Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

[di30]

A letter addressed to hubby today from the above company in Subject line!!

Yet another claims company!

They do not have the name of the loan lender of whom supposed to have mis sold, and nor do we recognise the amounts, and besides, the bigger reclaims we have already successful dealt with.

Here goes...........

Lender - A Broker
Amount - £56000
Estimated Max: Refund Amount: £16800

Dear Mr

We have been asked to write to you regarding the loan application you made for £56000, which we have been informed is likely to have included Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) in the region of £16800. If you have not already done so you may register your claims(s) for a refund of any PPI that was included with this loan application, as well as with other loans including further interest and compensation where the policy has been mis sold.


................and so on.
They have also enclosed a form to sign and send in any documentation in regards of the loan.

It also states, if you have any queries before returning the form please email the Consumer Complaints Support Team at refunds@bank-smart.co.uk call us on 0844 272 0144, or write to us at the above address.

For your information folks, if you want to check anything out with the business, the address is:
Bank Smart
Consumer Complaints Division.
71-75 Shelton St, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ

More info at the small print at the bottom of the letter states:
Bank-Smart is a trading name of Symmetric Systems Limited.
Regulated by the MOJ in respect of regulated management activities.


Its never ending!!! Do not use them or any other CMC'S!!

[jumper999]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

I received one of those letters to the other day...all a scam....

[colin a]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

i was the same,but stupidly after a cold call and documents recieved from july last year ,i cancelled because of lack of feedback,,,i have asked them to provide t and c and work done on my behalf,,,they havent done this yet but here we go £240 they demand from me if not paid in 7 days adebt collection firm will be used £10 £75 court action at £150 stat interest and all costs and fees including the court fees they have a signed doc from me but vlooks nothing likle t and c or have they sent me any paperwork....sound pretty threatening to me,,,,,all i can say is stay away from this missleading people as the grief is not worth it iv heard back from ministry of justice and citizens advise are taking over all mail,,,failing that you may have to get a solicitor

[TUTTSI]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Anyone who has any documentary evidences of the way Bank Smart are acting and want me to take this up with the MOJ at our neet meeting in a few weeks time please PM me.

[TUTTSI]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Business Search The search results listed below include the name of the business or individual, the county in which the business is located, the sectors in which it trades, and its Authorisation Status.
The search results list does not display trading names but you can see these by positioning the cursor over a business name.
Please be aware that authorised businesses can use similar or even identical trading names – if you want to be certain that a business that you are dealing with is authorised, ask for their Authorisation Number.
Your search found 2 businesses. Click on a business name to view its Authorisation Number and the address of its principal place of business.
This list was last updated on 04/08/2012.

RBC Money Ltd	Greater Manchester	Financial products/services, Per...	Authorisation Surrendered	10/08/2011
Symmetric Systems Ltd	Cornwall	Financial products/services, Per...	Authorised Business	30/05/2007

County
Greater Manchester

Authorisation Status - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Depending on your search criteria the search results will return businesses with different authorisation statuses. The descriptions below explain the meaning of each status.
Only businesses that have been authorised by the Ministry of Justice are legally allowed to provide regulated claims management services.
Authorisation does not mean that a business recommended or endorsed by the Ministry of Justice.

• Authorised business – the business is currently authorised by the Regulator to provide regulated claims management services.
• Authorisation suspended – the business has been authorised by the Regulator but its authorisation is currently suspended. The business is not currently authorised to provide regulated services. If the suspension is removed, the business will be listed as an authorised business again.
• Authorisation cancelled – the business has been authorised by the Regulator but its authoristion has been cancelled. The business is not authorised to provide regulated services.
• Authorisation surrendered – the business has been authorised by the Regulator but has surrendered its authorisation. The business is not authorised to provide regulated services.

Consumers who have an agreement with a claims management business that has had its authorisation suspended or cancelled should read our Consumer Factsheet – suspended or cancelled business

The links are not opening for me on here and my copy and pastefunction is not working either, but Symmetricic Sytems Ltd is still authorised and does include Bank Smart you will find this on the MOJ web site under authorised business, type in Bank Smart and you will get this link which I cannot seem to open for you or copy and paste. However there is another company called RBC Money Ltd which has a business name of RBC Banksmart their auithorisation is cancelled.

[colin a]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Anyone who has any documentary evidences of the way Bank Smart are acting and want me to take this up with the MOJ at our neet meeting in a few weeks time please PM me.

i wish i did im in the middle of trying,,,, iv sent £10 cheque to syymetric systems ltd uder the data protection act as they instructed for info and sent me a signed authority form,,,which looks like the back page of a t & c,,,the small print sais i agree to this although charges were never explained but after trawling the net i found them,,,,but dont know what terms and conditions i agreed to,,,thers a few going about which they change,mines is10.6p i cant access them with my log on details on there site...iv written several letters last few have been recorded they have invioced me for interm costs{cancellation-conformed e mail] as they put it i have two threatening letters of debt collection agencies and court proceedings if invioce not paid this was for £240 which has never been explained or can i find on any documentation{ON line} not that theve sent me,,their holding me to ! signature,,after much sole searching and sleepless nights with the worry of it all iv decided to pay money due....which i had to borrow...but the sad thing is i know now im in a trap...they will charge for every account looked into £99 +vat,even though iv signed for 1 account to be looked into .£50000 morgage they said I would be entitled to approx £16000 iv went to cab,which thier taking over all more correspondance and ivwritten to moj theve sent back letter saying there looking into the case,, iv complained to ombusman,, went watchdog,and newspaper now ..iv phoned claims managment regulator also my bank head office to make them aware of these people,,,iv put a block on them approaching my bank or any correspondance,,as they will charge me for the pleasure,, and once payment of £240 goes through they have advised me to cancell account,as they sound like a company with scrupulous motions {no kidding}they BS when on my account to date have thanked me for payment.....{ on 03 08 2012} and at status are currently reviewing the claim to ensure all available refunds have been made,....please notify any settlements that have been made......more money for them i would think...i will keep you posted on the recievership of this documents,,,if they arrive,,,,& letters by me and they still havent or any proof of any work carried out on m,y behalf......my next step is a solicitor to get this very missleading company of my back...im sure 1 day every one caught in this predicament will smile once this cmc is brought to some sort of justice for in my eyes the worst buisness iv ever had the missfortune of answering a phone to...wish id left it to my 3year old to answer........

[TUTTSI]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Colin,

I have been fighting these unscruperlous CMC's since I was first phoned about 4 years ago. The CMC in question told me pacifically I had £3k to come back from a mortgage company that I had been with. Of course they just plucked a figure out of thin air, got a name of mortgage lender which we had been with but I worked it out they had got this information from data that was stolen from Loans.co.uk could never prove that this is where the info came from. I never took them up on their offer thankfully as this company also have scammed absolutely many thousands of people with lies.

Keep in touch and if you get any joy let me know withn the SAR paperwork. If you don't get a response in the 40+2 days then a complaint to the ICO I believe as their data controller will be in big trouble.

I will also advise our people at the MOJ your story + others as best I can with the information that you have given me but may need more details from you for them to actually look into your case directly. You can PM me any personal details and any reference that you have at Bank Smart.

i wish i did im in the middle of trying,,,, iv sent £10 cheque to syymetric systems ltd uder the data protection act as they instructed for info and sent me a signed authority form,,,which looks like the back page of a t & c,,,the small print sais i agree to this although charges were never explained but after trawling the net i found them,,,,but dont know what terms and conditions i agreed to,,,thers a few going about which they change,mines is10.6p i cant access them with my log on details on there site...iv written several letters last few have been recorded they have invioced me for interm costs{cancellation-conformed e mail] as they put it i have two threatening letters of debt collection agencies and court proceedings if invioce not paid this was for £240 which has never been explained or can i find on any documentation{ON line} not that theve sent me,,their holding me to ! signature,,after much sole searching and sleepless nights with the worry of it all iv decided to pay money due....which i had to borrow...but the sad thing is i know now im in a trap...they will charge for every account looked into £99 +vat,even though iv signed for 1 account to be looked into .£50000 morgage they said I would be entitled to approx £16000 iv went to cab,which thier taking over all more correspondance and ivwritten to moj theve sent back letter saying there looking into the case,, iv complained to ombusman,, went watchdog,and newspaper now ..iv phoned claims managment regulator also my bank head office to make them aware of these people,,,iv put a block on them approaching my bank or any correspondance,,as they will charge me for the pleasure,, and once payment of £240 goes through they have advised me to cancell account,as they sound like a company with scrupulous motions {no kidding}they BS when on my account to date have thanked me for payment.....{ on 03 08 2012} and at status are currently reviewing the claim to ensure all available refunds have been made,....please notify any settlements that have been made......more money for them i would think...i will keep you posted on the recievership of this documents,,,if they arrive,,,,& letters by me and they still havent or any proof of any work carried out on m,y behalf......my next step is a solicitor to get this very missleading company of my back...im sure 1 day every one caught in this predicament will smile once this cmc is brought to some sort of justice for in my eyes the worst buisness iv ever had the missfortune of answering a phone to...wish id left it to my 3year old to answer........

[Sparkle1966]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Yes we got another of these letters too.

[dolores]

Bank smart complaints yet again

Yes we got another of these letters too.

Bank Smart have finally driven me to the ground. I owe them £1,300 and for what ? Signing numerous forms and a few self addressed envelopes. I got my PPS from a reputable company after waiting nearly a year for Bank Smart. I got my money within just over two months. One form to fill in and one letter was what it took. I cannot afford to pay them outright so I am going to have to pay them monthly. I hope they sleep well in their beds after picking on vunerable people who live on their own..

Dolores

[pongowaring]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

I am having a different experience with Bank Smart. Any advice much appreciated.

I've lived in my current house since I bought it in September 2005. A while back, we started getting letters from Bank Smart addressed to the former owner of the house.

I put them in the post marked return to sender, thought nothing of it.

A while later, and we are still getting them, so I open one. They're basically chasing the former owner of the house for some money they say she owes them for breaking an agreement with them.

There's an email address there, so I email Bank Smart telling them she hasn't lived here for very nearly 10 years, expecting this to be the end of it.

I should note, I have never heard of Bank Smart prior to these letters. I've never engaged a claims management company to do anything for me, ever.

This is the email I write them:

Hi

I am writing with reference to the above account, belonging to xxxxxx xxxxxxxx.


The lady in question does not live at this address, and in fact, has not lived here since we bought the house from her in September 2005.


I have, in the past, sent back numerous letters from you with Return to Sender marked on the envelope, but this doesn't seem to have any effect as the letters keep coming.


I have therefore opened this one to get your contact details.


Could you please update your records accordingly and please let me know in reply that you have done this?


Regards

My expectation was that, like any other company, they'd thank me for updating them and that'd be it.

It isn't though, because I get this reply from them:

Dear Mr xxxxx,

Please can you provide a scan/copy of a utility bill in your name at the property so that we can remove the address details from our system.

Regards,

SS1001 | Senior Management Team
Bank-Smart Head Office | www.bank-smart.co.uk

By this point, I've googled Bank Smart and to say they sound dodgy is putting it lightly.

I do not see why I should provide them with any personal information to "prove" anything, let alone go out of my way to do this. So I reply:

Hi


I'm afraid I won't be providing any personal details whatsoever.


You're writing to someone I bought this house from ten years ago.


There is no reason why I should be inconvenienced in any way to prove I live where I say I do.
A quick glance at the register of electors will tell you who lives here.


Regards

I get this reply:

Dear Mr XXXXX,

We need to see some proof you live at the address, our client has not notified us that they have moved.



…
Regards,

SS1001 | Senior Management Team

To which I have replied:

Once again, your client is absolutely nothing to do with me, and i have no obligation to assist you in any way shape or form, or to go out of my way any more than I have in returning letters to you and entering into this correspondence


Why you think I have any obligation to do more than this is beyond me.


If you wish to ascertain I live where I say I do, you can verify this by checking the letters you'll be getting returned to sender.
I'll be spending this morning researching all the bodies I can complain to about this and making a point of complaining to every single one of then.


I have honestly never encountered a company with an attitude like yours before.
It is not encumbent on me to find your clients.


Once again may I suggest you consult the register of electors?

I am just gobsmacked at the attitude of "I don't believe you" and the insistence that I somehow have an obligation re proving I am not the person who lived here ten years ago.

And then I wonder, why do they want a copy of a utilities bill in the first place? All that proves is that I live here. It says nothing about who else does.

Anyway, I am slightly concerned that if i just start ignoring these letters, at some point there might be some sort of legal situation develop out of this.

At the same time, I have to say, I am extremely irritated on a matter of principle about this.

The inconvenience of returning the letters to sender is one thing. I know I could just bin them and forget them, but I am wondering if I am missing a trick here and if there is a way I can make these letters stop AND make it harder for Bank Smart to do this sort of thing in the future.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Amethyst]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

May be something more going on here as Bank Smart weren't in existence in 2005, (symmetric systems were but they weren't doing claims at that time) so I'd suggest that their customer has completed a form and written their previous address in the box where they should have put their current address, OR bank smart have completed the current address field on their computer system with the customers previous address.

That might actually help the customer of bank-smart as they are seemingly currently invoicing all their old customers for random amounts for breach of contract, despite having done no work on their cases for years.

[Sparkle1966]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Okay. So I haven't been on for a while but I have been reading up with how everyone is coping with the continued onslaught of invoices and threats from Bank Smart. Since my last visit April 2012 I have had millions of posted and emailed invoices. Three separate debt collectors wrote and threatened me all of which dropped Bank Smart as soon as I told them my story. I've had three without prejudice save as to cost letters from their new legal chappy. Now I have had Claim against me at the County Court Business Centre and at last I am able to make my stand. I have written and submitted my defence but not before I voiced my disgust to the Court that they were still trading, they are absolute parasites.
I just want to say to everyone check through your paperwork again ask your lenders for copies of all correspondence from bank smart check all the dates. I have and I found two things with a little bit of investigation work - The Letter of Authority - has to be submitted to the Lender within 6 months of signing or it is invalid and another is required. Bank Smart sent our letter of authority with a letter they dated 30/11/11 (6 months to the day) to our lender who stamped as received shows 16/01/12 8 months after signing! They were late!! According to my lender Bank Smart did not send a valid letter of authority and they are forwarding to me the letter they wrote to Bank Smart advising this. Bank Smart were unable to send me any copies of their corresponding with my lender the only thing I received from bank smart to show they were acting was an emailed copy of the letter of authority which also had my lenders details put on after we had signed and sent bank.
Today I have received a Small Claims Track form to complete and return. This suggests that this case could be settled outside of court with a free mediator. The choice is mine whether to continue forward into Court or settle outside. I have not put in a counter claim for compensation. It's principle for me unlike the brothers and their little legal chappy.
My question is do you think all things considered that I should take this forward to the Court and not settle through Mediation? I certainly would not accept any blame etc if settling outside so it still could go on to the Court case anyway.

[Amethyst]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Hi Sparkle, Sorry to hear they have taken this to court. I hope you didn't put in your defence about Banksmart being parasites.... You're doing the right thing gathering together evidence but we would ideally like to see the claim they brought against you and the defence you have submitted. It sounds like following your defence BankSmart have opted to proceed so it is worth stepping back a little and reviewing everything and ensuring you put forward the best case possible and have covered all angles. What is the sum they are claiming from you, cancellation/work done to date charges ? or a commission % ?

[EXC]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

My question is do you think all things considered that I should take this forward to the Court and not settle through Mediation? I certainly would not accept any blame etc if settling outside so it still could go on to the Court case anyway.

I would be good to see the particulars of claim (the claim form) and the defence you submitted.

[EXC]

Re: Bank Smart - Consumer Complaints Division

Is this the issue? http://legalbeagles.info/forums/show...965#post280965