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PostPosted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:35 am 
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Hawleytastic!
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I've got a bank on my case over what they claim is a £30 debt. Yes, as much as that!

It consists of three late payment charges because the cash I put in the bank to settle the credit card balance of around £50 did not clear by the due date (the next day).

They have rung about 25 times over the last month, mostly an automated 'interactive voice messaging' robot, including calls to my work number, mobile and home number.

I just tell the robot to 'fuck off' which of course does no good apart from making me feel slightly better.

Despite making requests to the bank to stop harrassing me, they have just rung again.

Radio Four did a report on this tactic being increasingly used by banks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/m ... 429028.stm

I dispute the £30 charge in the first place, but my main complaint is over the relentless hounding of someone they consider a debtor.

I've got a battle plan and have given the bank a few days to sort out the mess and apologise before I decide which course to take, but I'm happy to hear any views...or shall I just tread dog shit into every branch?

I haven't named the bank here in case they give our administrators grief.

Libel law in relation to internet forums is largely untested, but an organisation could, at the very least, reasonably ask for posts to be taken down if they show similar frankness to some of our Hawleyboard posts. :shock:

So it might be best to steer clear from identifying banks in any responses. They are all the same anyway.

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:18 pm 
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Hawleytastic!
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just get in touch with troubleshooter in the money section of today's times and she'll sort it for you. they should all wear masks and stripey jumpers the robbing bastards.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:36 am 
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Too much time on my hands
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I once had $600 in overdraft charges for a $120 overdraft. Assholes took the bigger transactions out first so they could ding me the $38 fee for every single transaction that day. I was unemployed, thought I had $400 in the bank but an unexpected (though sadly authorized) transaction hit a week earlier than I thought it would. By the end of the week I was $900 in the hole, most of it fees.

Half the transactions they charged me for were things where they could have just denied the transaction when I was making it -- i.e. the $2.50 for the latte, could have just been "declined". $38 fee for a $2.50 transaction! Bastards told me it was for my own convenience that they allowed the transaction to go through and that they processed the bigger items first..... :roll:

I used to work for one of the big banks... they are criminals. I've written to my Senator, Congresswoman, and state representatives. Apparently there's a bill being considered to make the banks stop the blatant robbery practices.... 'course with the spineless wonder (Pelosi) refusing to stand up to corporate interests even a little bit there's not much hope. But I'll hang onto the little bit there is. I know that doesn't do anything for you in the UK....

Will hang onto image of you traipsing with dog dung through bank lobbies. :*:

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:23 am 
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Hawleytastic!
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If you recognise the bank's number on your phone, try answering the calls but not speaking. The robot won't respond. After a suitable number of calls, report an increasing number of nuisance calls to your telephone provider. If the calls are made anonymously then you surely have a greater case? Not sure if it will have any effect, but it may cause the bank a nuisance in having to deal with a complaint :*:

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 3:01 pm 
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Hawleytastic!
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It's hard to fight back against faceless corporate bullying...

The dog dung approach seems OK by me - except I would use cat muck as its stink is positivley evil...

My bank stung me for £50 a few months back - unatuhorised overdraft for one day - so I'm looking to change to a bank that offers a £50 account credit when joining...

I'm taking my time as I've been with my bank since leaving school [about 35 years ago] and I have some weird misplaced loyalty for them...

The bottom line is that in the 21st C how do you get by without a bank account...


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:02 pm 
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Some "online" or virtual banks offer really good rates, no fees, etc. They probably have some of the same evil practices, but at least they don't fee one to death. I've been thinking of switching to one. I've been banking with my bank since I was twelve... talk about misplaced loyalties.

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:19 pm 
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LaylahM wrote:
I've been banking with my bank since I was twelve... talk about misplaced loyalties.

I've been with this gang of robbers for almost 20 years. We're lucky enough to shovel a fair bit of cash their way every month and get repaid like this.

The robotic harrassment is disgusting. It's really got under my skin.

I'll let you know how you it goes. I suspect they will waive the fees and apologise but we'll see. If not the dirty Doc Martins are going walkies...

Who's up for a 'National Tread Dog Shit Into Your Bank Day?' Name the date.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:36 pm 
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Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the New York Times.

"Dear Sir:
I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month.

By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it.

I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years.

You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person.

My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate.

Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.

I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.

Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.

I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DIALING, PRESS THE STAR (*) BUTTON FOR ENGLISH

#1. To make an appointment to see me
#2. To query a missing payment.
#3 To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
#4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
#5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
#6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home .
#7. To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my is required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.
#8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
#9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.
#10. This is a second reminder to press* for English.

While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?

Your Humble Client"



Brilliant! :*: :*:


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:41 pm 
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Hawleytastic!
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Haha... Oh, I love it :*: :*:

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:19 pm 
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I once went overdrawn by a few quid by accident for the first time in 15 years, they charged me £30, I paid it off but because of the interest on the payment I was overdrawn again the next month, so they charged me again. So I phoned them up.

A very nice person answered the phone, referred it to their manager, who, erm, apologised and refunded all my charges.

Ahem. It was the Co-op by the way.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:02 pm 
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Have to admit (different bank) but if I've picked up an unauthorised overdraft fee I've always managed to get the bank to refund ... sometimes it's just who you talk to :?

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:39 am 
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catsandbooks wrote:
Have to admit (different bank) but if I've picked up an unauthorised overdraft fee I've always managed to get the bank to refund ... sometimes it's just who you talk to :?


It's finding who to talk to.

I had a row with Lloyds who aren't even my bank because they kept sending me stuff with another person's name on it. I quoted Data Protection Act, possibility of fraud, refused to deliver letters sent to me to their bank - said they could come and get them, got a letter agreeing that the person named atmy address had never lived there and had no connection with me. I was extreme, and unreasonable as I think they have a duty to protect their clients and not to bother other people especially as the banks shit their pants over "fraud" on a small scale.

The other thing with banks is to be persistent and just keep sending them the same letter over and over again. Dig hard enough and you'll eventually find an e-mail address then you can contact them easily every day.

It's wearing but it pisses them off.

The other thing is to move your account, a hassle but tell them why when you leave.

We all know that despite the fact we are forced into having bank accounts now they are neither safe nor fair and they lie and cheat their customers then we all get to bail them out for being greedy.

Love the letter Baroness


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:34 pm 
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JohnnyNewEggs wrote:
I've got a battle plan and have given the bank a few days to sort out the mess and apologise before I decide which course to take, but I'm happy to hear any views...or shall I just tread dog shit into every branch?

Perhaps no need to get the Doc Martins out this time...

The bank has written to me to apologise. They've also scrubbed any negative credit history (or so they say) and most importantly waived the late payment fees after establishing that the cash payment to settle the outstanding balance 'cleared' only a day late.

I've closed the account.

However, I'm still considering taking further the complaint about the way they hounded me with their robots. Nothing to lose now. Grrrrr....

Image

My next campaign is against Cadbury's Animals. I didn't even have to open the bag to count just four...FOUR...biscuits when there should have been around a dozen. Possibly as many as 15. Disappointed? That's an understatement.

Stand back. Watch the fur fly. It could get nasty...

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:37 pm 
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Send it back to Cadburys and I bet they will send you oodles of money off vouchers. Or take it back to where you bought them because your 'contract' is with the store and they should have ensured they didn't put out a half empty packet - if it's from Tesco I think they give you your money back and a replacement item.

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:34 pm 
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Dawoodcock wrote:
Send it back to Cadburys and I bet they will send you oodles of money off vouchers. Or take it back to where you bought them because your 'contract' is with the store and they should have ensured they didn't put out a half empty packet - if it's from Tesco I think they give you your money back and a replacement item.

I complained to Cadbury's about four years ago after we carted the kids' giant Easter eggs to Tobermory (Balamory) and there was something wrong with one. Can't even remember what.

They've probably got my letter on file and will classify me as a serial moaner or scrounger. I've only written half a dozen letters seeking a refund or compensation in my life. Honest, guv. I'm usually too busy to complain!

Anyway, they sent me postal orders for about £8 which is really old fashioned. They're probably still stuffed behind the clock on the fireplace.

My best 'result' was a bottle of Balvenie malt whisky, again about four years ago (gosh I must have had time on my hands then!!). I complained that the stopper or cork had snapped off, which it had. What I didn't tell them was there was only a drizzle of the stuff left in the bottle.

In fairness to me, I didn't ask for anything. I was merely voicing my disappointment. Gratefully received and polished off, however. :D

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