Compensation for bank error - any chance?

Werdnal

Not really sure where to post this, so please excuse of wrong forum.

I am pretty annoyed with LTSB at the moment. First they allowed some fraudster who got my card number to empty my very little used 2nd account and put me in the red, only thinking to let me know when I became overdrawn. This was in February/March and as the account went into the red, I then received a letter threatening to take £81 in charges for the overdrawn days.

Their Fraud Investigation Dept refunded the £1,500 that the fraudster had taken within 5 days, and assured me that the £81 charges would be cancelled. Breathed a sigh of relief until 1 April statement showed the £81 had been taken . Its taken me 3 'phone calls to phone banking and 3 visits to the branch in the last 5 weeks to get these charges refunded. Everyone I spoke to agreed the charges should never have been taken, but no-one seemed capable of refunding me . I also got various excuses - person dealing with it is sick, on a course, on paternity leave, on holiday, the email to another department had been lost, - I could have written a book! Finally got a cash point balance this morning showing the £81 put back in my account yesterday.

My hubby said I should write and ask for some compensation for all my running around sorting out their mistake, or threaten to take both our accounts elsewhere - I have been with them since birth, and he has had an account there since he started work - around 60 years combined. I can't really face the hassle of changing banks, but do feel they should give me some form of compensation for the hassle. It seems so silly that they refunded the fraudster's withdrawals almost instantly, but the money they took themselves by mistake has taken weeks!

WWYD? Do you think I stand a chance of getting anything in the way of compensation, or will a letter just be filed in the bin? Would a threat to take our business elsewhere really bother them, or am I wasting my time and a stamp? Sadly its not an interest account, as I would definately be demanding lost interest back, but would I really get anything if I complained?

dunstonh

First they allowed some fraudster who got my card number to empty my very little used 2nd account and put me in the red

Erm, shouldnt you blame the fraudster, not Lloyds?

Their Fraud Investigation Dept refunded the £1,500 that the fraudster had taken within 5 days, and assured me that the £81 charges would be cancelled. Breathed a sigh of relief until 1 April statement showed the £81 had been taken . Its taken me 3 'phone calls to phone banking and 3 visits to the branch in the last 5 weeks to get these charges refunded. Everyone I spoke to agreed the charges should never have been taken, but no-one seemed capable of refunding me . I also got various excuses - person dealing with it is sick, on a course, on paternity leave, on holiday, the email to another department had been lost, - I could have written a book! Finally got a cash point balance this morning showing the £81 put back in my account yesterday.

Nice to see they refunded the £1500 quickly but its a shame they messed up the £81. That only required someone to quickly make an adjustment on the stats and it would never have appeared. Once it did appear, then it required someone to authorise the refund.

WWYD? Do you think I stand a chance of getting anything in the way of compensation, or will a letter just be filed in the bin? Would a threat to take our business elsewhere really bother them, or am I wasting my time and a stamp? Sadly its not an interest account, as I would definately be demanding lost interest back, but would I really get anything if I complained?

You could complain and maybe get £10-£25 for the inconvenience. If you are a valuable customer (in terms of revenue) then you may get more.

Tim_L

I got £75 last month for Lloyds for various cockups around changing the address on the account - they put a completely incorrect address on including correct postcode for the WRONG address, then were very abrasive when dealing with the situation on the phone. In particular I got one t0sser who decided I couldn't talk to him about the account for "data protection reasons" because the registered address on the account was incorrect, when I was calling him to tell him that. Eventually got it sorted, when I persuaded them to put me through directly to the branch, but it took ages and was stupidly difficult.

What you do is to raise a complaint via official channels. You state what happened clearly and reasonably, explain that you expect an ex-gratia payment for time and trouble, and state what it is. Don't ask stupid amounts, and don't try it on for minor annoyances, but anything requiring time and trouble to sort out a problem that is the bank's fault should be worthy of a small ex gratia payment, at least £30.

Werdnal

Thanks for replies both!

Dunstonh - I do blame the fraudster, but I would have thought Lloyds should have checked with me before they let 25 overseas transactions empty my account which I only usually make 2-3 withdrawals from in a normal month!

Don't banks have safeguards to flag this type of thing?

dunstonh

Dunstonh - I do blame the fraudster, but I would have thought Lloyds should have checked with me before they let 25 overseas transactions empty my account which I only usually make 2-3 withdrawals from in a normal month!

Don't banks have safeguards to flag this type of thing?

There have been threads recently where people have been on holiday and their cards have been stopped because the banks have seen overseas transactions and felt it was fraudulent. These people complained the bank should not have acted. So, really the banks are damned if they do and damned if they dont.

ShelfStacker_3

dunstonh wrote: »

There have been threads recently where people have been on holiday and their cards have been stopped because the banks have seen overseas transactions and felt it was fraudulent. These people complained the bank should not have acted. So, really the banks are damned if they do and damned if they dont.

They generally do tell you to contact them in advance before you go away now and tell whem where to. I'd have thought that'd be common sense now anyway...

Satori_2

Oh, I spotted that the last reply was from someone in HSBC - Shelfstacker, which brings up my problem. Can anyone advise on this?

I was working in Lebanon for a UK company who insisted that we open accounts with HSBC there rather than a local or Arab bank. Fine so far. When I left to return to UK I had to close my account so instructed them to TT my balance to my UK account (Barlcays). This was on 19th Dec 2008. A couple of weeks later I checked my account and the funds hadn't turned up. I tried phoning them in Lebanon but kept gettting voice mails and never a reply.

Next I contacted my employer to try to get them to help seeing as they probably had corporate contacts and influence. Several emails then came from HSBC telling me the money had been transferred. I spoke to my bank and they told me there's a set procedure in these cases which HSBC should know about. Well, to cut a long story short, the current situation is that HSBC lebanon have identified that the problem is with HSBC in the UK. However, the money still hasn't turned up in my Barclays account. This is nearly 2 months after the intitial transfer instructions.

1. What can I do?
2. Can I get compensation?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

yousuf_2

soryy if i am in a wring place because i am a new user of this service.

i have a nationwide account and i they print my statement on 28th or 29th of every month. i applied for PSW visa and send my statements dated 28th of october 2008, 29th of november 2008 and 28th of december 2008. HO refused my application because they said my first statement seems to start from 1st october. the reason behind that Nationwide print only the statement date not the "start date". bacause my first transaction was on 1st october that's why Home Office assumsed that statement start from first of october. now my life is mess up and they charged £400 fees for psw. can i claim this fees from bank or am i entitled to any compensation from Nationwide.?
any help will be appreciated.

Extant

yousuf wrote: »

can i claim this fees from bank or am i entitled to any compensation from Nationwide.?

No. It is your obligation to provide the correct information to the Home Office, not Nationwide's.

Nationwide haven't actually done anything wrong, this is a matter between you and another organization - nothing to do with Nationwide.

Extant

Satori wrote: »

1. What can I do?

Although HSBC Lebanon is obviously independent of HSBC's UK retail banking, I'd be tempted to try going straight to HSBC's head office and seeing if they can send some words down.

2. Can I get compensation?

Have you been financially disadvantaged? If you have, then yes, you should be compensated for this. If not, then I'd still expect them to make a small gesture of goodwill for the two months delay.

munchkin1984

hi everyone, wondered if any of you can help me?

i have a loan with my ex partner, since february the bank have been taking money out of my account now to a total of £950 when ringing them to ask them about this they have on all occasions said this has been a mistake and that they will refund my money! this is where it all goes wrong.. on 3 occasions they have not transfered the money to me but have given it to my ex partner who then spends the money therefore i cannot get it back from him! the bank say they cannot do anything and i have to get the money from my ex...iam currently goin through the complaints procedure with LTSB But has so far got me no where, today this has happened again making the amount my ex has had from my account £750 im just wondering if anyone knows how i can go about getting some compensation, as i have said to the bank iam nearly £1000 out of pocket and no one seems to care! or want to help

any advice would be appreciated
thank you
xx