This-is-money stated today that the lenders have to pay £360 for every complaint that is made to the Financial Ombudsman.

And no doubt when a formal hearing is heard before the commisisoner, as allowed by the Human Right Act, then this charge is increased.

Halifax have said that all complaints about dual rate SVR's must go to the Financial Ombudsman. This means that if all 200,000 affected Halifax mortgage account holders make a complaint then Halifax will have to pay £72M to the Financial Ombudsman, plus extra if these cases require a formal hearing.

Go on, support your Financial Ombudsman, make a complaint today.

Use it, or lose it, its your Financial Ombudsman. They need your lenders financial support. Give it to them.

Good Luck.

-- Harry (pearson_harry@hotmail.com), March 13, 2002

Answers

Harry

How can I contact the FO?

Bev

-- Bev (bev100@genie.co.uk), March 14, 2002.

Bev,

The Financial Services Ombudsman's telephone number is:- 0207 964 1000.

Joy.

-- Joy Harker (fightingback@harker.go-plus.net), March 14, 2002.

The FO won't talk to you or accept your complaint until you have a deadlock letter from your lender, or, if you complained and asked for a deadlock letter more than eight weeks ago.

The FO web site is; http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

These is a complaint form layout for the FO on the FO web site that you can print off as well.

Good Luck.

-- Harry (pearson_harry@hotmail.com), March 14, 2002.

Here is the format of a letter used by a chum to Abbey National to complain about the mortgage rate scam. This is copied from the which.com site;

To: Customers Relations Manager Dear Sir/madam

Mortgage Account Number.................

Following the recent decision by the Financial Ombudsman on HSBC’s introduction of a dual standard variable rate, I believe that Abbey National has also breached the terms of our mortgage contract. When we took out the mortgage, we were led to believe, and reasonably expected, that the standard variable rate applied to our mortgage would remain the same as the standard variable rate applied to any other Abbey National mortgage. We would like you to reimburse us for the extra interest we have paid since the introduction of the lower standard variable rate and link our mortgage, free-of-charge, to the lower standard variable rate with immediate effect, and backdated to the date that Abbey National adopted a dual standard variable rate. In the event that you are unable to respond to this request, we require you to issue a deadlock letter so that we can take our complaint to the Financial Ombudsman. Yours sincerely,

-- Harry (pearson_harry@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002.

Complain and keep complaining about the dual SVRs being charged by Abbey and Halifax, in my opinion.

You should apparently write something like this:

"I am writing to complain about the rate of interest being charged on my account. Following the recent ruling by the Financial Ombudsman I believe the rate I have been charged is in breach of my mortgage contract.

I understand that the rate I am being charged is linked to your higher standard variable rate, not the lower standard variable rate being charged to other customers.

I would like you to reimburse me the extra interest I have paid since the introduction of the lower interest rate.

If you do not do this, I will be obliged to take my case to the Financial Ombudsman.

Yours faithfully,

Blah blah."

-- E Scott (eleanor.scott@btinternet.com), March 15, 2002.

BBC's Watchdog also tells you what to do, having covered the refund siutation in detail on TV the other week. There are full details and a 'template' copy letter for you to send to your own lender.

Copy and paste http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/reports_wmortgagelenders.shtml

Go get your refunds folks ! Good luck ! Vic

-- Vic Harper (victorcharper@aol.com), March 16, 2002.