i'm a 20 year old student in a bit of trouble...

jay3_2

Tommy99 wrote: »

One thing that needs to be remember is that the if people are unable to buy things then an economy falls.

Look at the car industry, do you think that all of those car are bought out right.

Jay3 - I understand what you say, i know i should of shecked the account. And trust me i am not letting them get hold of any of my money anymore. But in the case of the person that postered first, it was a very small amount of money while he was out of the country.

Jay, everyone knows that the charges are there responability. But is it really fair to take so much money for such a small mistake.

I don't know if this will relate properly but, if i followed you down the street and you have a bundle of cash in you back pocket and every time you trip over your feet (which is your responability) i took £20. And the more you tripped up the more i would take. And if you fell over i wouldn't help you up, just keep taking money. Why would i help you up when i have your money??

This is not to have a go at you Jay, but, i got enough of what you say from my 50 yr old parents!! :cool: :cool:

Actually, I saved up for my car - took me ages.

I don't follow the pavement analogy, but don't worry, if you ever trip up in front of me, I'll help you up (no charge)

Tommy99

jay3 wrote: »

Actually, I saved up for my car - took me ages.

I don't follow the pavement analogy, but don't worry, if you ever trip up in front of me, I'll help you up (no charge)

Sorry you don't understand, will be to hard to explain to you. Any way, back on topic.

Tommy99

Hey you go toxic, read through it may help you:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=179491&highlight=hardship

Fire_Fox

Tommy99 wrote: »

Jay3 - You do have to remember that it the banks (sorry plus the goverment) fault that we are in this situation in the first place. They lent to much money, out of greed.

I do understand this, and i understand i took a student account out. However, if the bank were not being so greedy with there hedge fund, then they would not be in this situation.

Yes they are responable for the own finances, and because i don't use and check that account i got stung. But, it is called economics, Gordon Browns budget casued the problems we have. It aused a bubble of money etc.

Yes no one was forced to purchase a new house, but if no one did take credit to purchase a house then the majority would not get sold.

One thing that needs to be remember is that the if people are unable to buy things then an economy falls. Look at the car industry, do you think that all of those car are bought out right.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

So citizens purchase cars and properties they can't comfortably afford for the good of the economy? How selfless. Blaming Gordon Brown and the Hedge Fund Managers for your inability to manage your own bank accounts within the published terms and conditions brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'nanny state'.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

toxic_shock

okay, so i contacted the bank via a stroppy letter which i cc'd to the chancellor and my MP; letter as follows.

[FONT=&quot]Stephen Hester[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Chief Executive[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]National Westminster Bank[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]135 Bishopsgate[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]London EC2M 3UR[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]24th February 2009[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Dear Mr Hester,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Last week my Mother forwarded a letter from National Westminster Bank to me at my new address in Scotland, detailing that I owe you £282.18 on account number XXXXXXXXXXX and reference number XXXXXX. This is the first letter I have received from home regarding my NatWest account with you as it is no longer my main account and I have not deposited money nor withdrawn money from it in half a year. I opened the letter and to my amazement noticed the outstanding balance of £282.18, to which I could not account for. Immediately I was under the impression that someone had defrauded my account and that, due to me using another bank account as my primary account, I had not noticed until now and assumed that ringing the bank would lead to it being settled.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I rang the number provided and spoke to someone in your Collections Centre and was told, to my utter surprise, that I had amassed £282.18 in fines due to the fact that I had gone overdrawn by £3.50 many months ago, and that after the initial fine of £38, another £28 was added per month that the money hadn’t been repaid. I did not realise this would happen and did not realise, indeed, that it was happening. I have incurred fines before with NatWest and have paid them all off despite, I may add, the disproportionate level of fine compared with the actual overdrawn amount. I have always been confused with NatWest’s level of fines of £38 whilst their parent company Royal Bank of Scotland only charge £10 per item overdrawn. In fact, had I known I was going to go into an overdraft position, I would have arranged one with you, just like I have done with my other bank.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Not only that, but there have been calls to my Mother’s address at 8.30am for the past few mornings requesting that I call the bank. This incident has nothing whatsoever to do with her, and the phone calls have left her upset especially due to their awkward and frequent pestering. It’s also interesting why I didn’t receive a phone call when the initial amount was accumulating and that you waited six months to get in touch with me. This is appalling lack of judgement on your part and considering my age of 20 and as a full time student, frankly disgusting. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When I further called the Collections Centre I was told the calls would only stop if I delivered a letter to a local branch detailing my concerns and/or paid off the outstanding balance in full. The man on the other end of the phone threatened that I may have to deal with debt collectors because the claim against me was going to a ‘default stage’. I’m not entirely sure as to whether his hostile role was company policy or individual discretion, but I was worried and anxious that my Mum would be affected by this policy and his lack of tact.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Had I known that these fines were building on my account from an early stage, I would have settled them immediately. But you did not give me the chance to do so. My old house phone (my Mother’s current phone) has been on record with you since I have had this bank account, which is well over 7 years, but you waited for the optimum time to call me to demand money owed. Why did you not call sooner? What was stopping you?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I’m extremely dumfounded that I owe this level of money, I am shocked that £3.50 has turned into nearly £300, it’s appalling that you, as a bank in a position of power can try to exploit and try to take advantage of small print to push through a inexcusable and immoral level of fining on my account without my knowledge.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I would like you to respond personally to me, advising how we can go forward with this. It’s obvious I cannot pay this amount, and I don’t even have assets totalling that amount![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
got a letter straight away in the post, and rang them up. guy was 1000x apologetic, wiped all the money and that was it - done. genuinely one of my proudest moments.

so2006

Wow toxic, congrats lol

Is that a address i could send a complain too lol i have one to about natwest.

toxic_shock

yeah that's the address! straight to the top!! :d