Natwest Charges for Double Trouble SO

[peterpanini]

I have just received a letter that I been charged by Natwest a paid referral fee £30 and Maintenance fee £28.

 

My question is this:

only after my 'persistance' calling them i was offered one of the fees refunded as 'closure' of the complaint. they weren't even going to do this -only 'escalate' the complaint, but when i explained the original problem it will be investigated [within 48hrs] first to see if it was their error, in which case both will be refunded, but if not, then the orignal offer will still stand. I'm not hopeful of their answer of accepting blame when they get back to me!:?:So should I accept that offer anyway? Or continue to fight it?

I'm certainly prepared to - i really dont like paying for nothing and them sticking their hands in my pockets! but i am also concerned that i might end up having to swallow the whole £58! They rely on you being desperate - i simply cant afford either frankly!!

 

the orignal problem:

this was all the result of a Standing Order set-up a year ago - every month going out on the 6th of the month- which as usual it did and as usual i had it covered, but much to my horror it was also paid on the 8th[weekend and so it actually went out on the 10th].

Their only explaination was that as it was changed to the 8th in December before i changed it back to the 6th of the month in March, therefore the final payment date had remained the 8th! Surely then in that case the final payment should have gone out ONLY the 8th and not on the 6th as for the preceeding months?!?

How can you have the same SO paying out twice in the same month within a couple of days [perhaps their is such a thing as daily Standing Orders:idea: but i wasnt aware of this!

They initially wouldnt accept that it was their error -which apparantly is the only instance that they would possibly refund any charges!

 

i have had various accounts with Natwest for years and i have never incured charges with them before- but they initially weren't pepared to give any gesture of goodwill in what was an error wether their fault or not.

 

Its know its not the biggest issue on here but it doesnt feel small to me. i would appreciate hearing any advise from anyone else who has had similiar problems.

 

Thanks for reading.

Edited August 13, 2009 by peterpanini

[yourbank]

I have just received a letter that I been charged by Natwest a paid referral fee £30 and Maintenance fee £28.

 

My question is this:

only after my 'persistance' calling them i was offered one of the fees refunded as 'closure' of the complaint. they weren't even going to do this -only 'escalate' the complaint, but when i explained the original problem it will be investigated [within 48hrs] first to see if it was their error, in which case both will be refunded, but if not, then the orignal offer will still stand. I'm not hopeful of their answer of accepting blame when they get back to me!:?:So should I accept that offer anyway? Or continue to fight it?

I'm certainly prepared to - i really dont like paying for nothing and them sticking their hands in my pockets! but i am also concerned that i might end up having to swallow the whole £58! They rely on you being desperate - i simply cant afford either frankly!!

 

the orignal problem:

this was all the result of a Standing Order set-up a year ago - every month going out on the 6th of the month- which as usual it did and as usual i had it covered, but much to my horror it was also paid on the 8th[weekend and so it actually went out on the 10th].

Their only explaination was that as it was changed to the 8th in December(that is a load of rubbish since the 6th December was a saturday so it would go out dated 8th December) before i changed it back to the 6th of the month in March, therefore the final payment date remained the 8th! Surely then in that case the final payment should have gone out ONLY the 8th and not on the 6th as for the preceeding months?!?

How can you have the same SO paying out twice in the same month within a couple of days [perhaps their is such a thing as daily Standing Orders:idea: but i wasnt aware of this!

They initially wouldnt accept that it was their error -which apparantly is the only way the would possibly refund charges! well i would certainly hope they would if it was their error!

 

i have had various accounts with Natwest for years and i have never incured charges with them before- but they initially weren't pepared to give any gesture of goodwill in what was an error wether their fault or not.

 

Its know its not the biggest issue on here but it doesnt feel small to me. i would appreciate hearing any advise from anyone else who has had similiar problems.

 

Thanks for reading.

Can I clarify with you whether there was 2 standing Orders set up or 1 set up?

When was the 2nd one, if exists, set up?

[peterpanini]

No, this was for a SINGLE standing order! ridiculous is it not?!

i have never had such an issue with another bank- either you can only choose the same particular day of the month for every SO or you can set one up but then sucessive payments then go out on that choosen date

 

thanks for your quick response:)

[yourbank]

No, this was for a SINGLE standing order! ridiculous is it not?!

i have never had such an issue with another bank- either you can only choose the same particular day of the month for every SO or you can set one up but then sucessive payments then go out on that choosen date

 

thanks for your quick response:)

 

If the Standing Order goes out over the weekend it will show on the Saturday preceding it. LloydsTSB do not do that but NatWest and RBS do. Depending if funds are going in or going out it can be either a benefit or a pain.

6th December 2008 was a Saturday so it would go out showing the date of 8th December.

Can I ask you to do a search on online banking and just post up the dates that the Standing Order went out?

[peterpanini]

the relevant info is this..

SO originally set-up for 6th Sept 08

i changed to the 8th for Dec 08

this continued until i changed it back to 6th for March 09,

and it has been this until now

 

so on the 6th August it went out once which i knew about, and then again on 8th [or monday10th] which i didnt and have had the nasty shock:eek:

 

thanks again

[yourbank]

You changed it or it changed?

[yourbank]

I know the answer to the question and so technically you might be able to argue the point as a misunderstanding.

[peterpanini]

i had to for some reason- cant remember exactly why - something relating to it working out better for those months

[yourbank]

You set up the Direct Debit to go out over 12 months with a final payment date of 8th August 2009. However, in March you changed the date of the payment to the 6th of the month, yet the employee did not check with you or simply didn't change the final payment date which meant Standing Order Payment on 6th of August and 8th August.

Was the original Standing Order set up in writing or by just going into the branch?

[peterpanini]

i certainly think it comes done to a technicallity! a 'nightmare' one that it should end up costing me £58!

do you think i would be wise to refuse the offer of one of the charges refunded and argue my case?

[yourbank]

i certainly think it comes done to a technicallity! a 'nightmare' one that it should end up costing me £58!

do you think i would be wise to refuse the offer of one of the charges refunded and argue my case?

 

I think you may have to argue that the Member of Staff didn't use their initiative or you can argue that you changed the date and the Member of Staff failed to change the last payment date. I would argue the latter because they may argue you signed for the change but the question is, did they give you a copy when it was originally changed? If the answer is NO then I think you can argue that there was no way you could have spotted the error until it actually happened since they gave you no receipt for it.

[peterpanini]

yes 12mths, i set it up online i believe, however I cant prove whether i changed the final date or they just failed to amend it?! but still, would it be 'normal' for it to go on 6th AND again on 8th? i would have thought that if the final payment was scheduelled to be on 8th of that month then the 6th of that month wouldn't apply:(

[yourbank]

yes 12mths, i set it up online i believe, however I cant prove whether i changed the final date or they just failed to amend it?! but still, would it be 'normal' for it to go on 6th AND again on 8th? i would have thought that if the final payment was scheduelled to be on 8th of that month then the 6th of that month wouldn't apply:(

Yes if there is a final payment date which would seem logical to me since you set up for 12 months.

Pity you amended it online though

[peterpanini]

unfortunately with online-banking - they all want you to use their service but it puts more onus on yourself if things dont work out. but not all online-systems are equal are they?!

[peterpanini]

Yes if there is a final payment date which would seem logical to me since you set up for 12 months.

Pity you amended it online though

 

 

so what do you think i can do if anything?

[yourbank]

so what do you think i can do if anything?

I do have a different question, where was the standing order going to since someone/organisation MIGHT have more of your money that they should do?

[peterpanini]

ohh no - it was to family member, so thats NOT a problem...

 

isnt it usual for a bit of leniency for 1st time offences and all that? Long-standing, worthy and loyal customer... doesn't seem to count for anything- i seem to get better treatment as a new customer

[yourbank]

ohh no - it was to family member, so thats NOT a problem...

 

isnt it usual for a bit of leniency for 1st time offences and all that? Long-standing, worthy and loyal customer... doesn't seem to count for anything- i seem to get better treatment as a new customer

 

That is your argument, ie if the bank will not refund on the basis that their systems were not clear perhaps you would not have made the error you had. Throw in perhaps closure of account and if there is substantial money then add that to boot