abbey have "expired" our overdraft..help!

Received a notice from abbey to say our £1500 overdraft will be "expired" on the 1/1/09! A very happy new year from them. we have had a lot of charges on the account as it's been a terrible year financially. I am a full time nursing student and my husband had to take a large pay cut at his new job. They are not offering us a reduced overdraft. have thought of switching but our credit rating is now probably awful. Any advice anyone?

Comments

  • try get out of your overdraft as quick as possible is the only answer really or get a new bank account - i suppose you knew that anyway though.
  • cifpower
    cifpower Posts: 6,502 Forumite
    Open a back account elsewhere such as A&L. If you are unable to pay off your overdraft by the beginning of January it is imperative that you open a new account to prevent your money being gobbled up Abbey.
  • We've had same overdraft expiry notice from abbey for 1/12/08 I've spoke to them on phone and they say I need to open a new bank account. Anyone help??
  • To open a new bank acct between now and Monday, and transfer wages, dd's etc is going to be a nightmare. Three kids and Christmas coming...bah humbug abbey
  • kazkaz
    kazkaz Posts: 36 Forumite
    I've had the same letter from Abbey.
    We were struggling with bank charges and they have sent us a letter saying our over draft (£450) will expire on 01/01/09.
    I've opened a basic account somewhere else so at least we get our full wages this month which should help us get back on track, we where losing most of our wages in bank charges. It was a vicious circle.

    I've also written to Abbey complaining how they dealt with the account. They paid cheques and direct debits whilst we were over the over draft limit then charged us £35 for doing it.
    Also requested that they reclaim their charges

    Kaz
  • wheelel
    wheelel Posts: 36 Forumite
    I - arghhh don't even get me started on this bunch of imbeciles who call themselves a bank!

    Does anybody remember the good old days when Abbey National was a bank you were proud of holding an account with? I used to boast to my friends that I never had any problems with my bank account and that I thought they were a brilliant bank, but ever since they got taken up with Santander they have just got WORSE, and WORSE and WORSE!!

    Now they're an awful bank who do nothing for their customers. What type of bank points you in the direction of a telephone as soon as you walk through the door if you have a question for them...call that customer service?? If I wanted to speak to some faceless idiot on the phone who doesn't know what they're doing I could have done that from the comfort of my home, I didn't come all the way into the branch just to be handed off to a telephone booth! They're just clueless!

    Forgive me if I seem a little bit OTT, but I just cannot begin to tell you the problems I have had with this bank.

    Firstly, when my debit card expired in February and I ordered a new one, they kept sending it to a branch 200 MILES away from my home address. They did this 7 or 8 times, and every time I complained they promised they had fixed the problem, only for me to receive another letter saying that my card would be ready for collection in 10 days from the branch miles away.

    I even had assurances from senior management that they had sent the card to the right place. when in fact they hadn't, so it just goes to show what a useless bunch of idiots they really are... I mean how hard is it to send somebody a debit card?

    Eventually I got my hands on the card in July, but did the problems end there?? NO!!

    As I was studying abroad in France at the time, without the debit card I had been unable to access my funds for 5 months, as without the card I had no internet banking and obviously couldn't go into a branch... I tried to keep on top of DDs etc, but inevitably one took me over my overdraft limit in that time (I couldn't even check my account balance), and I was charged for that.

    I complained and EVENTUALLY got that charge refunded, but because that charge took me over my limit again I was charged again every month for the next 3 months. Eventually again, I managed to get all these charges refunded. Did it end there I hear you ask?? What do you think...

    Being a student, I have a student overdraft on the account (£1800), and in August I received a letter informing me that they would be expiring the overdraft on the 1st September. I was livid!! Being a student there was no way I could afford to repay this overdraft, and it seemed so backwards when I had already agreed to start repaying the debt once I graduated in 2009.

    When I asked them the reason for them removing the overdraft, they said it was because I had not credited sufficient funds to the account in the 6 months preceding. Can you believe the nerve of them?? They don't send me a debit card for 6 months, leaving me with no way of withdrawing funds or checking my balance (rendering my account unusable), and then, as a thank you, they take away my overdraft!

    Again, I complained, and, after much grief and aggro they agreed to reinstate my overdraft, although they did say that they would have to 'review my account' and that they may ask for the overdraft to be slightly reduced in the future. I asked by how much, saying "by about 100 or 200 pounds?" to which they agreed. I agreed to this, because, as you can imagine, I was sick to the back teeth by this point.

    Is it all well and good now though? Nah-uh!

    A few weeks later, I received the same letter, saying that they would be expiring the overdraft entirely on the 1st November 2008, so now I am in the same position.

    I am angry beyond belief, and can only thank god for the fact that I had another current account.

    I have complained to the ombudsman, and they are investigating, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it can all finally get sorted out.

    My one piece of advice is to tell you that I wouldn't trust Abbey with any of my money, or to handle any complaints successfully. They just really don't seem to care, never listen, and never call back when they say they will.

    If you haven't done so already, OPEN ANOTHER CURRENT ACCOUNT WITH ANOTHER BANK ENTIRELY (not part of the Santander group), and start putting all of your salary etc in there, where you know it will be safe. Don't risk putting any more money in your abbey account because I'm guessing you really couldn't afford to lose it if it were to be swallowed up by your overdraft all of a sudden...they're so unpredictable and can take your overdraft away at any time, even when they promise you they won't, it's scary beyond belief.

    Yes, your abbey account will be overdrawn without an authorised limit, but they are obliged to work out a realistic repayment plan with you, looking at your and your partner's earnings. Better this, than losing all of your monthly income, and then you will be free of this awful bank forever, a small price to pay!

    Also, if you feel that Abbey have treated you badly, and you decide you do want to fight against the overdraft expiry, don't bother complaining to the branch, go straight above them to the complaints department and then straight to the ombudsman!

    I will never put money into my abbey account ever again, as whilst it is overdrawn (quite normal for students!), I will be constantly worrying that they will remove the overdraft at any point, and will never feel secure that my money is safe.

    Sorry if I've gone on a bit, but phew! What a catalogue of errors! It's beyond shocking that such a large high-street bank can be THIS useless.

    Get out while you can!!!!!!!!
  • sutton111
    sutton111 Posts: 6,302
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    :eek: WOW, Have you swapped banks now then i take it are they better?
  • Doooford
    Doooford Posts: 471 Forumite
    Hi Molly, a few months ago I called my bank to talk about some crazy charges, and while looking at my account the person said "and of course your £1600 overdraft expired yesterday so you'll need to clear that balance within 2 days as well to stop any further charges". I was in a bit of shock, seems they'd sent a letter, in my shared mailbox for the flat though alot goes missing, straight to the recycling bin (which is annoying). Anyway, I told them that due to not having any notice, and being broke because of these other charges there was no way I could pay.
    She suggested going through my in and outgoings and then she cancelled my credit card and combined the balances and we came to the conclusion that I could afford £80 a month, with a reduced interest rate. They didn't seem too pleased about having to do it, although it obviously represents the safest option to them in the long run. I was so releived when I got off of the phone though. Not sure if all banks would do this, it was First Direct who I did it with.
    Hope you manage to sort it out :wave:
  • wheelel
    wheelel Posts: 36 Forumite
    sutton111 wrote: »
    :eek: WOW, Have you swapped banks now then i take it are they better?

    Yeah, I already had an account with Natwest, although no overdraft, so I just moved everything over to them and have had no problems. If I walk into the branch they'll actually talk to me, and when I have a problem they seem to actually do something about it. Genius!!

    Still got the Abbey thing ongoing but I have told them I'm not crediting the account until I hear back from the Ombudsman... I just do not trust them at all!
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards