I tried to be diplomatic

[blackgloves]

The stats: £385 overdrawn (original limit was £150, but they upped it in March to cover going overdrawn - due to them keep adding charges).

 

I phoned up today to ask if we could come to an agreement to lower the amount owed to £200, even £250 and i would start paying at least £30 a month. They asked how i got into this situation - i said, you guys! The woman said she could only take off £25 which would take me back into the overdraft limit of £360, i was not happy and but said yes, said i would pay £10 today but then i changed my mind and told them to id put in a claim.

 

I am really upset because i though i would try and reason with them over the phone to try and come to an agreement, but no, she wouldnt have any of it. So my claim to get the charges dropped starts, right now.

[blackgloves]

This is a letter ive drawn up to send them, would it be ok or should i take another route?

 

Dear Sir/Madam

This is a letter concerning my account specified above. I am currently overdrawn at £382.82. This has been mounting up for quite some time through charges and interest added on each month. This has been going on since January 2008. I had an agreed overdraft limit of £160, but this seemed to able and freely to go over. The following charges I am contesting and would like to be refunded:

28th July 2008 I £50.00 I Pre-Notified Fees and Charges to 06JUL08

 

28th August 2008 I £50.00 I Pre-Notified Fees and Charges to 06AUG08

 

07th April 2009 I £50.00 I Pre-Notified Fees and Charges to 06APR09

The frequent monthly interest also debited from the account each month added to the account going into an overdrawn state and breaking the overdraft agreement.

 

My circumstances over the past two years have not been good. I was a student from 2007 - 2009 receiving Adult Learning Grant of £30.00 in the first year a week. In 2009 I became a Carer and was paid by the state. As of 20t July 2009 I now work part time, 6hrs a week. This is not viable to be paid into my HSBC account as it will be taken through the amount owed.

 

I would like to come to some sort of agreement. Either :

- The charges above be returned to me through my account taking my balance to £232.82 and in CR as current OD limit is £360 , OR

- £200 is taken off the balance to cover the charges and the range of £4.10 each time an interest debit is taken, leaving me with a balance of £32.82OD

[Hugh Jeffort]

Hi Blackgloves,

 

Take a look through this thread...

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/faqs-please-read-these/25457-guide-reclaiming-bank-charges.html

 

It is a perfect guide for the reclaiming of bank charges!! There's lots of FAO's and most importantly letter templates to help you!

 

Also look at the HSBC forum for others in the same situation as lots of people tend to get the same responses from the banks and most can be easily advised on by the helpful people on this site.

 

Good luck!

[johnnymitch]

Hi blackgloves , welcome to the forum

 

A very good link there from hugh jeffort - if you follow the contents list you can't go very far wrong ......

 

However , I wonder at this stage , given the relatively small amounts involved if another try with the bank might not bear fruit . Local Managers have a certain amount of leeway in these cases and sometimes just meeting them face to face , putting your case and asking for your money back , is successful .

 

It happened last week with someone else and worked- but I can't fing the thread it was on at the moment .

 

Basically , if you have been a good customer and they don't want to lose you , they'll do it as a one -off - you can't go back and ask again .

However , if they refuse why not just open a completely separate account with a bank not connected with HSBC - have all your money paid into that for everyday Income & Expenditure and claim refund of Bank Charges from HSBC .

Starting a claim will put your account 'In Dispute' which nmeas they can't chase you for it until the dispute is settled - by that time your claim should be lying 'stayed ' in court along with about 80.000 others - and they can't move on it - any further charges they add will increase your claim.

 

But, I would say give them a chance to make what they call a 'goodwill ' payment .......

 

By all means come back if you need further help - someone will answer , and we're user-friendly on here .......

[yourbank]

JM, I think blackgloves has another thread and that this issue is now resolved.

[Hugh Jeffort]

JM, I think blackgloves has another thread and that this issue is now resolved.

 

Thats got to be a record then cause this thread was only started yesterday!!!

[yourbank]

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/lloyds-bank/212216-vicious-cycle.html

That is the other thread so I assume it is reasonable to suppose that the OP would not have two threads for his account with HSBC.

 

I would have said I had seen his thread on MSE(since post one was very familiar) however the username had the other thread. I guess we will have to see if he updates this one or not.

[blackgloves]

I mentioned in the other thread that HSBC had been nice in relation to Lloyds phone call, but i phoned HSBC yesterday and they were not so nice afterall, so i mentioned it to wrap the Lloyds situation up, this is now something different, concerning HSBC (hence in this area of the site) and the case above.

 

If that explains things

[johnnymitch]

yep! that sounds OK blackgloves - like Hugh J I thought it was a bit too quick to be sorted ...

 

As I said , come back if you need more info ....