Co-operative Refer a Friend Switching Offer £125 (Nov 2022)

Bridlington1

bristolleedsfan said:

StevenGude said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Dustybee said:

I've just had an email refusal of the bonus as a referred friend.  I already had a bonus from the last referral but had switched out the account so had no current account with co-op at the time of this current bonus.  

Interestingly the referrer refusal email says that 'my friend' has been referred by someone else and therefore they only pay the first referral friend.  Which is a nonsense because there has only been one referral friend on both referrals and they were the same person.

Would be interested if anyone else has had the bonus paid with the same circumstances.  I read earlier in the thread some were trying again as nothing in the T's & C's said this wasn't valid.

Just been bounced too. Co-Op are playing hardball. The only clause in the T&C I can see that is relevant is

3.6 The Recommended Friend is entitled to only one payment even if they switch more than one account to us or if more than one Recommender refers them.

If they take this to mean a payment from a previous offer then I'm bang to rights.

Have you received the payment in this offer period?

My understanding is that the above refers to this offer.

Previous offers, although the same amount, should be considered as separate as they were ended, not paused.

It is same £125 offer merely a different offer period.

It is a different offer, merely with the same £125 payout.

grizzlegrizzle

I know someone who was declined a bonus on the basis that 'they'd benefitted from this offer before'. Big gap between closing and opening accounts - definitely closed long before start of new offer period but Co-op seem to refer to all refer-a-friend offers as the same offer. Interested to hear how you all go with complaints. 

Ed-1

Bridlington1 said:

StevenGude said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Dustybee said:

I've just had an email refusal of the bonus as a referred friend.  I already had a bonus from the last referral but had switched out the account so had no current account with co-op at the time of this current bonus.  

Interestingly the referrer refusal email says that 'my friend' has been referred by someone else and therefore they only pay the first referral friend.  Which is a nonsense because there has only been one referral friend on both referrals and they were the same person.

Would be interested if anyone else has had the bonus paid with the same circumstances.  I read earlier in the thread some were trying again as nothing in the T's & C's said this wasn't valid.

Just been bounced too. Co-Op are playing hardball. The only clause in the T&C I can see that is relevant is

3.6 The Recommended Friend is entitled to only one payment even if they switch more than one account to us or if more than one Recommender refers them.

If they take this to mean a payment from a previous offer then I'm bang to rights.

Have you received the payment in this offer period?

My understanding is that the above refers to this offer.

Previous offers, although the same amount, should be considered as separate as they were ended, not paused.

It is my opinion based on the above that it is not you having received a refer a friend offer in the past that's causing issues but the definition of an "existing customer", which is not defined in the Ts&Cs. In the original £50 offer it stated clearly:

The Recommended Friend must:
• Not already hold a Co-operative Bank current account of any type as of 1 June 2021

The £125 offers did not include a term like this and thus the issues arise.

But how can it be? If they received the bonus for switching in the previous £125 offer then they were an eligible new customer then. If Coop are taking this new offer period as being a continuation of the last £125 offer then they'll be an eligible new customer now as well if the date they can't have held a Coop current account is still the start of the first £125 offer.

It must be the fact they've received a bonus for switching before. The implication in the terms is under this offer. If the first £125 offer period is part of the same offer then they are relying on that clause.

Dustybee

What an extremely poor messaging system Co-operative Bank have.

I tried to reply to their original refusal email and it was bounced back as undeliverable.

I then logged on and sent a secure message.  I haven't received a confirmation of receipt and there is no saved messages tab either incoming or outgoing.  If this ends up with the Ombudsman it would have been nice to have the copy of the message exchange.

WillPS

Ed-1 said:

Bridlington1 said:

StevenGude said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Dustybee said:

I've just had an email refusal of the bonus as a referred friend.  I already had a bonus from the last referral but had switched out the account so had no current account with co-op at the time of this current bonus.  

Interestingly the referrer refusal email says that 'my friend' has been referred by someone else and therefore they only pay the first referral friend.  Which is a nonsense because there has only been one referral friend on both referrals and they were the same person.

Would be interested if anyone else has had the bonus paid with the same circumstances.  I read earlier in the thread some were trying again as nothing in the T's & C's said this wasn't valid.

Just been bounced too. Co-Op are playing hardball. The only clause in the T&C I can see that is relevant is

3.6 The Recommended Friend is entitled to only one payment even if they switch more than one account to us or if more than one Recommender refers them.

If they take this to mean a payment from a previous offer then I'm bang to rights.

Have you received the payment in this offer period?

My understanding is that the above refers to this offer.

Previous offers, although the same amount, should be considered as separate as they were ended, not paused.

It is my opinion based on the above that it is not you having received a refer a friend offer in the past that's causing issues but the definition of an "existing customer", which is not defined in the Ts&Cs. In the original £50 offer it stated clearly:

The Recommended Friend must:
• Not already hold a Co-operative Bank current account of any type as of 1 June 2021

The £125 offers did not include a term like this and thus the issues arise.

But how can it be? If they received the bonus for switching in the previous £125 offer then they were an eligible new customer then. If Coop are taking this new offer period as being a continuation of the last £125 offer then they'll be an eligible new customer now as well if the date they can't have held a Coop current account is still the start of the first £125 offer.

It must be the fact they've received a bonus for switching before. The implication in the terms is under this offer. If the first £125 offer period is part of the same offer then they are relying on that clause.

Given their own vocabulary on this is that each offer "ended" on Dec xxth and Feb 28th, I think they'd come rather unstuck trying to make this case.

Dustybee

I've received a reply to my 'please review your refusal' message.

They state "the terms and conditions state you cant have

another incentive as you opened an account with us November 2022 and closed the following month after the initial RAF £125.00 was paid"

As the terms and conditions are not that explicit, the next step is the Ombudsman then.

Bridlington1

If only they'd just given a cut off time as to what counts as a new customer in their Ts&Cs as they did with the original £50 offer. They would have saved themselves, the FOS and many others a heck of a lot of time and effort.

dcs34

Dustybee said:

I've received a reply to my 'please review your refusal' message.

They state "the terms and conditions state you cant have

another incentive as you opened an account with us November 2022 and closed the following month after the initial RAF £125.00 was paid"

As the terms and conditions are not that explicit, the next step is the Ombudsman then.

Ask them where exactly in the terms and conditions it says that?

ForumUser7

dcs34 said:

Dustybee said:

I've received a reply to my 'please review your refusal' message.

They state "the terms and conditions state you cant have

another incentive as you opened an account with us November 2022 and closed the following month after the initial RAF £125.00 was paid"

As the terms and conditions are not that explicit, the next step is the Ombudsman then.

Ask them where exactly in the terms and conditions it says that?

^I second this. Usually, if it isn't in the terms, it makes the banks fold like a house of cards.

Co-op must think they have a leg to stand on, because the switching bonus is less than it'd cost them to refer to FOS (IIRC £750 per case, but unsure if bulk discount). That said, I don't know what it is they are relying on - perhaps just that most won't refer to FOS.

Dustybee

@forumuser7 & @dcs34

I presume they are relying on :

3.6 The Recommended Friend is entitled to only one payment even if they switch more than one account to us or if more than one Recommender refers them.

Although this is non-specific in covering 'previous offers' of the refer-a-friend.

Do you think it is worth me querying this with them first?