smile-trying out new ways to charge?

[lwebster5263]

Hi,

I'm lizzie and new to the forum and have found the threads very interesting. Has anyone else experienced this? A few days ago I read my latest statement and was astounded to read that smile were going to charge me £15 & £5 for going overdrawn for 1 day - I immediately sent a secure message asking them to explain this as I had been within my agreed overdraft limit.

First reply -quote"you have been charged as the debits that went out of your account on the 31/01/2007, left your account before the credit of £xxx(my salary). This is the way our processing works, debits will leave your account before credits come in. This is why we advise to have funds available in your account at least one working day before a debit is due to leave your account."

I had to sent another 2 messages and wait a couple of days but finally got a reply today:quote"I'm sorry for the last message. This is incorrect. if you go overdrawn on the same day you go back in credit you don't get any charges. Looking at your account this £20 charges shouldn't be applied. I'm afraid we must have had a system problem"

The second reply was fair enough but I found the first one disturbing. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[carolinec2828]

I'm with Smile too and I thought that you had to be over your overdraft limit for 24 hours before they charged you so if money goes out of your account and cleared funds go in they won't charge you.

 

I don't know if they've recruited a lot of new staff recently but I've been told loads of really weird stuff recently which has all been corrected when I've queried it.

 

I think they're all getting a bit absent minded as they're so busy refunding penalty charges

[lwebster5263]

thanks caroline - nice to know I'm not alone with the weird stuff - like your last comment too - probably true

[Andy766702]

Smile had charged me for a direct debit they claimed they had to pay, then this took me overdrawn and they charged me for going overdrawn. So in total it was about £55.

 

I phoned them up and there response was to phone later in the month when the overdrawn charges get debited from my account and they will correct the problem. Why couldn't they do it then???

[bathgatebuyer]

Smile - ethical? Yeah, not to us that's for sure. I've just found out they've cancelled all my direct debits (without warning), this the month after they didn't pay my mortgage even though there was sufficient money in the account as 'we weren't to know your money was there'. Errrrrrr? So, I now have a £35 charge on my mortgage because they didn't pay my mortgage of £792 when there was £1400 in my account!

 

Similarly, after the end of my first month with them, I faced loads of direct debit charges and started getting letters about my car loan, mortgage, etc. Smile had withdrawn my overdraft without warning. When I phoned up they said, "That was an error - we admit it".

 

To say I'm angry with Smile is a complete understatement. I've had no communication from them at all when they've done these things and I've had to bear the financial ramifications of their button pushing.

 

Even today trying to call them to find out what the hell has happened to my direct debits I was told, "The dept who deal with that aren't in till Monday". And this months direct debits are due to come off in the next few days!

 

Just when you thought you were getting over your money worries and this happens.

 

Certainly nothing to friggin' well Smile about in my house at the moment.