It gets worse

Trollfever

[SIZE=+1][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=+1]banking: firms' right of 'set off'[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE=-1]It is not unusual for a customer to have a current account, a savings account and a credit card account – all with the same bank or building society. The same customer might also have a loan, an ISA and a mortgage with that firm. And some of those accounts might be held jointly with someone else, usually a spouse or business partner.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1]In this article we look at what the firm can (or should) do where a customer does not have enough money in a particular account to make payments due from that account, but does have sufficient funds in one of their other accounts with the firm[/SIZE]

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http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/40/40_setoff.htm[/FONT][/SIZE]

neverindebtagain

It took 2 hours on my mobile in work time being passed from barclays, to barclaycard, back and forth again, fraud department who said I had set a standing order up for it, I said I hadn't, eventually back to customer services who said they would put it back, if its not there by tues I am ringing back.

I spoke to Barclays again to tell them to cancel all standing orders if there was any and they said there wasnt, it had been taken by a bill payment. Its frustating when you feel you are getting nowhere and going round in circles.

I wrote to barclaycard 4 weeks ago and have been waiting for a reply, some reply.

What made it worse was for the past two weeks I have had my wages paid into my new co-op cashminder, this week my boss paid it into the barclays account by mistake which gave them enough funds to take the sum they wanted. My boss felt bad but at least I can post on here and warn others. I had no idea they can do this.

Will let you know what happens. Two weeks today I should be BR.

k2nga

It all sounds a nightmare and although i cant really add anything well done for posting as a warning to others.

LilyBart

Well done for your persistence too. Assuming it does go back into your account by Tuesday, can I suggest you withdraw as much as you can day by day (from both accounts) and store the cash in a safe place? Just in case of any administrative hiccups in the three or four days either side of your court date. I know it's a bit disturbing having a large amount of cash concealed somewhere, but in this case it might give you more peace of mind.
Lily

Sunk

LilyBart wrote: »

can I suggest you withdraw as much as you can day by day (from both accounts) and store the cash in a safe place? Just in case of any administrative hiccups in the three or four days either side of your court date.

Good advice Lily, this is exactly what I did.
I had enough cash put aside to see a family of 5 through for a few weeks & pay bills/rent etc.
You never know what can happen with closing accounts & setting up a new one.
Piece of mind.

skylight

The money going in to the wrong account by your boss (company etc) should be able to be re-claimed by the payers in these instances, surely???

LilyBart

Yep. I got a mysterious payment (by BACS) from one of my clients, and it went back out of the account again a couple of days later. They can do it all from their end. Speak to your accounts department and they should be able to rectify thhis.

Dunpayin

I opened a co op cash minder account a couple of weeks ago. I phoned the bank and they that even though I owed them money due to BR on other accounts, they wouldn't touch funds in my new account. I'm getting a bit worried now! Maybe a Barclays account would be wiser...

neverindebtagain

What annoys me is that I have honoured my committments for years, gone without doing a weekly shop, I don't drink, smoke, go on nights out and they go and do something like that. Its a good job I cancelled all my direct debits for my priority bills and put them to come out of my husbands otherwise they would have bounced.

fatou256

hi neverindebtagain i am so sorry to hear that barclays are not the only one to do that. HSBC did the same trick on us too just after christmas we didn't even know they were allowed to do trhat until it was too late. i truly sumpathise with you !