| 帖子一览：[原创]法律咨询《四》：2008年初状告汇丰银行销售服务部和FINESSE家具店 (新回复在最前,最多列出 6 个) [列出所有回复] |
| 蓝风筝 |
发表于： 2008/08/05 08:14am |
[这个贴子最后由蓝风筝在 2008/08/05 01:54am 第 1 次编辑]
法律咨询《四》：2008年初状告汇丰银行销售服务部和FINESSE家具店
作者 蓝风筝 版权所有 2008年8月5日
2008年的第一场官司又开始了，到现在已经打了整整七个月。去年下半年状告亚省能源节省公司官司胜诉后，原以为今年就没有官司了，没想到新年的第一个月就又开始了新的官司。
这还要从去年5月份在爱城的FINESSE FURNISHING家具店买家具说起。我们在那里总共买了$6000元的家具，是一个俄罗斯女士销售给我们的，因为她服务态度好，我们就在她的推荐下买了喜欢的家具。她还主动推荐半年后付款的方式，于是我们也按她说的去做了，也就是说，可以年底付款，他们会在年前发帐单。
家具其实是几个月以后才到的，家具店里摆设的都是样本，是在国外制作运输过来的。我们临走时还问付款处，到年底是不是会提前通知我们，付款处说是的，于是我们就放心等待家具了。
家具在十月份左右全部到齐，我们很满意，但没有想到付款却出了问题。
12月份我们在爱城一直住到快过圣诞节，二十多号才回到卡尔加里，因为没有收到帐单，家具的事情早忘记了。过完年我们又回到爱城，1月4号收到了第一个帐单，上面写着Balance $6035.00, 其中$35是一个手续费，付款的到期时间是2008年1月1日。因为是周末，我们1月7号去FINESSE FURNISHING家具店付款，家具店说要我们到HSBC汇丰银行付款，我们就按他们说的去了银行，银行工作人员打开电脑，里面的数字不是$6035.00，而是$7161.44，银行工作人员以为计算系统出错了，我们也以为出错了，就先去FINESSE FURNISHING家具店问，结果家具店不管，又把我们推到银行，于是我们又去了HSBC汇丰银行的另一个分支，工作人员也没有完全搞明白，就给了我们一个总部电话。我们先把$6035.00付清，剩下的利息没有付。
回到家里我拨通了总部的电话，接电话的是一个位男士，是个经理，我告诉他付款的经过，并问他是不是银行系统出了差错，怎么$6000变成了$7161.44，他说没有错，就是要我们付款$7161.44，其中$1161.44是手续费和利息，我不明白，就问他怎么超过1月1号几天就会1000多元的利息，他说超过一天就从半年前算起，利息是28.8%，我当时就生气了，问他们为什么不早告诉我们，而且不寄帐单来，我们收到帐单的时候已经是1月4号。他说6月份可能寄过帐单，而且即使不寄帐单我们也应该自己提前去付款，于是我们在电话里吵起来。
其实$1161.44也并不是可怕的数字，关键是家具店和银行联合欺骗顾客，所以我在电话里责问银行经理为什么他们的家具店代理不给我们讲清楚，他说我们签了字的，我们找到签字的收据，上面写着12月7号付款，而家具店付款处告诉我们是12月31号付款，帐单上是2008年1月1号付款，都对不上号，而且在合同条款里只是说到期付款多少，但并没有说到期不付款（哪怕过一天）就从半年前按28.8%的利息计算这一条款。只是在1月4号收到的第一个帐单上提到28.8%的利息，这不是欺骗吗？
我和那个经理有15分钟的对话，我问他如果是他自己遇到这种事情他是不是很生气，他避开我的问题，他问我如果没有收到帐单是不是很着急，我坚持他回答我的问题，他不回答，我就告诉他我为什么要着急，我们从来都是等到帐单才付款的，他就嘲笑我，于是我告诉他，按照加拿大法律，即使是签字的合同，但如果AGENT没有向客户解释清楚下签字的，合同仍然不合法，他就无话可说。我和他协商，如果只是象征性交几百元钱，我们就算了，但如果他们不妥协，我们不会让步，我们会起诉他们。最后他说“You are a great woman！”，我就说“You are a great man！”，就这样结束了一场争论，不过后来他的语气还是缓和多了。
我们近水楼台先得月，直接就去了省政府，政府官员说他们用这种办法套住很多人（原话：They trapped lots of people this way.)，我们把所有的文件并附上我们的申诉信都给了政府官员，他们经过一段时间审核，确实抓不到他们的把柄，因为我们签了字。政府官员推荐了免费咨询半小时的律师，我们就去做了咨询，经过半各小时的咨询，他们认为我们可以找一个正式的律师才能解决问题，于是我们就找了另外的律师。我们的态度是，宁愿官司费用高几倍，也要争回一口气。如果输了，我们也接受一次教训。
那家律师让我们给HSBC银行销售服务部写封信，告诉他们我们已经启动律师的诉讼程序，按照亚省消费者保护法状告汇丰银行销售服务部和FINESSE家具店，这样又过了两个月。我们一直坚信我们会胜利的。
今天终于有了结果，HSBC银行销售服务部代理发来正式函件，通知我们从2008年7月2号起我们欠他们的利息是0，也就是说我们胜诉了。
如果我们失败，到现在利息已经是$1348，一直坚持下去就会按28.8%的利息往上走，除非我们胜诉。
一千多元不是大的数字，但我们争回了一口气，我把最后发给律师的信件附在后面，以供大家参考。
而且我想提醒大家的是，为了避免不必要的法律纠纷，如果你是一个客户服务代理人员，在让客户签字之前一定要把所有条款向客户解释清楚。当然，作为客户，也一定要特别谨慎，签字前要尽量问清楚可能出现的情况。
四川大地震已经过去两个多月，我们已经陆续从不同渠道捐助了一千多加元，这次打官司打回来的钱我们决定再拿出$1000加元通过驻卡尔加里总领事馆捐助给灾区的同胞。
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Date: 2008-05-27
Re: Complain Finesse Furnishing/HSBC Retail Services about unfair charge for loan interest
Dear Sir/Madam,
We're hereby writing to complain misconduct of Finesse Furnishing/HSBC Retail Services about unfair billing interest charge on us. We need your professional lawyer’s help on our trouble.
We bought some furniture from the Finesse Furnishing on May 10, 2007 and May 12,2007. As we participated in the “No interest, No payment Promotional Credit Plan”, the Finesse Furnishing did a finance application on our behalf from the HSBC Retail Services. The initial loan amount was $6000, and for the Promotional Credit Plan offer, the store told us, we did not need to pay until the Jan. 1, 2008 without any interest accrued and HSBC Retail Services would be responsible to mail us the bill before the pay in full due. However, we never received any billing mails from the HSBC Retail Services until early this year (Jan.4, 2008) we got the first billing letter from the HSBC Retail Services indicating we have to payback $6035. We noticed that the letter was sent out on Dec.9, 2007, but for whatever reasons, it reaches us on Jan.4, 2008. January 4 was Friday, we failed to contact with the Finesse Furnishing. Then on the following Monday (Jan.7, 2008) we went to the Finesse Furnishing Store, the store told us we had to direct pay to HSBC, we then went to the HSBC Edmonton branch, the computer there shows us the balance is $7161.44 rather than $6035.00. It really took us aback. The lady showing us the balance suggests we contact the HSBC main office ask what happened. Then we contact the main office, the answer is since we have past the due date for payment, we have to pay interest, and the interest is calculated from the date we purchase the furniture. So although only a few days past over the due date of Jan.1, 2008, we have to pay extra $1126.44. We paid the $6035.00 balance on Jan.7, 2008. However, we didn’t pay the $1126.44 as we feel it is unfair charge and we don’t want to pay.
The followings are the unfairness points for this past-due-date penalty interest charge:
1.Because of Xmas mail delay, we didn’t get the billing mail before Jan.1, 2008. We got mail on Jan. 4, 2008and paid the balance on Jan.7, 2008. We think the HSBC Retail Services should’ve sent the billing a little bit earlier and it’s not our responsibility to pay extra $1126.44 penalty interest charge just for a few days mail delay.
2.When the Finesse Furnishing applied for the loan on our behalf, they didn’t mention that should we pay after the due date, what penalty could have applied to us according to the contract. According to the provincial customer protection legislature, they should bear responsibility to explain what the interest penalty interest charges would apply if we didn’t pay the balance on the due date. But they didn’t.
3.According to the Revolving Agreement –CEW5288PS for which we signed when the Finesse Furnishing on our behalf to apply for a Promotional Credit Plans Account, even we didn’t pay the balance on the due date, They shouldn’t charge us 7 month’s interest for only a few days delay. For initial contract, no such term states that they can charge us 28.8 % interest started from the date we purchase the furniture. At most, we only have to pay the $22.50 conversion fee for not paying the amount on due date.
The Term 7of Agreement –CEW5288PS states:
You (HSBC) may impose service charges on the Account. I will pay, as liquidated damages;(i) $40.00 for each dishonored payment, and (ii)(where permitted by law)$15.00 where payment is not received by the payment due date set out in the statement. For Promotional Credit Plans where no interest accrues and no payments are due for a specific period, if I do not pay the balance of any such Promotional Credit Plan in full by the date the first payment becomes due for such Promotional Credit Plan, I will pay a $22.50 conversion fee.
Attached please find the all the billing mails we received after Jan.4, 2008 from Finesse Furnishing/HSBC Retail Services and the original contract the Finesse Furnishing signed on our behalf with HSBC Retail Services about the $6000.00 loan account.
Should you require any further documents and witnesses etc. , We’d very glad to provide to you.
Greatly appreciate and looking forward to your reply. You may reach me anytime at my cell phone 780-XXX-XXXX.
Regards.
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