Complaining

I made a written complaint (via the website complaints system) to HSBC before Christmas, still waiting for response.

golden wonder if it will actually happen. You may have convinced the person on the phone but will it actually happen?

I bank online without any problems but twice a year we get cheques which we have to take to the Post Office to pay into our bank.

My local bank is closing down - surprise surprise. I've been invited to use telephone banking. The person on the other end seemed surprised at my concern for the safety of this - in no way would I discuss my finances over the phone - but to his credit he backed down and said I could continue to talk to my personal adviser or whatever they call themselves these days face to face. It took a while to argue my case but it was worth it!!!

I like that sunseeker common sense bypass, yes, that's them.

It's not a question of changing banks, it was savings not normal banking and I wanted my money back because they are reducing their interest rate.

Why is it not a good idea to ask for the name of the CEO Turquise? Surely it showed that I meant business?

I find writing letters these days far more effective than emails.

Not much point in contacting ombudsmen until you have exhausted the company's own compla, ints procedure as they won't look at it until you have.

Marmight buying and selling property is bad enough without the bank making it harder. We had a similar thing a couple of years ago with the deposit for DS's house. I made a transfer and it didn't arrive in his bank. I phone my bank and they said they had held it because they were not sure it was not a scam. Fine, I appreciate their fraud prevention but why didn't they ask me? They send me text messages when I set up a new payee so they had my number. The transfer was to my son and was not a new payee, I have previously sent him money so it was surely not so suspicious. They said that it happens automatically and they don't do anything about it for 72 hours! That could have caused his sale to fall through. Indeed a 'common sense bypass'

Asking for the name of the CEO is never is good idea - it's freely available information so why ask ? And what would you do with the name - they are not going to take your call or read your letter .

Make all complaints by email so that you have an audit trail.

If you want to lodge a formal complaint send it to the company's registered office and send an email to customer complaints stating that you have done so. That does get a response and pretty quickly usually...

I've been with the Co Op Bank since the 1970s and have nothing but excellent service in all that time. Their UK based call lines are open 24/7/364 and, no matter when I call them, their staff are unfailingly helpful and friendly. Their ethical credentials are attractive to me too.

I am sorry for anyone who has these problems with their bank but just to say we have banked with First Direct since it opened and haven't had a single problem. They answer the phone or an on line message immediately and are always helpful and pleasant. Cant recommend them highly enough.

A lot of banks seem to employ people who have had a common sense by-pass. I think I have posted before that when my DH died I contacted the bank, sending a copy of the death certificate, asking to close our joint account and transfer the balance to another bank. I received a letter returning the death certificate, offering condolences, and then stating they couldn't close the account without my DH's signature!!! In the end I transferred the money to the new bank and the old bank kept sending me statements showing a nil balance for a least a year before asking if I wanted to close the account!!

So frustrating Nonnie. I can sympathise. I had terrible trouble with the RBS last year when selling/buying a property. They were loathe to let me withdraw my own money and it took 5 weeks of phone calls, a visit to the main bank and numerous conversations with the CEO's p.a. until I got them to release the funds. They admitted failure on their part and sent me flowers and £100; I was sorely tempted to tell them what they could do with their bunch of flowers . I'm now in the process of changing to another bank after more than 38 years loyalty. Pity these banks aren't so loyal to their customers.

Go to the financial ombudsman . You’d be surprised once you copy in your bank how quickly they work :-)

Gibbering!

You must be gibberish with rage by now! I do hope something has happened.

Now they have told me that once I have asked to make a complaint they will get back to me within 2 days. I pointed out that it is already 2 1/5 times that so they must have a lot of complaints!