First time bank charge - overdraft

razorfox

Sorry if this sounds a bit of a small issue to some but i've never had a bank charge and i'm absolutely p*ssed off about it. Basically i paid in an investment maturity cheque in a lloyds current account and the next day i decided to transfer money out to another account. I received a letter stating that the transaction couldn't be made as the cheque hasn't cleared and they've charged me for an unauthorised overdraft for £40 quid. My argument was that my online statement clearly stated that i had the money in my account but they gave me some bull about you need to look at the available balance, well for the life of me i haven't heard so much crap - a statement should state whats in your account not whats possibly not available. Ok so in their eyes i was in the wrong, in my eyes i was going by misleading information. They couldn't do any thing on the phone and they could tell i was annoyed, i apologised for the attitude but made it clear that 40 bloody quid was ott. They've given me an address to contest the charge.

My question is am i wasting my time and if not what should i actually say in my letter to successfully contest or even just reduce the amount thats charged? I know there was a big thing about charges in the past but like i said this is my first experience so could do with some advice.

Thanks

natweststaffmember

ask the bank, as its the first time whether they will refund it as a gesture of goodwill.

razorfox

and don't mention the phone call?

natweststaffmember

razorfox wrote: »

and don't mention the phone call?

definitely not. I would say go with the "it was an oversight on my part" is there anyway that they would consider a refund as it was the first charge in your x years of banking with them. Was it rectified fairly quickly?

razorfox

Rectified? bit lost on that question. I haven't done anything with the account and it just states £50 available (yes i looked at that now) and the statement showing roughly 1100. The letter states if the balance is available to pay the monies i transferred within 28 days they will be done. The cheque should clear tomorrow.

natweststaffmember

Rectified/corrected, money paid into the account to clear the oversight. That sort of thing.


EDIT: and that was my 5000th post.,......officially I am certifiably insane

razorfox

Actually i will just quote a bit of the letter as i've just realised in my annoyed state they haven't charged me for the unplanned overdraft, as i understand it now they've charged me for not being able to process the two debits i organised online,

"We couldn't pay your standing orders as there wasn't enough money in your account this time and we did not agree to provide you with or extend an unplanned overdraft. We have charged you £40 for this."

I'm getting a bit flummuxed

natweststaffmember

Ok, did you pay money into the account as soon as you realised that there wasn't enough to pay the two payments?

razorfox

No, as far as i was concerned until i got this letter today it was all ok.

natweststaffmember

and as soon as you realised you paid money in, right?

razorfox

Is that a rhetorical question

no as i haven't got the money to clear the failed payments - the cheque was the payment for these but didn't clear in time!