Recently had a direct debit presented to my TSB account when there were insufficient funds.

However, I knew that a BACS transfer from my employer (they had short paid me this month) was to reach the account the next day.

I rang TSB and explained the situation,

they stated that "they couldn't see inbound payments, regardless of where they are coming from"

I don't understand this at all because under the BACS scheme, the fund would have been already with TSB

ready for payment to my account the next day!

Indeed every bank I've previously had an account with has always been able to see an inbound BACS payment the day before.

I then asked if they would consider making the payment and

they told me that I didn't qualify for an overdraft and there was no flexibility there (computer says no syndrome)

I then asked them to confirm for certain whether or not the payment would be returned,

to which they told me they couldn't and it was "up to the computer" later that afternoon?!

Surely it's not unreasonable for me to expect the bank to be able to tell me for certain whether or not

they are going to return a payment?

Had they confirmed for certain, i would have cancelled my meetings that I had scheduled

and borrowed the funds from a colleague and taken them to the branch by hand to pay in.

However because they couldn't tell me I decided to take the chance..

. Obviously it didn't go in my favour!

My question is, are TSB talking rubbish about not seeing BACS payments

and not being able to tell me if they are going to make a payment or not?

All seems very 1990's to me and a world away from my experiences of First Direct / HSBC

Complain......................................... Simple.

Complain......................................... Simple.

I did on the day, spent an hour on the phone to them! Got a letter through the post today just saying "tough, we've done nothing wrong etc etc "

BCOBS complaint

dx

With a BACS Direct Credit the funds are only exchanged on the final day.

The banks do get notice of the transfer the day before. But at some banks the customer-facing staff do not have access to this information because the payment information is still subject to changes/recalls.

Decisions to return payments are made according to your individual circumstances at the time. So if they hadn't made a decision yet it goes without saying that they wouldn't be able to tell you in advanced.

Technically TSB hasn't done anything wrong. But most banks are sympathetic to these first-time "offences" so if you politely explain what has happened in branch or over the phone (without making a formal complaint) I'm sure they will be willing to refund the charges.