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Hello, my mother holds a current account with A&L. Her July 2007 statement arrived today and according to it she owns them £50 for 2 'unauthorised overdraft fees.' My mother is a pensioner and lives only on a state pension so a charge of £50 is a massive amount to her. According to her statement she went OD for £17.09 on 25 June 2007 and then overdrawn again by £11.68 on 5 July 2007. Is there any way she can claim the OD fees back? One further note, I have found a monthly direct debit that is taken from her account that is a mystery to her and me. Each month a DD for £61.41 is taken out of her account on the eighteenth of each month. The only information on her statement is: 'Direct Debit ALPF Ltd. Has anybody come across this DD in there statements from A&L.
first of all, i would try telephoning alliance and leicester, explaining the situation, that your mother is a pensioner living on a state pension.
as sometimes, (depending on the member of staff you speak to)
they will refund these charges over the phone.
in the past I have been able to get a couple of charges refunded when I telephoned and politely requested a refund.
you may be lucky - worth a try.
secondly I would ask what the direct debit is for,
it looks to me like something linked to Alliance & Leicester with the
AL reference.
the refernece is ALPF
I have just googled this for you, and ALPF is Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance
does she have another account with them, where they are transferring this money.
you certainly need to ask them what this monthly Direct Debit is for.
I would personally try telephoning the Alliance & Leicester Customer Helpline and see where you get.
If you have no joy,
come back, and we will help get you started with your claim.
You can either use the Financial Ombudsman
or use the Court to claim.
I personally feel you maybe better using the Financial Ombudsman,
but that is my own personal opinion and one you can decide on later if you have no luck with the telephone call.
This also used to appear on my statements when I had a loan.
ALPF stands for Alliance and Leicester Personal Finance.
You should definitely query this.
Hello again, thank you for your prompt replies. I have just talked to my mother and she does not have a second account with A&L or a personal loan with them. She is just about to telephoe them. I will keep you all posted on the outcome.
I agree with the above - it is usually a loan payment.
If you dont get the answer you want keep trying and then if not come back and I am sure someone here will help you draft a letter.
Jan
Please note I am not an expert - I am not offering opinions or legal help - Please use all the information provided on the site in FAQ- step by step instructions and library- thanks Jansus
[IMG]http://www.consumeractiongroup.c o.uk/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif
offer from A&L 24/8/07 - after case stayed
"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." - Antione de Saint Exupery
glad to hear your mother is going to phone to query the ALPF direct debit and the 2 unauthorised overdraft fees for £50.
let us know what the A&L have to say to her so that we can help you further if needs be.
in view of the age of your mother, and the amount in question being £50
I think that phoning is the best option for now, as the Court route is a very long and drawn out procedure, and can be quite stressful, which i do not think she would want at her age.
it may well be that the Financial Ombudsman will sort the matter out for your mother, without all the stress of the Court Claim.
either Way, Whatever you choose to do we are all here to help.