Creation Financial Services bashing

[John]

And several people such as myself who used Curve but have not had their cards cancelled. The only way to truly find out the proportions is if Rob does a survey and everyone answers truthfully…

[Rui N.]

I have a name for people like you but my mum taught me to not say such things in public. 😀

[Jon]

I sent my Letter Before Action to Creation a little over a week ago, and have received their reply, by email – basically saying nothing beyond “We’re not changing our decision and we’re not going to provide any more information”. Which is a bit disappointing really, given paragraph 3 of the pre-action protocols etc. I think I might give them one final opportunity to provide an actual proper explanation/defence, and see if we can’t reach a settlement, but otherwise off to court we go…

[eskimoboy]

Well I’ve had my letters like everybody else so it’s just a matter if i take it further now. It’s always the way with these things for me, at the time I’m annoyed and definitely going to do something about it. A few months on I wonder if it’s worth pursuing. I guess the time wasting from Creation may have done its job.

I’ve read a lot of posts by JDB suggesting it’s not worth pursuing so that’s one thing on my mind..

[stevenhp1987]

eskimoboy wrote:

Well I’ve had my letters like everybody else so it’s just a matter if i take it further now. It’s always the way with these things for me, at the time I’m annoyed and definitely going to do something about it. A few months on I wonder if it’s worth pursuing. I guess the time wasting from Creation may have done its job.

I’ve read a lot of posts by JDB suggesting it’s not worth pursuing so that’s one thing on my mind..

Given that FOS is a free service, and it literally takes minutes to fill in the form, I don’t see why you wouldn’t pursue it?!

[StephenW]

I’m not caught up in the Curve/Creation issue, but have been having issues with the premium card. I didn’t receive my free night certificate for £10k+ spend (Y/E Nov – it’s now Feb) and I can no nonger use the card online because verification process fails. I KNOW that I’m entering the right digits, but if rejects anyway. Anybody else having similar problems?

[chrism20]

eskimoboy wrote:

I guess the time wasting from Creation may have done its job.

Their time wasting would actually encourage me to press on. However I’m rather dogged when it comes to matters such as this.

[Rui N.]

Received reply to my complaint to Creation today:
1. Said they were responding to my complaint about closing the card. No such complaint has been made.
2. Said that they wouldn’t been given me a free night. My card doesn’t have such a benefit (and naturally I didn’t ask for any free nights, perhaps I should have!).
3. Used the terms of the IGH Rewards Club to claim they can’t award me points after card closure. No mention of their own terms, nor any response regarding points not transferred between closure letter and closure (points that should have been transferred after closure total the astonishing amount of 12 points).

They also got the date of when I sent my complaint wrong.
It’s quite something to be able to write a response to a complaint and not being able to get anything right.
I’d get fired if I sent such a response to a customer (and with good reason).

• This reply was modified 54 years, 9 months ago by .

[Lady London]

I think the person who said the level of nonsensical replies or non-replies, as well as the mistakes made by Creation, does not matter, is incorrect.

Obvs it’s peripheral but helpful to indicate the general level of standards Creation are (not) operating to, if in your case something like that happened. Particularly repeated instances. Or even if they failed to communicate despite multiple attempts. Or if they made basic errors in functionality like failing to credit payments. As it goes towards a pattern of behaviour.

It’s not central, and should not detract from your core case that you are submitting. So I wouldn’t put it in the main part. But if I had such experience(s) with them I would probably put a list in an Appendix somewhere. As it does add to the pattern of them (not) operating good practices.

Unfortunately prob only works with your own experiences right now. We may know from the number of people on here having similar issues with Creation, that it’s not just you, but until some independent public source gathers data and states the extent of the problem it’s just hearsay so would be disregarded. If it’s your own experience I’d prob incorporate it into an Appendix or footnote

[QFFlyer]

StephenW wrote:

I’m not caught up in the Curve/Creation issue, but have been having issues with the premium card. I didn’t receive my free night certificate for £10k+ spend (Y/E Nov – it’s now Feb) and I can no nonger use the card online because verification process fails. I KNOW that I’m entering the right digits, but if rejects anyway. Anybody else having similar problems?

Yeah for the last couple of months I’ve been having major issues with secure code verification (only with Creation), even when everything’s right, it’s been about a 10-20% success rate as to whether the transaction would go through.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

StephenW wrote:

I’m not caught up in the Curve/Creation issue, but have been having issues with the premium card. I didn’t receive my free night certificate for £10k+ spend (Y/E Nov – it’s now Feb) and I can no nonger use the card online because verification process fails. I KNOW that I’m entering the right digits, but if rejects anyway. Anybody else having similar problems?

Just one thing to check = You have a six digit passcode to log in to the Creation website. The online payment code is a separate 5 digit code that you need to set up via your account profile once logged in. Could it be that you are getting the two codes mixed up? I know this is something that confused me at first… I have had no problems with any online payments once I reset the online payment code and this is across 3 separate accounts.

[Olly]

Anyone had a response from the FOS yet? Or got an idea of when we’re likely to get one? So far they’re looking as timely at responding as Creation

[stevenhp1987]

Olly wrote:

Anyone had a response from the FOS yet? Or got an idea of when we’re likely to get one? So far they’re looking as timely at responding as Creation

Got my reference number. This took just over a week after submitting my details.

The email states “We try to resolve complaints as quickly as we can. But there’s currently a very high demand for our service – so it might take around four months before a case handler gets in touch with you and starts looking into your complaint. It could be more – or less – time than this, depending on what your complaint is about.”

Sounds like it will take a while!

[faze105]

StephenW wrote:

I’m not caught up in the Curve/Creation issue, but have been having issues with the premium card. I didn’t receive my free night certificate for £10k+ spend (Y/E Nov – it’s now Feb) and I can no nonger use the card online because verification process fails. I KNOW that I’m entering the right digits, but if rejects anyway. Anybody else having similar problems?

I’ve noticed that I’ve not been charged the £99 Premium card fee for the year and my spending total has not reset for the year.

Mine usually resets and charges in early Jan. I’m guessing if the £10k spending limit doesn’t reset it would not trigger the free night?

[Lady London]

Have you had the required 60 days notice of any revised terms and conditions? It sounds like Creation has indeed changed/removed the existing benefits on your account.

Based on the number of people reporting here in HfP that had never received any notice from Creation of removal of benefits that Creation proceeded to operate, who were told when they observed purchases not crediting points and earned free nights not being given, that Creation had sent notice of changes. Which they – too many of they reporting here for it not to be a pattern of non-send or messed-up send by Creation – did not receive the due notice of, from Creation.

Your choice as to whether you challenge Creation by asking how can what you are seeing be correct. Personally I’d politely challenge, but based on reports here I think it’s highly likely you haven’t received notice of changes but Creation will say they sent it.

[LostAntipod]

Just a comment on FOS turnaround times. I had a car insurance issue last year and the turnaround time from lodging my complaint electronically to money in my bank account was 10 weeks. This was a £2300 undervaluation of my written-off car.
In more detail –
1. I gave the insurer plenty of rope. Documented everything including the statements they made in telephone calls, which i emailed to the insurer as a record of the conversation so they couldnt dispute it later. I had them bang to rights as they expressly did not do something the policy required them to do, and, I could show their first and final valuations were below anything else out there. I pushed them to confirm it was their final position.
2. Once they did, I documented everything clearly for the Ombudsman in a letter attached to my complaint. Included relevant correspondence. Point being: i invested time in this, i did not send a shoebox of receipts to the Ombudsman to sort out themselves, instead i made my case with facts and without emotion.
3. Approx 1 week until case worker acknowledged my complaint.
4. Approx 7 weeks til they sent me what they had sent to the insurer ie. their considered opinion about my complaint. Including their view that the insurers first response to them had revealed further shortcomings in their processes !
5. Approx 1 week til insurer responded, agreeing to Ombudsman remedy: extra money PLUS £150 for my time.
6. Money in my bank account a few days later.
Im not suggesting the Creation complaints will roll the same way, or be resolved in 10 weeks, but for a free service, it was worth every penny !

[Lady London]

Well done.

Same as will apply to MCOL or any arbitration, and as JDB has advised, a well-organised presentation of the facts is very important to submit. It makes it easier for whoever is reviewing your complaint to identify the correct decision for your case more easily. So if a result can be given to you sooner, this will help it along.

[CarpalTravel]

LostAntipod wrote:

Just a comment on FOS turnaround times. I had a car insurance issue last year and the turnaround time from lodging my complaint electronically to money in my bank account was 10 weeks. This was a £2300 undervaluation of my written-off car.

Sorry for the off-topic, but after Admiral ripped me off along with having completely botched the handling of a cut and dried claim (my car parked, locked, me not in it etc..), I wish I was aware that I could have done what you did. Even the police who were involved in the incident told me Admiral were lying. Bravo, to you.

[SteveJ]

CarpalTravel wrote:

Sorry for the off-topic, but after Admiral ripped me off along with having completely botched the handling of a cut and dried claim (my car parked, locked, me not in it etc..), I wish I was aware that I could have done what you did. Even the police who were involved in the incident told me Admiral were lying. Bravo, to you.

How long ago? You could still go back and try now?

• This reply was modified 54 years, 9 months ago by .

[Lady London]

@SteveJ does the 6 year statute of limitations apply for things like @carpaltravel’s mistreatment by Admiral? Would be great if carpaltravel could pursue this. Even if the FOS might take a while.

FOS is now only allowing 3 complaints per year to be handled free of charge to the provider being complained about (was 25 complaints free of charge each year before provider had to pay). Now the provider will be charged a £750 or so fee, for each complaint the FOS receives about them regardless if the complaint is upheld or not.

[youneedtobeyourself]

Rob/Rhys, is there any way to create some kind of a sticky for the information in this thread.

I’m thinking a sequence of steps that have been taken in order with creation, FOS and MCOL. It”s turned into a monster and needs something updated by one person for quick reference really.

I’ve sat on the fence, having had my card cancelled, no free night issued and about 60k points witheld in the hope creation would take a look at the closed accounts in a batch and sort eveything out but now they have dug in I think I’ll start proceedings.

I’ll raise a complaint with them, then give them a chance to reconsider with letter before action, then FOS and MCOL at same time.

[Jon]

youneedtobeyourself wrote:

Rob/Rhys, is there any way to create some kind of a sticky for the information in this thread.

On which subject, I wonder if the thread title shouldn’t be changed, maybe something more simply factual / less emotive, like “Creation Financial Services FOS/MCOL”?

[Lady London]

Not gonna happen. There’s already been quite a lot of latitude given to this thread (and I say that as one who’s enjoyed that). Any closer links in the title – such as my own early suggestion to make it more linkable by using the product’s common name – on reflection might take it over the edge in terms of commercial risk.

[Rui N.]

FOS complaint submitted. 1200 words over the 3 sections.

[EwanG]

I’ve got an existing complaint in with FOS (different product, different provider) and today, almost bang on 4 months since my case was qualified, the case handler has been assigned – that is how long FOS had estimated.

Just in case it helps others with timescale expectations!