To consider ‘going to the papers’

[Hellorhighwater]

Three years ago, after my husband died, a major financial institution really cocked up my life. They have (finally) admitted responsibility, but are fighting me over compensation. The ombudsman is involved, but has now said they don’t cover all ‘consequential losses’, and I may have to sue for some of them. I can’t face it. It’s been utterly awful. Obviously it’s complex, but I’m missing £60k in equity I should have realised and about £800 a month ongoing. The damages add up to about £70k, so it’s not inconsequential amounts they’ve cost me. I’m trying keep my shopping budget under £20 a week this month for me, DD and two dogs. I’m penniless and they make millions in profits. It feels like they have all the power here, and it feels deeply unfair.

I’ve always thought that taking to the media is a low blow, but I’m so exhausted by the whole process I don’t know what else to do. I can’t carry on like this. ) I thought the ombudsman would be the end of it (they’ve been dealing with it since August last year and everything takes forever) and I thought perhaps a bit of bad publicity might push them into being a bit more amenable. Not that I actually have any idea how to do it. Email ‘The Sun’? (I don’t even read the news!). What do people think?

Have you tried contacting one of the financial “agony aunts”. I know the Telegraph has one.

Or R4 Money Matters.

They might take up your case.

Thy do have some sway - but not always.

Perhaps try and find out who the head of the company is and join Twitter - this always seems to get their attention.

@JayAlfredPrufrock

Have you tried contacting one of the financial “agony aunts”. I know the Telegraph has one.

Or R4 Money Matters.

They might take up your case.

This is what I was thinking.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your dh and all the stress you've had since

The broadsheet papers have a consumer/money section usually, might be worth contacting those as they contact the company and intervene. Better than having to do a Daily Fail sad face photo for the tabloid ones. And please not the Sun, after Hillsborough and phone hacking I couldn’t bear having any association with them.

The media are not on your side. They will make sympathetic noises to get you to trust them and share information - and then you have zero control over how they spin it to sell papers. If you think you feel powerless now, it'll be nothing next to having a newspaper publish trash about you.

If they decided to portray you as money-grabbing or stupid or unsavoury there would be absolutely nothing you could do about it. And it would be published forever. Come up when people googled you forever.

Why would you consider trusting an organisation that was vociferous in blaming the victims of Hillsborough for their own deaths? Along with many subsequent disgusting episodes.

You'd trust them to publish your private life in a fair way? They're in it to make money.

You could try the Guardian/Times/Telegraph/Mail help sections but I think you might be a bit beyond their scope. Worth a try though.

www.telegraph.co.uk/money/katie-investigates/katie-morley-investigates-contact-form/
www.theguardian.com/money/series/bachelor-and-brignall-consumer-champions
www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/columnist-1066277/Tony-Hazell-Daily-Mail.html

Martin Lewis?

The media want a story - not to help.
Presumably you have a solicitor - what's their suggestion?
Are they offering anywhere near enough compensation to get your life back on track?

If it's enough to afford to get back on track I'd consider forgetting what they actually owe you and take what you can get if your mental health is going to take a hit with the stress.

Best bet is Martin Lewis.

Take care doing this, you'd be opening yourself up to a great deal of public scrutiny, much of which will not be kind. Also, once you've done it, your details will be in the public domain forever.

Money Matters or Martin Lewis have been successful in the past with quite sensitive cases. Sorry for what you've gone through and continue to face.

You might want to try

Jill Insley Question of Money The Sunday Times
[email protected]

or

Anna Timms of the Observer - [email protected]

Or

Consumer champions at the Guardian -
[email protected]

@cornflakedreams

The media are not on your side. They will make sympathetic noises to get you to trust them and share information - and then you have zero control over how they spin it to sell papers. If you think you feel powerless now, it'll be nothing next to having a newspaper publish trash about you.

If they decided to portray you as money-grabbing or stupid or unsavoury there would be absolutely nothing you could do about it. And it would be published forever. Come up when people googled you forever.

Why would you consider trusting an organisation that was vociferous in blaming the victims of Hillsborough for their own deaths? Along with many subsequent disgusting episodes.

You'd trust them to publish your private life in a fair way? They're in it to make money.

Yes OP please don’t listen to posters like this ‘the media’ is not a single entity there are many hardworking decent journalists…sure, don’t contact the Sun but a lot of other people have suggested really helpful outlets. Would also suggest local media teams for BBC or ITV

The Sun !!!!
I would rather be homeless and penniless for the rest of my life than contact that scum paper.

My sister had trouble with her bank accusing her of fraud, freezing her account and all payments and then closing her account. She contacted Martin Lewis and was in the paper, I think it was the Guardian? He/they sorted everything out for her. The printed story was very factual.

Try the guardian money section, they have specialists who if they take it on talk to the relevant institutions and the story is printed in a non sensationalist way

Yes OP please don’t listen to posters like this ‘the media’ is not a single entity there are many hardworking decent journalists…sure, don’t contact the Sun but a lot of other people have suggested really helpful outlets. Would also suggest local media teams for BBC or ITV

The op is perfectly capable of weighing up information herself.

The points that I and others have made about the op's private information ending up in the public domain forever are equally valid whichever outlet we are discussing.

Stop trying to make this about you and whatever chip you have on your shoulder about "hardworking decent journalists" .

Contact your mp and that will get it prioritized at the ombudsman

@JayAlfredPrufrock

Have you tried contacting one of the financial “agony aunts”. I know the Telegraph has one.

Or R4 Money Matters.

They might take up your case.

I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this OP I agree with @JayAlfredPrufrock’s suggestion - the Times and Guardian also have money columnists who might be able to help.

The "consumer champions" rarely sensationalise the stories, even the one from the Daily Mail. They let the events speak for themselves.

The Mirror, The Guardian, Financial/Sunday Times have money help, they may be able to help.

I'm sorry you're going through this

In fairness the ombudsman are usually pretty good at remedying financial losses. If by consequential losses you mean “if I’d had the 60k I could have invested in XYZ and made double” then no they won’t enforce that because it’s very theoretical and speculative. The ombudsman will usually order the company to rectify the financial loss plus a healthy 8% interest.

@Hellorhighwater

Three years ago, after my husband died, a major financial institution really cocked up my life. They have (finally) admitted responsibility, but are fighting me over compensation. The ombudsman is involved, but has now said they don’t cover all ‘consequential losses’, and I may have to sue for some of them. I can’t face it. It’s been utterly awful. Obviously it’s complex, but I’m missing £60k in equity I should have realised and about £800 a month ongoing. The damages add up to about £70k, so it’s not inconsequential amounts they’ve cost me. I’m trying keep my shopping budget under £20 a week this month for me, DD and two dogs. I’m penniless and they make millions in profits. It feels like they have all the power here, and it feels deeply unfair.

I’ve always thought that taking to the media is a low blow, but I’m so exhausted by the whole process I don’t know what else to do. I can’t carry on like this. ) I thought the ombudsman would be the end of it (they’ve been dealing with it since August last year and everything takes forever) and I thought perhaps a bit of bad publicity might push them into being a bit more amenable. Not that I actually have any idea how to do it. Email ‘The Sun’? (I don’t even read the news!). What do people think?

Do whatever it takes op because I doubt you will get a second bite, if that means contacting Martin Lewis the sun or even the (shivers) fraudian so be it.

@Getoffmyshoes

In fairness the ombudsman are usually pretty good at remedying financial losses. If by consequential losses you mean “if I’d had the 60k I could have invested in XYZ and made double” then no they won’t enforce that because it’s very theoretical and speculative. The ombudsman will usually order the company to rectify the financial loss plus a healthy 8% interest.

What if the consequential loss is your home?

@BluebellsGreenbells

Thy do have some sway - but not always.

Perhaps try and find out who the head of the company is and join Twitter - this always seems to get their attention.

Emailing the chief exec (well, whatever minion checks his email) is how I eventually got them to take responsibility. Before that, they were going to make me suck up the losses. They still might, because of the time scales involved.