Help please with my bank account charges!

May

Can anyone help before I have a break down?
Changed my bank account to First Direct who advised that all direct debits had been transferred. To my horror, none of the payments went through to the appropriate organisations so now I am in arrears with my creditors!

Then, First Direct charged me for being a direct debit that was returned as unpaid.

So, I've got a huge bill in bank charges that the Bank will take as soon as my wages go into my account and in addition to that I've still got to catch up with arrears to all my creditors with which I am not going to be left with any money for food or petrol for the month.

The only solution I can see is to cancel all the direct debits and pay them on a set day of the month over the counter so that I know that everything is paid without any further charges. And then set up the direct debits again when in more control - mentally.

Any ideas? I'm getting desperate!

dchurch24

Hi,

I had a very similar situation. I now pay most things in cash now - apart from the mortgage, which I get a £25 discount on each month for paying by DD.

I have found First Direct to be ok, and have no beef with them at all.

Having said that, I think the way to get your charges back would be to send them a letter outlining the dubious legality of such charges (https://www.bankchargeshell.co.uk) and respectfully ask for them back, particularly as it was not your fault that they occured.

I am appearing on Working Lunch tomorrow (Friday 21st Oct - 12:30 BBC2) to talk about these very charges and their dubious legality (I have successfully taken legal proceedings against Abbey and Smile for these charges back).

I should imagine that FD would give back the charges in the first instance when they receive your letter. If not, PM me and I will advise some more. I won't do it in the forums directly as some people believe that these charges are justified and it nearly always degenerates into a slanging match.

EDIT: If you want a letter asking for the charges back and outlining the legalities of such, let me know and I will send you one in MS Word format.