Couple sick' over bank's phone number blunder

9:31am Wednesday 8th August 2001

A couple have been plagued by thousands of phone calls from bank customers after Lloyds TSB mistakenly printed their home number on monthly statements.

For Jacqui and Ian Aspland , the problem started 18 months ago when the number only one digit different to the Norbury branch of Lloyds TSB was first printed on statements.

Mrs Aspland, of Sherwood Park Road, Mitcham, called the bank about the error and claims she was told to change her telephone number.

�I've had that number for 16 years, I don't see why I should have to change it.

She added: �We've had thousands of calls from people asking to check their balances and wanting to order cheque books. It's got to the point where I just tell Lloyds' customers to go away off when they phone up.�

She was �sickened� when her request for Lloyds to tell all their customers was refused.

The pair recorded a special message on their answering machine, clogged by more than 60 Lloyds TSB calls daily, to give people the correct number, but to no avail.

Mrs Aspland, 50, a TSB customer for 30 years, said the phone calls have disrupted her recovery from illness and her husband's sleep because he works nights.

She claimed the bank has never apologised to her, only sent a £100 cheque for inconvenience.'

A bank spokesman apologised for the error and said the bank would be sending the couple a further £150 as a goodwill gesture.

The correct telephone number will be on new stationery to be issued next month.

�We're really sorry and we have since corrected the problem but it will take a little while for the telephone calls to stop because people hold onto the old stationery until they get the new,� she said.

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