Natwest charges... what can i do?

[Deano.Uk]

Hi, i am a 18/19 year old and i feel this bank is just, ermm, peeing me about... (really want to use alot harsher words, but ill refrain)

i have been a customer with there current accounts for 4 years now, and have had £1000s go though that account with various jobs.

i have had charges before, but just thought they were ment to be there.

but now they have done somthing and pushed me over the edge, i want to fight them, win, and join the halifax, or first direct or somthing, ill look into that later.

basicly heres what has happened.

 

1) 19th of january, i had to pay my £30 phone bill, but little did i know that on the 18th, some money was taken out for somthing i baught earlyer in january... my mobile network couldnt take out the £30 with direct debit, so natwest thought it would be funny to take out £38 in charges... i credited my account a day later, my mistake, should of checked online i guess...

 

2) this morning, i checked to see if i got my weekly pay check, and i did, however, had a £28 charge for the 28th of febuary, and i only had £20 in my acount, as my phone bill was taken out a few days before, the charge wasnt there on the 28th of febuary, however it is today.

so i rang up natwest, and aparently its a charge because i was overdrawn the other month when they took out the £38...

also, they over drew me AGAIN when they took out the £28, so im expecting ANOTHER £28 charge at the end of march.

 

The original £28 charge i had no idea about, aparently they take it out at the end of the next month. I never had this in writeing, or on the phone that they were to charge me, i only had a letter saying about my original charge of £38 for my phonebill.

 

what can i do? what is the best way to complain?

 

Thanks

[ariel]

Have you checked the FAQs?? They're really helpful on how & where to start.

[Vampyra]

Just to put you in the picture about NatWest - yes they do charge you the £28 a month later for being overdrawn but if it is them that have caused you to be overdrawn in the first place then they should refund the charges.

 

It may be worth getting the list of charges back via the Data Protection Act disclosure letter and see how many charges like this you have had in the last 4 years.

[Deano.Uk]

Right, i rung them up, spoke to three different people, one was trying to get me too upgrade my account to a "gold account" (i get asked this everytime i see a cashier at the bank too) so they can charge me £10 a month... after declining that, i was told by another person that they can do nothing with the past charges, its the banks "standard rate" but he can cancel the forthcoming one that will be taken out on the 31st of march... i told him politly where to stick that offer.

I have now worked out the charges i have had, and the interest (38p better in my pocket!) and am about to print off an sign the preliminary letter found in the libary, step one.

 

its in there hands now, with 14days to reply.

 

Ariel, i have looked at the FAQs very helpful, and im working though the steps now to reclaim whats mine.

 

Vampyra, Thanks for your reply, I wouldnt need to have any checks to see about the past four years, as I have only had one charge, but i complaned at my local branch, cos i was under 18, and they refunded it.

 

I am going to keep this updated as more happens on this subject, this is the first time ive ever done anything like this, and lets just see how it works.

[Deano.Uk]

This topic was closed on 03/06/19.

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