Help...First Direct !!

[Glepa014]

Hi,

 

Not really relating to charges but I would appreciate any comments on my recent experience with FD. Quite a long story but I'll try and be brief...

 

My wife and I have had a joint account with FD for a no of years. A couple of years ago, they persuaded me to move my credit card to them (in my name only).

 

In that time, our account (and my cc) has always been run well within limits. Last May I was made redundant and due to the change in personal situation started to rely more heavily on the credit card but, with some careful juggling all our obligations (including making the cc payments and keeping within our agreed overdraft) were met.

 

In November, i unfortunately missed the cc payment in juggling the other outgoing and subsequently received a default notice which stated that if paid by x date, no further action would be necessary. This I duly did, taking the card just under limit).

 

On 1st December, i received a statement whereupon the months interest had taken me overlimit but stating that payment was due by the 27th December - my normal payment date.

 

On our around 21st December my wife went to use the debit card on joint ac and it was declined. She phoned FD and they advised her that she needed to speak with me as due to my actions regarding my cc, they had decided to 'terminate our banking relationship'.

 

I then phone FD and they advised that my cc was in default by being overlimit (caused by their interest charges being applied only), that they had advised this with a default notice (they didn't - being that i was out of work I checked ALL post daily) and that they had tried to phone me three hours earlier to prevent this but as I had not answered the phone (I had not been home) then they were terminating our relationship and I must now pay the full balance of my cc and any overdraft within 14 days.

 

After negotiation over the next few days, we agreed to the balance of my cc being consolodated with the overdraft and a payment plan going forward (which they were VERY reticent to do). They subsequently went to transfer funds from the joint ac to the cc to clear it but THEY in error sent the payment to an old account (closed) that I used to have with Citi and they now expected me to locate these funds and arrange their return.

 

To complicate matters Citi sent a cheque to me (as the ac was long since closed) to an old address. It seems the new resident, not knowing who I was, simply destroyed the letter (including the cheque) so this is not recoverable.

 

I have now written to Citi to ask that they either send me a cheque to my current address or better return the funds to FD but whilst this is going on, FD continue to default my accounts each month and apply interest on the cc despite the previously negotiated rate after consolodation.

 

Any thoughts ? Can FD simply terminate ten yrs banking at 3 hours notice (based on an interest debit they applied) ? Why am I continually being penalised after they made a mistake and sent funds to an incorrect ac when they could resolve this by recrediting my ac from their own funds until they got the funds back from Citi ???

 

Thanks

[Guest Old_andrew2018]

Bump

[slick132]

Hi Glepa,

 

As the main errors in this sorry saga were caused by FD, I suggest you write a formal complaint to their Head Office, briefly setting out the facts as you have done in your post above.

 

Point out that you should not have to chase Citi to correct FD's error. FD should do this.

 

Tell FD that you believe they were wrong to terminate your banking facilities with virtually no notice and they appear to ignored FSA guidelines concerning this.

 

Tell them you want HO to intervene and sort this out. Give them 7 days to acknowledge your complaint and 14 days to resolve it.

 

Send your letter by Recorded Delivery.

 

If you have any penalty charges on the CCard a/c in the last 6 years (or longer if you have older statements) you can reclaim such charges in full.