So angry all I can do is cry!

timetobedebtfree

I am absolutely fuming today, I bank with Natwest, I've been so good on my debt free journey so far, but this month was always going to be a struggle.

I had all my direct debits due on yesterday, and I paid the funds in yesterday to cover all these.

However, because the funds were processed at branch till 4.00pm a few of the D/Ds bounced and they whacked on £114 worth of charges - no notification whatsoever, I am know completely screwed and don't know what to do particularly as some of the D/D were for the scumbag DCA's.

I am just so annoyed and kept getting the "I'm not authorised to refund charges" so who is?!

Rant over now..

RAS

try going into the branch and speak to the manager and if that does not work, write a formal complaint to their Customer Services Department

dollydo

Did you pay in cash to cover these dd's ? If so, I would go down to the branch and talk to a manager. The bank should only return dd's at the end of a working day if the funds are not there. Cash should clear straight away and be available to draw upon.

10past6

timetobedebtfree wrote: »

were for the scumbag DCA's.

Why have you got DD set up with DCAs?

It's your account, it's for you to manage how it suites you, you really should have standing order's set up when paying any DCA.

Don't let any DCA tell you they can't do it.

newmum1

Cash should be available straught away if i think before 4pm i have had this problem before otherwise they do it the next day, but surely when the dd's were coming they would have been aware that the funds were there, if i were u i would go into a branch as i think that £114 is not reasonable at all.

Miss_Marple_2

Natwest are very bad for this - I once paid in cash on the Saturday to cover a DD going out on the Monday, and they said I would still get charged as Monday was 'not a real banking day' !!!!!

Can you believe it !

Also, if you pay cash & cheque in together, the cash does not become available until the cheque does, and even if you pay cash in by itself, it is sometimes not available until the next day. I don't know if these things happen at all banks, but I don't remember so when I banked elsewhere - sometime I think NatWest deliberately make it difficult so that they can rake in the fees.

Having said that - I have been charged 4 lots of fees during my time at NatWest and I requested a refund on 3 of them, and received it. The 4th was completely my fault and so did not ask for a refund ( although £38 for a returned DD is a bit steep)

timetobedebtfree

Thats what I thought, I've got the receipt to say the funds were paid in at 11:48 am, just spoken to another girl on the phone who was much more helpful and is actually looking into things as we speak rather than just fobbing me off saying theres nothing they could do about it.
One guy actually said to me about being "notified in writing" about charges - they took them out on the same day where was the notification?!

As with the DCAs and D/Ds - I suppose now gives me a good opportunity to set up the SO instead, I always have had them with 2 companies, gave into quickly.

Many thanks for your help, I've calmed down a bit going to go freshen myself up and wait for the phonecall back from the branch.

Miss_Marple_2

timetobedebtfree wrote: »

One guy actually said to me about being "notified in writing" about charges - they took them out on the same day where was the notification?!

That is very bad - I'm sure they have a policy of giving you 14 days notice before they take the charges.

I'm sure you will get them back as it sounds like they have treated you very badly

~Beanie~

Unfortunately you are supposed to have cleared funds in your account the day before direct debits and/or standing orders are due out. NatWest (and most others) don't usually check to see if you have paid money in later the same day to cover them.

It also states in their terms and conditions that charges for unpaid items are taken out of your account at the time they decide not to pay them i.e. the same day. You need to check with them that you haven't incurred any other charges that will come out at a later date.

It it is a one off, you may be able to get them refunded, they've certainly done it for me in the past.

cuddly12

Hi,

I'm afraid Beanie is correct, I also bank with Natwest and if a DD is due say today they will pay this just after the stroke of midnight so in effect when you went to put the monies in today, the DD was already on it's way out of your account and most banks do have the same policy that you need to have the funds in your account before the DD is released.
Hope fully as you have paid the money in the same day as the DD's have left your account, Natwest should really refund you but it may be worth noting for the future to have the money in the day before these are due otherwise you will encounter the same problem each month and I'm not sure the bank will refund you each month for something that they will probably deem as your own fault

cuddly12

Also the charges they have made today will be in connection for the bank paying your DD's when there was insufficient funds in to cover them, the notification that guy will be on about, will be another one off charge they will probably try to sting you with at the end of this month for late payment or something although in effect, there not late as you paid them in on the same day but the bank will probably not see it like this sadly