# Ulster Bank story today Daily Mail



## moneymakeover (13 May 2017)

The front page headline today's Irish Daily Mail:

Bank: It's cheaper to cheat trackers and pay out compo.

It's in some internal email in Ulster Bank

Where the customer got €25,000 compensation instead of restoring the customer to tracker


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## SaySomething (13 May 2017)

That would be @notabene story. Well done!


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## Brendan Burgess (13 May 2017)

Well done Nota Bene and everyone else who participated in this story.

Brendan


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## SaySomething (13 May 2017)

For those who haven't bought the paper you can view the Front Page & the Op-Ed from page 54 on the Irish Daily Mail social media accounts (Facebook/Twitter). It's not the full story but certainly gives a flavour of the feature.


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## Brendan Burgess (13 May 2017)

Hi SS

Any chance you could post a link. I can't find the articles you refer to.

Here is twitter

Brendan


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## SaySomething (13 May 2017)

That's the front page. The OpEd which is grainy but can be read is on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TheIrishMa...495363941342/1892530997671109/?type=3&theater

On Twitter here:
https://twitter.com/irishdailymail/status/863319153553190913


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## notabene (13 May 2017)

Thank you! and thanks to the others who spoke too, great to have more than one story to make an impact


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## SaySomething (13 May 2017)

Here's the link to @notabene story on Twitter. https://twitter.com/irishdailymail/status/863341327030857728


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## Brendan Burgess (17 May 2017)

I have attached the article as an attachment.

I had to delete some of the photos to reduce it in size.

Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (17 May 2017)

And the second article on Niamh Byrne


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## Googsie (19 May 2017)

Well done @notabene on a very interesting article!

Our mortgage history is similar to yours. Briefly, we entered a tracker mortgage, fixed the main mortgage for three years, weren’t offered a return to the tracker rate and eventually switched to AIB.

We also made a submission to the FSO who upheld our complaint late September 2014 and directed UB to pay €10k compensation. I assume the October 2014 email you refer to in your article was generated because of the above decision.

Although both our stories are similar, we haven’t received any correspondence from UB identifying us as impacted mortgage holders. I believe there’s a lack of consistency in the Tracker Mortgage Examination process undertaken by UB.


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## Brendan Burgess (19 May 2017)

Hi Googsie

Have you been in touch with Ulster Bank?  You should call them and make sure that you are included in the review.

Then you should write to them to confirm the conversation. 

How much was your mortgage when you switched to AIB? 

It is very unlikely that €10k is anywhere near sufficient compensation. 


Brendan


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## Googsie (19 May 2017)

Hi Brendan

I wrote to them February 2017 requesting confirmation that they identify us as impacted mortgage holders. I also informed them of the FSO finding.

I didn't receive a response so I followed up with two phone calls where on both occasions they claimed they couldn't find our account on their system. During the second phone call, I gave them our current account details to help identify us. They marked us down for a reply even if we weren't identified as being impacted. Most unhelpful!

Our mortgage was €290k.

Googsie


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## Brendan Burgess (19 May 2017)

Hi Googsie 

Am I right in saying that you have not had a written response from them confirming that you are included in the review? 

You must follow up with them in writing asking them to confirm and pointing out that they have told you that they could not find your account.

You should also send a copy to the Central Bank and point out to them that Ulster Bank do not seem to be covering every case. 

Brendan


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## Googsie (19 May 2017)

Hi Brendan

You are correct in saying I have not had a written response from them confirming that I am included in the review.

I will follow up with UB as suggested above.

Who should I correspond with at the CB?

Googsie


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## elcato (19 May 2017)

I wrote to them recently and got a generic response saying.all trackers given out since 2004 are included. They did not specify I was personally included though. I also informed CB and got told to contact UB. I'm going to seek professional help if I don't get a proper response by September.


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## MorgVar (19 May 2017)

Since February 2016 I have been seeking confirmation from UB of inclusion in review.After approx 10 phone calls and letters no info whatsoever forthcoming.

Latest letter states all Accounts included and another few months‼

Have advised CB and they seem to suggest they will follow up etc in a general sence.
UB clearly failing to follow promises of their CEO last Dec to Finance Comittee that all sorted by early 2017


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## notabene (19 May 2017)

Hi Googsie,

Possibly yes as they had asked the FSO to stop adjudication with me in order to reach a settlement in late Sept 2014 offering 12,500 as a goodwill payment which I'm sure was based on your finding if it had only just occurred.

I'm not sure about consistency, but they couldn't forget me, I've been hounding them for last 18 months since I got those emails.


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## Googsie (19 May 2017)

Fair point Notabene! I admire your tenacity and resolve over the period above.

It is UB who used the word consistency in their latest correspondence to you and therefore the same process and outcome should apply to all mortgage holders in our position.


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## nonie (21 May 2017)

@notabene and @Googsie 
Great articles.
Did the compensation you were awarded include the overpayments you made? Was it a refund plus compensation or pure compensation?


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## Brendan Burgess (21 May 2017)

Hi nonie

I saw the written decision in notabene's case. It was just a lump of money without any rationale behind it. In the Ulster Bank internal correspondence they said that it was cheaper to have an award made by the FSO as it would be a lot less than the cost of taking her back as a customer and giving her a refund of the overcharge.

Brendan


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## nonie (21 May 2017)

Thanks Brendan.
That's what I couldn't understand. I was able to calculate how much we had overpaid...  So how much of each of those amounts are refunds and how much is compensation? Two very different things.


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## Brendan Burgess (22 May 2017)

The Financial Ombudsman doesn't usually award compensation as such. 

So he would have regarded the figure as a refund. 

But, as I have pointed out, he didn't know how to calculate it so he just picked a figure from thin air.

Brendan


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## nonie (22 May 2017)

Crazy stuff.
@notabene were you able to calculate how much your "refund" of overpayment should have been? And therefore did the payment cover the refund?


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## Googsie (16 Sep 2017)

Finally received a letter from Ulster Bank yesterday that confirmed I have been identified as having been impacted. Delighted!
Not sure if is this a one-off letter to me or if they are currently reviewing switcher mortgage accounts.


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## Brendan Burgess (16 Sep 2017)

Hi Googsie

That is great.  It is shocking that it has taken so long to send you this letter. 

I know that Nota Bene was told in January that she was affected, but has  heard nothing since. 

I suspect that Ulster Bank has a proposal for dealing with cases like yours, but they need to get the Central Bank to approve of it. 

Brendan


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## Googsie (16 Sep 2017)

Thanks Brendan.

Nothing short of disgraceful from Ulster Bank - it's been a really frustrating experience.

People like Nota Bene were expecting details of compensation and redress as far back as March and we're still waiting.

Googsie


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