Alliance & Leicester will not stop charges! HELP

[smurfit]

I had a cheque bounce due to lack of funds, the cheque was only £40 & the account was only about £5 short. So they charged me £34 that took me overdrawn anyway.

Then 2 days later a DD failed for £38 & again a £34 was removed immediately.

 

They now also want two £25 charges from my account, due to be debited from my account on Monday for unauthorised overdraft day 1 & day 5. The problem is I paid a cheque into my account on the 18th before 3.00 and its showing as debited on the 19th. This cheque is towards my rent & if these charges go out I will be very short.

 

I called them earlier & explained that this will create financial hardship due to a cheque that should have cleared on Monday being for my rent. This £50 charge will leave me short. The response I got was "I have to fill out a form, then someone may contact you regarding these charges".

 

Is there anything I can do?

[The Banks B]

........

[smurfit]

No I don't receive any benefits. Its a wage cheque. Until now my account has been run correctly in credit, although I have only been with them 6 months.

[Planner]

Section 5.5 of the Banking Code;

 

"Before we take interest or charges for standard

account services from your current or savings

account, we will give you at least 14 days’ notice of

how much we will take"

 

http://www.bankingcode.org.uk/pdfdocs/BANKING%20CODE.pdf

 

If they have taken money our "right away" as you claim, then I would start an official complaint to them.

[smurfit]

Just to update this situation.

 

I had no return phone call from the bank, no letter etc. Nothing!

On Monday they took out the £50 charges, I then went to the bank yesterday & paid in £40 (borrowed) to make up the amount & a small cheque. I did a mini statement before I went in that showed my account as £1464.97. This baffled me, so I checked online when I got home, this showed £1500 + in credit. I thought that maybe a customer who owes me some money must have paid a BACS.

I then checked after midnight online & this showed no sign of the cheque going out, nor the money I had paid in, but still £1500+.

This morning I log in again to find the cheque bounced and a £34 charge & a balance of £744.97.

Now note that 744.97 + 34 (charge) is 778.97!

As far as I can see, this cheque was bounced this morning but they say it was bounced yesterday & paying money in same day does not count. I also explained about my previous call to explain that the £50 would cause the cheque to bounce but "a decision was made that no hardship would result".

I replied with "I would call facing eviction hardship", & some.

 

So they take £50 charges, this causes cheque to bounce even though funds appear to be there, so they then charge another £34 because the cheque bounced due to their charge. I'm in the wrong business, I'm gonna open a bank!

 

I have been on the phone & getting no where, I even asked to speak to a manager who did call back with a reply of "can you get all your details together including wages, bills, rent etc. & give us a call so the credit department can determine how we can help, & send in a copy of your mini statement for an explanation of why it showed that amount". ?????

 

What can I do?

[vinegarvera]

This bank really are abismal!!

My post quick question shows just how low they will stoop.