Any One else been ripped off by their bank??!

[Storm.]

Im fuming, Has anyone else had this prob, my DH is with a well known high street UK bank,

He went over drawn by £2.76 2 weeks ago, he got a letter saying they will be taking charges of £40 out on the 28th august, he went into the bank and said he didnt get paid till the week after that date so wouldnt have the money to put into the bank, and if they took the money out they wil be leaving him overdrawn by more money!

They said nope charges had to come out on that date and if the money wasn't in the bank he would get another charge and be overdrawn still

So just checked online banking and yep he is overdrawn because of the charges and they wil be wacking another charge on because the money wasnt in,

does that make any sense?

Hes basically been charged £80 for going over drawn by £2.76, I have told him to leave money in next week to cover the next lot of charges, but rent is due out along with another quartaly bill so cant be sure the money will be in which could end up leaving us with another charge

Damn Im so angry at the bank how can they get away with doing this!

Rip off merchants

sorry rant over

 

[pilkers]

You need to write a letter to the bank and you might get the money back. There are lots of people who are managing to claim back these charges as they are way to high and banks are ripping people off left right and centre...and it's downright bloody wrong

Have a look on http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6170209.stm

There are lots of sites on the web that can help you put your claim in!

Good luck

 

[kalia]

Perhaps you should consider looking at different bank accounts and what they offer. It's very easy to switch - the banks basically move all direct debits and things for you. The first charge will have been stated in their terms and conditions, as will the fact they take the money out 2 weeks later. I think (though I may be very wrong) that banks have for the moment stopped refunding charges until there is a court decision of some case or other. I do think it would be worth complaining about the 2nd charge as it was the first that put your OH overdrawn. They may not charge the 2nd penalty as a good will gesture.
I'm fairly certain that both Smile and Bank of Scotland offer fee free overdrafts. Other banks will too, I just mention these 2 because I have accounts with them and have been unable to cancel the overdraft facility.

 

[Storm.]

Perhaps you should consider looking at different bank accounts and what they offer. It's very easy to switch - the banks basically move all direct debits and things for you. The first charge will have been stated in their terms and conditions, as will the fact they take the money out 2 weeks later. I think (though I may be very wrong) that banks have for the moment stopped refunding charges until there is a court decision of some case or other. I do think it would be worth complaining about the 2nd charge as it was the first that put your OH overdrawn. They may not charge the 2nd penalty as a good will gesture.
I'm fairly certain that both Smile and Bank of Scotland offer fee free overdrafts. Other banks will too, I just mention these 2 because I have accounts with them and have been unable to cancel the overdraft facility.

thanks for this reply! Just had a look at smile, Im confused how does internet banking work, is it juts as secure and do you get a bank card with it?

how would I find out about overdraft fee bit? just had a look but confuddled! loL!

thanks xx

 

[LisaJ1986]

We've had this. Went over by £4 and we had charges of over £200!

 

[Storm.]

We've had this. Went over by £4 and we had charges of over £200!

how the hell did they work that out?

 

[lfc_sarah]

 

[LisaJ1986]

We've had this. Went over by £4 and we had charges of over £200!

how the hell did they work that out?

So much a day for so many days. No letters til that was the figures! It used to be no charges til you went overdrawn by a tenner!

 

[Manda&Thomas]

barclays will allow you to go oversrawn by £5 before they charge you and they have recently changed there fee to just a tenna
xx

 

[poppy160]

My bank is the same, I've got £75 coming out of my account tomorrow because I went overdrawn by a couple of quid. I've arranged an overdraft now though.

 

[clairescunny55]

ring them up and say you're going to swap to a different bank, they soon remove any charges xx

 

[kalia]

We've had this. Went over by £4 and we had charges of over £200!

Holy crap!

 

[kalia]

Perhaps you should consider looking at different bank accounts and what they offer. It's very easy to switch - the banks basically move all direct debits and things for you. The first charge will have been stated in their terms and conditions, as will the fact they take the money out 2 weeks later. I think (though I may be very wrong) that banks have for the moment stopped refunding charges until there is a court decision of some case or other. I do think it would be worth complaining about the 2nd charge as it was the first that put your OH overdrawn. They may not charge the 2nd penalty as a good will gesture.
I'm fairly certain that both Smile and Bank of Scotland offer fee free overdrafts. Other banks will too, I just mention these 2 because I have accounts with them and have been unable to cancel the overdraft facility.

thanks for this reply! Just had a look at smile, Im confused how does internet banking work, is it juts as secure and do you get a bank card with it?

how would I find out about overdraft fee bit? just had a look but confuddled! loL!

thanks xx

The only difference with an internet account is that they don't have branches. You get bank cards and cheque books. If you want to pay a cheque in you can post it to them or I think you can deposit it at the post office. You can check your balance, direct debits, money going in and out.. 24 hours a day. I think the overdraft is automatic for the first year:
http://www.smile.co.uk/servlet/Satellit ... iew&c=Page
It's just as secure. And best of all, their call centres are all in Britain and they don't call to try to offer you things you don't want!

 

[clairescunny55]

i am with halifax and do all my banking online (paying bills etc)

 

[NickyB]

Yep, we're arguing with Alliance and Leicester for a huge amount of charges, because I left 7p off a payment I made. 7p overdrawn and hundreds of pounds of charges.

We wrote to lodge an official complaint (when we phoned they said they would cancel them, we didn't realise they hadnt until we had another letter and an increased charge, again) in June. We got a letter yesterday saying they were still not done with their investigation. WTF?

 

[LisaJ1986]

Yep, we're arguing with Alliance and Leicester for a huge amount of charges, because I left 7p off a payment I made. 7p overdrawn and hundreds of pounds of charges.

We wrote to lodge an official complaint (when we phoned they said they would cancel them, we didn't realise they hadnt until we had another letter and an increased charge, again) in June. We got a letter yesterday saying they were still not done with their investigation. WTF?

This is who we're with! £4 overdrawn, £200 of charges!

 

[lea m]

Yep Im always being ripped off lol! Im in the middle of claiming it all back though! Stupid Natwest! Never had probs with Alliance-Leicester! Hopefully I wont start now!!!! My account with them is online! Bit of a pain though now I need to change my name!? haha

 

[Storm.]

im defo going to look into online banking, this one we are having probs with is nat west, I wont have my own bank account for this very reason I dont want to end up seriously in the red

 

[mdsremos]

Please DONT surf the internet lookinhg for a company to help you reclaim bank charges!!!!!
Go to www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk and use the Martin Lies template letters to reclaim your charges (although the reclaim system is on hold at the moment pending some Court trials to make sure that Banks are deemed unfair in their level of charges but the claim can still ne put in ready as I understand the trials have been in the Consumers favour so far).
Last year we reclaimed 'ourselves' by using the template letters and even raising a Court Summons against Alliance & Leicester and received an apology letter and a cheque for £2,500.00 in full and final settlement. This was for bank charges dating back four years plus the interest!!!!
We hit on some hard times in the past and had the same issues of snowballing charges and it was such a relief to get it back!!!

 

[Minime]

Anyone now being offered an "arrangement fee" Barclays & HSBC both doing this now, just another way of hitting you with charges from what I can see only they're wording things differently. I got my charges back of HSBC last year before they froze the claims.

One thing that annoyed me though I was like some of you in that their charges took me back into an overdraft incurring further charges (which i got back) but they charged a HUGE amount of interest on top of that too. I put in my divorce cheque last year and didn't get a fraction of the interest they charged me when I went overdrawn by far less than that amount.

I think our grandparents had the right idea, stuff it under the mattress!