Cariad v Halifax ***SETTLED IN FULL***

**cariad** · 2nd May 2006 13:20

Hello everyone.

I sent my letter requesting details of charges levied to my account on the 18th April and suffice to say I'm still waiting a reply.

This forum has been a godsend as I have been toying with the idea of taking action against them for some time - such a relief to actually have contact with fellow victims. 8)

I am a working single mum with two primary school age children. I actually work as a legal executive so the legal side of things is thankfully familiar to me. My income isn't that bad but a very acrimonious divorce icon

has left me with very little in the way of diposable income - ridiculous mortgage (house has been on the market for over a year - that's another long story

) and old joint debts etc. For years I was a "model" customer but since 2002 I have been stung time and again. Only last month BT took their DD a week early (they've apologised but can't explain why it happened) and I've been charged £148 - that was my food/petrol for a fortnight. What really lit the fuse though was the charge of £88 (two lots of £30 and £28 for NOT going overdrawn. :grin: My statement shows nothing as apparently it's recorded on there alphabetically whereas at head office they note the debits first then add any credits so at head office I was £6 over my £90 overdraft icon

limit for 5 or 6 hours.
Sheesh!

When I have tried to negotiate with them to reduce my unauthorised overdraft (caused by bank charges) over a two month period they refuse point blank and insist I manage my affairs more responsibly.

I will keep you updated and if there is any advice you think I would find useful please let me know.

Similar Threads:

Lueeze · 2nd May 2006 13:47

Good Luck!

Lou xx

**cariad** · 3rd May 2006 22:30

LOL....I thought I'd be cheeky and call them to say I wanted the charges levied over the last 6 weeks refunded - about £150 - which I need desperately as thanks to them debiting £88 last week I now have no money at all to feed my children or put petrol in the car to get to work.

I got through to Douglas bless his little cotton socks who was thoroughly confused by the fact that I wanted them refunded when - as he put it - "but you went overdrawn".

He offered to refund one of the DD's (after speaking to his supervisor) but that would just have brought me back to my maximum OD limit. He did say in a beautifully resigned tone "that's just not going to be good enough for you is it?" I said he could happily refund whatever h eliked but I would be pursuing it all. There was a 40 second silence (he was counting) before he replied "What? All 31 of them?" :o

Less than I thought actually since September 2001. I wonder if he's included the £28 charges for exceeding my over-OD limit?

**cariad** · 3rd May 2006 22:32

Oh yeah..I did ask to speak to the supervisor but was stuck on hold. He eventually said he would refer my call to the Complaints Dept but all their lines were "busy".

**hawkesi** · 3rd May 2006 22:38

Busy dealing with their deluge of DPA letters, preliminary letters, lba icon

's and Court claims, no doubt!!!!

**hwild** · 3rd May 2006 22:41

Classic!

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 11:03

I see that you recommend having a standby account ready in case Halifax icon

get really arsey.
I'm really worried that because of all their shenanigins I've been blacklisted and won't be able to open another account.

Any recommensdations about who best to try?

**sgt_bilko** · 4th May 2006 11:10

Lloyds

tsb seem pretty good for current accounts. If you have a look on the moneysavingexpert website, he gives a Breakdown icon

of all the accounts and the benefits pro's&con's.

Im' opening a spare one with Lloyds tsb incase Halifax icon

start being idiots.

Hope this helps.

Peace Man

**laura1clark** · 4th May 2006 11:37

yeah, I'd have a look at both the moneysavingexpert.com and moneysupermarket.com to see what the best one for you is.

how did you manage to last a 40 second silence without laughing at them?

Think it would be cheeky to apply for a Halifax icon

visa after all this? hehe

**sean frampton** · 4th May 2006 11:43

I have since moved to Barclays icon

and when I opened the account i said it was because of the cost of charges that Halifax icon

applied to me.

I have now been off sick icon

for a while and went overdrawn,the bank phoned me up, arranged an overdraft icon

to cover the costs and they have not charged me once.Infact at this precise moment I can not fault them.

**driller** · 4th May 2006 12:02

My only advise would be to not speak to them on the phone. I learnt the hard way - only this morning! They just keep repeating, repeating, repeating themselves. They are like robots and start to confuse you. Us hard done by women need to stick together.

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 12:12

Too right driller.

I've just chased my statements with Evaleen and she's assured me they will be with me in three bank working days so - middle of next week it is then?

That is a load of nonsense anyway as they happily took funds from my account on Bank holiday icon

Monday (1st May) but apparently could process any credits.

Trying to be careful as I'm mid house move and although I'm porting my current mortgage icon

(tied into ridiculous redemption penalty til the end of this year) they still want written confirmation from the Halifax icon

that ex pays the CSA assessed maintenance regularly.

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 12:13

Originally Posted by laura1clark

how did you manage to last a 40 second silence without laughing at them?

Think it would be cheeky to apply for a Halifax icon

visa after all this? hehe

Bless...I could hear him counting.

As it happens I have a Halifax Visa but never use it.

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 12:15

And many, many thanks for the bank tips.

I'm in a quandrary about whether to set something up now or wait until I've moved - but that could be another month or two away. My finances will look one hell of a lot better once I've sold this place. Whoever said women come out of divorce icon

better off eh?

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 13:30

To cover our costs, we make a charge of £39 (maximum three charges per day) for any item we can't pay. We will take this money from your account seven days from the date of this letter. If this causes you to have an unauthorised overdraft, we will also charge you interest, at the unauthorised rate, and a monthly unauthorised overdraft fee of £28*. However, if your unauthorised overdraft is £30 or less the unauthorised overdraft charge will not be applied.We appreciate that nobody likes paying charges and we'd like to help you avoid them in future.

They are so kind aren't they?

**babes66** · 4th May 2006 14:30

I would set up another acc straight away if you can Cariad. They took away my o/d and froze my acc which meant I couldnt get my money when it went into the account. Cover yourself incase they turn nasty!

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 14:46

Yikes!!! :o

Will try to although I am worried as I know they've registered my disgusting fiscal habits with a credit reference agency.

So have one or two others (two old credit cards and one unsecured loan) because I couldn't pay their instalments if the bank had taken their charges.

I am worried that no-one else will even look at me and I'll be left bankless - which would be delightful but I have bills to pay. I'll try a Lloyds icon

tsb basic account. I don't even need an overdraft icon

- the one I have with the Halifax icon

is only £90.

And to think I laughed at my grandmother stuffing her money under the mattress.

**kaysamoly** · 4th May 2006 15:16

thought this might help you should be able to get a nat west step account you can even apply on line this is a basic account but you do get a debit card aswell

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 15:21

Originally Posted by kaysamoly

thought this might help you should be able to get a nat west step account you can even apply on line this is a basic account but you do get a debit card aswell

Thank you hon.

I'll give them a go later.

**cariad** · 4th May 2006 18:38

Thank you hon. Fingers crossed.

Thank you for your application.

We are delighted to inform you that your new account has been agreed in principle.
Your documents will be posted to you straight away. Please check these when you receive them, sign where indicated and return in the pre-paid envelope provided.

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