A&L Charges

[booberela]

Hi Scott,

 

Thanks alot for your help and re-assurance. Letter before action is going today!!

 

Will keep you posted.

[Surfer01]

I am getting my first letter all ready to go to A&L tomorrow. Meant to do this the other day but work got in the way!! Will keep you posted on what happens. Do I include interest in the money being claimed back?

 

I can't believe this ... last week I received a letter from A&L stating that I hadn't enough funds in my account to pay £42 cheque that I had written for the pleasure of this they had charged me £25, which immediately went out of my account. I immediately looked at my bank account on line and realised that I was still way within my overdraft limit, £300 within, so not even close. I phoned up A&L and got a really stroppy person on the end of the phone who said that if they were in the wrong they would look into it. "IF" ...!! there was no If about it they had charged me £25 for NO reason. In the end the person on the phone said that they would look into it and it would take about 5 working days for the money to be returned. How can they be allowed to take out my money immediately when they were in the wrong and then take 5 days to get my money re-paid back into my account??? It is so not fair!! I am beginning to really dislike the A&L and this makes me even more determined to get all of my other unfair charges back!

 

They must be making a habit of this as they did exactly the same thing to me. It took several dasy before the money was credited back into my account however I was warned that if in the interim I went over my limit I would get another £25 charge although technically I would have been in credit.

I have only gone over my limit on thsi account once and that was because it is a internet only account and their balance showing is never correct as you can have three different balances. If you pay something out of the account as a one off payment, it is not relected in the balance until about 4 days later. his has to be one of the worst current accounts I have ever had . I now only used it for DDs and nothing else.

[Shyck]

Hi

 

I sent my letter requesting for payment to A&L and they have not acknowledged my letter too. I have sent them a second letter reminding that if they are not prepared to pay me what's owning I will not be in contact with them and will go through the courts. Hopefully I will get a response from them by 12 Sept. Will keep you posted.

 

S

[roboticboy]

Not sure if you realise but A & L are NOT part of the test case. How on earht can they rely on the OFT test case if they are not part of it????

[burger]

My case has been on hold since the start of the court case and A & L Continue to add penalty charges every month. I ask A & L to pay them back but they quote the court stay, which was reinstated again, seems to me the banks are still getting away with it and you can bet that if the consumer does eventually win we will still have to go to court to claim the money back, and in addition, they will get away with being able to reduce the original charges down to £12 per item which is still an absolute travisty of justice for what they claim is involved. My original claim for £1511 plus the court fee was logged last year but since then I have continued to be charged every month and even now they have taken another £1000 as we all know in this forum once they get you on the slippery slope it is very difficult to get off. I think it is cowardly of A & L to leave the test case to other banks and not get involved themselves but they are reaping the rewards of the 'stay' while they can!

[Shyck]

Gosh what chances have i got huh!!! I have already sent the second letter and in about a weeks time i will be going to the small claims court. Am I right in saying that you have file your case in the courts but the courts are putting it on hold? What is your advise - should i go with the process and wait and find out?

 

S

[maroondevo52]

Hi, S.

 

My advice would be to continue and file your claim, some people have found, once the Bank know you are serious about your claim, they have been known to make an offer.

 

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[burger]

My advice would be to keep a record of all your penalty charges since you completed your court application, and yes continue with your current application and when we win you can put another claim in for the charges they have taken since the first case albeit £12? per item.

[Shyck]

Thanks guys I will continue with this and hopefully will be able to feedback with some good news. I am pleased to say that I have managed to avoid any more bank charges since I put in my claim. Your help and support is very much appreciated.

 

Cheers for now

 

S

[maroondevo52]

I am pleased to say that I have managed to avoid any more bank charges since I put in my claim.

 

That's sound, Shyck. Try to keep it that way saves all the hassle later

 

Regards.

 

Scott.

[Shyck]

Hi that's the plan.

[burger]

Excellent wish I could avoid them but that will never happen lol in too deep........

[Shyck]

you will get there. take it easy.

[booberela]

Hiya,

 

I need some help now please as since sending my 2nd letter my work has seemed to have taken over my life and I have not gone the next step - ie registering at court. What is the best thing for me to do now????? Should I just continue or will it be necessary to then re-do all the letters again. My 2nd letter was sent mid August ......

 

If someone could get back to me that will be great as I am worrying now what should be the best thing to do? :?

 

Thanks

[sea-sidelady]

As your letters were sent quite recently, there is no need to re send anything. Just make sure all your charges are up to date and any recent ones are added to your spread sheets.

 

Once they are up to date you can proceed to filing at court.

 

I have given you a link to help you with the next step.

Step By Step Guide - Consumer Wiki

 

Have a good read of it, any questions you have just ask. As mistakes at this stage can be costly.

[booberela]

Great - thanks for getting back to me. So that I don't rush this next step I'm going to have a good read through and fill all the paperwork in over the weekend. Once I submit my claim to the court - whats the next step then? Will I get a letter back soonish or will be then put in the long queue?

 

I know that this might sound like a silly question but what with all the financial stuff that is going on at the moment with the banks and the markets will this affect our claims at all? Is the court likely to look more favourably on the banks than to help us get our money back? Please if there is anyone out there to help me with this I will be so grateful.

 

Thanks

x

[sea-sidelady]

Once you submit your papers. (you need to send in 3 copies of everything). The court will stamp them, send 1 back to you, one to the bank and keep 1.

 

They will give you a date which A&L have to acknowledge the claim. So as soon as the papers are in, you just sit back and wait.

 

Please do have a good read for the court stage, but if your not sure of anything, just ask.

[booberela]

Thanks - it all seems to makes sense. Will get the claim issued on-line once I have been paid. Going to try and get it all sorted before I go on holiday next week.

 

Can anyone advise on my below question?

 

"I know that this might sound like a silly question but what with all the financial stuff that is going on at the moment with the banks and the markets will this affect our claims at all? Is the court likely to look more favourably on the banks than to help us get our money back? Please if there is anyone out there to help me with this I will be so grateful"

 

Thanks

[booberela]

Hello - I've bitten the bullet and have done it - proceeded to court with the MCOL.

 

Its now the start of the long wait ............

 

How is everyone else getting on with this? Do you think that there will be an outcome in January on the FSA's court case?

 

Where can I get an update on this?

 

Thanks

[sea-sidelady]

All updates are in this link...

 

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/oft-test-case-updates/

[booberela]

Hi - just an update. After the MCOL thing on line I have now had the paperwork back from the court stating that my claim is stayed pending judgement in the OFT test case.

 

Since doing this I have been away on holiday and have not used my A&L account. I am so cross with the A&L as my expenses didn't go into my bank account (should have done 3 weeks ago now) and because of this they have now bounced 9 payments and have charged me yet another £25 a time!!! £225!!! What do I do now as I have already submitted my claim. Can I add on these charges or will I need to do a totally new claim.

 

Thanks