Complaint A&L - Bank Charges and FSA Investigating
First of all, ill introduce my self.
My name is Adam, from the West Midlands and 24 yrs old, worked for some major businesses including Virgin Media (Formaly know as Telewest Broadband) and Homeserve GB Ltd (Insurance).
Out of the examples I disclosed above one company is regulated by Ofcom the other by the FSA (Financial Services Authority)
I'm trained to high standards of customer service and registered with the Institute of Customer Services
I pride my self on knowledge and manage my finances fairly well.
So now you have a basic profile of my self, lets start to look at the issue ive experianced recently.
Last year (March 2007), I was urged my one of my relatives to take up an account with A&L whom where offering a fantastic 8.1% rate APR on their Premium ISA accounts.
So I registered to open an account, about 2 weeks later I received all my information packs including my cheque book, account details and a VISA ELECTRON CARD.
Now when I opened my account with Barclays Bank, I was issued a Visa Electron Card but I was 16yrs old, so when I wanted a debit card they just needed to do a quick credit check and off then went and upgraded by account.
I thought I could do the same with A&L, so I phoned them up and was told, sorry you need to go into the branch and that Ive been set up on a savings account not a premiere account as previously requested.
Working 9-5 Monday to Friday this was a bit inconvient for me, but I made the efforts, got the account eventually after 2 weeks
Savings going well, moved £80.00 one day into my ISA, to get a £80.00 over drawn letter... ??? WHAT THIS im thinking
So i call them seems they failed to close the wrong account and they moved the amounts from the wrong account,
OK put the amount back into the account you should have closed, and debit it from my correct account
Sure, but only one problem they say...
We have generated a £25.00 charge and because all the ohh ahh with bank charges we cannot get rid of that £25.00 charge, so i am unable to clase that account for you, it will need to be escalated to our adminteam
Ok do what you want im not paying it, it was your error.
Ok so after 4-5 months they write to me to say its all now been resolved only after me chasing it up almost every month (when the FSA give them 56 days to resolve it)
Never the less moved on didnt really bother me
October 2007, im buying my new car and want to have a transaction from my isa to my currect account
(Funny enough I thought I was on Family Fortunes, Hearing the WRONG ANSWER buzzer, because im now confronted with an agent who refuses to give me any form of ID as to whom im speaking with, NAME, ID, LOG IN, EXT, REFERENCE NO, MANAGER, ETC) all objections possible
To say I should have my telephone banking and that despite me passing 3 security questions and complying with DPA they will not be moving the amounts across.
After calling back though and Irate demand a manager, they agree to move the amounts over and say its a telephone banking account only, you should remember your pin.
Yari Yari Dara
Any how
DECEMBER 31st 2007
PARTY TIME, ITS NEW YEARS EVE! well also at A&L by the looks on it
Virgin Media notified A&L on the 30th/31th during working hours of a Pending direct debit
I had an Isa with X amount of funds in, A Barclay Credit Card with Y funds available and a Barclays Debit X amount of funds also available.
Not running short of cash
Now my A&L leicester had about £30.00 in it and a £100.00 overdraft
So I top up my mobile at 10pm (After business hours) on the 31st December by 5.00 (2 times so £10.00), then £30.00 later on whilst clubbing
So im on something like £-10.00
I go to top up at 4am to find it was rejected, im thinking might just be the new years eve/day rush so ill try again later.
January 1st 2008, About 3pm I try topping up, £5.00 no joy
I go to the A&L cashpoint to draw £10.00 to go and top up at a shop, refused. Ok so now I know its not a problem with my phone company.
Check my balance £-5.xx
So im like ok I have £100.00 overdraft allowance whats going on
BARE IN MIND 1st JANUARY IS A BANK HOLIDAY
Turns out they slapped a restriction on because PENDING DIRECT DEBITS due out on the 2nd JANUARY would take me overdrawn my overdraft by £8.48
Well I didnt know this at the time and thought it might have been a prevention tool A&L used to prevent me going overdrawn, specialy with all the media attention surrounding OD charges. I had over £94.xx remaining and my Virgin Media was about £70-80.00 bill.
So should be enough funds but maybe not enought for £10.00
Well 2 weeks later I receive a bank statement to state you have gone over drawn £8.48 over your 100.00 over draft charges and £25.00 charge has been added with a £5 per day charge
Ok i get paid monthly so next time I get paid is on the 28th and were only on the 19th and charges have already gone on.
1) Why should I get charged for them allowing the funds to go out having foreknowledge of the pending direct debit
2) FSA principle 6 doesnt sit too fairly with this.
Its almost a LETS LET HIM GO OVER DRAWN SO WE CAN CHARGE HIM A BOMB
Any how
By FEB they wanted the £25.00 charge (Paid) and then £95.00 charges between begining of jan until payday
So I withdrew all my money as I was told ALL of my pending direct debits have drawn
So Im like ok ill remove all funds go back to barclays leave it £95.00 overdrawn until its investigated and resolved
I was misadvised by the agent
I then get given a load of excuses by a manager and lies telling me they didnt know about my pending direct debit for february from Virgin Media and that the previous agent must have told me the previous months amount
Im like really funny that is because Januarys amount was £80.00 and Februarys amount was only £60.00 big bloody difference isnt there.
Any how she insisted I was not aware of the correct procedures, despite me advising ive worked for banks in the past.
Getting back to main square here.
So I get a further £25.00 charge and then another set of £5.00 a daycharges
I phone them daily
I get hung up on (wihtout being abusive to them)
I Get told a manager iwll call me back but never do
I get told a pin has been sent to me cannot help until i have my pin no
I get told customer relations are looking into it
I get told every excuse under the three.
Any how eventually 1 bright spark told me i could change my pin thought IVR and puts me though to change it.
Doesnt work IVR wont recall my account no.
2 days later I do it at my local branch, finally i got a pin i can use no more security excuses to not deal with my call (After over 13 attempts it took finaly 1 person advised me of the IVR, not even managers could do that in the past for me, so what they playing at i dont know)
PS the day the IVR wouldnt let me change the pin, I had staff having to shout over the IVR because there was 2 lines active (VERY PROFESSIONAL NOT!!) I even had to suggest to the agent to call me back
So 56 DAYS GO BY nothing really is happening other than letters coming though to say your still overdrawn despite recent contact were applying more charges (Bare in mind my card isnt used and I cancelled all Direct Debits and moved them to Barclays Bank)
Now my charges are sitting at .... *WAIT FOR IT*
WAIIIIIT FOR IT.....
£582.73
Yes for a £8.48 over draft over my original Overdraft facility which I paid in full £8.48 and the £25.00 and the £100.00 overdraft im entitled to once I got paid.
But because of the £95.00 charges and the misadvise given it caused further charges because there was a pending direct debit.
Luckily I put the £70.00 in to the bank the next day to counter for the £6x.xx virgin media bill (which was my last direct debit due out for the month)
Despite there having been £380.00 approximatly left in the bank and only £70.00 due out by Direct Debit they did absolutly nothing about the misadvise I was given
Now ive never been overdrawn with A&L and couldnt believe the shabby service I was getting, including a manager questioning me on my knowledge on banks after stating I worked at a bank, also saying I might be better of with Barclays then.
I told the manager the FSA have been informed and she wasnt interested.
Ive finally wrote to the FSA on the begining of the month
Asking for them to listen to every call made from me as A&L said they record all calls, full details of my complaint and scanned images of ALL their letters and scanned statements
Ive been told they will defenatly be investigating this one, what will happen I dont know as ive only just passed it onto the FSA
But they do not deserve to have customers.
They mentioned that they print this information in their terms and conditions
Couple of things I hit them back with was....
1) I Spoke to an agent at the branch when taking an account and asked them what was the main points I should be aware of with charges etc, noting was mentioned about this, Even though I can read, I didnt have the time to read the terms and conditions
2) They claim that the new charge sysmtem introduced in November 2007 of the £5.00 a day charges was to help customers
HOW ON EARTH IS THAT HELPING A CUSTOMER £120.00 charge within 1 month for £8.48, yes of cause
THATS IS DAYLIGHT ROBERY
Im now as previously stated looking at £582.73 charge because of them.
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