Spam Getting to Grips with Halifax... The Overdraft

[Spamalot]

Hi there all.

 

This completes the Spam/Halifax trilogy and the one of which I am least sure of my rights/actions as a consumer.

 

I've banked with the Halifax from the year dot...ie when they were only a building society....( showing my age I know! ) and they lavished an overdraft on me... not at my request I might add.. and increased it willy nilly as and when.

 

Eventually the o/d was at £3000 and when things got financially rough for me I dipped into it on a regular basis and eventually maxed it out.

 

in 2006 when I hit rock bottom I did the contact creditors thing with pro rata payments and arranged to pay regular amounts into the account to reduce/clear the outstanding balance.

 

This I have done and the balance is now at around £2,200.

 

It's possibly my fault as I didn't pay the outstanding arrears of £0.00 at their last bidding.

 

Halifax Overdraft picture by Spamalot_bucket - Photobucket

 

and instead continued to pay a regular amount of around £30 and reduce the balance., but they have now spat the dummy, decided my concession is at an end and I Must pay the whole outstanding balance within 28 days of a letter dated 10th June to bring my account up to date!

 

If I don't, they will default me, might take legal action or refer me to a recovery team...( not sure if they think I've broke down or been on the bottle ) etc etc.

 

I have sent a SAR with regards to my credit card, loan and this account but would welcome any input regarding the legalities of them demanding the full balance of an overdraft etc as it's been credited regularly and the balance reduced for the past two and a half years and I've not defaulted on the arrangement.

 

I think what I get most confused on is that as there's no 'minimum payment' set on an overdraft, how can you get into arrears?

 

Thanks peeps.

 

Spam.

[Spamalot]

Bumpity Bump

[Undercover-Elsa]

Hi Spamalot,

What a bank. I've never seen such gross incompetence and lack of regard for long standing customers as this lot!

When did you send the SAR? Can you remember if they confirmed the payment arrangement in writing and if so was there a time limit?

They seem to make it up as they go along, from moving their own goalposts to rewriting their own version of the Consumer Credit Act

Fingers crossed there might be enough unfair penalty charges to offset the balance.

Even when their self created time limit is up, you'll just get the usual series of threatograms before anything vaguely nasty happens so if it was me I'd ignore till the SAR comes..or maybe write back and specifically ask wtf they mean by "expired" and can they send you a copy of the original letter confirming the instalment arrangement, if applicable.

Up to you whether to just put your head down and keep paying them the £30 anyway so you have the moral high ground...

Keep up the good work

Elsa xx

[IdaInFife]

most overdrafts in the t and c's that it be withdrawn at any time

 

there are a lot of caggers in same boat at the momonet due to the current climate most baks are doing this if not enough is being paid in

 

ida x

[Spamalot]

Hi Elsa,

Thanks for your reply and your concern..

 

The arrangement was made originally through my DMC and was reviewed approx every 3-6 months. I'm not sure if the fact that I no longer use the DMC is the problem or it's just time for the 'tax write off' but I've not been told 'your arrangement is due for a review' I'm just told to 'pay up or else!' .

It is extremely irritating because I've always played ball with them and been a loyal customer up to now and whenever I got a bit of overtime I paid a bit extra towards the three accounts.... but now I'm just tempted to say 'Stuff you' and make them work for the money.

 

I've only recently sent the SAR 'cause it's taken me a while to get around to these accounts... don't multitask to well. but I'm hoping they'll be oodles of charges on there.. the only thing is, up until the very last couple of months I always stayed within the limit so as far as I remember it was just extortionate interest loaded on to the account... Can I say that or will I be cagbotted!

 

Spammie x

[Spamalot]

most overdrafts in the t and c's that it be withdrawn at any time

 

there are a lot of caggers in same boat at the momonet due to the current climate most baks are doing this if not enough is being paid in

 

ida x

 

Thanks Ida.

 

The thing is this account is/was (not sure exactly if it's closed as I don't use it anymore) originally a Building Society savings account, which turned into a 'Cardcash account' and then into a current account as far as I remember.

It will be interesting to see what I signed and when.

 

Spammie. :-)x

[Spamalot]

Hi all, Postie's been

 

Default received from Halifax today... unfortunately unlike the others I've received from them they seem to have got it right this time. Loads of time to remedy and amount stated sadly correct.. just got to check the underlinings are in the right place and thats it.

 

Halifax are about to Stomp all over my credit file with their bl**dy hobnail boots again despite my regularly, without fail, paying money back into the account and reducing the balance.

 

Petty bar stewards.. It's not as if I can pay them back any quicker just cause they've sent me a piece of paper.

 

Bah Humbug Halifax..

 

Sad Spam.

[vint1954]

Hi all, Postie's been

 

Default received from Halifax today... unfortunately unlike the others I've received from them they seem to have got it right this time. Loads of time to remedy and amount stated sadly correct.. just got to check the underlinings are in the right place and thats it.

 

Halifax are about to Stomp all over my credit file with their bl**dy hobnail boots again despite my regularly, without fail, paying money back into the account and reducing the balance.

 

Petty bar stewards.. It's not as if I can pay them back any quicker just cause they've sent me a piece of paper.

 

Bah Humbug Halifax..

 

Sad Spam.

Hi Spam,

 

I assume they did not terminate then?

 

Were the other DN's form Halifax.

 

Vint

[Spamalot]

Hi Spam,

 

I assume they did not terminate then?

 

Were the other DN's form Halifax.

 

Vint

 

Yeah sorry Vint, The other defaults I was referring to were for my Loan and Credit card which were horrendously defective.

 

This is the first default I've had for the overdraft and as I say they seem to have pulled their socks up since being taken over by Lloyds and have issued a good one.

 

Not much I can do at the moment as I'm still waiting on SARs to see if, hope against hope, there are some dodgy charges on there. Just a bit peed off that they seem to be defaulting me just to be vindictive. I know thats not true but I just don't see the point in them doing it cause they won't achieve anything from it other than the opportunity to upset me..

 

Still thats bankers for you..

 

Spam.

Edited July 14, 2009 by Spamalot
Bad Grandmar