28 Aug 2015 10:17:11
Hi Ed.
I would like to ask your opinion on what the best course of action is for the following if I may, please.
I had a payout many years ago for a PPI claim with Halifax. I'd all but forgotten about this but a month or so ago I received a phone call from Bank of Scotland wanting to ask a few questions about said PPI claim to make sure I was treated fairly. (I got them to call back so I could check their number and it was legit) I agreed and after the questions she said I would receive a letter with the conclusions of my case.
However, The letter I have just received (week ago monday) from them is address to the exectutor of my estate and it basically says sorry to hear of my loss. It then goes on to requests my death certificate and a completed deceased declaration form.
I have phoned them up but they are useless. They won't put me through to the department it came from or speak to anyone who has a brain. All the have done is flag the case to these un-contactable higher powers.
Clearly I am not dead. Surely this is fraud on their behalf?.
Pretty worried tbh. Don't want this getting to experian if it hasn't already.
Any advice?
Thanks
{Ed033's Note - I've put this thread on the home page because this is a universal type of situation we all have to deal with and we spend far too much time on the phone to the company gate-keepers on the phones. So this is for everyone.
Firstly, if any company makes any kind of mistake/messes you around only make 1 short phone call. If you can't resolve it in that short phone call, then you have to write to them to get past the gate-keepers on the phones.
When you write in, you tell them that they have made a mistake/messed you around (EXPLAIN THE MISTAKE) and say that they haven't been able to resolve the mistake, so now you have to get involved in resolving the matter and if you didn't get involved then they wouldn't do anything to resolve the matter themselves.
The way their legal system is supposed to work in this case is that everything is supposed to be put right so that it's as though the mistake didn't occur.
So you would continue to say that any financial loss you incur to resolve this matter they will be charged for.
You would add a Fee Schedule to the bottom of the letter you write to them, itemising what fees you're going to charge for. For example £35 per letter you have to write. £15 per phone call etc.
Because of the nature of the letter, this should reach management, who will write that they will put things right as soon as possible. And they will say in the letter that they don’t agree to the fee schedule, but the fact remains that any financial loss you incur in order to put the mistake right, you’re entitled to if you can prove the financial loss (this includes your time).
As the letter is with management, this should be resolved pretty quickly.
Firstly, if any company makes any kind of mistake/messes you around only make 1 short phone call. If you can't resolve it in that short phone call, then you have to write to them to get past the gate-keepers on the phones.
When you write in, you tell them that they have made a mistake/messed you around (EXPLAIN THE MISTAKE) and say that they haven't been able to resolve the mistake, so now you have to get involved in resolving the matter and if you didn't get involved then they wouldn't do anything to resolve the matter themselves.
The way their legal system is supposed to work in this case is that everything is supposed to be put right so that it's as though the mistake didn't occur.
So you would continue to say that any financial loss you incur to resolve this matter they will be charged for.
You would add a Fee Schedule to the bottom of the letter you write to them, itemising what fees you're going to charge for. For example £35 per letter you have to write. £15 per phone call etc.
Because of the nature of the letter, this should reach management, who will write that they will put things right as soon as possible. And they will say in the letter that they don’t agree to the fee schedule, but the fact remains that any financial loss you incur in order to put the mistake right, you’re entitled to if you can prove the financial loss (this includes your time).
As the letter is with management, this should be resolved pretty quickly.
28 Aug 2015 16:31:12
Thanks for the quick response and advice, Ed. Really appreciate it.
On the second call I made, they said there was a note on my account and the first call had been flagged so that's at least something . But they also said they had contacted me by telephone on the 24th with an explanation, which is complete BS.
I will write something up over the weekend and post it Monday. Guess this is going to be a pretty drawn out process. The thing that winds me up most is that I haven't banked with these *ad expletive* for about 15 years but they still have the ability to pronounce me dead. I don't really understand how this can happen? surely is more complicated than ticking a wrong box to seemingly wipe someone's life out?
Thanks again, mate.
Thanks for the quick response and advice, Ed. Really appreciate it.
On the second call I made, they said there was a note on my account and the first call had been flagged so that's at least something . But they also said they had contacted me by telephone on the 24th with an explanation, which is complete BS.
I will write something up over the weekend and post it Monday. Guess this is going to be a pretty drawn out process. The thing that winds me up most is that I haven't banked with these *ad expletive* for about 15 years but they still have the ability to pronounce me dead. I don't really understand how this can happen? surely is more complicated than ticking a wrong box to seemingly wipe someone's life out?
Thanks again, mate.
{Ed033's Note - You could also include that they charge around £35 if you had made a mistake and they had to write a letter to you, so you expect them to give you £35 immediately and immediately right their wrong.
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28 Aug 2015 20:10:27
I will include that but tbh I am not expecting any compensation for anything I do to get this situation, sorted. I once opened a second account (upgraded) with this same bank and I was supplied with a bank card and all the details of new account. Gave the new account details to my employer for my (then) weekly BACS payment. On pay day, went to draw some cash and account was empty. Contacted bank and they said that my employer must have withdrawn the money from my account because they had know idea where my money was. The convo got pretty heated from that point, as not only had they lost my money, they were seemingly admitting that they were giving access to withdraw money from my account to any old mug.
Took me over 10days to get my money back. No apology, no compensation, no explanation. If the tables were turned, and it was me stealing/losing their money, they'd take the shirt off my back.
I will include that but tbh I am not expecting any compensation for anything I do to get this situation, sorted. I once opened a second account (upgraded) with this same bank and I was supplied with a bank card and all the details of new account. Gave the new account details to my employer for my (then) weekly BACS payment. On pay day, went to draw some cash and account was empty. Contacted bank and they said that my employer must have withdrawn the money from my account because they had know idea where my money was. The convo got pretty heated from that point, as not only had they lost my money, they were seemingly admitting that they were giving access to withdraw money from my account to any old mug.
Took me over 10days to get my money back. No apology, no compensation, no explanation. If the tables were turned, and it was me stealing/losing their money, they'd take the shirt off my back.
{Ed033's Note - i guess some banks are better than others. i think if you can get to the management level, then they have to do something about it otherwise if it gets passed up to higher management then the lower management appear incompetent that they can't deal with something simple.
i'm not expecting you to get money but using letters as i suggested should get you to management level. Sometimes it's possible to get an email conversation with a low end manager going and then they do try and fix the situation pretty quickly, so include an email address and say you can be contacted by email for convenience as well.
if you document everything you/they do, then if they can't fix it, you have a list of their incompetencies and list of work you had to perform because of their incompetencies that could be useful.
i'm not expecting you to get money but using letters as i suggested should get you to management level. Sometimes it's possible to get an email conversation with a low end manager going and then they do try and fix the situation pretty quickly, so include an email address and say you can be contacted by email for convenience as well.
if you document everything you/they do, then if they can't fix it, you have a list of their incompetencies and list of work you had to perform because of their incompetencies that could be useful.
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29 Aug 2015 00:29:28
On the phone you should always insist on speaking to their supervisor / manager.
On the phone you should always insist on speaking to their supervisor / manager.
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29 Aug 2015 07:50:48
Cheers, Ed. I am keeping notes on what's happened.
KimPhilby - I'm usually really good on the phone and pretty much always get my way, which was adding extra fuel to my anger as I wasn't getting anywhere. I demanded to speak to management and they point blank refused to let me speak to ANYONE else. The reason being was that, they would only have access to the same screen the cretin I was talking too, had. It was at this point that I realised I was wasting my time, and not quite sure of the best course of action, I came on here to seek advice. I have to admit it makes me feel uncomfortable having being told I am dead. Especially when its something as powerful as a bank saying it.
Thanks
Cheers, Ed. I am keeping notes on what's happened.
KimPhilby - I'm usually really good on the phone and pretty much always get my way, which was adding extra fuel to my anger as I wasn't getting anywhere. I demanded to speak to management and they point blank refused to let me speak to ANYONE else. The reason being was that, they would only have access to the same screen the cretin I was talking too, had. It was at this point that I realised I was wasting my time, and not quite sure of the best course of action, I came on here to seek advice. I have to admit it makes me feel uncomfortable having being told I am dead. Especially when its something as powerful as a bank saying it.
Thanks
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29 Aug 2015 13:05:24
Id have took his name, said I wish to complain to your manager about your attitude and gotten very insistent.
Id have took his name, said I wish to complain to your manager about your attitude and gotten very insistent.
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