Advice please-Charges

[jimmylove]

Hi,

I opened an account with A&L in July 2008 and deposited £2500 and kept it in there for a few months and withdrew £2480 in Nov 2008. I have found out in the last couple of weeks that because funding in my account was under £100 I have been charged £10 per month since oct for not having enough money in my account and now im overdrawn they have been charging me £25 a month for the past 2 months and £5 per day for going under the £100 funding that I shoudl have in my account! Bearing in mind that I was £20 in creidt,THEY have made me overdrawn.

I called and stated the above and was told there is nothing they can do and I have to pay the money back to them (currently approx £150ish) and going up by £5 a day . I said I wasnt paying it and wrote a letter to this fact also. I received a reply stating that the charges wouldnt be refunded and that I signed up to the account with the terms and conditions of the account being set up were that I was to have £100 in the account. They also said that this had been acknowleged as a formal complaint and that banks were currently going through the legal procedings regarding bank charges and until the hearing is concluded ,they wouldnt revise their policy on refunding the charges.

I replied again stating that this is irrisponsible banking and to reconsider. They havent replied.

I am concerned that I am being charged £5 each day and with the money I already owe I will recieve a default notice on my account making it difficult to obtain credit in future in what is already a turbulant market to obtain creidt even with a good creidt score.

Does anyone have any advice on what I should do?

Should I hold off making any payment?

Should I pay the charges and reclaim through OFT when the test case has finished?

Is there anyone else I can complain to to get these charges wiped off?

 

Thanks in advance

[JK36]

I have a similar situation with another bank, its a vicious circle.

 

A&L also did it to me last year, I just had the standard letter about the test case too. i paid it back to close the account though i am still claiming the charges.

[jimmylove]

Had an update at the weekend which is good news.A&L wrote to me saying they would like me to repay the money again but understood my concerns about bank charges and until the test case is heard with the banks and the OFT they are willing to put it on hold until the outcome is decided. Good news! but to be honest,I never had any intention to repay anything that I dont owe.But at least its a worry off my mind!