Trying to recover 'agreed' charges

[phoenix11]

I want to try and recover the £22 per go that Barclays charge me for having the Reserve option on my overdraft, on the grounds that I'm unemployed (on JSA) and that I cannot continue to manage my affairs with these charges.

 

They've said they'll remove the option, but they'll still then charge me £8 (?) a go for every instance I go overdrawn on my overdraft, essentially meaning that I only have to have 3 problems and I'm even worse off.

 

So is it:

 

a) worth using the Hardship letter template to request that they refund the charges on it's own - ie without taking any further action?

 

b) acceptable that they can still charge this £22 as a 'service' that I was very kindly given or is it something that should also be challenged?

 

One of the charges was for going over by less than £5 for 2 days - it's still despicable which ever way you look at it.

 

Cheers

[slick132]

Hi Phoenix,

 

You have to decide yourself whether to stay in, or opt out of, the Reserve Fee system. It really depends on how often you tend to go o/d. Also, if you opt out, will they still let you have any o/draft.

 

Even though you're on JSA, the bank won't necessarily agree that you qualify under the Hardship rules. Have a look at the terms of the FSA waiver re Hardship and see if you think you'd qualify for consideration because of your circumstances.

[phoenix11]

Thank you, Slick. How do I get to the FSA waiver and Hardship information?

 

When I mouseover the words the little pop-up windows only last 1 second and if I click on those words, they just go to the forum main page?

[Guest wino]

If you go through the Barclays threads you will see you are not alone in trying to reclaim charges for a reserve service that you did not ask for.

 

Bookworm is having a battle with them at the moment. I can't find her thread but it is there somewhere.

 

I don't think anyone has had the charges returned as yet.

 

You need to opt out of the reserve option and try and budget your finances a bit better. Change to a basic card cash account rather than have a debit card. (don't want to sound patronising)

[phoenix11]

I can't change to a basic cash account whilst I still have an overdraft and am on JSA - that's the big problem.

 

I need to get another bank account elsewhere and have my benefit paid into that so I can start to manage from scratch.

 

It's just not possible to cope at all if you go a lousy £5 over and then get clobbered for £22 for it when your on such a small income.

 

And yes, that was very patronising.

[Guest wino]

Didn't mean to sound patronising, as I posted.

 

My son is in the same situation owing nearly £400 made up of £22 reserve charges and overdrawn charges. He has put in a claim under irresponsible banking as to give someone on jobseekers an overdraft that they didn't ask for.

[phoenix11]

Thank you, Wino.

 

I can but give this a go - although it would help if someone could give me a link to the FSA waiver and hardship rules.

[slick132]

Hi Phoenix.

 

See Annexe 2 here - http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Notify/Waiver/pdf/disp_monthly.pdf

 

Wino was just trying to help and was not being patronising.