution, or even decline a final response to a complaint, as is the case here. 

born_again

soolin said: I am concerned though with the insurance claim though as it’s now been nearly 4 months since my lost holiday and their T and Cs could be read as saying a chargeback must have been attempted, and I wonder if asking the bank to undertake one without success will count.

It really annoys me that Insurance companies take the money to insure you against just this type of thing.
They should be paying out. The fact there maybe other options to reclaim the money should not be your issue.

From what you have said about metro is a joke. Losing a complaint is going to cost them big time as FOS check on these and it will be a fine at the very least. Then some monitoring to ensure it does not happen again.
We get pulled up by our complaint team if we do not use a certain format on complaints. Not logging one will see you in serious trouble. As customer mentioning it again will see all the calls pulled and some serious knuckle wrapping. 
Going to CEO in your case was the way to go. And it is something I do not like people doing. 

soolin

As per my previous rant/ response I have now given up with Metro as I cannot even get them to acknowledge my emails . A claim has been opened with my insurance company and was acknowledged within 24 hours but they have said they need paperwork to show that hotel are refusing to refund , I have therefore emailed the hotel again and sent AXA a copy of that but pointing out that hotel do not respond to any emails as they are closed. 

There is also a warning on my claim that insurance will only be available if I have been unsuccessful with both the hotel, and with my bank - the suggestion is still that I need to show that a chargeback or s 75 (which is not possible as I used a debit card) has failed. I am therefore hoping that Metro don’t take too long to issue a deadlock letter.  I’m not sure how to,prove though that hotel won’t refund, when they have so far not responded to emails, perhaps this last email will be different and will get a response. 

There is still no acknowledgement from Metro bank about any complaint and in fairness it is too soon yet for them to respond to my written complaint to the CEO. 

[Deleted User]

Insurance claims usually require that you take all reasonable steps to minimise the value of the claim - I'm assuming that's where asking for a refund and chargeback/S75 comes in. 

I would send the refusal confirmation to the insurance and ask them for the refund but proceed with Metro complaint route - see which comes up trump first.

I'm not sure what your credit situation but try to always book travel on a credit card as then you usually have S75 cover and people more more familiar with chargeback rules too.

soolin

dahj said:

Insurance claims usually require that you take all reasonable steps to minimise the value of the claim - I'm assuming that's where asking for a refund and chargeback/S75 comes in. 

I would send the refusal confirmation to the insurance and ask them for the refund but proceed with Metro complaint route - see which comes up trump first.

I'm not sure what your credit situation but try to always book travel on a credit card as then you usually have S75 cover and people more more familiar with chargeback rules too.

The annoying thing is I usually do use a credit card, but decided to make a false economy by using a debit card as it didn’t charge me conversion costs (hotel was paid in Euros), never again!

I had a letter from Metro bank today closing my claim as I hadn’t supplied the information they need, this reason contradicts every reason given in phone calls and of course all information has been supplied. I phoned again and whilst the CS rep this time was really lovely, she was frustrated as there was no one to pass me onto. She did confirm though that my complaints were not processed , it looks like they took my request to make a complaint against themselves as being the chargeback against the hotel (your Really couldn’t make it up!)

I responded to their letter which I have sent signed for enclosing copies of all the information already supplied. I told them as well that I wanted a complaint processed about their handling of this chargeback. I also sent duplicates of the whole lot, signed for again, to their CEO.

I am beyond angry now especially as the last lengthy telephone conversation resulted in them saying a deadlock letter would be issued based on the fact that the room was not refundable, but suddenly it’s because they don’t have any information. This is despite being told several weeks ago that a chargeback was initiated and I just had to be patient and wait for merchant to respond. 

born_again

soolin said:

dahj said:

Insurance claims usually require that you take all reasonable steps to minimise the value of the claim - I'm assuming that's where asking for a refund and chargeback/S75 comes in. 

I would send the refusal confirmation to the insurance and ask them for the refund but proceed with Metro complaint route - see which comes up trump first.

I'm not sure what your credit situation but try to always book travel on a credit card as then you usually have S75 cover and people more more familiar with chargeback rules too.

The annoying thing is I usually do use a credit card, but decided to make a false economy by using a debit card as it didn’t charge me conversion costs (hotel was paid in Euros), never again!

I had a letter from Metro bank today closing my claim as I hadn’t supplied the information they need, this reason contradicts every reason given in phone calls and of course all information has been supplied. I phoned again and whilst the CS rep this time was really lovely, she was frustrated as there was no one to pass me onto. She did confirm though that my complaints were not processed , it looks like they took my request to make a complaint against themselves as being the chargeback against the hotel (your Really couldn’t make it up!)

I responded to their letter which I have sent signed for enclosing copies of all the information already supplied. I told them as well that I wanted a complaint processed about their handling of this chargeback. I also sent duplicates of the whole lot, signed for again, to their CEO.

I am beyond angry now especially as the last lengthy telephone conversation resulted in them saying a deadlock letter would be issued based on the fact that the room was not refundable, but suddenly it’s because they don’t have any information. This is despite being told several weeks ago that a chargeback was initiated and I just had to be patient and wait for merchant to respond. 

I wonder if they use a system like ours. Where post is scanned onto the system (so whole letter) and will wait in chargeback dept queue to be worked. As it sounds like your complaint is also on there, it will not be picked up. (people in post room do not read the letters)
Could explain some of the issue.
As due to Covid and all the holiday co issues. We are swamped with work.

soolin

born_again said:

soolin said:

dahj said:

Insurance claims usually require that you take all reasonable steps to minimise the value of the claim - I'm assuming that's where asking for a refund and chargeback/S75 comes in. 

I would send the refusal confirmation to the insurance and ask them for the refund but proceed with Metro complaint route - see which comes up trump first.

I'm not sure what your credit situation but try to always book travel on a credit card as then you usually have S75 cover and people more more familiar with chargeback rules too.

The annoying thing is I usually do use a credit card, but decided to make a false economy by using a debit card as it didn’t charge me conversion costs (hotel was paid in Euros), never again!

I had a letter from Metro bank today closing my claim as I hadn’t supplied the information they need, this reason contradicts every reason given in phone calls and of course all information has been supplied. I phoned again and whilst the CS rep this time was really lovely, she was frustrated as there was no one to pass me onto. She did confirm though that my complaints were not processed , it looks like they took my request to make a complaint against themselves as being the chargeback against the hotel (your Really couldn’t make it up!)

I responded to their letter which I have sent signed for enclosing copies of all the information already supplied. I told them as well that I wanted a complaint processed about their handling of this chargeback. I also sent duplicates of the whole lot, signed for again, to their CEO.

I am beyond angry now especially as the last lengthy telephone conversation resulted in them saying a deadlock letter would be issued based on the fact that the room was not refundable, but suddenly it’s because they don’t have any information. This is despite being told several weeks ago that a chargeback was initiated and I just had to be patient and wait for merchant to respond. 

I wonder if they use a system like ours. Where post is scanned onto the system (so whole letter) and will wait in chargeback dept queue to be worked. As it sounds like your complaint is also on there, it will not be picked up. (people in post room do not read the letters)
Could explain some of the issue.
As due to Covid and all the holiday co issues. We are swamped with work.

No, unfortunately I have a letter telling me that the chargeback is closed . I also have confirmation from the helpful CS rep yesterday that no complaint has been registered on my behalf, the conversations and files have only been viewed by CS and the card fraud/dispute team. The CEO letter was delivered on the 3rd August  (Going to the CEO is their suggested complaint procedure according to their own complaints page), so I cannot reasonably expect any response from that for a few weeks. 

The FOS have several weeks backlog it seems but have acknowledged my complaint so I will leave that with them. 

The insurance company are also obviously snowed under but I have a claims handler, I just need to be able to show that a chargeback has failed- I have of course dates of all phone calls made (some were followed up by emails) and hard copies of all correspondence. 

I think now it is just a waiting game, and I need to just wait to see what they all come back with. 

soolin

Just another update.
I have sent 2 letters of complaint to the CEO of Metro bank, both not acknowledged, my last letter to Metro bank with duplicates of all the information and also requesting an update on my complaint has also not been acknowledged. 

I just phoned them again to see what was happening and they have confirmed that they have not upheld the complaint against themselves and say they handled the chargeback (ie didn't do it) correctly and said I should have had a letter to say that - which they will send again. They will no longer deal with me as as far as they are concerned this matter is now closed  and all I can do is carry on with the FOS.

Just to make things worse my insurance, despite an appeal have said they are not liable as a voucher has been issued. They have also confirmed that even if the hotel does not re open( and it is closed still) and my voucher expires then they are still not liable as I would have needed insurance that covered supplier failure to make a complaint.

The one thing I would urge others to learn from this is NEVER book anything unless you can use a credit card and if there is anyway possible to make a holiday into a package holiday and get ABTA coverage then do so, do not rely on insurance or banks. I have possibly always had too much faith in insurance , I never opt for just the cheapest and always nag others to choose a good company  and I feel foolish to find out that despite the hotel cancelling my holiday I have no coverage .