Bloody bank have sent my new card to the wrong address AGAIN arrggghh

[AnarchyAunt]

Three years ago when I moved house and told them of the new address Lloyds didn't enter it on their computer systems correctly, resulting in statements and my replacement debit card/PIN being sent to my cock of an ex (luckily there was no fraud committed and he was not the violent stalking type) I complained, and they apologised, said this should never have happened blah blah blah, they'd make sure it didn't happen again, and paid me a 'goodwill gesture' of £75. End of story.

I moved house again six weeks ago, went straight to Lloyds with my tenancy agreement and ID, stood over them and watched as they changed the address. I explained why I was wary, and was assured it had all been changed and updated.

Then today my card was declined in the supemarket and I realised it ran out yesterday. So off I went to Lloyds where it turns out they had sent it to my old address (which I can no longer access as its empty) despite being given the new address over a month ago! I now have no access to my money over the bank holiday weekend and won't get a new card til the end of next week. Seems they didn't change the correspondence address, only the main address (whatever that means). They then refused to waive the charge for transferring some money direct to my account with another bank, so I have had to take out a large sum of cash in case I need it over the bank holiday weekend, and hope to god I don't lose it or get mugged.

As well as being crappy customer services etc, is this in breach of data protection or similar legislation? What should I say in my complaint? I am FURIOUS - once was bad enough but now I am starting to think the staff just don't like me. It can't be that bollocking hard to action an address change, surely?

Not sure what legislation it's a breach of but is crappy customer service and you should rightly complain. I'd also complain about the attitude of the staff at the Lloyds you went to today. If you hadn't advised them of your new address and fraud had been committed they could, potentially, have held you liable. You need to point all this out in your letter. I'd be livid if I were you.

Believe me I am livid

They said the best they could suggest was that I withdraw enough money today to last us til next tuesday when they are open again. Meant to be taking DD away over the weekend so I will have to carry lots of cash round which I hate doing. Its really bloody inconvenient.

Busy venting my spleen in a letter that I wil tone down in its final draft!

This happened to me also with Lloyds. I also ended up having my card declined in M&S (of all places) in front of a long queue of people and then realised it had run out. They'd sent it to the house we'd rented a year before. They'd been sending statements to our new address for the whole of that year. When I complained they issued a new one which didn't arrive because they sent it to the SAME wrong address! The third time they did manage to get it to the new address. I didn't manage to get any cash out of them (well done) instead the woman told me in accusing tones that they had different computer systems for the current account and card services (despite the fact that the card was a debit card for that current account) and managed to imply that it was my fault for not working this out.

Sorry that's probably not helpful but perhaps they hate both of us!

Yeah the first time they did it three years ago, they tried telling me it was my fault because the signatures didn't match on the form I filled in when I went to change the address

So they sent a letter to the wrong address to tell me this... Why they couldn't have said there and then I will never know, unless of course it was a back-covering clutching-at-straws excuse they dreamed up on the spot [suspicious]

At least my card was ony declined in Aldi

It sounds appalling. Their systems should feed through, so if you change one it should change the others, and it isn't up to you to understand. If they need to process map how to change an address with them there's something wrong with the process. I'd probably move banks if I were you.

Hi AA i used to work in the complaints department for a bank, not Lloyds though! You have received some pretty crappy service especially for it to happen twice. This could be seen as a breach of the data protection, i'm wondering if they hadn't changed your correspondance address if they have been sending your statements to the old address as well? That would be pretty serious.

In your complaint you want to go a bit over the top with how much distress & inconvenience you've been caused by this. The least they could have done is waive the charge for tranferring money. They might also pay more attention if you say that if you're not satisfied with their response you will take this forward to the Financial Ombudman.

Thanks - I am going to lay it on a bit thick! I was really annoyed that they refused to waive the charge for transferring money under the circumstances.

Will look up data protection act and see what if anything applies here.

Oh this happened to dh with HSBC but luckily the old address was his parents (well I say luckily - they had a whinge at him for still having post sent there ).

The staff at the bank should know that the main address AND correspondence address needs changing. It is a breach of the data protection act to hold out of date information and you had informed them of the change. I'd write a strongly worded letter outlining the problems, that it's happened more than once, that the fee for transferring money was not waived despite the problem being caused by the bank...and I'd definitely say that you'll be taking it to the Data Comissioner (is that who you complain to for DPA breaches?) & the FSA.

www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection/the_basics.aspx Information must be accurate & up to date

Oh brilliant thank you!

The FSA do have a customer contact centre for consumer complaints, although they'll probably send you to the obudsman first.

Have writen a suitably pissed off letter.

I just cannot believe they could do this twice especially after the way I hung over them this time to make sure they were doing it properly.

Gets better.... I sent the letter 3 weeks ago - 3 copies, all first class, one to the complaints centre, one to the Lloyds TSB data controller, and one to Head Office. They have 14 days to respond to complaints or you can take it to the Ombudsman.

No response.

Asked in the bank today and was told that there were no notes on the computer to say the complaint had been received and it must have been lost in the post

What, I said, all three of them??

So off to the Ombudsman it is then. Fun fun fun...

grrr for you

keep us posted

Same thing happened to me TSB sent my card to an old address from 5 years ago. Luckily my mother in law still lives their. However not happy as the outcome could have been a lot worse. I complained and they said they would transfer £100 into my account for distress caused. That was last week and no funds have been put into my account.