Advice please anyone?

[lulan7]

Hi all,

I have an account with A&L which I haven't had for very long - about 8 months. I requested an overdraft of £100 as I pre-empted that I may go overdrawn.

 

They approved my overdraft but only after I had gone £50 overdrawn. For this they charged me £25 for paying the direct debit which took me overdrawn and another 2 x £25 for being overdrawn for a week - a total of £75.

 

At that point my child benefit payment was paid into my account showing that I had funds available. I therefore paid 2 bills via online banking.

 

I logged on this morning and was horrified to find that A&L have changed the order on my statement to show that I made the 2 payments BEFORE the child benefit had been paid in and therefore have charged me £25 each for paying these 2 bills. I think this is very sneaky, I know that there were funds available, I would not have paid the 2 bills otherwise!

 

I was thinking of trying to complain to them but I'm not sure where I stand with the OFT case etc.

 

Anyone's advise would be very much appreciated!!!

[squarebob]

I don't know what the general opinion on this would be, but my advice to you is to go on the forum page and find the template letter that asks the A&L for your money back, add up what they owe you and ask for it back.

If they send you a letter giving you the old flannel about the court case etc, send another letter to them threatening to take them to court if they don't give you back your money. If that don't work, then threaten to make a show of them by going to your local paper, do anything that you can think of to get up their nose and not forget you cos if you just wait, they'll just put you on the back-burner and forget you.

 

Felix xx

[patrickq1]

their is a forum about is the banks taking your benefits

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-debt/36790-bank-taking-your-benefits.html?highlight=s+the+banks+taking+your+benefits

[robbednomore]

I have had this same issue time and time again with A&L. I have literally been reduced to tears with the frsutration this account has caused me.

 

It is absolutely impossible to manage. They don't even use realtime! It takes two days to transfer CASH between two accounts with the same sortcode, transactions and cash withdrawals take days to show up on your account although they take it out of the summary balance sooner, which makes it impossible to budget. They have repeatedly shown transactions in the wrong order to take you over your overdraft limit or charge you more.

 

If you ever need to provide bank statement let's say for a mortgage application, it doesn't look good at all.

 

I always thought that although the banks are a profit making organisation they're are bound to look after our best interests but all A&L have done is make me feel like they are robbing and bleeding me dry (hence the name!).

 

On the repeated request for help or suggestions to improve the situation they might as well have shouted NOT ON YOUR LIFE to my face. I have just sent off my allocation questionnaire and have already stopped using the account as I can't take anymore from them!

 

I will take extreme pleasure in knowing that they WILL pay me back every penny and they WON'T have the opportunity to take another minute or money from me ever again!

[jansus]

I would suggest clearly put your complaint in writing first about everything that has happened and make sure you keep a copy.

 

then after doing a personal letter decide whether to proceed on here with all the standard letters or complain to the FOS.

 

Which ever way you go in view of the stay it may be a long process- but at least you will be ahead of everyone else who may jump on the band waggon when the case is heard.

 

Also if you read my thread in successes there is a copy of the FSA statement that clearly says that hardship cases should be filtered throu

gh and dealt with.

 

If you feel this applies to you then maybe you could copy this statement from the internet - highlight the appropriate section and send it with your letter.

 

If you need anymore help say with a letter come back to us.

 

Jan