Some of the issues we are presented with through our helplines are shocking, stupid and (very occasionally) funny. If you have any suggestions for this page, let us know.
She
led him on...
For
the moment our main concern is for the female customer of one of the high street banks who tried to complain about their service by phone. She was put through -incorrectly- to a (male) clerk who had no authority to investigate anything, but apparently felt this customer was someone he would like to meet. Without apparently raising his employers suspicions, he put her through weeks of confusion and increasing concern as she gave personal details to someone she thought was investigating a complaint. Only after he took a days holiday to fake a personal meeting with the customer did the whole thing come to light. The banks reaction? - Clearly you must have led our employee on... -and- "anything this employee did was on his own time, and therefore no concern of ours..." The Banking Ombudsman appears to agree with this sentiment and has thrown out a complaint as unfounded.
Does anyone else find the cosy advertising image of bank staff interviewing customers alone at home at all concerning?
The Direct Debit Guarantee...
One
of the advisors here has an account which pays only two direct debits each month.
A few weeks ago he noticed that the DD debit on his account was for the wrong amount - it should have been reduced a month or so earlier and he had been overcharged.
Secure in the rather specailist knowledge which we have about such things he rang his bank. "Oh no sir," the 'customer service' helpline said - you need to talk to the company which requested this amount. They made the mistake, not us."
"But surely," he said, "does not the Direct Debit Guarantee mean that you will refund the full amount of this debit to my account until this matter is sorted out?" -The helpline did not know about the Guarantee, and had to go away and ask someone before they confirmed that would be the case.
Looking at his statements a little while later on out advisor realised he had also been overcharged in the previous month. Calling the bank 'customer service' helpline again he spoke to another person who had to have the whole problem explained again (including the DD Guarantee). Being helpful his new contact said "we'll put a stop on this DD for this month to make sure you don't pay the wrong amount for a third time. We'll ask for a refund of the previous two payments - and we'll credit your account now."
Our advisor said, jokingly, "make sure you stop the correct DD.."
And you've guessed it. The bank stopped the previously correct Direct Debit; paid the incorrect one for a third time; and left our advisor biting chunks out of our copy of the DD guarantee. After sveeral more calls and about three months he has the payments going through correctly again - he thinks.
Total telephone calls - 6; time involved - 1.5hrs; offers of reimbursement from the bank and/or supplier - nil.
Student Accounts
Students
seem to share with business people the ability to change instantly from one situation to another.
If you have a private (non-student) account you enjoy the full protection of the Code of Banking Practice, and the Banking Ombudsman scheme. Immediately you open a business account you lose any protection under the standard Code - presumably on the basis that as a business person you know exactly what you are doing...
Students have various special account advantages, which in many cases they lose IMMEDIATELY they end their studies - leading to many problems with remaining overdrafts which have to be repaid or converted to comparatively expensive loans. Would anyone like to give us a figure for the number of students who walk into a paid job immediately they finish their finals?
We would like to see business customers getting the same protection as they would as consumers - and students being allowed to repay any remaining debts at the end of their studies over a reasonable period after they graduate.
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