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After the demise of our small retail business ( 2 way partnership) in Jan 13, we were left with a £9k debt to HSBC which we had no means to repay.
Up to this point we had always used / been advised by the local branch, so we saw them, paid off all loans etc and the HSBC member of staff advised us to "wait six months a do a deal with the debt collection agency". We asked to settle with HSBC but they would not respond.
Despite clearly instructing HSBC that, since we lived apart and it was a joint debt matter, we need all correspondence in writing and preferably with one point of contact (a reasonable request and provided for in the banking code of practice) we were subjected to a torrent of rude and offensive calls from call centre who didn't have the facts / latest letters / etc to hand, had letters from 3 different locations / offices and hardly ever the same person, and HSBC sent ridiculous form letters - even admitting than the signatures named were not real people when we tried to answer them - and even sent one letter entirely blank! We submitted personal financial assessment information as requested, despite the fact HSBC had never included the forms they were asking us to complete, which they ignored - never tellings us if the information was insufficient or incomplete in any way.
It became clear this was a deliberate attempt by HSBC to deflect the issue withour ever giving us an answer.
We complained on numerous occasions and finally they admitted to maladministation and offered £100 compensation - but still no answer to our settlement offer.
Subsequently, we took the complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman, claiming £450 for reasonable costs and compensation - but who, hardly suprisingly I suppose, and despite the admitted mistakes and prolonged stress and upset caused by HSBC maladminstration, all the letters, evidence etc. supported the paltry HSBC offer.
The debt has now been passed to Moorcroft (who, according to our branch "work in the same office as HSBC anyway") and now they too are not responding to our offer to settle the debt!
Are we within our rights to send them what we can afford - around £3,000 - on the basis that if they cash the cheque, the settlement can be considered as accepted? Or could we offer them £10 a month for ever! This is really stressful and we want to sort it out to finally settle up after the business went under.
Any advice appreciated, thank you.
Up to this point we had always used / been advised by the local branch, so we saw them, paid off all loans etc and the HSBC member of staff advised us to "wait six months a do a deal with the debt collection agency". We asked to settle with HSBC but they would not respond.
Despite clearly instructing HSBC that, since we lived apart and it was a joint debt matter, we need all correspondence in writing and preferably with one point of contact (a reasonable request and provided for in the banking code of practice) we were subjected to a torrent of rude and offensive calls from call centre who didn't have the facts / latest letters / etc to hand, had letters from 3 different locations / offices and hardly ever the same person, and HSBC sent ridiculous form letters - even admitting than the signatures named were not real people when we tried to answer them - and even sent one letter entirely blank! We submitted personal financial assessment information as requested, despite the fact HSBC had never included the forms they were asking us to complete, which they ignored - never tellings us if the information was insufficient or incomplete in any way.
It became clear this was a deliberate attempt by HSBC to deflect the issue withour ever giving us an answer.
We complained on numerous occasions and finally they admitted to maladministation and offered £100 compensation - but still no answer to our settlement offer.
Subsequently, we took the complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman, claiming £450 for reasonable costs and compensation - but who, hardly suprisingly I suppose, and despite the admitted mistakes and prolonged stress and upset caused by HSBC maladminstration, all the letters, evidence etc. supported the paltry HSBC offer.
The debt has now been passed to Moorcroft (who, according to our branch "work in the same office as HSBC anyway") and now they too are not responding to our offer to settle the debt!
Are we within our rights to send them what we can afford - around £3,000 - on the basis that if they cash the cheque, the settlement can be considered as accepted? Or could we offer them £10 a month for ever! This is really stressful and we want to sort it out to finally settle up after the business went under.
Any advice appreciated, thank you.
