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BANKS grrrrr!

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Sheal, Nov 2, 2011.

  1. Fidgetsmum

    Fidgetsmum Total Gardener

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    Ah, y'see all those years I worked for the SFO only taught me to read the small print, they never sent me on the 'Reading the Unwritten' course!

    My bank sent me a 'special' security thingumyjig for my online banking - basically a card-reader which supposedly allows me to '... set up standing orders, direct debits, pay bills, make international money transfers and do all your banking online safely, by adding an extra layer of security without having to visit your branch,...'.

    Well, you can't fault them for the accuracy of that statement - its easy set-up instructions lost me well before the bottom of page 1 so it's back in its box, I've never used it and I'm happy to 'visit my branch'. It even took my computer-savvy, responsible young person 30 minutes and several false starts, to work out how to use it, so there's not a snowball in hell's chance for me! :dunno:
     
  2. shiney

    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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    Fidgetsmum, there are lots of parts of a contract that need more study. apart from 'small print' and 'grey print' there is, you now know, 'unwritten' parts but don't forget the 'not our intention' parts. These are special terms that they don't honour because they believe their interpretation rather than yours.

    Here comes the boring bit :heehee:

    I had a running battle with a bank about their credit card terms. It was a card that gave cashback at the end of the year. I queried my monthly statement because my cashback was 39p short (sounds petty, doesn't it? But you multiply that by 12 and it is £4.68 for the year. Now multiply that by their 100,000 or so customers and they have gained half a million pounds :rolleyespink:).

    The accounts people couldn't understand that I had calculated it differently from the way the computer had done so and they said I must be wrong. When I got a bit pushy about it they admitted they didn't know how it was calculated but they would get their marketing people to talk to me.

    It all revolved around the statement in their T's & C's that the cashback is rounded to the nearest penny. Their 'experts' tried to tell me that I had worked it out wrongly so I asked them to send me the detailed breakdown of how they had come to their result. some time later I received a letter saying that they weren't able to give me a breakdown but their computer had been programmed correctly so I was wrong.

    By then I was able to talk to their head of department and I told him that I knew where the difference was and that they were in breach of contract. He politely asked me to explain and I pointed out that they had 'rounded' down to the nearest penny on each transaction whereas if it was .5 or above they had to round up.

    Their written response was 'that was not the intention of the term' so they were correct. When I pointed out that it didn't matter what the intention was as the legal definition was as I had stated and I was quite happy to go to court over it.

    I received a cheque for £100 (for my inconvenience) and they changed their T's & C's.
     
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    • Alice

      Alice Gardener

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      Sorry Sheal, but I think it's up to your daughter to tell her bank where they want her mail to go. I wouldn't want anybody to be able to tell my bank where to send - or not send - my mail.
       
    • Daisies

      Daisies Total Gardener

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      Just what I was going to say, Alice. I have security with my bank that ensures that no-one but me can talk to them about my account. If all else fails she can email them or send a letter by snail mail. As long as she has the appropriate codes they will talk to her. Otherwise, [​IMG]
       
    • Jack McHammocklashing

      Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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      Quite correct
      Although sheal has good intentions
      Imagine if it was Ms X intercepted the mail, and asked the bank first to change the address and telephone number
      Then one month later, could you change my password and my card is damaged I need a replacement
      Then another month later could you transfer my Savings account to my new current account

      Well that is how the dustbin rakers get the cash, until banks became so strict Mum can not help child out from a distance

      Jack McH
       
    • Sheal

      Sheal Total Gardener

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      Thanks Alice, my daughter has already done that, but like most companies these days they just don't want to listen! The mail still keeps arriving even though the account has been closed for six months.

      I didn't manage to get there today for a 'face to face', but I will get to the bottom of it, it's like a red rag to a bull with me! :)
       
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