Charges incurred due to bank's mistake

[ficadestupido]

Hi all. I'm after some advice regarding claiming £50 total A & L have recently charged me due to their mistake. This whole mess started when my new landlord sent a letter to the bank to arrange a standing order for my half of the monthly rent. This was sent a month before the first payment was due, however when I checked my account online the day after the first payment was due, no money had been paid out and there was no standing order set up. I assumed the online system wasn't up to date, so gave it a few more days. I checked again 5 days after the payment should have been made, and once again, no money out, no standing order set up. As I had to pay the landlord, and it was already outstanding, I withdrew the money needed and paid the landlord by cash. I found out a few days later that the bank had then set up the standing order the day after i withdrew the money, and immediately paid the landlord 6 days after the standing order should have come out, and putting me past my overdraft limit.

I called customer services to query this, and the agent at first tried to claim it was my fault, that I should have waited for the standing order to be set up "eventually" and left sufficient funds in my account. After arguing my case, she agreed it wasn't my fault, but said she could not extend my overdraft limit to cover other direct debits due out in a few days. Her advice was to cancel those direct debits until i got the money back from the landlord. She eventually agreed that she'd make sure the bank would cover these direct debits, and when I asked about bank charges, she said they were automatically done, but if I called when the charges went through, she'd leave a note on my account that those charges should be credited back to my account.

Time went by, I was charged £25 each for 2 direct debits, and I called. The agent I spoke to said she could see the previous agents notes, that they backed up my claim and she would pass the refund onto her manager, but there shouldn't be any problems.

One week later, while at work my fiancee calls, saying there's a letter from A & L. I ask her to open it for me, expecting confirmation of the refund. Instead, I'm annoyed to find out it's a seemingly generic rejection letter, complete with an apparent guide on their charges. I'm at work as I type this, but I plan on calling customer relations as soon as I get home, and I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on how to deal with this.

 

Sorry for the long post, but any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

[younganfree]

If you're calling them again, all you can do is set out the whole story again as you've told us here. Whatever you do try not to lose your temper with them, they'll just dig their heels in.

Failing that, I believe you'll be able to write to them with a complaint at their inconsistant behaviour, and if that fails to rectify the situation you'll be able to complain to the FSO.

Sorry I can't think of anything more proactive. But best of luck anyway. 8)

[ficadestupido]

Thanks for your reply.

 

I'll try my best to stay calm, and hopefully this can be resolved with a third phonecall.

[younganfree]

If you can stay calm, you can stay in control!

[jansus]

I agree with the above - put everything in writing (recorded delivery) - clearly stating the dates and events - give them one more chance to sort out - but politely remind them you will consider further action if they do not resolve the matter.

 

Jansus:)

[squarebob]

Stay Calm!

Remember the time when nothing was recorded, and we all 'blew our top'? Now whoever you phone, you get the message that, "This phone call is recorded for training purposes etc". so temper has to deflate, otherwise you get done for verbal abuse.

 

So how do we vent our feelings now?

[jansus]

by doing what we are doing I suppose and make them pay- also report them if they close our accounts - claim for wasted costs - and tell others not to open accounts with them. Thats if anybody can find a decent bank?? :confused:

 

jan:)

[ficadestupido]

Situation Update:

 

Called A&L up, got through to a poor excuse for a customer service advisor, who took the stance that the letter was right, i should have waited for the standing order to go through at the risk of getting a penalty fee from my landlord for late payment. When I asked where we go from here as I'm not satisfied with their response, he replied "Well, you were sent the leaflet on how to deal with complaints" (A true gem this leaflet is too, especially love the part where they say they "may ask you to outline your complaint in writing" but then fail to provide the address for the complaints department!)

I then asked to be put through to the manager who wrote the letter, and with a sigh he said he couldn't put me through to him, but will put me through to the management team.

Four minutes later I'm explaining the whole situation again to a supervisor type (the previous agent having cold transfered me to her, without bothering to pass on any of my details, and when she looked into my account, basic notes that I can only assume consisted of "the blokes been charged for failing to stay in his limit... oh yeah, and he mentioned something about a standing order..."

Fortunately, the supervisor saw straight away who was responsible for the mistake, agreed they were wrong to send out the letter and said the £50 would be refunded overnight... and that the additional charge which no one bothered to inform me would be coming out of my account on July 10th would also be waivered! I thanked her for her assistance in resolving this matter and requested confirmation in writing, which she agreed to do...

Now all that's left is to watch my account constantly over the next few days to make sure I get my money back... and over the next few weeks to make sure they don't sneak it back out!

[younganfree]

Well done, good result. Hopefully that's an end to it now, though you may want to make a record of this latest phonecall too - just in case! 8)

[jansus]

well done - your persistance won in the end.

 

Jansus