I've had a letter printed in the "Times"!!

p_p_man

The 'Euro' European
Joined
Feb 18, 2001
Posts
24,253
Yes the old "Thunderer" has published my letter...

People spend a lifetime trying to do it...

They write hundreds if not thousands of letters trying to do it...

They spend years of mental anguish trying to do it...

Now I've done it I can tell them how...

Just come and join Lit. If this site doesn't sharpen up your debating and writing skills, nothing will.

I owe all my success to Manu and Laurel and to all fellow posters who gave me the strength to continue when things looked hopeless.

Thank you all...


"Now what's the address of the New York Times"?


:D
 
Here tis Cheyenne. Boring subject but...

"Does all this new technology really work or is my bank more incompetent than the rest?

On 5 July I noticed that a £10 charge had been taken from my account without my authority. I telephoned my bank's call centre (the only way I can contact my branch by telephone) and was put through to my Business Branch. I spoke to a member of staff and explained the problem and was told that the manager had just returned from holiday and would contact me in two or three days.

As the problem wasn't that important I was satisfied with this and left it for a few days. On 11 July I realised that I hadn't received any return call and contacted my bank (through the call centre) a second time. This time the business manager was at lunch and after explaining my problem again to a second member of his staff I was told that he would return my call "shortly".

Real life took over and it wasn't until 23 July I again remembered my £10 and decided to follow it up. This time the call centre was unable to contact my branch, the telephone was constantly engaged, and so on their suggestion I agreed they should send a FAX on my behalf asking my business manager to get in touch with me. The FAX gave my landline telephone number, mobile telephone number and e-mail address. The call centre told me that the response time was three hours.

24 July. No reply from my business manager. So once again the call centre sent a FAX on my behalf etc…etc…etc…

25 July. Still no reply from my business manager, and so, again, we all played out the familiar contact procedure.

26 July. The same story as before but this time the call centre said they would send a complaints form to the branch, a copy of which would be sent to my business manager's Area Manager. The call Centre told me that the response time for a complaint was 24 hours and that they are always answered within that time.

27 and 28 July. Yes, the story is now becoming familiar. Still no reply. This time I spoke to a superviser at the call centre who told me that she would send a hand-written FAX to my business manager "demanding" that he contact me and "giving him a piece" of her mind. Again it would be a 24 hour response time.

31 July. Nothing happened. And so finally I took the matter out of the call centre's hands and wrote a letter of complaint and sent it by recorded post to the business manager.

Today-12 August. Still nothing. And to add insult to injury a second £10 charge has been taken from my account without my authority!

Is it technology? I don't think so because I use the facilities of my computer and the internet constantly with no problem. Is it incompetence? That seems a bit far fetched considering more than one person would have to be more than incompetent at the same time and over the same issue. Is it contempt? A possible, more human, reason for not contacting me. We all have bad days except that my business manager appears to be having bad weeks.

But whatever it is, it is not really my problem. I just want my £20 back, until next month that is, then it will probably be £30!

Yours faithfully"


It was published in the Money Section of the paper and judging by the number of letters I've received the UK has a national problem here!!!



:D
 
p p man I feel for you I really do. It's not just the UK though, it's apparently EVERYWHERE.

Some bacnk in the states charge you to use the bank during working hours IF you actually have contact wtih a teller. something like $3-5US PER VISIT. Some are a bit more lienant(sp?) in that they only charge you IF you use their facitlites after two trips either inside or at the drive-up teller.

Personally I have all monies except personal checkes and such, direct deposited, and only use the Auto teller if i need cash quickly, therefore getting around additional charges. The personal stuff I safe and go once or twice a month IF neccesary. It's all about making money off of you, nothing more, nothing less.
 
Good Grief! I always get irritated when people don't return my calls. I think it's just poor manners. Even if you don't have an answer or one that I don't like, you should call. When I worked at a University...somedays I would get so busy that I didn't have the time to fix some of the more complex issues that came across my desk. If I had promissed to return that students call by the end of the day, I did...period. Sometimes the call was only to say that I hadn't forgotten about them and I was still working on the issue.

I can not tell you how many calls I've made to HR managers about positions and not received any return phone call, ever! I've also been on interviews and never received a rejection letter...that's just poor business! My opinion of these companies has gone down the toilet.

I'm willing to bet money that if you treated the "non-call returners" with the same behavior they'd throw a hissy fit.

Just my .02 cents.
 
Didn't you get the letter from Laurel? There is a new monthly charge for anyone from the UK to post at Lit. Helps defray the cost of cleanup. :D
 
PacificBlue said:
Good Grief! I always get irritated when people don't return my calls.
I'm willing to bet money that if you treated the "non-call returners" with the same behavior they'd throw a hissy fit.

Just my .02 cents.

Between you and me I also have a loan account with the bank and I deliberately held back my August payment just to get some sort of response from them.

I got a reply alright. A computer generated letter telling me that if I had difficulty paying the August instalment I should "contact them"!.

What have I been trying to do!!!


AAgghhhhh!!!

:mad:
 
everyone hates banks .... congrats on your letter getting printed i hope that makes up for the annoyance from the bank :) ... you should of mentioned in the letter though WHICH bank it was though :)
 
Sic 'em, PP

What's another 10 pounds? You can afford it. It's your duty as a customer to pay the extra charges. Without them, your bank wouldn't be able to provide you with all those extra conveniences.

Even if you don't use all the extras, someone else does. Nobody can pick and choose which service charges they will pay just because they don't like or use them. Someone has to fork over the money!
 
Which Times? There's dozens upon hundreds of them. Times, Post, Daily, Picayune, Bugle, Yadayadayada.

I'm going to go out on a limb here. It wasn't the Coffey County Times was it?
 
Be careful -

p_p_man said:


Between you and me I also have a loan account with the bank and I deliberately held back my August payment just to get some sort of response from them.

I got a reply alright. A computer generated letter telling me that if I had difficulty paying the August instalment I should "contact them"!.

What have I been trying to do!!!


AAgghhhhh!!!

:mad:
If you really NEED that loan account, back off before they close it and post you on a bad credit list. Don't pick a fight you can't afford to lose. These computers never quit once they've "decided" that you're a bum. And I imagine you did use the bank's name and that The Times removed it, no? Good luck!
 
Congratulations p_p_man! I would say I hope it will help you out with the bank situation but I doubt it will.

Also, I understand the frustration with the bank but it's not worth messing your credit up. Maybe switching your accounts to another bank?

I'm with sexy-girl, I would have loved to have seen the bank's name.
 
KillerMuffin said:
Which Times? There's dozens upon hundreds of them. Times, Post, Daily, Picayune, Bugle, Yadayadayada.

I'm going to go out on a limb here. It wasn't the Coffey County Times was it?


i think he meant "The Times" english one thats the original from where we got all the other times hehe such as "coffey county times" :)
 
Copied from sexy_girl's Post:

"you should of mentioned in the letter though WHICH bank it was though"

I was keeping that back for the next round. I'm sure it's not over yet. I've sent copies of the letter to the bank's PR Department and my Banking Manager using it as a sort of "We know where you live" threat!

I've also said that if I don't hear from them within 7 days (next Monday) I'll be contacting Watchdog. For everyone who doesn't know that's a UK televised Consumer Programme which welds enormous power. Usually just by mentioning the name "Watchdog" you get instant satisfaction.

The name of the bank? Lloyds/TSB. My branch? Well it used to be in Harrow but where it is now is anyone's guess...

Where's Ralph Nader when you want him?


Copied from shadowsource's Post

"If you really NEED that loan account, back off before they close it and post you on a bad credit list."

Thanks for the advice but I don't really need the loan any more. I'm just keeping it going as an easy way of paying it off without affecting my cash flow. I'm in the fortunate position of not having to worry too much about credit rating.

To tell you the truth I'm beginning to enjoy the battle. It's like fuel to my socialist fire!!

:D
 
I had a problem just like this a few years back, I couldn't get my asshole manager to answer my phone calls or letter's so I decided to charge admin fee's for every letter I had to write them each and every day after a certain date, I only had to write two letters before I was answered with a phone call.

my manager said I had no rite to charge a fee and he would not pay it, I wrote him another letter and one to the area supervisor explaining that I was going to take the bank to the small claims court and the banking ombudsman

Outcome:- four letters at £20 a time = £80 plus an apology from the area supervisor.

Now I do as much work by letter as posible and I give them a date by which they have to reply (usually 2 weeks from the date the letter is posted) and inform them that I will send a further letter every day after that date with an admin fee of £20 each letter I have to write.....never fails. :D
 
OUTSIDER said:

Now I do as much work by letter as posible and I give them a date by which they have to reply (usually 2 weeks from the date the letter is posted) and inform them that I will send a further letter every day after that date with an admin fee of £20 each letter I have to write.....never fails. :D



Now that's a good idea. Thanks OUTSIDER!

:D
 
I was at this party once when I was introduced this mong in a pinstripe suit.
I asked him what he did for a living.
"Merchant banker," he replied in that superior air that is the preserve of the City of London.
"So you're a money-lender are you?"
Typically, he didn't see the funny side of my response.
 
p_p_man said:




Now that's a good idea. Thanks OUTSIDER!

:D

Your welcome, and there's a warm tingly feeling that comes from charging a bank money..............almost as good as sex...almost :D
 
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