First ever bank charge.

[Kerrie78]

Hi all,

My hubby has been on benefits since suffering 2 strokes, and for the last 4 months they have really messed him about with his benefits, totally stopping his Incapacity, then giving us a smaller amount of IS while everythiing was looked into.

 

Then last Thursday we awoke to find no income support had gone in, so it left us about £30 to live off all week. We phoned and they said it had been automatically frozen due to a bank of england interest rise and she was sorry that it hadn't been re-started automatically. She eventually sent us a giro but with it being a bank holiday we couldnt get it into the bank until Tuesday.

However, on Tuesday our Severn Trent Water D/D came out, and obviously put us overdrawn by £25. Today I have looked and they have bounced the DD but taken their own charge of £38.00!!!!!

 

How can they do this within 1 day, their charge is more than what the Direct Debit was for in the first place. This is the first time we have ever incurred a charge with them. I'm disgusted so here's me starting my thread just incase this sets us off on a downward spiral of charges!

[gni03349]

Looking at the sig after your message, it appears you know exactly what to do (well done with all those). If you contact the bank immediately, preferably in writing, because you took issue with them so soon, they "might" be sympathetic. Then again, if not, you could eventually look forward to another payout.

 

The trouble with banks is that they only look at one line (the balance). No regard is paid to your banking history.

 

Just a thought, but I would take issue with the benefits people. They caused you to incur the charge due to their ineptitude. I would hassle them.

 

Good luck with the fight.

[steven4064]

As gni says - ask them nicely. If they don't comply then turn nasty

[Chromatix]

In my own nastygrams (years ago), I always pointed out that settling earlier would (have) reduced their costs. They didn't listen; their loss! But their delays still cost me in terms of inconvenience. I also explicitly mentioned by financial difficulties, and they didn't listen, but it is something you can point to later.

 

If you have immediate financial trouble, you might find it helpful to open a second account somewhere - possibly with the Post Office rather than a bank - so that you can get your benefits without them being immediately swallowed up by past charges. I personally entered the "cash economy" for several months in that situation, but that is more difficult when benefits are involved - I was working odd jobs.

 

Somebody also mentioned a letter that you can file with the bank to request that particular sets of income are reserved for particular purposes, in this case essential living expenses. I have no idea whether this works, but it's worth a try if your next benefit comes in before you can switch accounts.

 

As it happens, the £38 charge is also well above the £12 threshold mentioned by the OFT at some point. Hmmm...

[steven4064]

Thanks Chromatix

 

The letter you are referring to is Right of Appropriation letter. Unfortunately, most banks ignore them.

 

The £12 only applies to credit cards and even then is the level the OFT have set as a trigger for them taking action not a fair or lawful level.

[Kerrie78]

Thanks. I do know the procedure lol, Abbey were real buggers, they put up a gargantuan fight but as someone said before, that was to my benefit cos I got extra interest!!

 

I asked nicely in Natwest but the bloke was rather rude to be honest, he said funds should have been there to cover it, I mentioned the bank charges fiasco and court and he just said:

"Do whatever you want to us, take us to court" then he turned his back on me and walked away.

 

The most rude person i have ever spoken to in my life.

[Kerrie78]

I posted cos I was rather annoyed (well a lot annoyed) when it happened yesterday and I needed to let off steam.

Since moving to Natwest we have been extra careful not to incur ANY charges whatsoever, until someone else's ck up causes us too.

I will be onto the Income Support folks but their argument will be that the payment was sent out on the Saturday and it's not their fault. I can see it a mile off. The IS Should have gone into the bank on the Thursday but they will manage to wriggle out of it. As I have already paid the charge I will just need to reclaim it using the normal steps.

 

Is this standard with natwest that they take the charge the same day. I havent come across this before as with Abbey I used to get a statement giving me a date for about two weeks in advance of when the charges would be taken.

[steven4064]

Nat West used to be a good bank but since they were taken over by RBS they have turned into money-grabbing ...

[WendyB]

yes, Natwest do take the charge the same day. Then they will take a charge of £28 at the end of the following month for being over your overdraft limit, or in unauthorised overdraft.

[Kerrie78]

my goodness, so we have another one to come aswell, how can they charge twice for the same item, when they havent paid it in the first place.

[Chromatix]

Yep, that's what's so unfair about it - and why the banks are starting to actually lose in court, after years of simply settling out-of-court at the last minute.

[WendyB]

They charge twice because they class them as two separate charges. The first one for £38 is for "bouncing" your item. The second one for £28 is not for bouncing your item, its because you are/were/have been in an unauthorised overdraft. Crafty isn't it?

[Kerrie78]

very crafty, and the big kick in the teeth is that we wereonly overdrawn by £2.45

[Kerrie78]

I'm back again lol. Yesterday we had 2 failed payments, (I know i'm totally at fault as I should have cancelled them but i didnt realise the date). So Natwest have bounced both of them and replaced them with their own charge of £76.

All I want to know is if there is a head office number for Natwest, because when I look online it seems that you have to call the local branch (who were totally unhelpful the first time).

 

As I said before, we have been so careful to keep within our limits, but we are still waiting on the DWP backdating our Incapacity Benefit and DLA claim. (My hubby has had strokes and is unfit for work). They said we were entitled to it going back to February, when they stopped it in the first place in error, but theyre taking such a long time to work out the figures and meanwhile we are on the reduced rate of Income support, and child tax credit but nothing else, and as a family of 5 its a bit hard some weeks to get everything paid.

 

Thanks

[gni03349]

Any help to you... Quoted from anothr thread(but note the date.. if anybody can confirm it's correct). The link to the thread is at the bottom.

 

Thanks for advice Fred Funk. I think I will write to Nat West, Borhemwood and for good measure, send a copy to Sir Fred. Have just phoned the tel number wilipwoy (see wilipway posting 23 March 2006), suggested for Sir Fred Goodwin namely 0131523 2033, and was given another Head Office address (they suggested marking it for his attention). In case its any use to anyone else, it is: Sir Fred Goodwin Chairman & CEO of the RBS Group, (including) Nat West, GOGARBURN, Edinburgh EH 12 IHQ

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/natwest-bank/11613-nat-west-robbery.html

[WendyB]

the Borehamwood number is the one that comes under Complaints on the natwest website. I can't remember it off the top of my head. Its an 0800 number.