Uses of Livejournal #36 - Letting of Steam

[andrewducker]

Useless Fucking Wankers.

I had a Bank of Scotland Credit Card as part of my debt reduction scheme (they offered 9 months interest-free, after which point I moved the debt somewhere else, substantially reduced). Due to their appalling old-fashionedness they didn't do direct debits (which would have allowed them to debit a variable amount each month, depending on how much I owed them) but only standing orders (a specified amount each month).

This meant that when I paid them off, I had to wait a month to see if anything was going to go through the system (or any interest charges suddenly appeared), and during that month (partially due to a miscalculation on my part) I ended up with £390 in credit on the card.

So I called them up three weeks ago and said "Can I have my money back please?" and they took details of my bank account so they could transfer it to me, and told me it would take 10 working days.

So, 15 working days later I notice it hasn't arrived and give them a call. At which point they tell me they can't transfer it directly to my bank account, as they don't do that kind of thing, and they'll have to send me a cheque. Which will take another 10 working days. And no, they don't know why the last person I spoke to told me it could be done.

Apparently this is _somebodys_ idea of good customer service.

(Oh, and while my bank account has been accessible on the website just fine, the credit card details have been steadfastly unavailable for as long as I can remember. It's a shambles, it really is.)

Comments

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

Twats. :(

Post a letter of complaint explaining your grievances, times of calls etc, and why you'll be moving to a competitor. (Egg?) I'd expect them to be all over you after that and you may get compensation.

[andrewducker]

What I'm mostly moving to is "Not Having a Credit Card". Or at least "Not Having a Credit Card I Use".

I have about £3000 pounds of debt at the moment, and I'm going to use that £390, some pay for freelance work and this year's bonus to reduce that by another grand or so, and hopefully have it all cleared by Christmas.

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

*nods*

With the living situation I've been in for the past while, I've been able to keep my Egg card for emergencies only and clear my debts. Quite lucky in that respect. I've got the car to worry about paying back but that's it at the moment.

*fears unemployment*

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Did you not know that you can take cash out of a credit card by just taking it along to a branch of the appropriate bank (you may need with photo-ID of some sort)?

I overpaid a card I was clearing once, and did just that - got one more monthly statement with a debit balance of about a quid or so after that, paid it and bye-bye card.

[andrewducker]

Is there not usually a charge for taking cash out?

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Nope - just interest on the debt, and as it was my own money....

[andrewducker]

Dammit, wish I'd known that. Would have saved myself the hassle.

Cheers!

[neferet.livejournal.com]

umm, the bank of scotland will likely charge you a 2.5 per cent handling fee for a cash advance on your credit card.

Bank of Scotland -can- transfer funds from credit card to bank account. They've done it for me in the past. They're just arses, and the cheque is "policy".

What amuses me most is I have accounts with Halifax and Bank of Scotland, and BOS are still as crap as hell, while the Halifax aren't. Being that they are now HBOS, I really don't get it.

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

I like your graphic, especially if it counts as a valid answer to the question. Reminds me somewhat of the Niels Bohr anecdote: http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/barometer.asp

[awdrey-gore.livejournal.com]

Man... Bank of Scotland is more backward than the tiniest Grange bank in Buffalo Gap, Texas. And that's saying a lot. Seriously, the next time you communicate with them, let them know an American with bona fide redneck roots can visit a bank in a West Texas town with a population of less than 500 people and have access to more modern banking regulations.

How do they get away with this sort of mismanagement and outright stupidity? Did the 20th century not happen to them? How can they, with a straight face, insist on refusing prompt debits of specific payments that are not the "standing order"? And how are they legally allowed to charge interest on the amount that they refuse to debit immediately? How can they not change their regulations to allow inter-account transfers and not face mass withdrawals to a different bank? Do they have only two clerks posting the specific payments? Because that's the only reason why it would take more than 15 FRIGGIN' days for the payment to appear!

Thank you for my daily dose of madness. You are far more patient than I am, dear Andrew.

[dalglir.livejournal.com]

Its a fact that BOS's customer service has just *died* since they bought Halifax. Something changed for the very worst. dalglivk has already moved her accounts the Other bank after a fiasco centering on her first EVAR paycheck as a doc - it took The Bank a month and a half to sort out. Useless fvcks.