Halifax charges take me overdrawn!

[HF whO?]

Let me first draw your attention to the new Halifax bank charges structure:mad:

 

 

 

Now due to being unemployed as a result of the construction industry being in a poor way I don't have a great deal of funds going into my account.

 

On a recent visit I was rather unhappy to see the balance of my account especially when I realised that Bank Charges were the cause of taking me over drawn:eek:

 

Any way, I'm not in a position to pay them anything but I thought I would share this with you guys as I am fully aware that I am not the only one in this position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I find it so annoying that I am forced to use a service that is not a legal requirement like Car Insurance, I wish there was another way to deal with my finances.

 

Banks are like the school bullies that steal dinner money from younger pupils!!!

Edited June 16, 2010 by HF whO?

[HF whO?]

Here is a copy of the lovely letter I received from Halifax Today.

 

 

Any advice very much appreciated

[Essemess]

I'm in the same position with the Halifax. I gave them a call yesterday and they agreed to suspend charges for 10 days for me to try and sort out some sort of plan. Generous of them....NOT. I'm overdrawn because of their charges and they are charging me for the privilege.

 

Their suggestion was to contact CCCS. After coming on here I've sent off a letter to them to get a copy of my Halifax credid card agreement. In my mind, if they're going to stitch me up on the bank account, I'm going to try my hardest to take it back in another way.

 

If anyone does have advice on this subject, i'm sure both HF wHO and I would be most grateful.

[HF whO?]

I'm in the same position with the Halifax. I gave them a call yesterday and they agreed to suspend charges for 10 days for me to try and sort out some sort of plan. Generous of them....NOT. I'm overdrawn because of their charges and they are charging me for the privilege.

 

Their suggestion was to contact CCCS. After coming on here I've sent off a letter to them to get a copy of my Halifax credid card agreement. In my mind, if they're going to stitch me up on the bank account, I'm going to try my hardest to take it back in another way.

 

If anyone does have advice on this subject, i'm sure both HF wHO and I would be most grateful.

 

 

Thanks Essemess, I think everyone is off frying bigger fish:razz:

[Essemess]

Not sure if you saw this in my other thread, but I got a call from the nice people at the Halifax.

 

Basically, they have agreed to suspend all charges if I pay them £50 / month. When the overdraft is clear, they'll close the account.

 

Not had confirmation of this in writing yet. I hope my CCA request has not put a spanner in the works

[HF whO?]

Received a letter Today from Halifax Terminating my Credit Agreement!

 

Does this mean that charges must stop being added to my account or are they likely to continue?

 

The account in question has now been taken to £269 overdrawn:mad:

[HF whO?]

After speaking with Halifax Retail Bank Collections I was passed on to Halifax Head Office.

 

The reason for my call was because I received a letter of Termination referring to a default notive that I have never received?

 

I was told on a previous call to check my online records and there was nothing.

 

Today Head Office told me that it seems that it has been sent as an email but that it shouldn't have because it's a Legal Document?

 

I am just about to scour through my emails to see if I can find anything.

 

I have been told that I should expect to receive the Default Notice by Monday.

 

Does anyone have any advice of suggestions as to how to handle this situation please?

[pebbles32]

Hi, I am having a similar problem and dont know if anyne can help?

 

Last year whilst being unemployed (contract finished) I used my cashcard at a patrol station and went a few £'s into an unauthorised overdraft. In fact, the petrol sttion told me I could spend upto £99 at the pump so I could have gone much more! I didnt use the account apart from for fuel so was using my other account with them for benefits. I didnt have internet access at the time as I was broke, so didnt notice the charges until a month later when they took my benefits out of my other account to pay off some of the fees. I went into branch, spoke to the manager and retail collections who were lovely and agreed that I could pay back at £50 (this would have been tight but I was my offer as I wanted to get it paid off) and they agreed that they woud not charge me fees for the overdraft. I was also told that I could claim this back as a hardship case but I would have to go into another branch as they didnt have the forms in my branch, which was closing in a week. I was charged £10 which I paid in December, and also paid the £50 in December and January.

 

I made an appointment for January 2010. They confirmed the fee free agreement. They also told me that in the future if fees were to be added, then I could change to an account with an agreed overdraft at a £12.50 charge but that would be it, so costing me less money. They agreed to suspend the Febuary payment whilst I was in branch as I had just got a job, and needed the £50 from my last benefit payment for fuel to get there.

 

I made payment in March, and April, but there was a problem with Mays date as they changed the date it was taken, and it fell on a weekend. They were normally a couple of days late reducing the overdraft, but I made sure the money was transfered into the account for the Monday. They claimed I had broken the agreeement but reinstated it. They then told me that they were going to add fees (i had no notification of this) and would be backdating them. I now have an extra £30 charge (I still do not know why) and another £85 ebing added at the end of June and maybe more. I have still not had notification in writing, nor explanation as to what these are for, and when I asked on the phone, they could not tell me.

 

I called my nearest branch to maek an appointment and was told I couldnt. I also asked about changing my account and they said the £12.50 overdraft account did not exist - I was looking at in on the website at the time! I then went into northampton branch, took in my complaint and spoke to them. The woman in branch was lovely. She tried to change the overdraft to the £12.50 account but this was refused. She told me they could refund the £30 via the branch and I could then contest the upcoming charges. I spoke to retail collections who agreed I could change the payment date to the same as my salary payment date to prevent any further problems as the money would def. be there, they also siad that Junes payment would go out at the end of the month to go along with this change of date. I even agreed to make two payments to catch up. I was told I did not need to. The manager called me later that day to aknoweldge my complaint - was useless. He confirmed the change of date.

 

3 days later, they tried to reduce the overdraft. I wasnt using this account any more to prevent any more accidental problems so was no cash in there on the 10th, the old payment date. As they couldnt reduce, they cancelled the overdraft.

 

I then went into Sheffield branch as I was working there. I spent an hour on the phone to retail collection. They told me 3 options - pay off now (I couldnt) get charges of £31 a month, but keep use of my account and and have to pay £50 a month. This meant I would only be paying off £19 of actual overdraft, and I would also have to pay the £105 fees at the end of June. Third option, which i took, was to freeze the account and I pay £40 a motnh until it was gone. Im still waiting for it in writing as promised. I agreed that I could take my £46 benefits out in branch, and the next week my tax credits would pay the £40 for June. The date of payment was the 25th of every month. I did this yesterday so was early and £6 over.

 

Today, they took all the remaining money out of my account and paid into the overdraft. This left me with nothing until I am paid in 3 days time. I have no money for food, or petrol. After an hour on phone, I used all my credit on my phone (£10) and when I finanlly got thro to the right person, they told me they money woudl not be back in my account until monday. I explained that I couldnt get to work or buy food until it was paid and they said it was tough.

 

Help!!! They have lost my complaint so now I have to start all voer again, meanwhile I keep having fees added with no explanation so am not paying any of it back. I have given them an income form as although I now have a job, it just covers my living expenses, without anything extravagant on there either, just basic living! They still want more from me.

[surprise]

HF WHO - Use it to your advantage the same way that I have.

 

The default notice gives you a date in which to settle by, however, in my case the termination was 10th June but the date for rectification was 23rd June so they terminated early.

 

I had been trying to close my bank account now for 8 months but because of the overdraft and charges they wouldn't let me.

 

You shouldn't have phoned them, you should do everything in writing.

 

When I received the termination letter, I wrote and said thank you very much for terminating my agreement and for closing the bank account which I had been trying to do for many months without success. As you have now terminated this it would be unlawful to add any more charges.

 

I had a letter back in double quick time saying that if I paid the sum of the overdraft into my account they would clear all charges.

 

I did this and they cleared the charges and closed the account. However, as they had put ALL charges in their letter I have now requested a cheque for the charges I've already paid. Letter went today so will see how it goes.

 

Have a look in your paperfree documents to see if its there? If they have terminated your agreement early then do the same as me.

[HF whO?]

Thank You very much for your input surprise.