****ing bank charges

[alecstilleyedye]

my bank (hsbc) is doing the "we'll charge a fortune for going (slightly) overdrawn this month to make you overdrawn next month so we can charge you again" thing . they have the cheek to say they won't increase our overdraft limit because we aren't keeping within the existing one (which, bar the bank charges we would be and therefore have no need of an increased limit.)

anyone dealt with this situation before? i've been with the bank for years as i imagine the hassle of moving isn't worth it (might be wrong).

advice welcome, thanks in advance.

 

[Maz]

I'm with First Direct (part of HSBC). I get a weekly (free) text from them telling me how little I have left in my account. I can them shuffle money around or cut back on spending so I don't go overdrawn.

If you're with HSBC I would've thought moving to First Direct (if you want to) might be relatively pain-free.

 

[sheddy]

Banks are rubbish - at everything

 

[dan_bo]

They'll lend you an umbrella and then take it back when it's raining.


The decorator just said.

 

[meenaghman]

Interestingly I wasn't allowed to switch to "first direct" by HSBC. First direct declined to take me on. Banks .. don't get me talking about them.. Shysters. As Shakespeare said in Hamlet (i think) "never a lender or a borrower be".
Seems like you need a modern day Portia from Merchant of Venice.. you may have your pound of flesh but not one drop of blood !
By the way I thought I saw something from HSBC in one of its myriad of letters to me that "we will not charge you in the event of our charges forcing you overdrawn the next month" Also the Banking code was a major part of the Queens speech. I've not looked at the detail but there might be something in there.

 

[gratts]

Keep within the limits and they can't charge you owt. Simple

 

[jack the lad]

Put 'bank charges' into google and there will be a lot of campaigning websites on this issue with template letters for you to claim back excessive bank charges. You won't get any money back because all claims are going on hold pending a test case, but you need to get your claim in and acknowledged. Don't pay anyone to do this for you, there are plenty of free ones. Also avoid any that ask you to register first - if you do, you'll probably get bombarded with spam from loan brokers trying to pretend they are helping you.

I discovered that my nipper had paid over £1000 in bank charges in about 7 months and when I worked it out for him it all traced back to a single transaction which put him overdrawn, after that it was effectively bank charges on bank charges multiplying every time. It is a very poor way to treat young people often on the minimum wage and who have not yet learned effective budgetting skills.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Just contact them and ask them to drop the charge as you've been a good customer and obviously just took your eye off the ball for a second... if they refuse then say okay, I'll bank somewhere else then - it's not a huge hassle nowadays to change.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Although I very rarely go overdrawn on my account, my bank (abbey) have got a very sly way of getting lots of money from me. If it's a DD or SO, they charge me (£25) for not having enough money to pay for them (once it was 12p) and then they charge me (£30) for an unauthorised overdraft. Total of £55 each time. I know that I shouldn't be going over, but to charge £55 seams a little steep to me.

 

[ChrisKH]

My bank are HSBC and whilst I have a nominal overdraft facility I never use it. I have noticed of late they have sent me three identical letters telling me about revised overdraft arrangements (as in go overdrawn and we will remove a testicle) so I'm not surprised about the charges.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

Interestingly I wasn't allowed to switch to "first direct" by HSBC. First direct declined to take me on. Banks .. don't get me talking about them.. Shysters. As Shakespeare said in Hamlet (i think) "never a lender or a borrower be".
Seems like you need a modern day Portia from Merchant of Venice.. you may have your pound of flesh but not one drop of blood !
By the way I thought I saw something from HSBC in one of its myriad of letters to me that "we will not charge you in the event of our charges forcing you overdrawn the next month" Also the Banking code was a major part of the Queens speech. I've not looked at the detail but there might be something in there.

i had an online chat with one of first direct's advisors, and they said there was no reason i could not switch and get a £100 incentive to do so. of course they might not want my business (or yours) for other reasons though.

 

[hulver]

Heh

I was with Yorkshite bank once, and made a cockup on paypal. I forgot to change the drop down box from "Bank account" to "Credit card" when I was paying something.

Paypal didn't make a fuss. There wasn't anything in the bank account (that's the reason it was linked to paypal), so they took it from the credit card instead.

That's when the fun started though.

YB send me a letter saying that because a direct debit had been refused, they were charging me for refusing it.
And charging me for sending the letter.
And charging me for going overdrawn (because of the charges)
And, here's the kicker, charging me £8 a day for everyday I was overdrawn.

By the time I got the letter, I'd already racked up 4 days of the £8 a day charge, which along with the other charges took me to something like £80 overdrawn, and it was going up everyday.

I got through to the bank, explained the original problem and they very nicely agreed to cancel all the charges.

Ah, but the story doesn't end there!

About a week into the next month, I get another letter from YB. I'd gone overdrawn in the previous month without an authorised overdraft, this was very naughty, and they were charging me £30 for it.
This had taken me overdrawn.
So they'd charged me for that,
And the letter they'd just sent saying that I was overdrawn again.

Oh, and of course don't forget about the £8 a day charge as well.

I got those canceled again as well, and closed the account before they could start charging me again!

What a bunch of numpties

 

[Willow]

If you are overdrawn without arrangement they are at liberty to charge. You agree to that when you open the account. If you don't like it then don't go o/d or bank elsewhere. We all make mistakes and if that is what it is and it is not a frequent occurance they will rectify. Given on line banking these days there isn't too much of an excuse really. If you can be on here you can check your balances which is where I'm off to.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

If you are overdrawn without arrangement they are at liberty to charge. You agree to that when you open the account. If you don't like it then don't go o/d or bank elsewhere. We all make mistakes and if that is what it is and it is not a frequent occurance they will rectify. Given on line banking these days there isn't too much of an excuse really. If you can be on here you can check your balances which is where I'm off to.

lol, what a really humpty post.

 

[louise]

my bank (hsbc) is doing the "we'll charge a fortune for going (slightly) overdrawn this month to make you overdrawn next month so we can charge you again" thing . they have the cheek to say they won't increase our overdraft limit because we aren't keeping within the existing one (which, bar the bank charges we would be and therefore have no need of an increased limit.)

anyone dealt with this situation before? i've been with the bank for years as i imagine the hassle of moving isn't worth it (might be wrong).

advice welcome, thanks in advance.

The t@@@s did this to me as well, and then the next month as their charges made me slightly over my over draft as again I got charged a second time over, cost me nearly £300

They gave me no warning, I did contact depatment of trading who advised a sent a copy of a letter issued on their site which I did but HSBC threw some legal loophole back in my face basically saying that they were with in their rights to do this