Who to complain to about my bank??!

MyDseMkesAngels

My bank has pretty much been inefficient and incompetent ever since I opened the account last year. For example, they opened the account in someone else name, I don't know whose but not mine, they sent me a chequebook, with aforementioned incorrect name on it, and then charged me for it. This is despite the fact that the chequebook was to be included free of charge upon opening the account.

I rang one Friday to speak to someone regarding my account but was told that "Mary deals with that and she's at a wedding" I was advised to call back after the weekend.

I also applied for a loan recently and was treated in a very derrogotory and demeaning manner. Documents of mine were lost, things had to be sent back and forth multiple times. Not once did I recieve an apology (or anythng other than an obnoxious sigh and a lot of hold music) for any of the misdealings.

Eventually they told me that the application has expired and I would need to re-apply for the loan. This is after documents were sent back to me through the post 4 times for no reason. I say no reason because on the fourth occasion I went into a bank to confirm that there was nothing wrong or missing.

After having been told this I enquired as to what I should do next. I was put on hold for 4 minutes and then hung up on. I tried to call back and recieved the message "our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. Please call again during those times." The time was 5:30 pm on a Friday afternoon.

I am going to take extreme pleasure in closing my account and transferring to a more competent, or even, less mind-numbingly incompetent, bank but I am wondering how do I go about making a formal complaint? I have never heard of a professional buisness where the staff hang up on you and turn the answering machine on. That behaviour is more comparable to a jilted ex-lover.

Not that it matters but the loan was to pay for my husbands solicitor. I was assured that I would "certainly have it by then" (March 7th) and, foolishly, I was under the impression that I had the issue sorted and could count on the money to pay for the case. Needless to say the constant delaying has caused a lot of undue stress to myself and my husband, during an already difficult time. As I said, this doesn't matter officially, but I would still like to make a formal complaint for the incompetency shown by this bank in general. Does anyone know who would be the best person/organization to lodge an offical complaint with?

brettmirl

Financial regulator I assume? http://www.ifsra.ie/

Perhaps fire off a letter to the head office of the bank too.

unclebill98

Sounds like a typical day at work....

+1 on what Mick_irl said above....

dotsman

You will need to make a formal complaint to the bank (Head Office). The Address should be on the documentation you received (usually in the small print). If. after that, you are still not satisfied, you can try take it to Joe.

However, unless you are actually out of pocket, I'm not sure how much you can do (except perhaps, switch bank and "name and shame").

Sangre

Go to their customer relations dept., they're a specific dept who will deal with complaints. Kind of like an internal investigation dept. No point trying anywhere else first until you try through here.

ircoha

Do all of the above and then buy one share in the bank and go to the AGM:)

unclebill98

ircoha wrote: »

Do all of the above and then buy one share in the bank and go to the AGM:)

I like this idea

Sangre

read the shareholder rights first.

MyDseMkesAngels

Thank you to everyone who replied. Would anyone like to recomend which bank I should join now? Is there anyone out there who is enjoying a good relationship with their bank? I can't decide which bank I should transfer to, they all seem to be almost indistinguishable from one another.

Thanks again.

unclebill98

Who are you with?

ircoha

Sangre wrote: »

read the shareholder rights first.

Can you expand on this please?

stepbar

First, every bank has a customer care dept. Contact them first. If you get no joy then contact the financial ombudsman. The financial ombudsman will need to see evidence of your correspondence with your bank before he even looks at your problem. However if the said bank has not been communicating with you / fail to acknowledge your problem, under the rules laid down by the financial regulator he can step in and come down heavy on the bank in question. You should recieve a formal letter after 5 days acknowledging your problem, one after 20 and then 40 days. (assuming the problem hasn't been rectified by this stage). Timeframes should be mentioned and a final letter (eventually) should go out with a final answer / resolution (if any). At this point if you're are not happy it would be best advised to go to the financial ombudsman.

MyDseMkesAngels

I wasn't going to name names in case anyone thought I had something personal against the bank but seeing as I've been asked I will state it here.

Highlight the following text if you wish to know.
From here Ulster Bank to here.

Lizzykins

That's interesting. I applied through Tesco for a loan through that bank and had the same experience with losing correspondance etc etc. The call centre seems to be up north and were not terribly helpful at all. It took SEVEN weeks to get 2.5k. Anyway the loan has just finished and they wrote to ask if I would like to apply for another loan. Yet another epic with what I had for breakfast etc! I sent off three months bank statements and waited. They then asked for another month's statements! Bear in mind I have a clean credit record and it was only another 2.5k. Went to BoI and got sorted within days!

unclebill98

MyDseMkesAngels wrote: »

I wasn't going to name names in case anyone thought I had something personal against the bank but seeing as I've been asked I will state it here.

Highlight the following text if you wish to know.
From here Ulster Bank to here.

Thought so.

If your still looking to make a complaint to that bank ring your branch and tell them what you've said here. They aware of this forum just to let you know.

After explaining everything ask for a Concern Reference Number, this is there system for logging issues. They then have to by there own rules issue with an letter noting that they have got your complaint. They have an internal system that follows a complaint from it first being raised to a resolution if any is meet. Make sure you say its going on ages and that you to date have not any Concern Ref no. So its clear to you that no one is taking your issue seriously. If you do not want to contact your branch they have a Customer Relations Unit. Its based in Dublin not up north as mentioned.

Only with this ack letter can you go to the Ombusdman. If your complaint holds ground you can ask for compensation and it will be given. Even if its a small amount(100euro) etc.

Hope that helps. As for other banks, I find any of them will do until you have another issue...

What do you want your bank to do for you...?

stepbar

Thought so as well. Their customer service is under a lot of pressure at the moment. Simply don't have the capacity to handle the demand.

I'd advise to stick to one of the main two banks. Even before I became a banker, they were miles ahead and still are TBH. In fact (after my experience with Halifax), I wouldn't consider any others TBH.

tinkerbell

stepbar wrote: »

Thought so as well. Their customer service is under a lot of pressure at the moment. Simply don't have the capacity to handle the demand.

I'd advise to stick to one of the main two banks. Even before I became a banker, they were miles ahead and still are TBH. In fact (after my experience with Halifax), I wouldn't consider any others TBH.

Hey, d'ya mind me asking what your experience was with Halifax?

stepbar

Bull crap about opening a current a/c (search my other posts). Not being able to view credit card online without said a/c. Only being able to view the balance and not transactions on the credit card if you go to the trouble of getting a current a/c !!! UK based call centre. Imagine signing up for a Halifax credit card and having to cancel it months later because I can't view it online without having to jump through hoops...... in this day and age.....

Anyhow..... with the help of god I'll end the pain with the new click card and to hell with the bull crap!

unclebill98

Knew it was to god to be true Stepbar.... Plus there are very tight with who they give it to.

MyDseMkesAngels

Thank you all for your help, I will follow your advice.

The situation at the moment is as follows:

The last time I was in contact with the bank I was told that my application had expired. So I have to assume that there is no way I am going to recieve the loan without re-applying. It was last Friday that the bank hung up on me and it is now Thursday and I have heard nothing from them. However, during the entire 6 week period they have not contacted me once. I had sone all the chasing. There was never a "courtesy call" as promised to let me know that documents had been recieved.

As for what I want from the bank. Well, that's a good question. I certainly do not wish to give this bank my business anymore so if the bank were ordered by a higher power to accomodate my loan at the terms already agreed I would decline. The only way I would even consider a loan with them is if it were on a completely interest-free basis. I am not looking for monetary compensation. I doubt I would be legally entitled to any as I am not financially out of pocket. Just very much enraged because my husband and I were depending on the loan money in order to pay for his solicitor.

I would like to recieve an official apology and admission of culpability. Or of inefficiency. And even that is probably aiming too high. The reason I wish to complain officially is that I would like there to be a record of all of this. I would like the bank to review its procedures so that they think twice before doing this to any other of their customers. Even though this will not affect me as I will not be one of their customers. If I make a mistake at work there are consequences. I would the bank to have to face some form of consequence too. Perhaps in the form of a fine, as long as it comes out of profits, not out of customers bank accounts.

Compensation I would be very happy with would be a letter from the Head Office saying "Dear Mrs. Melendez Daly, We have looked into this matter and found that we have indeed been at fault. We would sincerely like to apologise for the rude behaviour of some of our staff members and our incompetence with regards to your loan application and the opening your current account under a different name and also for charging you for a free chequebook, that was not in your name. "

That would be great, I would frame it and hang it on the wall of my living room.

Clink

OP I knew the bank you were going to say instantly as i've had nothing but troubke with them too! They're especially in the habit of taking random amounts out of my account and then putting them back again. The funniest thing they've done is put a direct debit onto my account that's due to go out on the 1st dec 1899!! I never asked for any direct debits to be set up and when I rang to ask wtf they glossed over it!! I seriously regret the day I switched account to them.

stepbar

MyDseMkesAngels wrote: »

Thank you all for your help, I will follow your advice.

The situation at the moment is as follows:

The last time I was in contact with the bank I was told that my application had expired. So I have to assume that there is no way I am going to recieve the loan without re-applying. It was last Friday that the bank hung up on me and it is now Thursday and I have heard nothing from them. However, during the entire 6 week period they have not contacted me once. I had sone all the chasing. There was never a "courtesy call" as promised to let me know that documents had been recieved.

As for what I want from the bank. Well, that's a good question. I certainly do not wish to give this bank my business anymore so if the bank were ordered by a higher power to accomodate my loan at the terms already agreed I would decline. The only way I would even consider a loan with them is if it were on a completely interest-free basis. I am not looking for monetary compensation. I doubt I would be legally entitled to any as I am not financially out of pocket. Just very much enraged because my husband and I were depending on the loan money in order to pay for his solicitor.

I would like to recieve an official apology and admission of culpability. Or of inefficiency. And even that is probably aiming too high. The reason I wish to complain officially is that I would like there to be a record of all of this. I would like the bank to review its procedures so that they think twice before doing this to any other of their customers. Even though this will not affect me as I will not be one of their customers. If I make a mistake at work there are consequences. I would the bank to have to face some form of consequence too. Perhaps in the form of a fine, as long as it comes out of profits, not out of customers bank accounts.

Compensation I would be very happy with would be a letter from the Head Office saying "Dear Mrs. Melendez Daly, We have looked into this matter and found that we have indeed been at fault. We would sincerely like to apologise for the rude behaviour of some of our staff members and our incompetence with regards to your loan application and the opening your current account under a different name and also for charging you for a free chequebook, that was not in your name. "

That would be great, I would frame it and hang it on the wall of my living room.

I suggest going to another bank for a loan. As long as your a/c is operating ok and there's evident repayment capacity there should be no problem. The first things I would look for would be -
3 - 6 month bank statements (pref 6), 3 months payslips and possibly a confirmation of your work status / gross pay from your employer. Might be also benefical to show any paperwork from UB to show that you've been approved for the facility with them.

At this point I'd put up an application and await a decision from the underwriter. Takes 24 hours for the application to be either approved, declined or referred back to the branch for further information. Simple as. Quickest you would have the money would be two day but definatly before the end of the week (assuming that you can give me proper ID and proof of address).

MyDseMkesAngels

Just back with an update.

I wrote out a long, long letter detailing my complaint and sent it to the manager of my branch bank. I also copied the letter to The Financial Regulator, The Ombudsman for Credit Institutions and Ulster Bank Customer Services. The letter was sent on Monday, the 14th of April.

On Thursday, the 17th of April, I recieved a reply. The manager has said she is sorry that I am unhappy with the service. She also claimed that she is looking into my complaint. I'm not expecting anything else to happen, the letter with an apology was enough. Although they haven't said "sorry for messing you around", they're saying "sorry that you weren't satisfied".

unclebill98

Well your not satisfied.

If your still not happy they will take it forward. As I mentioned in a previous post, thats all part of there concerns process. It will not be the end of the letters, you will get updates.