Bank Charges From Abbey National Help!

[Gazza112]

Hi

 

Just Received my statement from Abbey and found i was overdrawn twice one for £1.56 and another for £6.51.

I've had £75.00 charges put on my account, went to the my local bank and was told they cant do anything as the new goverment law says they cant refund charges anymore.

I'm on incapacity benefit and can't afford to lose that sort of money out of my account.

 

Can anybody give me a bit of advice.

 

Gaz

[Gazza112]

Hi

 

Been charged bank charges out of my benefits.

I did send Abbey a letter quoting the the 1992 Benefits act about banks taking money out of Benefits payments.

I had a reply today stating that all charges are being looked at by the Goverment, they also sent me clippings from Newpapers showing this.

 

Can anybody give me any advice what to do.

 

Gaz

[rory32]

Have they refused to look into your case? Did you send them the hardship letter here ?

[42man]

Threads merged

[Gazza112]

No, they never refused to look into my case, all they said in the letter was they could not do anything and till the goverment gives there verdict.

 

Gaz

[rory32]

Which is complete rubbish. They are supposed to deal with any cases that involve hardship. I would now raise your claim with the FOS.

[Gazza112]

Hi Rory

 

Thanks for replying, here's what i was sent through the post from Abbey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gaz

[rory32]

This is a standard response. Did you explain to Abbey that you are in financial hardship and enclose an income and expenditure form?

[Gogivit]

Firstly, any bank can if they wish refund any charges incurred! Only two weeks ago my collegue went to her bank asking for refund (admittedly was her first charges) and they obliged.

 

Secondly, hardship cases must be dealt with- get it in writing that they accept your hardship and still refuse to reimburse you!

 

If they are stating what you say you need it in writing. Send all correspondance via letter that is recorded.

[Gazza112]

Hi Rory & Gogivit

 

I sent the Template letter about the interest must not be taken out due to the 1972 act. But i never sent any income to support this, but i did receive a from Natwest an income form to fill in.

I did phone up and was put on to there overseas switchboard, all i got out of them was you must make sure your account is in credit.

 

Gaz

[sea-sidelady]

You do really have to fill in an income and expenditure form, so you can show them you are having hardship.

 

There is one in the link Rory gave you.

[Gazza112]

Ok i'll get Rory's letter of first thing of with a copy of my income.

The Abbey letter do i need to address this to the person who wrote to me.

 

Gaz

[sea-sidelady]

You can, but you don't have to.

[Gazza112]

Hi sea-sidelady

 

ok i'll get my head round all my expences tomorrow, do i have to put my national insurance number on the expence form or just leave this off.

 

Gaz

[rory32]

Just leave it off.

[Gazza112]

Hi

 

Right this may sound a bit double dutch but bear with me.

I opened as i thought signed all the paperwork a bank account with Abbey National, been paying in money no problem. Even asked for an £100 overdraft which was OK'd by letter. Fine thats where this all goes pare shaped, Last month i went overdrawn twice one was for 0.76p and the other was for £1.56.I've just had my statement through and they've charged me £100 bank charges. I've phoned and been to the bank and they say they can't do anything as there was no overdraft facility set up on this account. After looking at the letter that was sent, it seems at the time i opened the account. They set me up two accounts both the same with different bank numbers. The one i use all the time has no overdraft, but the other account that i never knew about has the overdraft.

I only signed for the account i'm using at the moment, as i never knew about the other account till i looked at the account number.

 

Any surgestions in what to do with charges.

 

Gaz

[Gazza112]

Hi

 

Have an DD with AOL which i was paying £9.99 per month, without letting me know they put it up to £14.99. Bring me overdrawn in the bank.

I'm on disability benefits and also a full time carer, and can't afford the overdraft charges that they have taken out of my account. The amount that i went overdrawn was £1.56 and as i've not got an overdraft they have hit me with £75.00 this month and probably another £50.00 next month.

Can i get the rest of my charges back, i must say that the bank has given me £35.00 back this morning but will not give me the rest back.

 

Any surgestions how i can reclaim my charges back.

 

Thanks

 

Gaz

[Gazza112]

Bump!! anyone

[Guest Alison82]

Oh no!!! I'm not an expert but I think you should write to AOL, also I read on here that banks can't take charges out of benifit money, is it possible if you can collect your benifits in cash for now?

Edited October 6, 2008 by Alison82
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[Gazza112]

Hi Alison82

 

Thankyou for coming to my thread, I did go to the bank on saturday.

But all they where allowed to do was refund me £35 in charges.

They also said to get intouch with AOL to reclaim the remaining charges.

because the bank took out £75.00 out of my account on Friday, it made me £1.35 overdrawn again so looks like the banks going to remove more money from my account next month .

So i have written to AOL today, but i'm not giving much hope for them to refund me the charges.

 

Gaz

[poppynurse]

There is a letter on here somewhere that stops the banks taking money from benefits, it's called something like rights of appropriation.

 

Also you can argue financial hardship when you write in to ask them to refund the charges.

[Gazza112]

Hi poppynurse

 

Thanks for coming to my thread, i know the banks are trying to pass the buck. Telling me its my responseability to look after my account, and to see if there is funds in the account to cover the outgoings. But if they don't tell you that DD's are going up how do i know what funds are going out.

Also they've tried passing the buck to AOL, which i'm not giving much hope in getting a refund from them. I'll get a letter out to the bank today see if they can reinburse me:mad:

 

Gaz

[Bookworm]

Which bank?

[Gazza112]

Hi Bookworm

 

Thanks for coming to my thread.

 

The Bank it the dreaded Abbey National.

 

Gaz

[Bookworm]

Ok, first I think we should get your thread moved to the Abbey forum. There's people who tend to stick to the bank they know best and you are more likely to get the appropriate help there. ;-)

 

Then, you need to start the process to reclaim your charges on a hardship basis, I'll go and find the right link for you to read.

 

As for AOL, I would strongly suggest that you cancel your DD with them and pay them by standing order instead this way you're in charge of how much and when and they can never spring that kind of nasty surprise on you. (that goes for all DD in my book, not just AOL, btw. ;-))

 

Forget reclaiming the charges from AOL, they'll say they notified you and try to prove they never did is going to be virtually impossible. Much easier to go after Abbey.